1 Corinthians 3:17
in 1 Corinthians 3If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him; for God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
If any man destroyeth the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, and such are ye.
KJV
If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.
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This verse in 1 Corinthians 3
Commentary
14 notes on this verseIf any man defile the temple of God,.... By the wisdom of the world, through philosophy, and vain deceit; by bringing in false doctrines, errors, and heresies, and hereby corrupt their minds from the simplicity that is in Christ; and make rents, factions, and divisions among them: him shall God destroy; body and soul in hell; for as their wicked principles and heretical notions are pernicious to others, they are damnable to themselves, and will bring upon them that judgment which lingereth not, and that damnation which slumbereth not.
This site's exposition
Know ye not that ye are the temple of God
on 1 Corinthians 3:16-17
Paul widens the building image from the ministry just discussed to the whole congregation, know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you, a corporate temple rather than the individual body in view later in the letter. The warning that follows is severe in proportion, if any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy, for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are, the party divisions of this very chapter being one form such defilement takes. The bench reads the warning as aimed at those who fracture the church's unity, the temple's holiness bound up with its being one building rather than rival factions.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers5 voices
Paul says this in order to prick the consciences of those who have corrupted their bodies through evil living, especially the man who was having an affair with his father's wife..
And not only does he (the apostle) acknowledge our bodies to be a temple, but even the temple of Christ, saying thus to the Corinthians, "Know ye not that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ, and make them the members of an harlot?"
A commentator
Philoxenus of Mabbug13 Ascetic Discourses, Discourse 12 -- First Discourse on Fornication · Written before 523.
proposed
Now when the body hath intercourse with the soul, and the soul with the spirit, and through the spirit with the Trinity, in very deed are accomplished the words, "The Lord is over all, and in us all", and, "Ye are the temple of the …
But "if any man defile the temple of God, he shall be himself destroyed" -of course, by the God of the temple. If you threaten an avenger, you threaten us with the Creator.
"If any man destroy the Temple of God, him will God destroy." Dost thou mark the sweeping vehemence of his words? However, so long as the person is unknown, what is spoken is not so invidious, all dividing among themselves the fear of rebuke. "Him will God destroy," that is, will cause him to perish. And this is not the word of one denouncing a curse, but of one that prophesieth. "For the Temple of God is holy:" but he that hath committed fornication is profane. Then, in order that he might not seem to spend his earnestness upon that one, in saying, "for the Temple of God is holy," he addeth, "which ye are."
7 more voices on this verse
The Medieval Church3 voices
Then when he says, But if any man, he mentions the punishment in store for those who do evil works, saying: But if any man destroy the temple of God, him will God destroy. Now the temple of God is violated in two ways: in …
Therefore, a fornicator cannot be holy, since he has ceased to be the temple of God, having driven out the Spirit who sanctifies him. Who then constitutes this temple? You, if you remain pure.
That is, he will destroy. In these words is expressed not a curse, but a prediction about the future.
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
If any man destroy the temple of God - Destroy a real Christian, by schisms, or doctrines fundamentally wrong. Him shall God destroy - He shall not be saved at all; not even as through the fire."
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — odd-straight-quotes
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
If any man defile ... - Or, “destroy, corrupt” (φθείρει phtheirei). The Greek word is the same in both parts of the sentence. “If any man ‘destroy’ the temple of God, God shall ‘destroy’ him.” This is presented in the form of an adage or proverb. And the truth here stated is based on the fact that the temple of God was inviolable. That temple was holy; and if any man subsequently destroyed it, it might be presumed that God would destroy him.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
If any . . . defile . . . destroy--rather as the Greek verb is the same in both cases, "destroy . . . destroy." God repays in kind by a righteous retaliation. The destroyer shall himself be destroyed. As temporal death was the penalty of marring the material temple (Le 16:2;
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
If any man defile the temple - This clause is not consistently translated. Ει τις τον ναον του Θεου φθειρει, φθερει τουτον ὁ Θεος If any man destroy the temple of God, him will God destroy. The verb is the same in both clauses. If any man injure, corrupt, or destroy the Church of God by false doctrine, God will destroy him - will take away his part out of the book of life. This refers to him who wilfully opposes the truth; the erring, mistaken man shall barely escape; but the obstinate opposer shall be destroyed. The former shall be treated leniently; the latter shall have judgment without mercy.
