GOSPEL 24:1-9
On Building the Temple of God
ON BUILDING THE TEMPLE OF GOD
24 1Once in the city, some of his disciples were remarking about how the Temple was adorned with beautiful stones and with gifts dedicated to God.
2But Jesus said, “Believe me, a time is coming when you will worship God neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. Rather, a time is coming, and is here even now, when the true worshippers will worship the Father in Spirit and in truth.
3Do you not know that your very lives are Temples of Spirit? 4Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s Temple, and that God’s Spirit dwells in you? For God’s Temple is sacred, and you together are that Temple.
5Even you, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house, to be a sacred mandala, offering your spiritual contributions that draw the icon of God.
6For you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens of the Holy, and members of God’s house, built on the foundation of poets and prophets, on which the whole building is joined together, and rises into a holy Temple in the Lord, in whom you are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives spiritually.
7For we are co-creators of God; you are God’s architecture. If I lay a foundation as a wise builder, others will add to it. But each one should build with care.”
8At this the crowd was divided about Jesus. Some wanted to seize him, but no one laid a hand on him. 9The chief priests and the clergy heard this and began looking for a way to kill him, for they feared him, because the whole crowd was amazed at his teaching.
ON BUILDING THE TEMPLE OF GOD
24 1Τῇ πόλει, τινων λεγόντων περὶ τοῦ ἱεροῦ ὅτι λίθοις καλοῖς καὶ ἀναθήμασιν κεκόσμηται, 2εἶπεν· Πίστευέ μοι, ὅτι ἔρχεται ὥρα ὅτε οὔτε ἐν τῷ ὄρει τούτῳ οὔτε ἐν Ἱεροσολύμοις προσ-κυνήσετε τῷ θεῷ. ἀλλ’ ἔρχεται ὥρα καὶ νῦν ἐστιν, ὅτε οἱ ἀληθινοὶ προσκυνηταὶ προσ-κυνήσουσιν τῷ πατρὶ ἐν πνεύματι καὶ ἀληθείᾳ· 3ἢ οὐκ οἴδατε ὅτι οἱ βίοι ὑμῶν ναὸς τοῦ ἐν ὑμῖν πνεύματός ἐστιν; 4οὐκ οἴδατε ὅτι ναὸς θεοῦ ἐστε καὶ τὸ πνεῦμα τοῦ θεοῦ οἰκεῖ ἐν ὑμῖν; ὁ γὰρ ναὸς τοῦ θεοῦ ἅγιός ἐστιν, οἵτινές ἐστε ὑμεῖς. 5καὶ αὐτοὶ ὡς λίθοι ζῶντες οἰκοδομεῖσθε οἶκος πνευματικὸς εἰς τὸν κύκλον ἅγιον ἀνενέγκαι πνευματικὰς θυσίας εἰκαστικὰς θεόν.
6ἄρα οὖν οὐκέτι ἐστὲ ξένοι καὶ πάροικοι ἀλλ’ ἐστὲ συμπολῖται τῶν ἁγίων καὶ οἰκεῖοι τοῦ θεοῦ, ἐποικοδομηθέντες ἐπὶ τῷ θεμελίῳ καὶ ποιητῶν προφητῶν, ἐν ᾧ πᾶσα οἰκοδομὴ συναρμο-λογουμένη αὔξει εἰς ναὸν ἅγιον ἐν κυρίῳ, ἐν ᾧ καὶ ὑμεῖς συνοικοδομεῖσθε εἰς κατοικητήριον τοῦ θεοῦ ἐν πνεύματι. 7θεοῦ γάρ ἐσμεν συντελαί, θεοῦ οἰκοδομή ἐστε. ὡς σοφὸς ἀρχιτέκτων θεμέλιον ἔθηκα, ἄλλος δὲ ἐποικοδομεῖ. ἕκαστος δὲ βλεπέτω πῶς ἐποι-κοδομεῖ.
8σχίσμα ἐγένετο ἐν τῷ ὄχλῳ δι’ αὐτόν· τινὲς δὲ ἤθελον ἐξ αὐτῶν πιάσαι αὐτόν, ἀλλ’ οὐδεὶς ἐπέβαλεν ἐπ’ αὐτὸν τὰς χεῖρας. 9καὶ ἤκουσαν οἱ ἀρχιερεῖς καὶ οἱ γραμματεῖς καὶ ἐζήτουν πῶς αὐτὸν ἀπολέσωσιν· ἐφοβοῦντο γὰρ αὐτόν, πᾶς γὰρ ὁ ὄχλος ἐξεπλήσσετο ἐπὶ τῇ διδαχῇ αὐτοῦ.
Indeed the poets and prophets are the foundation. We are the sages who wrote the sacred pages before they became cages for God.