The term "Tabernacle of the Body" is a metaphorical expression that draws from biblical imagery to describe the human body as a temporary dwelling place for the soul or spirit. This concept is rooted in the broader biblical understanding of the body as a vessel for the divine presence and a temporary abode during one's earthly life.

Biblical Foundations

The imagery of the tabernacle originates from the Old Testament, where the Tabernacle was a portable sanctuary used by the Israelites during their wanderings in the wilderness. It was a sacred space where God's presence dwelled among His people (Exodus 25:8-9). The Apostle Paul extends this imagery to the human body in the New Testament, emphasizing its temporary nature and spiritual significance.

In 2 Corinthians 5:1, Paul writes, "Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is dismantled, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands." Here, the "earthly tent" refers to the physical body, which is temporary and subject to decay, contrasting with the eternal dwelling promised to believers.

Theological Significance

The concept of the body as a tabernacle underscores the transient nature of human life and the hope of eternal life. It reflects the belief that while the physical body is important, it is not the ultimate reality. Instead, Christians are encouraged to focus on the spiritual and eternal aspects of their existence.

Paul further elaborates on this in 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, where he states, "Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore glorify God with your body." This passage highlights the sanctity of the body as a dwelling place for the Holy Spirit, calling believers to honor God through their physical existence.

Practical Implications

Understanding the body as a tabernacle has practical implications for Christian living. It calls for a respectful and holy treatment of the body, recognizing it as a vessel for God's presence. This perspective encourages believers to live in a manner that reflects their spiritual identity and eternal destiny.

Moreover, the metaphor of the tabernacle invites Christians to view their earthly life as a pilgrimage, with the body serving as a temporary shelter on the journey toward their heavenly home. This understanding fosters a sense of detachment from worldly concerns and a focus on spiritual growth and preparation for eternity.

Conclusion

The "Tabernacle of the Body" is a rich biblical metaphor that encapsulates the Christian understanding of the human body as a temporary, sacred dwelling for the soul. It emphasizes the transient nature of earthly life and the hope of eternal communion with God, encouraging believers to live in a way that honors their spiritual calling.2 Corinthians 5:1
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.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

2 Peter 1:13
Yes, I think it meet, as long as I am in this tabernacle, to stir you up by putting you in remembrance;
Torrey's Topical Textbook

4636. skenos -- a tent, fig. for the body
... of Speech: Noun, Neuter Transliteration: skenos Phonetic Spelling: (skay'-nos) Short
Definition: a tent Definition: a tent, tabernacle; fig: of the human body. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/4636.htm - 6k

4638. skenoma -- a tent
... From skenoo; an encampment, ie (figuratively) the Temple (as God's residence), the
body (as a tenement for the soul) -- tabernacle. see GREEK skenoo. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/4638.htm - 7k

The First Sermon in the Tabernacle
... The First Sermon in the Tabernacle. ... what he believed, he would have replied, "I believe
Christ." If you had requested him to show you his Body of Divinity, he ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 7 1861/the first sermon in the.htm

I Shall Explain to You Also How it is that the Soul is Transfused ...
... If, again, one is wealthy in this world, it is necessary that, on quitting the
tabernacle of his body, he should be made to pass into the body of a beggar, so ...
/.../the acts of the disputation with the heresiarch manes/9 i shall explain to.htm

Book ix. On Jerusalem and Her Enemies
... The tabernacle is the body of the Lord or the church; in the psalm: his tent
{tabernacle} is pitched in the sun. [Ps.18(19):6(4) Vulgate]. ...
/.../eucherius/the formulae of st eucherius of lyons/book ix on jerusalem and.htm

God, Then, Gives to Each Thing Its Own Body as He Pleases...
... For, in virtue of the whole nature of the body being corruptible, the corruptible
tabernacle must put on incorruption; and its other part, being mortal, and ...
/.../origen/origen against celsus/chapter xix god then gives.htm

Twenty-Third Day. Holiness and the Body.
... The tabernacle with its wood, the temple with its stone, were as holy as all included
within their walls: God's holy ones need the body to be holy. ...
/.../murray/holy in christ/twenty-third day holiness and the.htm

The Apocalypse of Sedrach.
... The only begotten Son saith to Sedrach: Give me the trust which our Father deposited
in the womb of thy mother in the holy tabernacle of thy body from a child. ...
/.../unknown/the apocalypse of sedrach/the apocalypse of sedrach.htm

A Synopsis of Some Apostolic Words from the Same Discourse.
... house of this tabernacle were dissolved," [2931] and so forth, to disprove the
resurrection of the body, saying that the "tabernacle" is the body, and the ...
/.../methodius/from the discourse on the resurrection/ii a synopsis of some.htm

The Eternal Home in Heaven Beautiful Exposition by Tertullian of ...
... of death and the dread of this very dissolution, as is even more manifest from what
follows, when he adds, that "in this tabernacle of our earthly body we do ...
/.../tertullian/the five books against marcion/chapter xii the eternal home in.htm

"And if Christ be in You, the Body is Dead Because of Sin: but the ...
... to have the body splitted, that himself, that is his soul, may escape, for truly
a man's soul is himself, the body is but an earthly tabernacle that must be ...
/.../binning/the works of the rev hugh binning/sermon xxviii and if christ.htm

The Mystic Meaning of the Tabernacle and Its Furniture.
... Chapter VI."The Mystic Meaning of the Tabernacle and Its Furniture ... And thus are
signified certain seats of churches conspiring so as to form one body and one ...
/.../clement/the stromata or miscellanies/chapter vi the mystic meaning of.htm

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