SESSION 2

THE TEMPLE OF GOD

IN THIS SESSION, WE WILL SEE what it means for the church to be called “the
temple of God”—the people in whom God resides. In the Old Testament, the
temple referred to a place. In the New Testament, the temple refers to a people.
Christ is the foundation of this sanctuary where the Spirit lives. As Christians,
we are being built together as God’s residence—a beacon of light and hope to
the world.

STEPS TO PREPARE
1. Read the main passages for this lesson, recording your insights and questions:
▷▷1 Corinthians 3:9-17; 6:19-20
▷▷Ephesians 2:19-22

2. Review the Teaching Plan (pp.17-20).

▷▷Refine the lesson plan based on your group’s particular needs.
▷▷Adjust the plan if necessary.

3. Study the Expanded Lesson Content (pp.21-26).

▷▷Determine what elements of this lesson are most applicable to your
particular group.
▷▷Consider ways to personalize the lesson content for you and your class.

4. Pray for the Lord’s guidance as you lead your group through this material.

LESSON OUTLINE
AS THE TEMPLE OF GOD, CHRISTIANS…
1. Have Christ as their foundation (1 Cor. 3:9-17).
2.Are indwelled by the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 6:19-20).
3. Are being built into God’s residence (Eph. 2:19-22).

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 THE TEMPLE OF GOD

SESSION 2
TEACHING PLAN

THE TEMPLE OF GOD

CONNECT NOTES:
OPTION 1
Begin by commenting on details of various temples around the world—size,
design, significance (p.21). Consider ways to put before your group images of
various temples (print out images; display on screen).

What comes to mind when you hear the word ‘temple’?

What do temples represent? What is their purpose?

Explain how Herod’s temple in Jerusalem was a massive structure that would
one day fall, but the One greater than the temple has come. Then summarize
the lesson—in Christ, we are the temple of God (pp.21-22).

OPTION 2
For this option, show students the video The Foundation by the Skit Guys as
a way to illustrate the importance of having a firm foundation (you can find
this video online). After the video, ask students the following questions before
moving to the transition part of the lesson.

How important is it to build things on a solid foundation?

What are some examples of things that need a strong
foundation? What are some examples of things that people
turn to as a foundation for their lives?

TRANSITION
In the previous section, we saw that the church is the body of Christ. If Christ
is the new temple, the dwelling place of God, and if we are His body, then it
stands to reason that we are the temple as well.
In this session, we will consider who we are from the perspective of our
role as the temple of God—the people in whom God resides. In the Old
Testament, the temple referred to a place. In the New Testament, the temple
refers to a people. Christ is the foundation of this sanctuary where the Spirit
lives. As Christians, we are being built together as God’s residence—a beacon
of light and hope to the world.

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 SESSION 2

CONVEY
WEAK AS THE TEMPLE OF GOD, CHRISTIANS…
FOUNDATIONS
AND LEANING 1. HAVE CHRIST AS THEIR FOUNDATION.
TOWERS Read 1 Corinthians 3:9-17. Then allow a couple of minutes for group
While foundations are members to reflect on the passage and sketch their understanding of the
important for construction, foundation and building described in the passage. Emphasize the importance
they are also important
for the church. The church of a building’s foundation with the urban legend of a library sinking (p.22).
is built on the greatest
foundation, Jesus Christ.
And just like a foundation At this point, consider using the story “Weak Foundations and
is important to the strength Leaning Towers” in the Personal Study Guide (p.21) as a way to
of a building, the church
is only as strong as its illustrate this point. A brief synopsis has been provided for you in
foundation. Another way of the sidebar.
saying it is that Jesus is the
center of the church. Trying
to remove Jesus as the What is the purpose of a foundation in architecture
center of the church would and construction? What implications do you think this image
be like trying to build a will have as we think about Christ as our foundation?
skyscraper on sand. It won’t
work. Jesus and His work
are at the center of who we Make the point that we as Christians and the church as a whole need a strong
are as believers.
foundation in order to survive in this world, and that foundation is only Jesus
▸ Why do you think some
groups lose sight of Jesus Christ—His life, death, and resurrection (p.23).
being the foundation of
the church?
What are evidences that the foundation of your life is faulty?

