And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.
Summary: Following Paul through the twists and turns of his metaphor can be exhausting. With his building metaphor Christ is the reason for the building, the cornerstone of the building, and the place where the building resides.
Before we dive into this passage, let’s pause for a moment and reflect on where we are. Paul has been describing how God, through Jesus Christ, relates to his people.
Who are his people? The Jew first and then the Gentile. (Romans 1:16) And who are the Gentiles? Everyone who is not a Jew. Every person of every people group who is not Jewish is welcome to join God’s family.
It helps to remember that God doesn’t see us only as physical beings. He knows the body dies. He sees us as primarily spiritual beings. When we accept Jesus as our Lord, our spirit is reunited with God (John 3:1-21). We are, to use Jesus’ words, “born again” spiritually.
It is important to remember this distinction. It is not our body that God saves by faith. It is our spiritual nature. When our physical body finally gives out, we continue to exist, and those who have believed in Jesus get a new eternal body (2 Corinthians 5:1).
So far, Paul has painted a picture of two groups of people, Jew and Gentile, coming together into one household. Then his metaphor shifts, and we become building blocks resting on the foundation of the apostles and prophets with Christ Jesus as the cornerstone, ensuring the building blocks all fit together. This spiritual building Paul envisions “rises to become a holy temple in the Lord” (Ephesians 2:21), meaning that we exist within Christ himself.
Now we are ready to look at today’s passage: “And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.”
Paul continues to emphasize that we are in Christ. None of this is possible without Jesus. Spiritually, we are all in Jesus, both Jew and Gentile.
Paul points out that we are being “built together.” For those who want to argue, Paul makes the point that arguments only get in the way of what God is doing. Whether you like it or not, we are all becoming part of the same family and the same temple for God.
Finally, Paul flips the script. Instead of being a “temple in the Lord” (verse 21), Paul tells us that we “become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.”
How is this possible?
Physically, none of this is possible. That is why it is so important to understand our spiritual nature. Spiritually, we are bound to Jesus, to each other, and God. We exist within Jesus, and God lives within us. In God, we become one.
Application: Strive to be aware of the spiritual reality we live in, including God, his Holy Spirit, and our Lord Jesus.
Food for Thought: Knowing this, what is the point of arguing here on earth?
Knowing this, what is the point of arguing here on earth?
To get others to follow Christ.
LOL!
Well … its hard to argue with that! 🙂
(Of course, in fairness, you are talking about arguing with non-believers.)
Well there are those followers who might have their theology wrong.
Can’t you argue for unity?
Of course. And I would “argue” that one of the main arguments made by the New Testament is for exactly that; unity.
““My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one— I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.”
— John 17: 20-23
Then there’s also the arguments within that we have with God when we struggle and wrestle over things. I’m just glad we have a perfect loving father in heaven that loves us even if we are wrong, stubborn, and stupid ( as Ben calls it ). He loves us so much to keep loving us and turn our wrong into great things if we humble ourselves before Him. That might be part of my faith tho. I know and believe that God can use anything for His good even if I don’t see it right now.
When it comes to arguing, I have to look to Jesus’ example. He never argued. He always just got to the “heart of the matter.”
In fact, He always got the the “heart of the matter” in everything He did. He came into town and cast out demons. He came into town and healed. When the Pharisees tried to entrap Him, His replies spoke to what was in their hearts. He removed the barriers to faith, and He let men decide what they would believe.
Ephesians 2:8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—
You can’t argue someone into faith. Even as I walk with Him I find that my faith is a gift from God. I may be given the opportunity to sow seeds, but they are not even my seeds.
And when I say “You can’t argue someone into faith” I mean for both believers and non-believers. As believers, we should not think of ourselves as being masters of our faith. God works on our faith; it is His blessing.
John 15:5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.
Thanks Chris!
Nice non-argument! 🙂
05-01-2022, Knowing this, what is the point of arguing here on earth?
We are a family of believers remaining on earth as witnesses for God and HIS truths for this world. There is no-one on earth that has full understanding.
For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.
1 Corinthians 13:12
God’s word interprets God’s word. We can all speak in error from time to time and it is a good thing when a brother or sister will help us grow as they gently point to passages in God’s word which bring clarity.
But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.” As believers, we are called to defend the faith, but not be hostile or argumentative.
1 Peter 3:15
I think many of us will spend the first couple thousand years in heaven, walking around wide eyed with jaws dropping as we, with amazement, look upon the truths of God
Fine then…. maybe i was wrong. Thank you all for arguing with me and pointing out that we shouldn’t argue. I like R2T2’s argument to point me to and reminf me of 1 Peter 3:15.
Arguing about not arguing…I love it. 🙂
This is one fascinating thread. Some interesting thoughts here. After reading all of this, I guess we need to define what we mean by arguing and what our motivations might be. We are to make a defense of our faith. If we are not arguing to win a point but to win a person for Christ, that is a good motivation. And if we are doing this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience (as R2T2 mentioned in 1 Peter 3: 15 – 16), then that also demonstrates a pure intent. If we do so in love and without being obnoxiously aggressive, that is also useful. But if it is arguing for arguments sake, the word tells us to avoid such situations. Titus 3: 9.
Rich,
I think you are pointing us to the heart of the matter. Where is Jesus in all of this? Are we arguing out of human pride? Does Jesus want us to show love for others by angrily arguing with them?
You also point to our need for definitions. To “argue” as a verb connotes angrily attacking someone else’s point of view as a way of defending our own point of view. Yet, in the technical sense, to present an “argument” is to offer a reasoned explanation of a point of view with gentleness and respect.