The words behind it
21 Greek wordsEvery Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Greek | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| εἴ | ei | If | G1487 → | 508 times |
| τις | tis | anyone | G5100 → | 528 times |
| τὸν | ton | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ναὸν | naon | temple | G3485 → | 45 times |
| τοῦ | tou | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| θεοῦ | theou | of God | G2316 → | 1312 times |
| φθείρει, | phtheirei | destroys, | G5351 → | 9 times |
| φθερεῖ | phtherei | will destroy | G5351 → | 9 times |
| τοῦτον | touton | him | G3778 → | 1381 times |
| ὁ | ho | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| θεός· | theos | God; | G2316 → | 1312 times |
| ὁ | ho | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| γὰρ | gar | for | G1063 → | 1039 times |
| ναὸς | naos | the temple | G3485 → | 45 times |
| τοῦ | tou | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| θεοῦ | theou | of God | G2316 → | 1312 times |
| ἅγιός | hagios | holy | G40 → | 220 times |
| ἐστιν, | estin | is, | G1510 → | 2333 times |
| οἵτινές | oitines | which | G3748 → | |
| ἐστε | este | are | G1510 → | 2333 times |
| ὑμεῖς.¶ | humeis | you yourselves. | G4771 → | 2973 times |
εἴIf
eiG1487 →508 times
τιςanyone
tisG5100 →528 times
τὸνthe
tonG3588 →19766 times
ναὸνtemple
naonG3485 →45 times
τοῦ<the>
touG3588 →19766 times
θεοῦof God
theouG2316 →1312 times
φθείρει,destroys,
phtheireiG5351 →9 times
φθερεῖwill destroy
phthereiG5351 →9 times
τοῦτονhim
toutonG3778 →1381 times
ὁ<the>
hoG3588 →19766 times
θεός·God;
theosG2316 →1312 times
ὁ<the>
hoG3588 →19766 times
γὰρfor
garG1063 →1039 times
ναὸςthe temple
naosG3485 →45 times
τοῦ<the>
touG3588 →19766 times
θεοῦof God
theouG2316 →1312 times
ἅγιόςholy
hagiosG40 →220 times
ἐστιν,is,
estinG1510 →2333 times
οἵτινέςwhich
oitinesG3748 →
ἐστεare
esteG1510 →2333 times
ὑμεῖς.¶you yourselves.
humeisG4771 →2973 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Ezekiel 5:11Therefore as surely as I live, declares the Lord GOD, because you have defiled My sanctuary with all your detestable idols and abominations, I Myself will withdraw My favor; I will not look upon…
it leads to
- Ezekiel 7:20
His beautiful ornaments they transformed into pride and used them to fashion their vile images and detestable idols. Therefore I will make these into something unclean for them.
- Ezekiel 7:4
I will not look on you with pity, nor will I spare you, but I will punish you for your ways and for the abominations among you. Then you will know that I am…
- Ezekiel 7:9
I will not look on you with pity, nor will I spare you, but I will punish you for your ways and for the abominations among you. Then you will know that it is…
- Ezekiel 11:18
When they return to it, they will remove all its detestable things and all its abominations.
- 2 Chronicles 36:14
Furthermore, all the leaders of the priests and the people multiplied their unfaithful deeds, following all the abominations of the nations, and they defiled the house of the LORD, which He had consecrated in…
- Ezekiel 7:20
Through
Ezekiel 43:12This is the law of the temple: All its surrounding territory on top of the mountain will be most holy. Yes, this is the law of the temple.
it leads to
- Ezekiel 40:2
In visions of God He took me to the land of Israel and set me on a very high mountain, on whose southern slope was a structure that resembled a city.
- Revelation 21:27
But nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who practices an abomination or a lie, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.
- Ezekiel 40:2
Through
Numbers 19:20But if a person who is unclean does not purify himself, he will be cut off from the assembly, because he has defiled the sanctuary of the LORD. The water of purification has not…
it leads to
- Numbers 19:13
Anyone who touches a human corpse and fails to purify himself defiles the tabernacle of the LORD. That person must be cut off from Israel. He remains unclean, because the water of purification has…
- Numbers 19:13
Where this verse is studied
On this page
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On this verse
About 1 Corinthians
This page draws on 14 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Ambrosiaster, COMMENTARY ON PAUL'S EPISTLES; Frederic Godet, Commentary on First Corinthians; Irenaeus, Against Heresies (Book V, Chapter 6); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Chrysostom, Homily on 1 Corinthians 9; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Philoxenus of Mabbug, 13 Ascetic Discourses, Discourse 12 -- First Discourse on Fornication; Tertullian, Against Marcion Book V; Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on 1 Corinthians and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on 1 Corinthians.