What are some faulty foundations churches can be built

upon? What are the results of these foundations?

2. ARE INDWELLED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT.

Ask a volunteer to read 1 Corinthians 6:19-20. Then allow a couple of minutes
TREASURE BOX for group members to reflect on the passage and sketch their understanding of the
As believers in Christ,
we have a great treasure building described in the passage. Communicate the significance of Solomon’s
within us. The Holy Spirit temple as a testimony to the nations (p.24).
resides in those who know
Christ. Just like my mom’s
box held a great treasure, At this point, consider using the story “Treasure Box” in the Personal
we too house one inside
of us. The difference is
Study Guide (p.22) as a way to illustrate this point. A brief synopsis
that we are not supposed has been provided for you in the sidebar.
to hide that treasure from
others, but instead we
are meant to share that What ideas and beliefs are communicated by a temple to
treasure with the world. those on the outside? How can this apply to other buildings
▸ Why is it important to as well?
have the Holy Spirit in us?
Explain the concept behind the word sanctuary and connect it to holiness
and sanctification. Then show how we as individuals are a temple of the Holy
Spirit, so we should be distinct from our surrounding culture (p.24).

What should our identity as God’s temple communicate to

those who see us?

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 THE TEMPLE OF GOD

How can you personally begin to redeem this representation BUILDING BIG
in your family, school, and community?
Can you imagine taking
millions of Lego pieces and
3. ARE BEING BUILT INTO GOD’S RESIDENCE. making a huge piece of art?
Believe it or not, this has
Read Ephesians 2:19-22. Then allow a couple of minutes for group members been done. Just like Legos
to reflect on the passage and sketch their understanding of the foundation are linked together to form
one structure, God has
and building described in the passage. Point to the idea of castles as being “fit linked us together in Christ
for a king” in form and function (p.25). to become the structure
of the church. While it is
impressive to see what
At this point, consider using the story “Building Big” in the Personal Lego artists can build with
plastic blocks, it pales in
Study Guide (p.25) as a way to illustrate this point. A brief synopsis comparison to the work
has been provided for you in the sidebar. that God does in linking
together different people
together as one body.
What are some adjectives you would use to describe the
dwelling place of royalty? Which of these do you think relate
well to the idea of the church as God’s dwelling place? Why? ▸ Why is it important
for the Holy Spirit to be
involved in the building of
We as the church are God’s castle. Set the context of the passage by the body of Christ?
explaining the unity God has established for the church. Then note that this
temple isn’t finished yet, but we are being built together (p.26).
NOTES:
God is the One building the church together. That said, how
might we make ourselves more receptive to this work?

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 SESSION 2

COLLIDE
NOTES: As with the previous session, this lesson helps us further our understanding
of the church by giving us another word picture. By referring to God’s people
as a temple, we can show students exactly what this means for them and how
they are supposed to understand themselves in this light.

There is no shortage of points of application here. Elaborate on the practical

importance of having Christ as one’s foundation for life, and the implications
that follow from having the Holy Spirit dwell within a person.

What does it look like to have Christ as the foundation of

your life? How does (and how should) it make you feel
knowing that the Holy Spirit dwells within you as a believer?
What comfort does this bring?

Knowing your own group, feel free to go in whatever direction of application

you seem fit. One that may not immediately stand out, and perhaps could
be well suited to your group, has to do with the emphasis given to God’s
residence within His people. The reason this is important for students is due
to the sad reality that many of them tend to question their worth. For various
reasons, students often see little value in themselves, if any at all.

What a great opportunity to impress within them the biblical view of self,
expelling faulty views they adopt from culture! While not denying the
damaging effects of sin within us or our continuing need to be more like
Jesus, how great it is to be able to encourage students who need to hear that
they are not worthless! Rather, they are loved and sought after by the God of
this universe.

How great is it to hear that we are not worthless, but rather

loved and sought after by the God of this universe?

