What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? 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.” (2 Corinthians 6:16)

Paul had insisted that the Corinthian Christians must distinguish themselves from unbelievers and separate from the sinful practices associated with idolatry and impurity. He contrasted the righteousness of believers with the lawlessness of those outside the faith, instructing the Corinthians to avoid any entanglements that might compromise their spiritual integrity.

Then the apostle brought this teaching to a climax by invoking the imagery of the temple. The temple was once the central place where God’s presence dwelt among his people. It was the physical representation of God’s holiness, and the place where he manifested his glory and power. The temple was sacred and set apart for the purpose of worship. It was utterly incompatible with idolatry, which represented the opposite of God’s holiness. Paul invoked this imagery and reminded the Corinthians that they were now the temple of God. They had become God’s dwelling place. As such, they must remain holy, separate from idolatry and sin.

Paul referred to several passages from the Old Testament where God promised to dwell among his people, making them his own. These covenantal promises would now apply to the followers of Jesus Christ, because those who have faith in God are the true people of God. As God’s chosen people, Christians are called to live holy lives, reflecting their status as the temple of the living God. The apostle emphasized the moral implications of God’s presence and the necessity of maintaining purity in their relationship with him.

The temple in Jerusalem was where God’s glory dwelt in a special way. The people understood this as the physical location where God’s power and presence were concentrated, and where they could approach him through sacrifices and worship. Now the temple is said to be the believer’s body, and collectively, the church. God does not dwell in a building made with human hands, but he dwells within his people. He is not distant or detached. He has made his home within us.

This indwelling reflects God’s intimacy with his people. He said, “I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them.” This promise of nearness echoes back to God’s covenant with Israel, and even further back to the Garden of Eden, where God walked with Adam and Eve. In Christ, this presence is restored and brought to an even greater fulfillment, for now God indwells his people individually and collectively through the Holy Spirit.

The God who revealed his glory in the tabernacle and temple now resides within every believer. What was once confined to the Most Holy Place, accessible only to the high priest, is now available to all Christians through Christ. Christians carry the very presence of God wherever they go, and this reality calls for a life of holiness as a response to the living God dwelling within them.

Of course, it would be a contradiction to have God’s presence without God’s power. God lives in us, and this means that his power lives in us. Paul also taught that the same power that raised Jesus from the dead is at work in Christians. God’s active, miracle-working power is working in and through us. This power sanctifies, strengthens, and empowers believers to live out the holiness that God commands and to perform the miracles that God promises. It is not up to us to separate the two and then pick only one of them. To affirm one aspect of this is to affirm both, and to deny one aspect of this is to deny both.

The reality that we are the temple of God means that his miraculous power should be a regular expectation in our lives. We are not only forgiven of sin, but we are filled with the power to overcome sin and to manifest the life of Christ. Miracles are part of the normal Christian life because God lives in us in the fullness of his presence and power.

Paul called believers to a life of holiness, and he also reminded us that God’s presence and power are within us. As the temple of God, we have the privilege of experiencing his nearness, his covenant faithfulness, and his power at work in us. This is a reality for every believer. Thus holiness that God demands is not a burden but the natural outworking of his indwelling presence.

In the same way, the miracles and supernatural experiences that God promises also happen as a natural consequence. Paul said, “Do not quench the Spirit” and “Fan into flame the gift of God.” God’s power does not need to remain passive or dormant, but it is released when we have faith to pray for miracles and to put that faith into action. With God living in us, walking among us, and working through us, we are empowered to live in a way that honors him, experiencing both his sanctifying grace and his miraculous power.