Servings Per Verse: Unknown
ESV
20b ". . . Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, 21 in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. 22 In him you also are being built together into a dwelling for God by the Spirit."
*ETS:
Christ Jesus is the key, the corner stone to the whole structure, and you are the holy temple he is building for the dwelling of God by His Spirit. As Jew and Gentile come together in Christ the temple grows and expands. You are part of the living temple of God!
*DTFTD:
Our God does not dwell in temples of human construction (Acts 17:24). Actually, according to the Old Testament, when King David suggested the building of a temple for God, God replied, "In all the places where I have moved with all the people of Israel, did I speak a word with any of the judges of Israel, whom I commanded to shepherd my people Israel, saying, 'Why have you not built me a house of cedar?'" God did not ask David or any leader to build him a house. God did allow Solomon to build the temple for His Name, but the temple was never the dwelling place of God. So why the temple? The temple in Jerusalem was filled with symbolism that spoke of many realities in God's covenant with his people. God's name was associated with the temple and the temple provided opportunity for the people of God to obey the law in reference to sacrifice and worship. In Jesus' day things were different. When Jesus visited the temple in Jerusalem, he did not think nearly as much of it as did the disciples. The temple of Jesus' day was a monument to King Herod's architectural reputation and part of his political strategy to keep peace with the Jews while enforcing Roman law. Jesus told the disciples of the time when not one stone of Herod's temple would be left upon another, for it was not the dwelling place of God (Matt. 24:2). What the disciples failed to see was the Temple of God standing before them in the person of Jesus Christ. Speaking of his body Jesus said, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up" ( see John 2:19-22). The death, burial, and resurrection of Christ started the construction of the temple of God's dwelling. Today, all who are in Christ, the Chief Cornerstone, are part of God's holy temple. The church is the temple of the Holy Spirit (I Cor. 6:19), and every member of the church must yield his or her body, as a living sacrifice to God for his use and glory (Romans 12:2; I Cor. 6:20).
*EDS:
I am resolved to follow the Saviour, Faithful and true each day; Heed what He sayeth, do what He willeth, He is the living way.
I will hasten to Him, hasten so glad and free, Jesus, greatest, highest, I will come to Thee.
Hymn, "I Am Resolved" James Fillmore 1849-1936.
INGREDIENTS: God's Spirit dwells in the Christian. Word Study: "together" is used twice in out ESV translation and each use is compounded with the preceding word. For example in verse twenty-one the Greek word is translated using two words "framed together." The Greek is comprised of two words, one meaning "joint" and the other meaning "lay." Literally the word speaks of a well compacted, close fitting union. The Church should display a unity that is strong in fellowship and faith. The other word is translated "builded together." (v22). The Greek words here would speak of the Christian's need of others in body for completeness in construction. We are one in Christ and we need one another in order to be what God has designed.
*ESV- English Standard Version; ETS- Essence of the Text in a Sentence; DTFTD- Devotional Thought For The Day; EDS- Essence of the Devotional in a Sentence.