Additional suggestions for specific groups are available at

GospelProject.com/AdditionalResources
And for free online training on how to lead a group visit
MinistryGrid.com/web/TheGospelProject

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 THE TEMPLE OF GOD

SESSION 2 by Geoff Ashley

EXPANDED LESSON CONTENT

THE TEMPLE OF GOD

AS THE TEMPLE OF GOD, CHRISTIANS HAVE
CHRIST AS THEIR FOUNDATION, ARE INDWELLED
BY THE HOLY SPIRIT, AND ARE BEING BUILT INTO
GOD’S RESIDENCE.

OPENING ILLUSTRATION AND DISCUSSION STARTER

The world is filled with glorious temples.

Walking within the ancient complex of
Angkor Wat in northern Cambodia, the
largest religious monument in the world,
can feel overwhelming. Standing in the
shadow of the “Great Buddha” in Japan
can make one feel small and insignificant, VOICES FROM
if only for a second. You can literally climb THE CHURCH
into the statue and stand within an idol in The church is the temple
front of a traditional shrine. Most temples of the living God…built on
the foundations of the
are breathtaking and beautiful, a recognition prophets and apostles,
of the significance they hold within their with Jesus Christ as the
chief cornerstone.1
respective religions.
–Michael Bird

What comes to mind when you hear the word “temple”?

What do temples represent? What is their purpose?

The disciples experienced awe and wonder in Jerusalem. Staring at the beauty
of King Herod’s temple, these men were amazed at the profound size and
scope of the temple complex (Matt. 24:1-2). Even the solitary stones that
encircled the grounds were incredible (Mark 13:1-2). Seeking to win influence
with the Jews, Herod had spared no expense in decorating the center of
Jewish life and worship.

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 SESSION 2

AS THE TEMPLE OF
GOD, CHRISTIANS...
1. HAVE CHRIST AS THEIR FOUNDATION
FURTHER (1 COR. 3:9-17).
COMMENTARY
The apostle Paul spoke of the church in various ways: the body of Christ,
Paul exhorts believers,
all of whom have a part God’s field, God’s building. In his First Letter to the Corinthians, Paul
to play in the church’s continued with the building analogy by speaking of Christ as the foundation:
gospel-promoting mission,
to prepare for a future
evaluation of their service For we are God’s coworkers. You are God’s field, God’s building. According
to Christ (3:10-17; 4:5).
Love for Christ means that to God’s grace that was given to me, I have laid a foundation as a skilled
we should not depend on master builder, and another builds on it. But each one must be careful
ordinary building materials
(such as worldly wisdom, how he builds on it. For no one can lay any other foundation than what
boasting, or human has been laid down. That foundation is Jesus Christ. If anyone builds on
strength) as we build on the
‘foundation’ of His work; that foundation with gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay, or straw, each
rather, Christ deserves the one’s work will become obvious, for the day will disclose it, because it will be
‘gold, silver, [and] precious
stones’ of which temples revealed by fire; the fire will test the quality of each one’s work. If anyone’s
are made—that is, a mind- work that he has built survives, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is
set and lifestyle devoted to
God’s glory, wisdom, and burned up, it will be lost, but he will be saved; yet it will be like an escape
power [3:12]. At the day of through fire. Don’t you yourselves know that you are God’s sanctuary and
judgment, the Lord Jesus
will wisely and justly remove
that the Spirit of God lives in you? If anyone destroys God’s sanctuary, God
from our work anything that will destroy him; for God’s sanctuary is holy, and that is what you are. (1
honors human contributions
above His own…Despite its Cor. 3:9-17)
serious warning, the text
displays several aspects
of God’s grace: (1) God One of my favorite urban legends is about a college campus where the
not only reveals the threat library is slowly sinking. The architect planned for the wood and concrete, for
of ‘loss’ (3:15), but a path
of repentance by which the desks and chairs and windows, but not for the weight of the thousands
we may avoid such loss; upon thousands of books the library would house. As a result, his foundation
(2) whatever ‘reward’
(3:14) we receive in the was insufficient and the library slowly began descending into the soil.
end will honor ‘the grace I don’t know if there’s really a library like this, but the story reminds me
of God’ (3:10) by which we
labored; and (3) ability for of the importance of a foundation. Without a sufficient foundation, whatever
faithful labor comes from is built will surely suffer. As the saying goes, “You are only as strong as
our new identity as ‘God’s
temple’ (3:16).2
your foundation.”
–C. D. (Jimmy) Agan
What is the purpose of a foundation in architecture
and construction? What implications do you think this image
will have as we think about Christ as our foundation?

