Message

---

We Are the Temple of the Living God

2 Corinthians 6;3-7:1

Key Verse: 6:16b “For we are the temple of the living God.”

Last week Paul taught us why we must be reconciled to God and deliver the message of reconciliation to others. What is reconciliation? Reconciliation means restoring a friendly relationship. We became enemies of God because of our sins. But while we were still sinners, Christ died for our us. God made Jesus who had no sin to be sin for us so that we may be reconciled to God. God demonstrated his love for us in this. Those who are compelled by this love of God deliver the message of God’s love to others. This is why Paul called the Christians “ambassadors of Christ”. In today’s passage Paul explains to the Corinthians how he struggled to be reconciled to God, and how we must live as those who are reconciled to God. In his message Paul urges them to keep three things as those who are reconciled to God.

First, open wide your hearts also. (3-13) Despite Paul’s first letter to the church and his painful visit, still there were some people in the church who opposed Paul’s leadership and the authenticity of his ministry. They closed their hearts to Paul and criticized his ministry. How did Paul help them and encourage them to have the same mindset as him? Look at verses 3,4a, “We put no stumbling block in anyone’s path, so that our ministry will not be discredited. Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way:" Paul starts his statement by telling how he overcame sufferings from outside as a servant of Christ. He commends his great endurance. Look at verses 4b-5. “in great endurance; in troubles, hardships and distresses; in beatings, imprisonments and riots; in hard work, sleepless nights and hunger;” When we read the book of Acts, we learn how much Paul suffered for the gospel during his mission trips. In Lystra he was stoned by the Jewish mob, and his body was thrown outside of the city because they thought he was dead. But Paul got up and went into the city again. (Ac 14:19-20) In Philippi he was imprisoned with Silas after he had healed a demon-possessed slave girl. The master of the slave girl who had made money from her accused Paul and Silas and put them in prison. (Ac 16:16-40) There arose a riot in Ephesus after Paul preached the gospel and delivered the evil spirits from the city people. (Ac 19:23-41) Paul endured all these hardships and sufferings because he carried the cross of Jesus and he was compelled by the love of Christ.

One of the great virtues as Christian is endurance or perseverance. Even though we are people of God, we suffer while living on this earth. Suffering and hardships come to everybody without exemption. We endure present sufferings and hardships because we have hope. Sufferings produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And this hope never disappoints us. (Ro 5;3-5) This hope is not worth comparing with present sufferings (Ro 8:18) Paul endured all sufferings, hardships, imprisonment, sleepless nights and hunger with great endurance because of this living hope.

Next Paul helps them to remember how he kept his identity and followed the example of Christ in the sight of God and in the church. Look at verses 6-7, “in purity, understanding, patience and kindness; in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love; in truthful speech and in the power of God; with weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left;” Here the word ‘purity’ means not only his moral purity, but also his faithfulness to God and his calling. Paul did not have second thoughts after he was converted. His only goal was to know Christ and participate in Christ’s suffering and complete his mission as an apostle for the gentiles. (Php 3:10, 2 Ti 4:7) Paul’s faith must have been tested by the people in the church who had opposed him and his leadership. But Paul did not give up. He had a single mind which is to please God and to preach the gospel. He was faithful.

Yesterday our Missouri Valley Region leaders had a group Bible study. We invited Missionary Daniel Sohn in Tennessee to the study because he doesn’t belong to any region and he asked me to invite him. Msn Daniel Sohn is almost 80 years old. Still, he participates in campus ministry with regular outreach on campus and Bible studies. I have known him for 30 years since my family moved to Chicago. He was a faithful man. He was faithful to the Lord and to his calling as missionary.

Paul followed the Holy Spirit. Faithfulness, understanding (mindfulness), patience, kindness, sincere love, truthful speech, righteousness are all the fruits of the Holy Spirit. (Gal 5:22-24) Paul encouraged us to walk (live) by the Spirit so that we may not gratify our sinful desire. (Gal 5:16) If Paul lived according to his feelings and thought, he could not serve the church. He understood their weakness. He did not judge them, but waited patiently until they understood his teachings. He served them with the affection of Christ. In 2:4 Paul says, “For I wrote you out of great distress and anguish of heart and with many tears, not to grieve you but to let you know the depth of my love for you.” The church saw Paul’s genuine love for them. They began to follow Paul, and they began to grow.

Look at verses 8-10. “through glory and dishonor, bad report and good report; genuine, yet regarded as impostors; known, yet regarded as unknown; dying, and yet we live on; beaten, and yet not killed; sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, and yet possessing everything.” All these words summarize Paul’s glory, hardships, sacrifice, and hope. Paul called the Corinthian church his joy and crown. Still, he was rejected by some who had opposed him. He made the church rich in Christ, still he himself became poor. Even though he sacrificed everything for the church, he gained everything from the Lord. It sounds paradoxical, but Paul completed his mission with great endurance.

