If any man defiles the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple you are.
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Ambrosiaster
AD 400
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. Commentary on Paul’s Epistles.
If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy. If any one, through the fatal pride that is born of human Wisdom of Solomon , through novel, erroneous, and pestilential teaching, or through schisms such as are found among you, O Corinthians, says Anselm; or if any one in any other way corrupt the Church, or any individual soul in it—him shall God destroy. The Apostle is speaking mainly of the corruption that comes through the teaching of false doctrine, through pride, through envy, or the fomenting of schism. For as he began, so does he finish this chapter with warnings to false teachers. It appears, too, from the next words where he says that any such defiler shall not be saved, so as by fire, but shall be consumed in everlasting fire.
And "whosoever shall defile the temple of God, him shall God defile.".
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? "
If any man destroy the Temple of God, him will God destroy. Do you 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 prophesies.
For the Temple of God is holy: but he that has 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 adds, which you are.