The church in Corinth was a mess. People were picking their favorite apostles.
A man was sleeping with his stepmother. Members were suing each other and
getting drunk at the Lord’s Table. Husbands and wives were confused, gifts
were abused, and sins were excused. The church was disordered and divided,
and Paul wasn’t amused!
But the apostle never gave up on the church. Too much was at stake.
After all, this was Corinth, a major crossroads of the Mediterranean world.

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 THE TEMPLE OF GOD

Paul had spent more than a year there laboring for the sake of the gospel
(Acts 18:11). He had revisited them and written various letters. In these
things, he went back to the basics and started again with the foundational
truths of the gospel.
When Paul wrote about the church as a temple of God, he did what any
good builder does—he laid a foundation. The foundation is the first and most
important part of any building project. If the church is to survive, it must
have a strong, solid, and sustaining foundation. Thankfully, we have just such VOICES FROM
a foundation in Christ Jesus. CHURCH
Paul described himself as a skilled master builder. This was no arrogant HISTORY
boast but rather a reference to his apostolic passion, gifting, and authority. God wants worshipers
before workers; indeed
Paul’s goal, his mission and purpose in life, was to lay a foundation of faith in the only acceptable
Jesus Christ. workers are those who
have learned the lost art
There are many things we can build our lives on: our abilities, of worship. 3
relationships, money, leisure, or other passions and purposes. But only –A. W. Tozer
one foundation will truly stand. No matter who you are or what you do,
you cannot lay a faultless foundation apart from faith in the life, death,
and resurrection of Jesus Christ. As Paul wrote, “No one can lay any other
foundation than that which has been laid down” (1 Cor. 3:11).
The life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ—the center of the good
news of God’s kingdom—stands as the only foundation that will withstand
the shifts and storms of life. If our lives are to be built upon the foundation
of Jesus Christ, then the same should be true of our churches. After all, the
church itself is the pillar and foundation of the truth (1 Tim. 3:15).
Without Jesus, our churches will be unable to stand and weather the
VOICES FROM
cultural storms ahead. Unless we are grounded in the reality of the gospel, we CHURCH
offer nothing distinct to the world around us. HISTORY
Let us not merely cling
What are evidences that the foundation of your life is faulty? to Christ, but let us be
cemented to Him, for
What are some faulty foundations churches can be built if we stand apart, we
shall perish.4
upon and the results of these foundations?
–John Chrysostom

2. ARE INDWELLED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT

(1 COR. 6:19-20).

We’ve seen how the people of God are God’s building, and Christ is the
cornerstone. But what kind of building are we? What is inside this holy place?
Paul spoke to this question too. Watch how he described a Christian as a
temple, a sanctuary of the Holy Spirit:

Don’t you know that your body is a sanctuary of the Holy Spirit who is in
you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought at
a price. Therefore glorify God in your body. (1 Cor. 6:19-20)

