We have all sorts of names for groups of animals. No doubt you’ve heard of a flock of sheep, a herd of cattle, or even a gaggle of geese. But some names may surprise you. A group of crows is called a murder. How about a congregation of alligators, or a crash of rhinoceroses? Have you heard of a building of rooks (Eurasian crows)?
Building, in fact, is one of the names in the Bible for believers in Jesus. “You are . . . God’s building,” wrote the apostle Paul (1 Corinthians 3:9). There are other names for believers as well: “the flock” (Acts 20:28), “the body of Christ” (1 Corinthians 12:27), “brothers and sisters” (1 Thessalonians 2:14), and more.
The building metaphor recurs in 1 Peter 2:5, as Peter tells the church, “You also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house.” Then, in verse 6, Peter quotes Isaiah 28:16, “See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone.” Jesus is the very foundation of His building.
We may have the sense that it’s our job to build the church, but Jesus said, “I will build my church” (Matthew 16:18). We’re chosen by God to “declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light” (1 Peter 2:9). As we declare those praises, we become instruments in His hands as He does His good work.
By Bill Crowder
REFLECT & PRAY
What does it mean for Jesus to build His church? How can you participate in that work?
Dear God, forgive me for the times I think it’s all about me. Please use me to serve You and love others as You build Your church.
SCRIPTURE INSIGHT
The apostle Peter describes believers in Jesus this way: “You also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house” (1 Peter 2:5). He wasn’t the only New Testament writer to utilize the building metaphor. In fact, Paul uses that imagery multiple times in Ephesians alone. In Ephesians 2:21-22 we read, “In [Christ] the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.” God crafts His people into a “building”—a “spiritual house”—which is His dwelling place. Not only is this true of believers in Jesus collectively, it’s also the case for individual believers. The apostle also wrote: “Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own” (1 Corinthians 6:19).
Bill Crowder
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