Copyright 2007

Steven M. McCalip

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The Believers are His Church. The Building is Not. No Man Can Build a Church.

“And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” Matthew 16:18

That was the first use of the word church in the scriptures, and it was used by Jesus Christ. Notice the Bible said that Jesus would build the church, not man. It is obvious Jesus is talking about building the body of Christ and not a building. But notice that it is Jesus who is doing the building of the church. Man has no business building a church. Man can’t build a church. Only Jesus can according to this scripture. The gates of hell have prevailed against man-made structures, but not the body of Christ.

Of the 117 times the word “church” or “churches” in used, all without exception speak of the body of Christ, the living church, and never a building. “Church” means the assembly of believers in a particular area and the body of Christ. There are a few scriptures that sound like a building, but upon further investigation, it is seen that it is speaking of an assembly of the body of Christ.

The following scriptures define the word “church” as the scriptures themselves define it:

“And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.” Colossians 1:18

“Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body’s sake, which is the church:” Colossians 1:24

The two verses above show us without a doubt the meaning of the word church as God himself defines it: “the church” means “the body” of believers in Colossians 1:18, and it also means “his body” in Colossians 1:24:

“This is he, that was in the church in the wilderness with the angel which spake to him in the mount Sina, and with our fathers: who received the lively oracles to give unto us:” Acts 7:38

We also see that the “church in the wilderness” was the Israelites, and these Israelites had no building other that the tabernacle.

Believers are Called “the House of God”

A Building is Not

But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end. Hebrews 3:6

The above scripture says that Christ’s house is us. Christ has no house but us. To call anything else his house is to cheapen the sacrifice that he paid for that house. Jesus did not die for a building, and he could care less about what building we build for him. He is interested in building us into a holy temple:

In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: Ephesians 2:21

The phrase “the church” also means “the house of God” and “the pillar and ground of the truth” according to God himself in the book of Timothy above.

And having an high priest over the house of God; Hebrews 10:21

But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth. 1 Timothy 3:15.

Notice that the church is called his pillar, in direct contrast with what the Jews believed was his house that also had magnificent pillars.

Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. 1 Peter 2:5

For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God? 1 Peter 4:17

So we see that the church is called Christ’s “house.” Nowhere in the New Testament is the building of the saints called “the house of God.” For us to use such terminology belittles that actual house he is building in us. Christ is not in a building program other than us, and neither should we be engaging in this fruitless activity.

“Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it. Psalm 133:1

If we really look at that verse and take it literally as we should, any man that builds a house for God is building in vain, for if God doesn’t build it, it is vain. God is obviously not building a physical house. The kingdom of God is within you Jesus said:

“Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you. Luke 17:21

Notice that people are saying in that verse the kingdom is “here” or “there.” Jesus said his kingdom in not visible, and that would include any physical manifestations such as buildings, empires, thrones, churches, schools, etc, blah blah, blah. This is straightforward, hard doctrine for some, but it is the simple truth. Well, what about this organization and that church and this building and that preacher, etc., etc.? What about them? Who cares what they’re building. I care about what God is building, and God cares about what he is building, and if you care about what man is building, you and God have a controversy.

The church kingdom doesn’t come with observation he said. You can’t see it being built. Think about that. Take a good while to muse that over. Let go of your tradition long enough to let the light of truth outshine it. That has to mean that Jesus builds his church invisibly, not like the world wants us to believe. That is no mystical, allegorical, nonsense. That is just the opposite of what the religious world wants you to think because that kind of thinking is a threat to their existence. If God is not interested and doesn’t promote building programs, then the main reason for all these money making church industries comes to a screeching halt if believers ever grab on to this belief.

Lastly, the word “church” means his assembly of believers:

To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, Heb. 12:23

For if there come unto your assembly a man with a gold ring, in goodly apparel, and there come in also a poor man in vile raiment; James 2:2

No Building is his Temple.

We Are His Temple

Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? f any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are. 1 Cor. 3:16-17

What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? 1 Cor. 6:19

And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 2 Cor. 6:16

Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name. Rev. 3:12

In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: Eph. 2:21

For we are labourers together with God: ye are God’s husbandry, ye are] God’s building. 1 Cor. 3:9

For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. 2 Cor. 5:1

In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord Eph. 2:21

God Does not Dwell In Man Made Temples

But Solomon built him an house. Howbeit the most High dwelleth not in temples made with hands; as saith the prophet, Heaven is my throne, and earth is my footstool: what house will ye build me? saith the Lord: or what is the place of my rest? Acts 7:49

The above scripture quotes Isaiah below:

Thus saith the LORD, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: where is the house that ye build unto me? and God is obviously saying you can’t build him a house, for the “heaven is my throne, and “earth is my footstool.”

Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars’ hill, and said, Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious…God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands; Neither is worshipped with men’s hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things; Acts 17:22, 24,25

Notice that Paul says these people that believe that God dwells in man made structures are “too superstitious.” Notice also that God is not worshipped “with men’s hands” or in other words, what man can build with his hands. See my article on Superstition for more on this idea in Acts.

Jesus and We are Called the Tabernacle

No Building in the New Testament is Called That

For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. 2 Cor. 5:1

For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life. 2 Cor. 5:4

We have an altar, whereof they have no right to eat which serve the tabernacle. Heb. 13:10

A minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man. Heb. 8:2

An excellent scripture testifying that that man can’t build God’s true tabernacle, which is Jesus and his bride.