The body is described as the temple of God. The phrase 'temple of God' refers to which part of a believer?

• A. The mind
• B. The church
• C. The body
• D. The heart

Answer: (C)

The phrase temple of God points to the believer’s physical body as the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit. Scripture teaches that the Spirit of God lives in you, so your body is His temple. This is why the body is identified as the part of a believer referred to here: it directly houses God’s presence and is meant to be treated with reverence and kept holy, since it’s the place where God’s Spirit resides.

The mind and heart describe inner faculties—thoughts, desires, choices—within a person, but they aren’t the specific object the phrase identifies. The church, meanwhile, refers to the community of believers, not to an individual's body. So the best fit for the reference is the body, as the literal context of God dwelling within you centers on your physical being.

Understanding this helps you see why it matters to honor and use your body in ways that exalt God, recognizing it as the dwelling place of His Spirit.