The "House" of God

Jesus called the temple "my [God's] house." In the NT the temple is the body [assembly].

 

Let's take this a little deeper...

As you can tell by my previous post what I understand the phrase "house of God",
It is also true that sometimes in the Bible when it says "house of...." it is talking about the "family of"....

For instance, and I just pulled this verse up for example...
1 Corinthians 16:15
(15) I beseech you, brethren, (ye know the house of Stephanas, that it is the firstfruits of Achaia, and [that] they have addicted themselves to the ministry of the saints,)

Now obviously it is not talking about a physical building...

Sooooo....

I see a double definition here, and we can be blessed by both.

We Christians belong to the "House of God"....
Which means that we have family rights.

That is where I want to go deeper...

What rights do we have by being in the "House of God" (the family of God)

Let's see if we can be blessed by God.

 

Maybe it was because it was a house where they prayed to the Lord that He called it "His House", as our church buildings are today. I don't know about you but our church building belongs to God along with everything else, even the cattle on a thousand hills, as a matter of fact, even the hills. It sure is not my house for I am going to die and leave it. What matters is what took place in there while it stood.

Call it what you want but since the early times it has been called "House of God".

1 Timothy, chapter 3

1: This is a true saying, If a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work.
2: A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach;
3: Not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre; but patient, not a brawler, not covetous;
4: One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity;
5: (For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?)

1Ti 3:15But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.

1Pe 4:17For the time [is come] that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if [it] first [begin] at us, what shall the end [be] of them that obey not the gospel of God?

 

Thank you, professor.

 

Wherever two or three are gathered in my name...

 

I don't have a problem with the term, though I see the OP's point.

I think we should behave respectfully and in a Christlike manner in the church building. I also believe we should behave respectfully and in a Christlike manner in the supermarket, the workplace, the gas station, etc.

We are the temple of the Holy Ghost and ambassadors of Christ wherever we go and should be mindful of that fact always.

Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual
house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual
sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.

1 Peter 2:5

 

I can see where referring to the church building as "God's House" would lead to misconceptions such as worship being something that gets turned on and off according to our location, rather than something we live. It implies that the church building is somehow more intrinsically holy than my house or your house, which is, or should be, just as much "God's House" as any church building, anywhere, anytime.

Les

 

This is a question, as I'm not looking it up myself... in the verse which says "...your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit..." is your singular or plural? and is body singular or plural? Singular/plural would confirm your analysis. Plural/singular confirms mine. Any other possibility would not confirm either.

 

I think you fellows are applying something about the temple that don't wash. It was in a building, a place of worship that Jesus said you have made my house a den of thieves. They had several temples in the OT, not just one and we have several church buildings today. To take this where you fellows have taken it is to take it away from where Jesus was actually at when He said you have made My house a den of thieves. He meant a place of worship where the assembly gathered.