Proposition 1

There is a house on earth, called the house of God.

The Most High God does not dwell in temples made by human hands; yet He condescended in the age of types to have a temple built for Himself, which He called His house, and glorified it with the symbols of His presence. In reference to this, the Christian community, organized under the authority of His Son, is called His house and temple. "You are God’s building," says Paul to a Christian community. This building is said to be "built on the Apostles and Prophets—Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone." "Don’t you know that you are the temple of God? The temple of God is holy, which temple you are."¹

But in reference to the Jewish temple, the Christian church occupies the middle space between the outer court and the holiest of all. "The holy places made with hands were figures of the true." The ordinary priests went always into the first tabernacle or holy place, and the high priest once a year into the holiest of all. Thus, our Great High Priest went once for all into the true "holiest of all," into the real presence of God, and has allowed us Christians as a royal priesthood, as a chosen race, to enter always into the only holy place now on earth—the Christian church. "As living stones we are built up into a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ."²

But all we aim to show is that the community under Christ is called "the house of God." Paul once calls it a house of God, and once the house of God. An individual or single congregation, he calls "a house of God."³ I have written to you, "so that you may know how to conduct yourself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God."⁴ And in his letter to the Hebrews 5:1-14, speaking of the whole Christian community, he calls it the house of God.⁶ "Having a Great High Priest over the house of God, let us draw near," etc. It is, then, clear that there is under the Lord Messiah, now on earth, an institution called the house of God; and this resembles the holy place between the outer court and the holiest of all, which is the position to be proved.