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 SESSION 2

Both the tabernacle in the wilderness and the temple of Jerusalem

included a particular place in which God’s glory rested in a unique and
FURTHER distinct manner. Above the ark of the covenant, at the heart of both the
COMMENTARY tabernacle and the temple, God’s presence was manifested.
Paul has already described Can you imagine the elaborate process of building the temple? This was
the whole congregation
as God’s sacred temple no weekend building project; it was a tedious task marked by the dedication
in [1 Cor. 3:16-17]… and sacrifice of an entire nation. First built by Solomon during Israel’s Old
Here Paul applies the
corporate imagery to Testament history, the temple was profoundly beautiful. By itself, it was
the individual believer, certainly majestic, but even more so in what it signified. It was the dwelling
with particular reference
to the believer’s body. place of God, not the so-called gods of the surrounding pagan nations, but
Every phrase underlines the God of all creation. The God who created and sustains all things showed
the need to flee sexual
immorality (v. 18a). His presence in a unique way within the temple as a testimony to the nations.
Naming the indwelling
Spirit as Holy carries What ideas and beliefs are communicated by a temple to
the implication that the
privilege of being God’s those on the outside? How can this apply to other buildings
temple carries with it the as well?
obligation not to desecrate
(or destroy; 3:17) the
temple. Jewish history When the Scriptures speak of the church as the sanctuary or temple of the
had been marked, and Holy Spirit, it communicates the idea that in some distinct and meaningful
would continue to be
so, by appropriate and way, the omnipresent God dwells within His particular people. There are
inappropriate behavior in numerous implications of this precious and powerful gospel truth, but
the temple of God. The
purpose of the temple was perhaps the most immediate is that there is an inherent call upon our
to bring glory to God and lives toward holiness. God’s sanctuary is holy, and that is what you are
to sanctify His name. The
fact that the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 3:17).
resides in the believer’s The English word sanctuary shares the same root as sanctification, the
body adds further weight to
the responsibility not to sin process of being made holy. A sanctuary is a holy place, a place (or people, in
against that body.5 this context) that has been “set apart” for the worship of God (1 Pet. 2:1-5).
–Roy E. Ciampa The church is “a holy priesthood” (2:9). As such, we are called into the
and Brian S. Rosner glorious work of proclaiming the praises of our Great High Priest, Jesus
Christ (Heb. 2:17; 3:1; 4:14-15). As the external beauty of Solomon’s temple
communicated the majesty of God, so now the internal beauty of the church
communicates His glorious grace.
We saw earlier how Paul spoke of the church as the sanctuary of God.
Now we see him saying that the Christian’s body is a sanctuary of the Spirit.
As a result of the indwelling presence of the Spirit and the redemption
accomplished through Christ, we are urged toward sanctification. The Spirit
VOICES FROM who testifies of Christ conforms the church to the image of Christ.
THE CHURCH
Since God’s glory rests in us, it should flow out from us. This means
Those in whom the
Spirit comes to live are that our choices and actions matter not only on a corporate level but also as
God’s new Temple. They individuals. We glorify God by the pursuit of holiness. Compelled by love, we
are, individually and
corporately, places where die to ourselves and live for Christ, seeking sanctification by the Spirit.
heaven and earth meet.6 Unfortunately, holiness is not always a visible mark of many who would
–N. T. Wright call themselves Christians today. If you were to ask one hundred random
strangers the first adjective that comes to mind when they think of Christians,
how many would say “holy”? If we’re honest with one another, we’d probably

24 Leader Guide
 THE TEMPLE OF GOD

admit that “holy” is not the first word that comes to our minds when we
think of ourselves either.
And yet holiness is fundamental to our identity. Because God is holy
and dwells within us, we are to be holy in all of our conduct. We are to be set VOICES FROM
apart, sacred, different, and distinct from our surrounding culture. THE CHURCH
Why do we have the Holy
What should our identity as God’s temple communicate to Spirit living within us to
strengthen us toward
those who see us? holiness? It is because
we are alive to God. We
How can you personally begin to redeem this representation are now living under the
reign of God, who unites
in your family, school, and community? us to Christ and gives us
His Holy Spirit to dwell
within us.7
3. ARE BEING BUILT INTO GOD’S RESIDENCE
–Jerry Bridges
(EPH. 2:19-22).

We’ve seen that Jesus is the cornerstone of the church—the temple of

God. We’ve seen that the Spirit of God has taken up residence in us, both
individually and corporately. And now we see how God is building us
together as His dwelling place. In his Letter to the Ephesians, Paul made this
point clear:

