Houses of Worship-Made for Man, or Vice Versa?

[newton3005]

In 1 Kings 8:19-20, King Solomon tells his multitudes that God told Solomon’s father David that Solomon, not David, is to build a temple “for the name of the LORD, the God of Israel.” King Solomon built such a temple, and he asks the Lord God if God will listen to the prayers that comes from this Temple, after he acknowledges that God can hear the people from anywhere. That is confirmed in Revelation 21:3 which says, “And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God.’” More to the point, 1 Corinthians 3:16 says “Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you?”

But why have a place of worship then, such as Solomon’s Temple then, or a church building? Well, the obvious answer, from the OT Verses above, is that God commanded it. Did God command in the NT that a church be built in His Name? Seems that our bodies are just fine for Him!

Seems that a gathering of people for the sake of the Lord is more conducive for Jesus’ purposes, between places such as the Mount where he delivers some of his sermons, and where he says in Matthew 18:20 “For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.”
So, it may appear in the NT at least that it is not for the sake of God or for even praying to God, that people need to gather, it may be for the sake of understanding what He wants and perhaps what to pray to Him about. Coincidentally, Jesus says in Matthew 6:5–6, “And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others...BUT WHEN YOU PRAY, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. “

So, it seems after King Solomon’s time at least, the primary purpose of a House of Worship is to enlighten the gathering in the knowledge of God and His Purpose. Do the words ‘Let us pray’ really need to be heard in a House of Worship, other than to teach the gathering how to pray and what to pray for?

Any riff raff among the congregation in a House of Worship may test us to the limits of our moral sense. But regardless of where we are, the NT advises us to be on guard against those who may expound beyond what we consider to be sound teachings regarding what God stands for and beyond any natural sense of morality and righteousness we may have.

 

[Reluctant Theologian]

Indeed our bodies are supposed to be a house/temple of prayer ... God does not live in a stone or timber church building; so I consistently avoid to call such a location 'House of God' - although I'm fine with calling it a common place for joint fellowship and worship.

Places are only Holy when and if Gods presence is there ..