Expert: Messianic Rabbi Yochanan Levine - 9/17/2007

Question
QUESTION: In the ancient greek - the word NAOS referred not just to the temple as a whole, but to the inner sanctuary into which only priests could go. In various passages, God guarded this section of the temple carefully under penalty of death to those who tried to otherwise enter it.
    In the New Testament - Paul uses the same word, NAOS, to describe the body of the believer (our bodies being the temple of the Holy Spirit). Expand on the idea that God just as jealously guards us, His dwelling place, as he did he original holy place and holy of holies. Am I fabricating a connection here - or am I onto something?

ANSWER: Hmmm...

Hi Pete,
Interesting idea. I've never thought of this in quite this context.

I'd say that Naos is a pretty broad term. It was used to describe the temples and shrines of any religion, in the same way that we use the word today still (for instance 2COR 6:16). There are Hindu temples, Buddhist temples, Jain temples etc. The root of the word, naio, simply means "to dwell." A deity dwells in a temple. It doesn't speak of who the deity is etc.

So, I think Paul was using the word as a example of how the Holy Spirit lives within our bodies and that therefore our bodies should be kept pure as though they were temples. I don't really see this going much beyond that.

Remember too that only the High priest was allowed access to the Holy of the Holies and that once a year. A rope was tied around his leg so that should he inadvertently offend God's holiness his body could be pulled out.

I don't see this sort of danger or extreme purity and absolute obedience and perfection being referenced here. Rather, one goes to the temple to commune with God, to fulfill religious obligations, to be at peace, to learn, to seek god's help and favor, etc. Likewise, we are to keep ourselves pure in order to commune with the indwelling Spirit.

My thought is that you may be reading a bit much into the phrase, but always follow the Holy Spirit. He will lead you into the knowledge and wisdom he has for you, and this train of thought may be in accordance with His teachings for you.

Hope this helps,
~John of AllFaith

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: At first I thought I was reading into it too much also.....that is until I came across this passage

1 Cor 3:17  If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.

I think we allready have the perfect holiness of christ so we need not be legalistic, but I think God guards his followers as vehemently as he did the holy of holies - Think of the passage where Jesus states it would be better for a person to have a millstone tied to thier neck and thrown into the water than to hurt one of his children. I dont think we have to worry so much about being holy to the point of such penalty - But I think the unsaved have to worry about God's wrath when they hurt one of us........scary stuff. What do you think


Answer
Oh OK...
You weren't going where I thought you were with this idea.
That was my concern, that we can't be holy enough to be in the holy of holies...

but because Christ is our High Priest -- Heb 4:15 (and we are the 'righteousness of God in Christ') and He is, in this sense, in the holy of holies as High Priest... then anyone who would harm him (visa vi his 'body') would be doing a serious badness...

I can see that.

Interesting realization. I think you are correct.

~ John of AllFaith