RCCG Sunday School Teachers Manual Lesson 4: 28 September 2025

16 What? know ye not that he which is joined to an harlot is one body? for two, saith he, shall be one flesh.
17 But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit.
18 Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body.
19 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?
20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.

MEMORY VERSE:

“Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?” 1 Corinthians 3:16.

INTRODUCTION

In the Old Testament, the temple of God was a physical structure in Jerusalem, a sacred place where God’s presence dwelled. The Greek word for “temple” is ‘naos, meaning the dwelling place of God.

In the New Testament, however, the temple is no longer a building but the physical body of every believer. When we surrender our lives to Jesus Christ, our body becomes His temple, and our heart becomes His throne (1 Corinthians 3:16).

TEACHER’S DIARY

LESSON AIM:

To deepen the understanding of the church about the temple of God and how it should be reverenced.

TEACHING OBJECTIVES:

Through this lesson, students should be able to:

Understand the constituents of God’s temple
Distinguish between the temples of the Old and New Testaments.
Know how to hallow the temple of God.

TEACHING PLAN:

To achieve the above-stated objectives, the teacher should:

Allow the students to recite the memory verse, read the Bible passage, contribute to the discus-sion, and do class activities and assignments.
Allow the Assistant Teacher to see to the wellbeing of the class, and mark attendance and assignment.
Teach the lesson outline, summarise, conclude, evaluate the lesson and give assignments.

TEXT REVIEW: 1 Corinthians 6:16-20.

A. The apostle Paul established in his epistle to the Corinthian church that the believer’s body must not be contaminated with immorality (V16).

This is because;

i. He that is joined …V17.

B. Therefore, believers must flee fornication.

i. Because … V18b.

ii. But he that committeth fornication … …V18c.

C. One of the evidences that your body is God’s temple is that:

i. The Holy Ghost …V19b.

ii. Which ye have of God, and ………V19c.

D. For ye are bought with a price: therefore

i. Glorify God……..V2Ob.

ii. And in your spirit, …..V20c.

TEACHING METHOD:

The Lecture Method.

TIME MANAGEMENT:

The teacher should apply the two-lesson outline teaching time.

LESSON OUTLINE 1: THE BELIEVER’S BODY

A. The apostle Paul profoundly describes the Church as the body of Christ and a sacred temple where God dwells.

1. He calls the Church “a holy temple in the Lord,” emphasising its unity as a spiritual family and dwelling place for God’s presence (Ephesians 2:19-22).

2. As believers, we are not just part of this collective temple but are individual temples of the Holy Spirit. Paul reminds us, “Do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit?” (1Corinthians 6:19).

3. He warns that defiling God’s temple invites His judgement (1 Corinthians 3:1Z).

B. i. We become God’s temple through spiritual re-birth, as His Spirit comes to dwell within us (John 3:3-7; 2 Corinthians 6:16).

ii. This transformation makes us new creations in Christ, called to glorify God both in body and spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).

C. It is a dangerous deception to believe that God only cares about our hearts while our bodies are inconsequential:

i. Such thinking leads to practices that dishonour the temple God has made sacred

ii. Our lives: body, soul, and spirit, must reflect His holiness (1 Thessalonians 5:23), as His presen.. within us calls for reverence and obedience.

CLASS ACTIVITY 1:

What will you continue to do to keep God’s temple clean?

LESSON OUTLINE 2: REASONS BELIEVERS ARE GOD’S TEMPLE

Here are some reasons believers are God’s temple:

God’s Spirit dwells in believers thus, making their bodies a sacred dwelling place (1Corinthians 3:16).
Believers are temples of the Holy Spirit, purchased by Christ’s sacrifice (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).
God lives among His people, making them His temple and dwelling (2 Corinthians 6:16).
Like living stones, believers are built into a spiritual house where God’s Spirit resides (Ephesians 2:22).
As God’s temple, believers serve as a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ (1 Peter 2:5).
Being God’s temple calls believers to live holy lives, reflecting God’s holiness (1 Corinthians 3:17).
As God’s dwelling place, believers are transformed into His likeness, with His glory revealed through them (2 Corinthians 3:18).

These points emphasise the profound identity and responsibility of believers as God’s temple, showcasing the sacred connection between God and His people.

CLASS ACTIVITY 2:

Take a moment to appreciate God for making you His temple.

CONCLUSION: RCCG Sunday School Teachers Manual 28 September 2025

Being the temple of God is not merely a symbolic idea; it is a profound reality that demands we live in purity, honour, and submis-sion, offering ourselves as vessels for His glory.

EVALUATION:

Compare and contrast between the Old and New Testament temples.

CLOSING PRAYER:

Father, I receive the grace to present my body as a living sacrifice to You every day of my life.

ASSIGNMENT: RCCG Sunday School Teachers Manual Lesson 4

State five (5) things to keep your body healthy (2×5=10 Marks).

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RCCG Sunday School Teachers Manual Lesson 4: 28 September 2025