TEMPLE CHARACTER
[p. 129] TEMPLE CHARACTER
1 Corinthians 6: 19, 20; 1 Corinthians 3: 16, 17; 2 Corinthians 6: 14 - 18; Ephesians 2: 19 - 22
CAC I thought it might be profitable if we looked at the scriptures that refer to the saints in temple character. The fact that the saints have temple character is a very important and prominent part of the truth, and it is intended to have a very elevating and sanctifying effect. The temple thought is presented in three ways in the scriptures that have been read. It is looked at in an individual aspect, in a local aspect and in a universal aspect. God would use this truth to elevate us, so that we should regard ourselves and the assembly in a very holy light. God’s way to deliver us from what is unworthy of Himself is not only by pointing out that it is wrong, but by giving us an enlarged conception of what is in His own mind. The Corinthians were in danger of falling into practices which were of the most degrading character morally, but the way of divine wisdom to deliver them was to call their attention to the holy and exalted character that attached to them; every one of them had a body which was a temple.
WP Is that true of every believer?
CAC It is true of every one who has received of God His Holy Spirit. Paul calls upon the saints at Corinth to recognise it. They had not recognised it. It is one thing to have the Spirit, and quite another thing to recognise the presence of the Spirit, and the holy character of the vessel in which the Spirit is, that is, the body of the believer.
[p. 130] Each of our bodies is a temple, a shrine. So that the body of the saint has a very holy character. It is not to be regarded as for common or unclean use.
JHF What is the difference between what you are speaking of and scriptures in Ephesians, “after that ye believed, ye were sealed” Ephesians 1: 13?
CAC Well, that shews how the gentiles got the Spirit. When they heard the word of truth, the gospel of their salvation, they were sealed. If people receive the gospel, God bears witness to them by giving them His Spirit. God is very pleased with those who receive His precious gospel; they become so valuable in His sight that He puts the seal of His Spirit in them. But here in 1 Corinthians 6 it is a question of being purchased. In the epistle to the Romans the believer’s body is looked at as being at his own disposal. We have all noticed that our body, according to Romans, is at our own disposal, and God brings wonderful motives to bear upon us, that we may render the reasonable service of presenting our bodies to Him. “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the compassions of God, to present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your intelligent service”. Romans 12: 1. Your body from that point of view is at your own disposal. One would like to ask every young believer here, ‘What have you done with your body? Has it really been presented to God as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable?’ The point of view in Romans is that God’s precious grace in Christ and His compassions have so affected us that we are glad to take up the privilege of presenting our bodies to God. He loves that we should do so, and allows us the privilege of doing it.
But He does not put it in that light in the scripture that we read in 1 Corinthians 6. He says, as it were, the body is not at your disposal at all; it is a purchased thing, and [p. 131] belongs wholly to the purchaser. We are bought with a price and that includes the body. It has been purchased, and the One who purchased it, purchased it for a holy use. He purchased it to make it a temple.
SJP What do we understand by a “temple”?
CAC It speaks of that which stands in immediate relation to God, and which has holy character, and we should behave wonderfully as individuals if we were governed by the thought that our bodies are the temples of the Holy Spirit. He bought us that He might give us His Spirit. That was His object in buying us, and we have no option in the matter.
JB The Lord used the word temple of His own body.
CAC Yes, that is a wonderful thing. We can see in the case of the Lord how holy the temple was. There was no defilement there, all was suitable to God. But then, through redemption, God has brought about for His own pleasure, that these bodies should be temples of the Holy Spirit. Then we should be very careful where we take them, and what we do with our hands and feet, and our lips; our bodies are temples.
TP Why do we get the difference you refer to between Romans and Corinthians? Is the thought of being set in connection with others in contrast to what is individual in Romans?
CAC Corinthians has in view the local assembly, but the basis of things lies in the individual aspect of things. The bodies of the saints are referred to here in remarkable ways; we are told that the body is “for the Lord”. It is a question here of the rights of God and the rights of the Lord acquired through purchase. We have to own the right that has been acquired, so that our bodies are not to be for our own will and pleasure but are to be for the Lord. That is the character of the body of every believer. And then He says, “Your bodies are members of Christ”.
Think of that! He says, “Shall I then, taking the members of the Christ, make them members of a harlot?” If I take my body for any unholy use, I am really stealing what belongs to Christ, and it is sacrilege. We get careless about things sometimes, but it is really sacrilege to use our bodies in any way but what is holy. It is a great thing to see the immense value that God attaches even to our bodies.
WP Is that how the saints are looked at, as holy?
