Before we look at that verse, let’s read verse 16: “Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?” The Apostle Paul addresses BELIEVERS in this verse. All believers have the Spirit of God indwelling them. The Lord Jesus had told His disciples, “And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever—the Spirit of truth, for He DWELLS WITH YOU and WILL BE IN YOU” (John 14:16-17). On the Day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit came to “indwell believers” (Acts 2:1-4) and in doing so He also “formed the church, the Body of Christ” (Acts 2:47 with 1 Corinthians 12:12-13). Because God the Spirit dwells inside believers the church is called “the TEMPLE of God.” We see this truth in Ephesians 2:19-22, “Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ being the chief cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, GROWS INTO A HOLY TEMPLE in the Lord, in whom you also are being built for a DWELLING PLACE OF GOD IN THE SPIRIT.”

Now we’ll read verse 17, “If anyone DEFILES THE TEMPLE OF GOD, God will DESTROY HIM. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are.” We have already seen that “true believers are the temple of God.” Yet true believers can become DEFILED. In this verse Paul is speaking of men who may “defile the temple of God” through false teachings. Are these men believers or unbelievers? I believe this is speaking of UNBELIEVERS who are, as another has said, “the enemies of God’s truth, those who try to destroy the Church, seek to ruin the work of the Lord, men from the outside who creep in” (H. A. Ironside from his commentary on 1 Corinthians). In the Apostle Paul’s last word to the elders in Ephesus he warned them that this would happen: “For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock” (Acts 20:29). Jude also spoke of these in his epistle, “Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once delivered to the saints. For certain men have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were marked out for this condemnation, ungodly men, who turn the grace of our God into lewdness and deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ” (Jude verses 3-4).

We see then that this verse is speaking of “UNBELIEVERS seeking to corrupt BELIEVERS with their false teachings in order to bring dishonor to them and to God.” They are “UNGODLY men” who are trying to “defile the temple of God which is HOLY.” God assures us that He will DESTROY THEM in a future day, which means they will be judged eternally in hell for their evil teachings. We see this also in Paul’s words to the saints in Philippi, “Brethren, join in following my example, and note those who so walk, as you have us for a pattern. For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you weeping, that THEY ARE ENEMIES OF THE CROSS OF CHRIST: WHOSE END IS DESTRUCTION, whose god is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame—who set their mind on earthly things” (Philippians 3:17-19; see also Jude verses 12-15). In closing, we must stress that God will NEVER DESTROY A BELIEVER, but the testimony of a local church can be DESTROYED (i.e. ruined) through false teachings.  (DO)  (697.1)