If Any Man Defile the Temple of God

By Evangelist Paul Mershon

February 6, 2012

“Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are” (1 Corinthians 3:16-17).

In the context of a spiritual building and greater context of the ongoing Christ-dishonoring division in the church (local church at Corinth – ed.), Paul ties the various metaphors together. “Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?” Of interest is that the second person ye as well as the final you (in verse 16) are both plural in number. The Apostle is not referring to individual believers here, rather their collective total. In other words, he is referring to the church – the local church of Corinth. As a spiritual body, they were a temple of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, hearkening back to the common knowledge of the ancients, to desecrate a temple . . . was a serious offence. Such desecration was severely punished. In that vein, Paul notes that “the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.” That local church at Corinth was a temple of God – not whatever meeting place in which they assembled. Rather, the Apostle is referring to the spiritual body they constituted as a church. The greater message was that to defile or desecrate that spiritual body, the local church, was an offence of no small consequence. To defile the temple of God (the local church) was to risk judgment from God. In the context thus developed of the problems in the church at Corinth, the internal fighting and friction within the church likely are in view. Other problems in the church will soon be confronted by the Apostle. But the greater thought is, damage done to the church is of grave concern. Witness Ananias and Sapphira in Acts 5. (David Sorenson, “Understanding Corithians”)

“Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?” And then in verse 17, “If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.” Of whom is he speaking now? “If any man defile the temple of God” – those who try to destroy His church (local church), seek to ruin the work of the Lord, men from the outside who creep in . . . God says, “I will destroy them; they will have to account to Me by-and-by.” I dwell on this because some have misunderstood this passage and think of the temple as the temple of the human body; they have thought it might mean if somebody fell into some kind of habit that defiled the body it would mean that God would destroy him. If you allow yourself to indulge in any habit that injures this body you will have to answer for that; but here He is talking about the temple that is being built upon the one foundation, the church of the living God. (H.A. Ironside)

“It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God” (Hebrews 10:31).

The local New Testament church belongs to the Lord Jesus Christ and no one else. It is His church, and he is to have the preeminence in each and every local assembly (Matthew 16:18 – Colossians 1:18). Christ loved the church and gave Himself for it (Ephesians 5:24). The local church, the ecclesia, is a called out assembling of believers - a tangible, visible, manifested body that is sacred in the sight of the One who established it and loves it. One had better not be found doing any harm to the local assembly lest he or she be weighed in the balances and found wanting. Judgment cannot be far behind when one becomes an antagonist and a threat to the peace, safety, and harmony of the Body of Christ.

Back in the 1990s I became aware of a Baptist church in Colorado that had come under heavy attack at the hand of an antagonistic church member who wanted to assert his dominance and control over the church and the perspective new pastor through what can only be described as coercion and threats. The church had been without a pastor, and when a good and godly man became a candidate for the pastorate of the church, the antagonist withstood him and organized a campaign against him. This antagonistic fellow had been behind the forcing of at least two other pastors out of the church. The antagonist declared that he would do everything possible to prevent the candidate from becoming pastor of the church. Even though he was able to convince several folks to vote against the candidate, he still received a two-thirds majority of the vote and a call was extended for him to come as the new pastor, which call he accepted.

The antagonist and his followers subsequently filed a lawsuit on behalf of his family and friends stating that they were the “true church” and the new pastor and those who voted for him were not. He and his henchmen demanded control of the property and assets. The new pastor led the deacons and the church into a process of church discipline, seeking reconciliation with the antagonist and his disciples. The attempts on the part of the church to reconcile with the antagonist were rebuffed, and the pastor led the church to dismiss them from the membership for cause. This led to a second lawsuit against the pastor and deacons who had “run them out of the church.”

The pastor and the church did not retaliate, but rather the pastor led the church into seasons of protracted prayer, both for the church, and for God’s mercy in the case of the antagonist and his family. Prayer meetings were held in homes, and the church entered into a solemn assembly as they sought the Lord for His grace and leading. One evening the pastor got a phone call that the antagonist, his wife, and his teenaged daughters had been flying in a private airplane to another community and never arrived. The church began to pray for their safety through the entire night. The next morning the pastor received another call stating that the antagonist and his family had been found and all had been killed.

Though this man had been so threatening and damaging to the church, the members were crushed and broken. Not one person expressed relief or was vindictive. When the church came together on the Lord’s Day, there was a time of weeping over the circumstances that cost the antagonist and his family their lives. This story serves as a reminder that one cannot put his hand upon the church or a godly pastor and not eventually pay a very steep and dear price. Truly, “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.”

Some would say that God does not work this way today. You had better be careful! God not only can cut off those who are a threat to the peace and safety of His church, there is ample evidence that he has done so on more than a few occasions. I have been witness to this truth in my own Christian experience, and it is a fearful thing.

“See now that I, even I, am he, and there is no god with me: I kill, and I make alive; I wound, and I heal: neither is there any that can deliver out of my hand” (Deuteronomy 32:39)

Sobering words, these!

Woe unto that person who introduces an antagonistic spirit into any local New Testament church, or promotes an atmosphere of unrest and subterfuge. I have repeatedly warned pastors to beware of and avoid those folks who are repeat offenders in other churches whereby they were the cause of unrest and disharmony wherever they have been. They have a reputation for causing strife and division and no end of grief for a pastor who is doing his utmost to feed and lead the flock of God.

There are many warning signs marking an antagonist that must not be missed. When teaching a Pastoral Theology class some years ago, I shared with my students some of the ways in which an antagonist can be recognized.

They have almost always had problems in their previous church affiliations, and will be more than happy to share with you how terrible their previous pastors were. Their former pastors never seem to measure up to their demands and expectations, and you will surely be next when they eventually move on from your church. Truth is, they could not control and manipulate their former pastors, and left when they realized their agenda was not going to work.

