(B) How can the Temple of God be destroyed?
(B) How can the Temple of God be destroyed?
While Paul is addressing the church - believers collectively - in 1Cor 3:16-17, his warning of the destruction awaiting those who destroy the Temple of God is directed to believers individually.
They were destroying the church from within (CP 1Cor 1:10-15; 3:1-9, 18-21; 4:6-10; 5:1-11; 6:15-20; 7:1; 8:9-13; 11:18-22 with Ga 5:14-26; Eph 4:20-32 and Col 3:1-10).
Here we see how the Temple of God can be destroyed by factionalism and contentions, envying and strife, division, pride, sexual immorality, idolatry, drunkenness and fornication etc. But 1Cor 3:16-17 is also a warning to Christians addicted to nicotine and narcotics which destroy the body.
They too are destroying the Temple of God and will also forfeit their place in God's eternal kingdom, just as Christians addicted to alcohol in Ga 5:14-26 forfeit theirs. It is also a warning against destroying the Temple of God by suicide (See also comments on 1Cor 3:18-20).