CAC Yes, surely. So that we have only got one thing to do with these bodies, that is, to glorify God in them. They do not belong to us, they belong to God by purchase; we were purchased for a holy purpose, that God might have a number of shrines, in the midst of an impure and unholy world, where His Spirit is. How elevating it is! It is one of the most practical and sanctifying realities of Scripture.
WP We should be very careful, should we not, what we do with any member of our body?
CAC I think so; remembering that our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit would give a holy dignity to the saints. From that standpoint nothing would be common that a saint has to touch. His body, his hands, his feet, his lips, or any member of his body, have temple character. It puts a holy touch upon every detail in practical life.
JHF In saying this was he not striking at the root of all the trouble in Corinth?
CAC Yes; and he brings in, you might say, the highest thoughts to correct the most debased thoughts, and that is worthy of God. He corrects the very lowest moral degradation by calling attention to the highest conception that He could bring before us. He elevates us thus, right above our natural level, above the level of all that we are [p. 133] as men and women living in this world. “Your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit”.
We can see how such individuals would provide suitable material for the local assembly. The local assembly is the assembly of God; it is not simply a company of believers; it is that surely, but it is the assembly of God, and therefore everything in it must be suitable to God. In the third chapter Paul calls attention to the collective character which they had locally. They were collectively “temple of God”; they had that character for the Spirit of God dwelt in them. This is brought out in its bearing on what we introduce to the assembly locally. We all introduce something; we cannot stand in relation to the local assembly without introducing something. Now, what kind of elements are we introducing to the local assembly? Are we bringing in such things as wood and grass and straw? Or are we bringing in gold and silver and precious stones? A great responsibility rests upon us, brothers and sisters, young as well as old, that we only bring in that which will adorn the temple. Wood, grass and straw may be very useful things in their place, but they would be no adornment to a temple! Gold and precious stones were in Solomon’s temple; all the things were precious and the temple was adorned; it was not a bare structure. We must not think of the assembly as a bare structure; it is to be adorned, and every one of us is responsible for the adornment of the temple. We read that Solomon overlaid the house with precious stones for beauty (2 Chronicles 3: 6); it was adorned. The thought of the temple is introduced collectively in this chapter to put us on the line of adorning the local company where we are with things that have value in the sight of God. The youngest brother or sister can bring something of that character to adorn the [p. 134] temple.
FW Is not that very important, that we all bring something?
CAC Yes; the adornments of the temple are all of spiritual character, and the youngest of us can bring spiritual elements; and if we are consistent with the truth that our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit we shall bring something of a spiritual nature to the assembly. We shall not bring in the worldly or the natural or the fleshly in any form; we shall bring spiritual elements. I think the Lord would greatly encourage the youngest of us to be exercised about adorning the temple in its local character.
SJP Peter speaks of the adornment of a meek and quiet spirit.
CAC That gives the idea of ornamentation. The disciples pointed out the temple to the Lord, that it was adorned with goodly stones and consecrated offerings; it was an adorned structure. Now the Lord would have us think of the local assembly in that character, and to remember that when we come to the meetings we are either bringing wood, grass or straw, or gold and silver and precious stones. We are either bringing something to detract from the adornment or something that will add to it. It is very exercising. I do not suppose any of us would be guilty of corrupting the temple of God. That is another thing. “If any one corrupt the temple of God, him shall God destroy”. That is a man who deliberately seeks to falsify the holy character of the temple. He is a teacher of some evil doctrine which is contrary to the character of the temple altogether. I do not suppose there is anyone here who would dare to think of doing that; but then, we may bring wood, grass and straw!
JHF Would you say that it is not so much activity here but what we are?
CAC Well, I think it refers to believers as [p. 135] responsible builders, but while it would apply in a special way to those who teach and who take part in the meetings, it applies in principle to every brother and sister. What are we bringing? Is it a detraction from the holiness and glory of the temple or is it some addition to it? The youngest believer is privileged to bring some addition. We are all responsible to bring what will correspond with the foundation, and what will adorn the shrine.
Ques Would it be that if we have not regarded our bodies as temples of the Holy Spirit, and not walked quietly and meekly during the week, when we come together we shall not really contribute?