So then you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with FURTHER
the saints , and members of God’s household, built on the foundation of COMMENTARY
the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus Himself as the cornerstone. The God’s new family is not
whole building, being put together by Him, grows into a holy sanctuary in only a new nation, but
also a new building with a
the Lord. You also are being built together for God’s dwelling in the Spirit. distinctive foundation. The
(Eph. 2:19-22) ‘apostles and prophets’ in
their unique relationship
to Christ, exemplified by
What image comes into your mind when you think of a castle? Perhaps the authoritative teachings
they communicated to the
it’s Buckingham or Windsor, royal domiciles for the British monarchy. church, are the ‘foundation.’
Those familiar with medieval lore might picture moats and drawbridges Paul proclaimed Christ
Jesus as the ‘cornerstone’
and walls and towers. People from the East may think of parallel walls, of the foundation…The
gardens, and shrines. description of a building
under construction is
Castles have played a major part of our entertainment culture. One indicated by the word
‘grows’ (v. 21). It conveys the
considers the image of Dracula’s castle, dark and gloomy and perched idea of a dynamic church in
upon an impregnable mountain. Others think of the castles from the process of expansion.
The major theme of union
Sleeping Beauty and Cinderella, creations of Disney patterned after with Christ reappears in
Neuschwanstein in southern Germany. Though originally designed Paul’s conclusion to this
chapter. Paul declared
primarily for defensive fortification, castles always had a sense of nobility. that God’s abode is not
They were truly “fit for a king” in form and function. in the Jerusalem temple
but in the church, which
is accomplished by the
What are some adjectives you would use to describe the work of the Holy Spirit
dwelling place of royalty? Which of these images do you who indwells the new
believing community.8
think relate well to the idea of the church as God’s dwelling
place? Why? –David S. Dockery

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 SESSION 2

FURTHER God is the King who dwells among His people. We are His castle!
COMMENTARY In the passage above, Paul used the metaphor of the body of Christ
As we talk about the church to build an understanding of the church’s role as God’s royal residence.
as the dwelling place of
God, remember that the Having established the foundation of one body comprised of both Jew and
church is a people and not Gentile in verses 11-18, the apostle wrote of the church as being a united
a place. We are not talking
about the sanctuary or household—a dwelling place for God (v. 22).
auditorium or living room in Stop and think about the implications of this incredible statement:
which you meet but rather
the body of Christ as we The church is the residence of God. The Creator of all things, the Great
discussed in the previous
section. Though there is
I Am, the Lord, King, Savior, and triune God lives within and among
some sense of sacredness His people.
to the buildings and rooms
in which we meet (since But this temple isn’t finished yet. We are “being built together.”
they are “set apart” for that As individual bricks and stones make up a castle’s walls, so individual
purpose), it is ultimately
the people of God who Christians are being built together to form the dwelling place of our
are the sanctuary to King. This should provide great hope to us who look around and see
which the New Testament
Scriptures speak. division and distrust and disorder in the church. God is not yet finished
accomplishing His purposes.

God is the One building the church together. That said, how
REFERENCES might we make ourselves more receptive to this work or
cooperate in it?
1. Michael Bird, Evangelical
Theology (Grand Rapids:
Zondervan, 2013), 717.
CONCLUSION
2. C. D. (Jimmy) Agan, Gospel
Transformation Bible (Wheaton:
Crossway, 2013), 1533-34.
3. A. W. Tozer, Tozer on Worship
From the Old Testament to the New, the Lord God is a God who dwells
and Entertainment, comp. among His people. God has a royal residence, but it is not a sanctuary of
James L. Snyder (Camp Hill, PA:
Wingspread Publishers, 1997) humankind’s own making (Acts 17:24). It is a dwelling place formed by God
[eBook].
4. Chrysostom, Homilies on the
Himself—the body of Jesus Christ: “The Word became flesh and took up
Epistles of Paul to the Corinthians residence among us. We observed His glory, the glory as the One and Only
8.7, quoted in 1–2 Corinthians,
ed. Gerald Bray, vol. VII in Ancient Son from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14).
Christian Commentary: New
Testament (Downers Grove: IVP, And now God dwells in us. Who are we? We are the temple of God. We
1999), 32.
are the sanctuary and dwelling place of God, built upon the foundation of the
5. Roy E. Ciampa and Brian S.
Rosner, The First Letter to the gospel of Jesus Christ for the glory of our great King.
Corinthians, in The Pillar New
Testament Commentary (Grand As God’s temple, we look forward to the day when the whole earth is
Rapids: Eerdmans, 2010), 264.
filled with the presence of God.
6. N. T. Wright, Simply Christian
(New York: Harper-Collins,
2006), 129.
7. Jerry Bridges, The Pursuit of
Holiness (Colorado Springs:
NavPress, 2006), 63.
8. David S. Dockery, HCSB Study
Bible, 2032, n. 2:20; n. 2:22.

26 Leader Guide