Church Buildings, John 2:14-16

This post concerns what happens in many church buildings today.

Church Buildings discusses the God ordained use of the temple and church buildings. What Jesuse found in the temple dismayed Him, John 2:14-16.

“In the temple he found those who were selling oxen and sheep and pigeons, and the moneychangers sitting there. making a whip of cords, he drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and oxen…he poured out the coins of the moneychangers and overturned their tables… he told those who sold the pigeons, “Take these things away; do not make my Father’s house a house of trade.”

In that day, animal sacrifices constituted Jewish worship of God. Thus, for those who traveled a distance to Jerusalem to worship, buying a suitable animal was necessary. Then, have the correct kind of money to purchase an animal, changing money into the kind of money to buy animals was necessary.

So, the animal sellers and moneychangers conveniently placed  themselves inside the temple for the out of towners who came to worship.

Buying and selling animals needed for worship, and changing money to have the correct type of money to buy animals was surely not a sin. But locating such in the temple was an unauthorized activity. An angry Jesus drove those engaged in this sin out of the temple.

So, what would Jesus find if He visited many church buildings today? The temple and church buildings have some things in common. Money given and belonging to God built and maintained these buildings. They should be designed to worship God. Only authorized activities should be allowed.

However, some of today’s church buildings are much like country clubs providing amenities and services convenient for folks—but not authorized by scripture although legal outside of a church building.

Also, some serve as money raising organization for otherwise acceptable social services, but again not authorized as worship of God. Some provide entertainment with unauthorized activities.

What would Jesus clean out of church buildings today?

So, what did we learn?

1.Jesus cleansed the temple of unauthorized activities.

2.Today church buildings should not provide room for unauthorized activities.

For more on the Bible, click tdroberts.org or https://justchristian.com or https://podcastjustchristian.com

#cleanseTemple #cleanseChurchBuildingsToday