CAC Well, I think that is so. If I have been using my body for my own pleasure in the week, I could hardly expect to bring gold and silver and precious stones; I have not been where these things could be found. If I have been finding a good part of my pleasure in reading what was connected with the world, I shall not find gold or silver or precious stones there; I shall gather up plenty of wood and grass and straw. I cannot come from the atmosphere of the world, and from the conditions that belong to natural human life, and bring anything that is of value with God. It is the young believer who has been in prayer, and who has been looking into the word, and asking God to give him more precious thoughts of Christ, and a better knowledge of Himself, who has the secret exercises that furnish one with gold and silver and precious stones. Precious things are gathered up from the secret exercises of the private life. So that the assembly is adorned — the temple is adorned — when you come there. If a young believer carefully and prayerfully reads the word every day when leisure time comes, and waits on God in prayer, and cultivates links with the brethren, the result will be an acquisition of gold and silver and precious stones, so that when he comes on the Lord’s day [p. 136] morning, or to the prayer meeting or the reading, there is something in his heart that is of value to God. And that enriches the assembly, and adorns the temple; it is beautiful to be on that line.
This is all intensely practical and real. These are the greatest realities that subsist at the present moment; we need to get rid of all common religious notions and to get into the precious reality of the thoughts of God. You may depend upon it, it means profound satisfaction and joy for every one of us, and it means glory to God in our individual course, and glory to God in the adorning of the assembly, as having temple character. There is plenty of room for adorning.
Ques And would this come out in the spirit of a sister as much as in a brother?
CAC I wish we could get hold of the fact that the assembly is formed of the material that is there. It is material. Suppose a man prays a beautiful prayer just because he has learned how to express himself readily, and has got some knowledge of the Scriptures, there is no adorning in that. The adorning comes out in the substance of things in a man’s heart, so that there is substance and real value in it. Those who take part in the meetings should be much exercised; I think I can say I am exercised myself that what one says and does in the meetings should have true spiritual value. Not simply that we are saying words, but that the words express substance in our souls; we have gold and silver and precious stones; there is something substantial and valuable that can become adornment for the temple.
The temple in its greatest character exists today. There is a greater significance about the temple today than there was in Solomon’s temple, and more significance than there will be in the day of millennial glory; and we should cherish the thought of the assembly as having that [p. 137] character. In the world there is no place for God or Christ, but there is a sphere where there is place for nothing else. I have thought of a word in Psalm 29: 9; it says, “In his temple doth every one say, Glory!”. There is a great thought in that. If the local assembly is the temple, if it has temple character in my heart, I shall come to it to say, Glory! I should say that was a bit of gold. I believe God would delight to give us immunity from what is low or base by clothing us with glory, so that even the youngest believer might come to the meetings bringing glory. Every bit of the knowledge of God that I have is surely glory; all that I know of Christ is glory; and the Spirit is the Spirit of glory, and we come to the assembly — the temple — to say, Glory! That is to say, no one introduces there a low or mean thought, every one brings glory, whether he opens his mouth or not. This is for sisters also; we all come to say, Glory! We come to a spot marked by holiness — a spot altogether outside the whole sphere of human thoughts. The idea of the temple was brought in, I have no doubt, to the Corinthians to shut out of their minds every human thought. God would give us such a sense of the character of the temple that there might be nothing present to our hearts but the consciousness of glory. That is the true character of the local assembly. You may see it externally as a very feeble kind of thing, but the true character of it is glory. And you come in as a contributor; you come in saying, Glory! Any brother taking part has to be very careful that he does not introduce an element that is not marked by glory. Exercises as to this would elevate us.
We are not set to manufacture gold or silver or precious stones, or glory; they are all conferred. They wait upon us. The ministry of grace confers everything that is precious and valuable, and if we open our hearts to take it in we shall be furnished so that we can bring [p. 138] adornment to the local company. This results in a character of things being maintained that is suitable to God, and in which He finds pleasure, but this demands separation.
The verses we read in 2 Corinthians 6 shew that to be the temple of the living God demands separation from the idolatrous world and from what is unclean. It is in the light of the truth of the temple that we take up a position of intelligent separation. We begin to look at things from the light of what suits the temple. There is nothing in common between the temple of God and idols, and we cease to talk about whether there is any harm in this or that, we begin to think of things in relation to the temple, and of what suits the temple. That is how true separation comes about. We take up the place of separation in view of enlargement. That is the idea. Paul calls upon the Corinthians to be enlarged, and he shews them that the way to enlargement was to come into separation from everything that was not suitable to the temple of the living God. We cannot keep up links of friendship with people who are of the world, and we cannot keep up unrestrained links even with natural relations who are of the world, without sacrificing something of what belongs to the temple. The true principle of separation is that we cannot afford to be entangled with unsuitable things; we really cannot afford it; we are connected with such a glorious system of things that we cannot afford to be crippled by maintaining associations that are not in keeping with it. We begin to see that things are worthless that are highly esteemed amongst men; we look down upon them as feeling how unworthy they are of the temple of the living God. I think the light of the temple would greatly help us.
