Answer: sGod's household is the church of the
living God, (verse 15).
MORE INFORMATION AND/OR OTHER SCRIPTURE REFERENCES:
The Greek word for "household" (NIV),
"house" (KJV) is oikos, the common term for
"house." But since "the house of God"
might be taken as referring to the church building, it is better to
use "household" (NIV), as oikos here means the
family, not the home.
God's household is His church, His family.
Whereas we think of a house as a physical building where members of
a family, or household, reside, God's household is the
members of the family of God, the church. And the members of
His family become the "building blocks" set on the
foundation of Truth, having a chief cornerstone, Christ Jesus, in
Whom the whole resulting building is joined together, becoming a
holy temple in the Lord, and in Whom the members of the household
are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by
His Spirit. God lives in each individual member of His
family, His household, and, thus, lives in the total family, the
church, both locally and universally. God's household,
His church, His family, becomes His building. The church of
the living God is alive and active from its chief cornerstone, to
its foundation, to its "construction material"
(Christians), all coming together to become a dwelling place in
which God lives by His Spirit:
1 Corinthians 3:9-13: "For we are
God's fellow workers; you are God's field, God's building. By
the grace God has given me [Paul], I laid a foundation as an expert
builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should be
careful how he builds. For no one can lay any foundation
other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. If
any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly
stones, wood, hay or straw, his work will be shown for what it is,
because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with
fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man's work.
If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. If
it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but
only as one escaping through the flames. Don't you know that
you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in
you? If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him;
for God's temple is sacred, and you are that temple."
Ephesians 2:19-22: "Consequently,
you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with
God's people and members of God's household, built on the
foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus Himself
as the chief cornerstone. In Him the whole building is joined
together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And
in Him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in
which God lives by His Spirit."
Hebrews 2:10-11: "In bringing many
sons to glory, it was fitting that God, for Whom and through Whom
everything exists, should make the Author of their salvation
perfect through suffering. Both the One Who makes men holy
and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not
ashamed to call them brothers."
Hebrews 3:1-6: "Therefore, holy
brothers, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on
Jesus, the Apostle and High Priest Whom we confess. He was
faithful to the One Who appointed Him, just as Moses was faithful
in all God's house. Jesus has been found worthy of greater
honor than Moses, just as the builder of a house has greater honor
than the house itself. For every house is built by someone, but God
is the builder of everything. Moses was faithful as a servant
in all God's house, testifying to what would be said in the
future. But Christ is faithful as a son over God's house. And
we are His house, if we hold on to our courage and the hope of
which we boast."
Hebrews 10:19-22: "Therefore,
brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by
the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through
the curtain, that is, His body, and since we have a Great Priest
over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart
in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse
us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure
water."
1 Peter 2:4-5: "As you come to Him
[Christ], the living Stone--rejected by men but chosen by God
and precious to Him--you also, like living stones, are being
built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering
spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus
Christ."
