Is the Human Body a Temple of God?
By George I. Butler
We will notice each of the scriptures which speak directly of our bodies as temples. They are not many in number. We quote first the text: “Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.” This language is in harmony with Rom. 8: 9. How do we know that we are temples of God?—Simply by the Spirit of God dwelling in us. This is the “witness” of the Spirit with our spirit, the evidence that we are the sons of God. Those that have not this are therefore not temples of God. Worldlings are not “holy” persons. They are anything but that. But every temple of God is “holy.” We notice another text: “What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.” How could language be plainer that the apostle is here addressing Christians, and not worldlings or unbelievers? This language is addressed to the Corinthian church, a people that “came behind in no gift.” 1 Cor. 1: 7. They were “bought with a price.” The Holy Spirit dwelt in them, and they thus became temples of God. They were not children of the evil one, but children of God. This scripture is in perfect harmony with those that have been quoted, showing beyond all question that they were reckoned by the apostle as disciples of Christ. Another testimony: “What agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.” This scripture is a part of the instruction of Paul to the Corinthian church relative to their coming out of the world and being separate from it. It commences: “Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers,” and closes with the words: “Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate,” etc. As one reason why this separation should be made, the fact is stated that they are “temples of the living God;” in short, that they are Christians, and10not infidels, unbelievers, children of “Belial,” etc. From the testimony of this scripture, nothing could be made plainer than that worldlings are never called temples of God, and the language demonstrates that in no true sense can any one but a true disciple ever be called a temple of God or of the Holy Spirit. Except these quoted, no text is known to the writer where the human body is called a temple. In Eph. 2: 19-21, the church is spoken of as a temple; but as that is not specially connected with the subject herein considered, we will pass it by. An objection has sometimes been urged against the view that none but Christians are called the temple of God, because Paul, in speaking of the Corinthian Christians, the very ones that are here called temples, calls them “carnal.” A few words may be proper in noticing this point. “I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.” 1 Cor. 3: 1, 2. He then proceeds to give the evidences of their carnality; namely, the fact that “envying, strife, divisions,” were among them. These things are plain evidences that the work of divine grace is incomplete. Paul presents similar thoughts to the Hebrews as evidences that they had remained in spiritual babyhood (Heb. 5: 11-14) though that church had existed some thirty years. In all ages the same evidences have existed among Christ’s church of multitudes who have made little true growth. In our own denomination sad evidences of the same spiritual weakness exist to-day, even among those in high standing. Genuine union, mutual love, and high esteem are ever evidences of true spiritual growth, and a lack of these is equal evidence of weakness and spiritual babyhood. Yet Paul’s words of reproof (1 Cor. 3: 1, 2) plainly demonstrate that those whom he speaks of as being carnal were Christians. He calls them “babes in Christ.” They must therefore have had a spiritual birth, though their growth had been very deficient. They had not profited from their spiritual food as they might have done. If these weak ones were recognized as Christians by the great apostle, most certainly they were not worldlings and unbelievers. Hence the objection that they are called “carnal” proves nothing against the argument that none but Christians are called the “temple of God.” There is a doctrine extant to-day which we consider dangerous in its tendencies because it confounds the distinctions clearly taught in the Scriptures relative to the work of the Spirit. Because of the wonderful phenomena of digestion, assimilation, growth, and other changes in the human system, it is concluded that divine power is present, and therefore all men are temples of God. It is not the premises of this position that we wish to antagonize so much as the conclusion drawn from them. This doctrine really opens up the whole subject of life in the universe of God,—a subject, by the way, which no philosopher, physiologist, scientist, or human being ever has or ever can explain or comprehend. Life proceeds alone from God. “In him was life.” He is its fountain. He has wisely retained its mysteries in his own control. There is not a man living who can explain the mysteries involved in the growth of a blade of grass, much less all the other complex processes of life on every hand. Life among the angelic intelligences, in man himself, in beasts, birds, fishes, insects, trees, vegetables, is a mystery unfathomable by human wisdom. We would never venture to seek to limit God’s power. It sustains all nature, all worlds, all growth. How it is done none can tell. Growth in animals is as inexplicable as in human beings. Divine power is manifested in one as truly as in the other. Neither could exist without it. Does the fact that divine power is in some unexplainable way connected with the processes of digestion, nutrition, assimilation, and growth in the human being, make that body a “temple of God”? Then the same fact equally unexplainable in similar processes in beasts, makes them “temples of God” also. Processes of life must necessarily prevail among the rebellious angels, who have been very busy for six thousand years, and seem to be still strong and vigorous. Are not their lives permitted and prolonged by divine power? Are they therefore necessarily “temples of God”? We should hope not. An argument which proves too much proves nothing. We cheerfully grant that divine power is manifest wherever there is life. Life is diversified through all creation. None can comprehend it; no mortal can fathom it, explain it, or grasp it. God alone, its author, giver, sustainer, and upholder, can impart, originate, or control it. But its presence in any of its diversified forms does not necessarily constitute its recipient a “temple of God.” O, no; by no means. To be such a temple, the gift of God’s Holy Spirit, the blessed Paraclete promised by the divine Son, verified on Pentecost, bestowed upon every true child of God, is absolutely essential. In the confusion of thoughts resulting from the coming down of Satan “with great wrath” to deceive, if possible, the very elect, all sorts of hoary-headed fables, which for ages have deceived the heathen world, are being re-vamped in multitudinous forms; yea, and multitudes are swallowing them with great avidity. Pantheistic views are being taught by great professors with world-wide reputations. Spiritualism, Christian Science, clairvoyance, hypnotism, and all sorts of errors are extant. It will be our wisdom as a people carefully to avoid all these last-day delusions, and cling to the faith once delivered to the saints, the grand old truths which were taught in their purity by those whom God raised up to lay the foundations of this message. One of these is still with us, still giving the trumpet a certain sound, a note that will stand the test in this time when many voices are calling us hither and yon away from the old platform laid for our foundation and support. May the Lord make us wise unto salvation.—Geo. I. Butler, in Southern Watchman.