2 Corinthians 6:16 … The Temple of the Living God (06/02/17)
“You are the Temple of the Living God.”
~ Paul (2 Corinthians 6:16)
This verse is short in word and yet long in Meaning, for Paul did indeed believe that we were but the vessels that carried the Divine Essence – vessels that were & remain inherently sinful (see Romans 3:23, Romans 8:8, 1 Corinthians 6:9-10, 1 Corinthians 15:56 et al), and bodily vessels that are so impure they need liberation from an external, celestial source (see Romans 7:4, 1 Corinthians 2:11, 2 Corinthians 1:10, 1 Corinthians 15:23-25, 2 Corinthians 9:10-11, Philippians 4:6 & Philippians 4:19 et al).
Jesus, of course, had a very different take on humans & humanity – an opposing take, no less. For Jesus believed that our True Selves were not the crude vessels that carried us (our bodies) or the crude identities that keep us shackled by lust &/or fear, but rather that we are all innately Children of God – that our selflessly Loving Souls are who we truly are (see John 14:20-26, Matthew 18:3-4, John 15:26, John 14:12 et al) and that our mission in this lifetime is to re-enliven the same (see Matthew 22:37-40, Matthew 7:21-24, Matthew 24:12-14, John 13:15-17 et al).
So Jesus would read this verse from Paul and say not that we are the Temple of God, but rather that our “Temples” encapsulate who we truly are – namely, CHILDREN of God – directly interconnected facets of the Divine – agents of The One – actual Sons & Daughters of the heavenly Father who resides simultaneously within and all around us (Luke 17:20-21).
Amen … Let us reflect the same.
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