Antagonists are almost always control freaks who want to be the main source of influence upon the church, its practices, and its ministry philosophy.

Antagonists are almost always narcissists.

Antagonists generally have problems functioning in most areas of society, whether it be social of professional. They are equally antagonistic in other areas of life outside of the local church.

Antagonists are always church-hoppers, moving from one church to another in search of that ministry that either agrees with them or has weak enough leadership whereby they feel they can dominate and exercise a measure of control.

Antagonists are almost always fastidious with maintaining some sort of external façade of pseudo- spiritualty, but often have serious underlying issues in their own lives.

Antagonists are masters of manipulation and coercion. They love to impress their particular philosophy of ministry and the Christian life as they see it upon others. They are generally hyper-critical, and once they are in a church they will bug and burden the pastor with every sort of negative observation possible. They seem to love to focus on those things that do not matter and will waste a pastor’s time with “foolish and unlearned questions . . . that . . . do gender strifes” (2 Timothy 2:23).

The antagonist will often target a pastor with a vengeance, locking him up in never-ending questions about never-ending issues.

Antagonists can be sneaky and devious. They will always be on the lookout for recruits to their causes. With the advent of the internet, they dispatch a never-ending stream of propaganda, wanted or unwanted.

Antagonists are almost always prime suspects when it comes to church splits.

Antagonists almost always target young or weak believers as new recruits to their cause and agenda. They will deny they have an agenda, but they do. Their agenda is to attempt to control or influence every facet of the ministry of a local church.

Antagonists will often join churches with young pastors they think they can shape and influence, avoiding the older and wiser men who have a reputation for firm and sound leadership practices.

Antagonists often have a long standing record of disagreement with those in leadership. They cannot tolerate leaders who will not tolerate them.

Antagonists are often in opposition to local church polity, yet they continue to seek to join local churches for all the wrong reasons.

An antagonist will love-bomb a pastor and church to get in, and then dive-bomb the pastor and church once they are entrenched.

Antagonists frequently distort facts, leaving grains of truth to maintain credibility.

Antagonists almost always pester church leaders by constantly calling on the phone or by hanging around the end of the service saying, “I just want to have a brief word with you.” Their constant pestering substantiates the tenacious character of an antagonist.

Antagonists almost always are accusatory by nature.

Antagonists are always selfish and self-serving. They may express their interest in helping, but their real agenda is anything but help in the end when they do not get their own way.

Antagonists often engage in end-run activities bypassing the pastor while engaging in conduct that undermines his leadership and authority.

Antagonists are usually Pharisaical in their bearing and behavior.

Antagonists are always demanding.

Antagonists are generally not very happy people, and they want you to be unhappy with them.

Even when a church yields to an antagonist’s demands, he or she is never happy, always coming up with some new thing to badger leadership about. Their list of demands is often unending.

Antagonists usually have very few friends and tend to alienate most thinking people.

Antagonists are often very insecure people with acceptance-rejection issues.

Antagonists almost always have a persecution complex. They voice how they are persecuted when they are rejected by folks upon whom they attempt to prevail without success.

Antagonists distract from the main thing, and the main thing is the precious saving Gospel of Jesus Christ. Keeping the main thing is not the main thing with the antagonist.

And, the list goes on.

Thoughts for church leaders in dealing with antagonists:

Keep your eyes and ears open. Be aware of what is happening around you. If you know the 20 red flags of an antagonist and can recognize when someone is waving one or more flags, you have a major advantage.

Pay attention to the observations of trusted church members. When people you trust and respect make assertions about those whom you might have already recognized as red-flag wavers, you would be well-advised to consider what they say . . . .

When antagonists attack, they usually want power and authority — your power and authority. Your response needs to show that this authority is indeed still yours, and you do not plan to give it up . . . .

Educate your church leadership about antagonists so they can help you deal with the problem. The church is under attack, not just you. When the pastor and church leadership work together, they can form an effective defense against the antagonist. Antagonists can only be successful if there are people who believe and support them. Forming a phalanx with the congregation’s leadership can help eliminate any support for the antagonist . . .

A single antagonist in a congregation can so affect the pastor and church leaders that they expend what seems to be 90 percent of their time and energy dealing with that person and the havoc he raises. Prevention is the best cure. The two primary avenues of prevention are creating an anti-antagonist environment and educating church leadership about antagonism . . . .

Discipline as necessary. Functional disciplinary measures are also essential to maintaining an anti-antagonist environment. Congregations in which discipline is minimal or absent tend to encourage antagonists . . . .

Antagonism is like a virulent disease in the body. A body cannot regard attack on a single part as an inconsequential threat requiring no response by other parts. Antagonism poses a threat not only to an isolated organ but to the entire organism which suffers until the disease is overcome. The whole body must work to overcome it . . . .

(Quotes from “Church Antagonists”)

In addition to the above suggestions, do not extend membership to a proven pattern antagonist to begin with.

I heard of a church back east that has established what I believe to be a good policy. When anyone presents themselves for membership in the church, they are carefully examined as to their profession of faith and baptism, a letter of transfer and recommendation is procured from their previous church, it is determined if they have been members in good standing, and they are instructed as to how they will be required to conduct themselves when they become a member of the church. They are informed that gossip, rumor-mongering, back-biting, and a complaining and whining spirit are not acceptable. Undermining the ministry of the church through a critical or fault-finding spirit will not be tolerated. Matthew 18:15-17 will be upheld in all matters involving church discipline. Should an applicant for church membership feel they cannot uphold these policies, membership will not be extended. To me, this is a good policy as it keeps things in biblical perspective and protects the church from those who would defile the “temple of God.”