Testimonia — Early Christian Bible Commentary

Enter a reference such as John 1:1, then press Enter.

John 2

1The third day, there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there.

2Jesus also was invited, with his disciples, to the wedding.

3When the wine ran out, Jesus’ mother said to him, “They have no wine.”

4Jesus said to her, “Woman, what does that have to do with you and me? My hour has not yet come.”

5His mother said to the servants, “Whatever he says to you, do it.”

6Now there were six water pots of stone set there after the Jews’ way of purifying, containing two or three metretes apiece.

7Jesus said to them, “Fill the water pots with water.” So they filled them up to the brim.

8He said to them, “Now draw some out, and take it to the ruler of the feast.” So they took it.

9When the ruler of the feast tasted the water now become wine, and didn’t know where it came from (but the servants who had drawn the water knew), the ruler of the feast called the bridegroom

10and said to him, “Everyone serves the good wine first, and when the guests have drunk freely, then that which is worse. You have kept the good wine until now!”

11This beginning of his signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him.

12After this, he went down to Capernaum, he, and his mother, his brothers, and his disciples; and they stayed there a few days.

13The Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.

14He found in the temple those who sold oxen, sheep, and doves, and the changers of money sitting.

15He made a whip of cords and drove all out of the temple, both the sheep and the oxen; and he poured out the changers’ money and overthrew their tables.

16To those who sold the doves, he said, “Take these things out of here! Don’t make my Father’s house a marketplace!”

17His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for your house will eat me up.”

18The Jews therefore answered him, “What sign do you show us, seeing that you do these things?”

19Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.”

20The Jews therefore said, “It took forty-six years to build this temple! Will you raise it up in three days?”

21But he spoke of the temple of his body.

22When therefore he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he said this, and they believed the Scripture and the word which Jesus had said.

23Now when he was in Jerusalem at the Passover, during the feast, many believed in his name, observing his signs which he did.

24But Jesus didn’t entrust himself to them, because he knew everyone,

25and because he didn’t need for anyone to testify concerning man; for he himself knew what was in man.

Early Christian commentary

c. 182–188 AD (historical editorial dating) | Irenaeus of Lyons

2. Whence also he says, that this handiwork is "the temple of God," thus declaring: "Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man, therefore, will defile the temple of God, him will God destroy: for the temple of God is holy, which [temple] ye are." Here he manifestly declares the body to be the temple in which the Spirit dwells. As also the Lord speaks in reference to Himself, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up. He spake this, however," it is said, "of the temple of His body." And not only does he (the apostle) acknowledge our bodies to be a temple, but even the temple of Christ, saying thus to the Corinthians, "Know ye not that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ, and make them the members of an harlot?" He speaks these things, not in reference to some other spiritual man; for a being of such a nature could have nothing to do with an harlot: but he declares "our body," that is, the flesh which continues in sanctity and purity, to be "the members of Christ;" but that when it becomes one with an harlot, it becomes the members of an harlot. And for this reason he said, "If any man defile the temple of God, him will God destroy." How then is it not the utmost blasphemy to allege, that the temple of God, in which the Spirit of the Father dwells, and the members of Christ, do not partake of salvation, but are reduced to perdition? Also, that our bodies are raised not from their own substance, but by the power of God, he says to the Corinthians, "Now the body is not for fornication, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. But God hath both raised up the Lord, and shall raise us up by His own power."

Commentary · Against Heresies, Book V, Chapter 6, Section 2 · Original source · Irenaeus of Lyons; The Writings of Irenaeus, Volume II, Ante-Nicene Christian Library IX; translated by Alexander Roberts and W. H. Rambaut; T. & T. Clark, Edinburgh, 1869. Existing transcription supplied by Wikisource contributors. · Licence · Source revision · Whitespace normalized; source pagination and footnote reference markers removed. English wording unchanged.