And then we get the universal thought in Ephesians 2. All the building is fitted together, and it increases to a holy temple in the Lord. The effect of being right individually — [p. 139] being governed by the light of the temple as to our own bodies — adjusts us and prepares us to come into the assembly, the local company, with a sense of its temple character. It is holy. Nothing is suitable there but what is morally glorious. And there we learn to look out and take account of things universally. Paul’s thought for the Corinthians was enlargement, and as we are enlarged, we come to think of the assembly in its universal character, and to see that it is increasing to a holy temple in the Lord. Things have not reached finality. The temple character is to be constantly increasing and it is being added to in every part of the world. Every contribution of glory that is found in the local assembly contributes to the universal glory; it contributes to the temple character of the whole assembly upon earth; there is an additional accession of light as to the mind of God. If we get a little accession of light as to the mind of God here in this place, that is intended to contribute to the divine light that fills the universal temple.
It is very exercising to think that we are just at the end of the assembly period. If God’s thoughts are to reach fulness and finality as held spiritually in the assembly, there is a great deal to be quickly done. “In whom all the building fitted together increases to a holy temple in the Lord” suggests to me that God intends to develop the temple thought in its completeness before He takes the assembly to heaven. All the ministry that is going on, and the fellowship that we enjoy locally, all spiritual activities in the assembly, each one bringing some element of glory to it, are all in view of the completion of God’s thought as to the truth of the temple. It is in the Lord, shewing that it applies to the present time. Things will not be “in the Lord” in heaven; it is down here that God is working out this great universal design, and we can all contribute to what God has in mind. Solomon’s temple was seven years [p. 140] in building, and I believe, if we may apply it in that way, we have got very near the end of the seven years! The last bit, so to speak, of the structure and adornment will soon be added now. What a wonderful dignity it puts upon us, that we can be in line with these great and holy thoughts of God, and really contribute to the completion of the divine thought. So that there should be that upon this earth before the Lord comes which has come to the full measure of the glory and intelligence that belongs to the temple. I think that is something for us to pray about.
One would expect great expansion in the closing period of the assembly’s history here.
The temple was next to the oracle in Solomon’s temple. The holy of holies is called the oracle, and then the temple comes next to it, for we are told that the temple was before the oracle. The full mind of God is in the oracle, as known in Christ, and the temple comes next to it. In the temple there is, so to speak, immediate nearness to every thought that is in the mind of God. And then the house takes character from the temple. The house is a wider thought. It covers the whole edifice where God dwells. So we read of “the temple of the house” (1 Kings 6: 3) shewing that the temple is more inward. The whole mind of God is in “the oracle”. Then the temple is before it as the place where the Holy Spirit can give light. Then the house is governed by the light that is in the temple. If we are not right in temple character we shall not be right in house character. We come in that way from the temple to the house. The house is more public — a place of right behaviour and of God’s activities, the pillar and base of the truth. But the temple is the internal thing, where priests go, and where all takes character from the oracle.
The house is more general and public, but the temple idea is more the secret of what is in the mind of God; it is where everything that has the character of mystery is [p. 141] understood and entered into. I am sure these thoughts are worth praying over in secret with the Lord, so that the great conception of the temple might be more definitely before us.
JHF I should like to ask, how do you connect Ephesians 2: 7, 8 with what you have been saying?
CAC Well, they bring out the wonderful place that the saints have as quickened with the Christ and raised up together and made to sit down together in the heavenlies in Christ Jesus. God has elevated the saints to a majestic height of blessing, and He has done it with a view to what He will display in the ages to come. He will display the surpassing riches of His grace in that way. But at the end of the chapter we get the present time. What is brought about at the present time is that the saints, after being elevated to the supreme height of God’s thoughts of blessing in the heavenlies, come down, as it were, to take up the place down here of fellow citizens, and of the household of God, and the holy temple, and the habitation of God in the Spirit. It is the dignity of the place that we can have down here; as having known the liberty of heaven we can come down and take up this exceedingly dignified position down here. So that in every little place where the saints are gathering in the light of the assembly there can be something more elevated and more glorious than anything that can be found in the religious world. And we are all privileged to have part in it, to be spiritual contributors.
WP Is that promise, “I will be to you for a Father” an additional promise?
CAC It is a great encouragement to move on the line of separation. Some might feel, if we separate, we shall suffer. But He says, If you take up the place of separation I will be a Father to you, and you shall be My sons and daughters; you will come into a place where I will take [p. 142] care of you, and that is better than being on friendly terms with the world.