Howbeit the most High dwelleth not in temples made with hands; as saith the prophet,
The Most High does not live shut up inside houses built by human hands, for no earthly building can hold Him whose highest worship is in heaven where His throne is set with earth as His footstool. It was spoken by Stephen, foremost of the seven deacons, in the power of the Holy Spirit with a wisdom his opponents could not resist, as he answered the charge of blasphemy by tracing Israel's history down to Solomon's building of the temple and appealing to Solomon and Isaiah as witnesses. The building itself was not God and did not contain Him, and its beauty and rites please Him nothing when worshipers cling to sin, honor the house while rejecting Christ, and resist the Holy Spirit with corrupt hearts. Worship is therefore not bound to the Jewish temple or to any other man-made shrine, but true believers may worship Him throughout the world in spirit and in truth, since Christ's death brought to an end what the temple system represented. Though He is not confined to such places, He dwells with the humble and contrite to revive their hearts and meets with His people when they gather to seek Him, confess their sins, and pray for one another in holiness.
Stephen's Witness and Context
The words were spoken by Stephen, foremost of the seven deacons, a Jew by birth who spoke the Greek language and knew Greek customs and manners. He preached the gospel in the synagogues of the Greek Jews with deep piety and broad faith, very active in the cause of Christ and boldly proclaiming his faith. He spoke them in the power of the Holy Spirit with a wisdom and spirit that learned rabbis and doctors of the law could not resist in public discussion. He spoke as one learned in all matters of the law and a student of the prophecies, ably defending the truths he advocated and utterly defeating his opponents. In this was fulfilled Christ's promise to give a mouth and wisdom which all adversaries would not be able to gainsay nor resist.
He used the declaration in answering the charge of blasphemy to declare his loyalty to God and to the Jewish faith. At the same time he showed that the law trusted in for salvation had not kept Israel from idolatry, and he connected Jesus Christ with all Jewish history. The declaration belongs to his recounting of Israel's history through Solomon's building of the temple. After recalling that building he appealed to the words of Solomon and Isaiah as witnesses to the truth that the Most High is not confined to houses built by human hands.
He used the temple's history to show that the building itself was not God and did not contain Him, and that worshiping it while rejecting Christ was wrong. By this history and by the prophecies concerning Jesus he set forth the spiritual meaning of the temple as revealed through Christ. He showed that the Lord's work continued through the prophets and reached its fulfillment in Jesus' advent, crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension. The witness to which the declaration belongs ended in his stoning, with Saul standing by consenting and then not leaving the people of God undisturbed but going on breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord.
God Beyond Earthly Temples
The Most High does not dwell in temples made by human hands, is not confined to them, and no earthly house can contain Him. The place of His highest worship is in heaven. Heaven is His throne and earth His footstool, so no house can be made for Him as though it were His rest. The temple building itself was not God and does not contain Him. A beautiful temple and its rites do not please Him when worshipers cling to sin, worship the building while rejecting Christ, and resist the Holy Spirit with corrupt hearts.
True Worship Throughout World
Worship of God is not confined to the Jewish temple or to other temples made by human hands, but true believers may worship Him throughout the world in Spirit and in truth. This worldwide worship reflects a change in which Christ's death brought to an end what the temple system represented and on which dependence on the earthly temple had rested. Stephen discerned this change with the veil dropped from his eyes, seeing that the time had come when that which was abolished by Christ's death had reached its end.
God dwells with the humble and contrite to revive their hearts, so true worship requires holiness, mercy, and a humble spirit, not merely a splendid building or ceremonies. A beautiful temple and its rites do not please Him when worshipers cling to sin. Though He is not confined to human-built temples, He honors the assemblies of His people with His presence and promises to meet with them when they gather to seek Him, acknowledge their sins, and pray for one another. Yet their gathering is of no value unless hearts are emptied of evil and they worship in spirit and truth and in holiness.