Then, why did Paul talk about his hardship and endurance to the church? This is because Paul wanted to be reconciled to them. Paul wanted them to open their hearts wide and talk with him sincerely. Here we see Paul’s shepherd heart for the church. Look at verses 11-13. “We have spoken freely to you, Corinthians, and opened wide our hearts to you. We are not withholding our affection from you, but you are withholding yours from us. As a fair exchange—I speak as to my children—open wide your hearts also.” In order to open their hearts Paul talked about his hardships and genuine love for them. In order to open other’s hearts, we share our difficult experiences and testimony. When I was young, my father often came to my room and talked about how difficult and poor he was when he was young. He said that he barely had textbooks or notebooks or even pencils for study because he was poor. He did not want to earn sympathy from us but wanted us to realize how lucky we are so that we might study hard for the family. He opened his heart first to talk with us. I did the same to children, but it didn’t work. I shared my family story to Danny and David Lee so that they might understand their parents and overcome their present situation. Paul opened his heart wide for the church, but they didn’t. Now Paul wanted to be reconciled to them. He urged them to open their hearts wide and exchange sincere love for each other.

Second, do not be yoked together with unbelievers. (14-18) Look at verses 14-16a. “Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? Or what does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God...” Previously Paul urged the church to open their hearts wide for others and to be reconciled. But suddenly he seemed to change his mind and urge them to cut off their relationship with unbelievers. He did not mean to cut off their relationship with unbelievers, but not to live together with them. A yoke is operated by two animals. It should be yoked by the same kind of animals. God said in Leviticus 19:19, “Do not mate different kind of animals.” Here the verb “heterozygeo” is used the same in 2 Co 6:14 as ‘do not be yoked together.’ It means that believers must not marry unbelievers. Believers need sexual purity.

When we study Greek words written in these verses, we understand the meaning of having in common or fellowship or agreement. The word having in common in verse 14 is metoche, which means in Greek ‘share’. Righteousness and wickedness cannot share God’s inheritance. The word ‘fellowship’ in verse 14 is koionia in Greek. Light and darkness cannot have fellowship. The word ‘harmony’ between Christ and Belial is ‘symphonesis’, which means ‘become one’. How can Christ and idols become one? Never! The word ‘have in common’ in verse 15 is ‘meris’, which means ‘become a part.’ How can a believer become a part of unbelievers? The word ‘agreement’ in verse 16 is ‘sygkatathesis’ which means ‘put together’ or ‘agreement’. How can the temple of God put together with idols? Never! Like this Paul used all different verbs and words not to be yoked together with unbelievers.

Why we Christians must not marry unbelievers and not associate with them? Look at 7:1. “Therefore, since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.” Yes, this is because unbelievers contaminate believers’ body and spirit. Their bad and ungodly influence corrupts our faith. Paul warned this in his first letter, “Do not be misled: “Bad company corrupts good character.” (1 Co 15:33)

Now look at verse 16b. “For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people.” Paul said the same in his first letter, “Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.” (1 Co 6:19-20) Indeed our bodies are the temple of the living God and where the Holy Spirit dwells. The Holy Spirit dwells in us and works in us. Therefore what must we do as the temple of the living God? Look at verses 17-18. “Therefore, “Come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you. And, “I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.” Paul urged them to come out from evil and separate from them. Here the word ‘separate’ is ‘aphorizo’ in Greek, which means ‘mark off from others by boundaries. Even though we live with the unbelievers, we set boundaries between them to protect us and the church from their bad influence.

In the beginning God created a garden and we call it “Garden of Eden”. The word ‘garden’ is gan in Hebrew, which means ‘enclosed garden’ or ‘garden with a fence.’ God made a boundary for the garden. After Moses built the tabernacle, what did he do? He made a fence which protects the tabernacle. Moses marked off the holy tent from the world by boundary. After finishing building the temple in Jerusalem, God sent Nehemiah, the governor, to Jerusalem to rebuild the wall. God made a boundary for his people from the unbelievers. We live with unbelieving people together in this corrupted world. We cannot avoid the reality, still we need ‘aphorizo’ as Paul said.

Third, purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit. (7:1) In Lystra during his first mission trip Paul and Barnabas met a lame at his birth who never walked before. Paul healed him in the name of Jesus Christ. The townspeople who had seen this miracle brought crowns to worship Paul and Barnabas thinking that gods appeared as men. (Ac 14:8-18) This could be temptation for Paul and Barnabas to take credit and glory for their own. But Paul did not do so. He tore his clothes and rushed out into the crowd to stop such a foolish thing. Paul kept his pure heart and clear conscience. He purified himself from self-glory that contaminated his body and spirit.

In John 17:17 Jesus prayed for his disciples in this, “Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.” Jesus prayed for his disciples to be sanctified (purified) by the word of God. He also said to his disciples, “You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you.” (Jn 15;3) Jesus cleansed their soul by his word. Here we learn that we are purified and sanctified by the word of Jesus. This is the reason why we hear the word, meditate on it and memorize it.

In conclusion we must be reconciled to God and to others. Let us open our hearts wide so that we may accept them as Christ did for us. Still, we must not be yoked with unbelievers. We need to make boundaries so that we may protect ourselves from their bad and ungodly influence. We must remember that we are the temple of the living God. Amen!

---

Attachment

• 2 Co06-03-07-01-message-3rd draft.docx

---