1Cor 3:17 | JFB | STEP | 17. 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 ( ), so eternal death is the penalty of marring the spiritual temple—the Church. The destroyers here ( ), are distinct from the unwise or unskilful builders ( ); the latter held fast the "foundation" ( ), and, therefore, though they lose their work of superstructure and the special reward, yet they are themselves saved; the destroyers, on the contrary, assailed with false teaching the foundation, and so subvert the temple itself, and shall therefore be destroyed. (See on ), [ESTIUS and NEANDER ]. I think Paul passes here from the teachers to all the members of the Church, who, by profession, are "priests unto God" ( ). As the Aaronic priests were doomed to die if they violated the old temple ( ), so any Christian who violates the sanctity of the spiritual temple, shall perish eternally ( ). holy —inviolable ( ). which temple ye are —rather, "the which (that is, holy) are ye" [ALFORD ], and, therefore, want of holiness on the part of any of you (or, as ESTIUS , "to tamper with the foundation in teaching you") is a violation of the temple, which cannot be let to pass with impunity. GROTIUS supports English Version.

1 Corinthians 3:17

17. 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; Da 5:2, 3, 30), so eternal death is the penalty of marring the spiritual temple—the Church. The destroyers here (1Co 3:16, 17), are distinct from the unwise or unskilful builders (1Co 3:12, 15); the latter held fast the "foundation" (1Co 3:11), and, therefore, though they lose their work of superstructure and the special reward, yet they are themselves saved; the destroyers, on the contrary, assailed with false teaching the foundation, and so subvert the temple itself, and shall therefore be destroyed. (See on 1Co 3:10), [ESTIUS and NEANDER]. I think Paul passes here from the teachers to all the members of the Church, who, by profession, are "priests unto God" (Ex 19:6; 1Pe 2:9; Re 1:6). As the Aaronic priests were doomed to die if they violated the old temple (Ex 28:43), so any Christian who violates the sanctity of the spiritual temple, shall perish eternally (Heb 12:14; 10:26, 31).

holy—inviolable (Hab 2:20).

which temple ye are—rather, "the which (that is, holy) are ye" [ALFORD], and, therefore, want of holiness on the part of any of you (or, as ESTIUS, "to tamper with the foundation in teaching you") is a violation of the temple, which cannot be let to pass with impunity. GROTIUS supports English Version.