The same truth that God's temple is not made with human hands applies even to the place where a public meeting is held.
The Most High does not live shut up inside houses built by human hands, for no earthly building can hold Him whose highest worship is in heaven where His throne is set with earth as His footstool. It was spoken by Stephen, foremost of the seven deacons, in the power of the Holy Spirit with a wisdom his opponents could not resist, as he answered the charge of blasphemy by tracing Israel's history down to Solomon's building of the temple and appealing to Solomon and Isaiah as witnesses. The building itself was not God and did not contain Him, and its beauty and rites please Him nothing when worshipers cling to sin, honor the house while rejecting Christ, and resist the Holy Spirit with corrupt hearts. Worship is therefore not bound to the Jewish temple or to any other man-made shrine, but true believers may worship Him throughout the world in spirit and in truth, since Christ's death brought to an end what the temple system represented. Though He is not confined to such places, He dwells with the humble and contrite to revive their hearts and meets with His people when they gather to seek Him, confess their sins, and pray for one another in holiness.
Stephen's Witness and Context
The words were spoken by Stephen, foremost of the seven deacons, a Jew by birth who spoke the Greek language and knew Greek customs and manners. He preached the gospel in the synagogues of the Greek Jews with deep piety and broad faith, very active in the cause of Christ and boldly proclaiming his faith. He spoke them in the power of the Holy Spirit with a wisdom and spirit that learned rabbis and doctors of the law could not resist in public discussion. He spoke as one learned in all matters of the law and a student of the prophecies, ably defending the truths he advocated and utterly defeating his opponents. In this was fulfilled Christ's promise to give a mouth and wisdom which all adversaries would not be able to gainsay nor resist.
He used the declaration in answering the charge of blasphemy to declare his loyalty to God and to the Jewish faith. At the same time he showed that the law trusted in for salvation had not kept Israel from idolatry, and he connected Jesus Christ with all Jewish history. The declaration belongs to his recounting of Israel's history through Solomon's building of the temple. After recalling that building he appealed to the words of Solomon and Isaiah as witnesses to the truth that the Most High is not confined to houses built by human hands.
He used the temple's history to show that the building itself was not God and did not contain Him, and that worshiping it while rejecting Christ was wrong. By this history and by the prophecies concerning Jesus he set forth the spiritual meaning of the temple as revealed through Christ. He showed that the Lord's work continued through the prophets and reached its fulfillment in Jesus' advent, crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension. The witness to which the declaration belongs ended in his stoning, with Saul standing by consenting and then not leaving the people of God undisturbed but going on breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord.
God Beyond Earthly Temples
The Most High does not dwell in temples made by human hands, is not confined to them, and no earthly house can contain Him. The place of His highest worship is in heaven. Heaven is His throne and earth His footstool, so no house can be made for Him as though it were His rest. The temple building itself was not God and does not contain Him. A beautiful temple and its rites do not please Him when worshipers cling to sin, worship the building while rejecting Christ, and resist the Holy Spirit with corrupt hearts.
True Worship Throughout World
Worship of God is not confined to the Jewish temple or to other temples made by human hands, but true believers may worship Him throughout the world in Spirit and in truth. This worldwide worship reflects a change in which Christ's death brought to an end what the temple system represented and on which dependence on the earthly temple had rested. Stephen discerned this change with the veil dropped from his eyes, seeing that the time had come when that which was abolished by Christ's death had reached its end.
God dwells with the humble and contrite to revive their hearts, so true worship requires holiness, mercy, and a humble spirit, not merely a splendid building or ceremonies. A beautiful temple and its rites do not please Him when worshipers cling to sin. Though He is not confined to human-built temples, He honors the assemblies of His people with His presence and promises to meet with them when they gather to seek Him, acknowledge their sins, and pray for one another. Yet their gathering is of no value unless hearts are emptied of evil and they worship in spirit and truth and in holiness.
The same truth that God's temple is not made with human hands applies even to the place where a public meeting is held.