Origen of Alexandria, Against Celsus

And if, further, temples are to be compared with temples, that we may prove to those who accept the opinions of Celsus that we do not object to the erection of temples suited to the images and altars of which we have spoken, but that we do refuse to build lifeless temples to the Giver of all life, let any one who chooses learn how we are taught, that our bodies are the temple of God, and that if any one by lust or sin defiles the temple of God, he will himself be destroyed, as acting impiously towards the true temple. Of all the temples spoken of in this sense, the best and most excellent was the pure and holy body of our Saviour Jesus Christ. When He knew that wicked men might aim at the destruction of the temple of God in Him, but that their purposes of destruction would not prevail against the divine power which had built that temple, He says to them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it again.…This He said of the temple of His body.”1802 John ii. 19, 21. And in other parts of holy Scripture where it speaks of the mystery of the resurrection to those whose ears are divinely opened, it says that the temple which has been destroyed shall be built up again of living and most precious stones, thereby giving us to understand that each of those who are led by the word of God to strive together in the duties of piety, will be a precious stone in the one great temple of God. Accordingly, Peter says, “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;”1803 1 Pet. ii. 5. and Paul also says, “Being built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ our Lord being the chief cornerstone.”1804 Eph. ii. 20. And there is a similar hidden allusion in this passage in Isaiah, which is addressed to Jerusalem: “Behold, I will lay thy stones with carbuncles, and lay thy foundations with sapphires. And I will make thy battlements of jasper, and thy gates of crystal, and all thy borders of pleasant stones. And all thy children shall be taught of the Lord; and great shall be the peace of thy children. In righteousness shalt thou be established.”1805 Isa. liv. 11–14.

Εἰ δὲ καὶ ναοὺς ναοῖς δεῖ παραβαλεῖν, ἵνα παραστή σωμεν τοῖς ἀποδεχομένοις τὰ Κέλσου ὅτι νεὼς μὲν ἱδρύεσθαι τοὺς πρέποντας τοῖς εἰρημένοις ἀγάλμασι καὶ βωμοῖς οὐ φεύγομεν, ἐκτρεπόμεθα δὲ τῷ πάσης ζωῆς χορηγῷ ἀψύχους καὶ νεκροὺς οἰκοδομεῖν νεώς· ἀκουέτω ὁ βουλόμενος, τίνα τρόπον διδασκόμεθα ὅτι τὰ σώματα ἡμῶν "ναὸς τοῦ θεοῦ" ἐστι, καὶ "εἴ τις" διὰ τῆς ἀκολασίας ἢ τῆς ἁμαρτίας "φθείρει" "τὸν ναὸν τοῦ θεοῦ", οὗτος ὡς ἀληθῶς ἀσεβὴς εἰς τὸν ἀληθῆ ναὸν φθαρήσεται. Πάντων δὲ τῶν οὕτως ὀνομαζομένων ναῶν κρείττων ἦν καὶ διαφέρων νεὼς τὸ ἱερὸν καὶ καθαρὸν σῶμα τοῦ σωτῆρος ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ, ὅστις ἐπιστάμενος ἐπιβουλεύεσθαι μὲν δύνασθαι ὑπὸ τῶν ἀσεβῶν τὸν ναὸν τοῦ ἐν αὐτῷ θεοῦ, οὐ μὴν ὥστε ἰσχυροτέραν εἶναι τὴν τῶν ἐπιβουλευόντων προαίρεσιν τῆς τὸν νεὼν οἰκοδο μούσης θειότητος, φησὶ πρὸς ἐκείνους· "Λύσατε τὸν ναὸν τοῦτον, κἀγὼ ἐν τρισὶν ἡμέραις ἐγερῶ αὐτόν." Τοῦτο δὲ "ἔλεγε περὶ τοῦ ναοῦ τοῦ σώματος αὐτοῦ". Καὶ ἄλλως δὲ οἱ θεῖοι λόγοι τὰ περὶ ἀναστάσεως μυστικῶς διδάσκοντες τοὺς δυναμένους ἀκούειν θειοτέρᾳ ἀκοῇ λόγων θεοῦ, ἀνοικοδομηθήσεσθαί [φασι] λίθοις ζῶσι καὶ τιμιω τάτοις· αἰνιττόμενοι ὅτι ἕκαστος τῶν συμπνεόντων διὰ τοῦ αὐτοῦ λόγου εἰς τὴν κατ' αὐτὸν εὐσέβειαν λίθος ἐστὶ τίμιος τοῦ παντὸς ναοῦ τοῦ θεοῦ. Καθὸ ὑπὸ μὲν τοῦ Πέτρου λέγεται· "Ὑμεῖς δὲ οἰκοδομεῖσθε λίθοι ζῶντες καὶ οἶκος πνευματικὸς εἰς ἱεράτευμα ἅγιον, ἀνενέγκαι πνευματικὰς θυσίας εὐπροσ δέκτους θεῷ διὰ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ", ὑπὸ δὲ τοῦ Παύλου τό· "Οἰκοδομηθέντες ἐπὶ τῷ θεμελίῳ τῶν ἀποστόλων καὶ προφητῶν, ὄντος ἀκρογωνιαίου λίθου αὐτοῦ Χριστοῦ Ἰησοῦ τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν." Τοιοῦτον δέ τινα μυστικὸν ἔχει νοῦν καὶ ἡ ἐν τῷ Ἡσαΐᾳ λέξις, οὕτως ἔχουσα καὶ λεγομένη ὡς πρὸς τὴν Ἱερουσαλήμ· "Ἰδοὺ ἑτοιμάζω σοι ἄνθρακα τὸν λίθον σου καὶ τὰ θεμέλιά σου σάπφειρον, καὶ θήσω τὰς ἐπάλξεις σου ἴασπιν καὶ τὰς πύλας σου λίθους κρυστάλλου καὶ τὸν περίβολόν σου λίθους ἐκλεκτούς, καὶ πάντας τοὺς υἱούς σου διδακτοὺς θεοῦ· καὶ ἐν πολλῇ εἰρήνῃ τὰ τέκνα σου, καὶ ἐν δικαιοσύνῃ οἰκοδομηθήσῃ."