“It is in the local congregation that the credibility of the gospel becomes apparent, for that is the place where a real community of men and women, of young and old, of stranger and friend, are gathered into the reconciled fellowship of the body of Christ, hear the declaration that their sins are forgiven, and feast together at the table of the Lord” (Rae Murray).

“Getting beyond the warm and cozy Christmas of Hallmark to the real Christmas”

“I am sitting in church with my family and I am thinking that few if any of these people here know what it’s like to wake up afraid, in fear of their lives. They will wake up to food and presents and family, safe in their houses. It won’t be on their minds to think of everyone who doesn’t have the security, the privilege that so many of us ignorantly have. There are kids around the world that go to bed fearful for their lives and wake up so thankful they made it through the night; yet so incredibly frightened because they will spend the rest of the day afraid. What a privilege it is to not wake up afraid” (by my daughter, A. Hawley Anderson).

“and the snuffers, the bowls, the spoons and the firepans of pure gold; and the entrance of the house, its inner doors for the holy of holies [καὶ ἡ θύρα τοῦ οἴκου ἡ ἐσωτέρα εἰς τὰ ἅγια τῶν ἁγίων] and the doors of the house, that is, of the nave, of gold” (2 Chron 4:22).

2 Chron 5:11–14: “When the priests came forth from the holy place (for all the priests who were present had sanctified themselves, without regard to divisions), 12and all the Levitical singers, Asaph, Heman, Jeduthun, and their sons and kinsmen, clothed in fine linen, with cymbals, harps and lyres, standing east of the altar, and with them one hundred and twenty priests blowing trumpets 13in unison when the trumpeters and the singers were to make themselves heard with one voice to praise and to glorify the Lord, and when they lifted up their voice accompanied by trumpets and cymbals and instruments of music, and when they praised the Lord saying, ‘He indeed is good for His lovingkindness is everlasting,’ then the house, the house of the Lord, was filled with a cloud, 14so that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud, for the glory of the Lord filled the house of God.

2 Chron 7:1–3: “Now when Solomon had finished praying, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices, and the glory of the Lord filled the house. 2The priests could not enter into the house of the Lord because the glory of the Lord filled the Lord’s house. 3All the sons of Israel, seeing the fire come down and the glory of the Lord upon the house, bowed down on the pavement with their faces to the ground, and they worshiped and gave praise to the Lord, saying, ‘Truly He is good, truly His lovingkindness is everlasting.’

Ezek 43:1–5: “Then he led me to the gate, the gate facing toward the east; 2and behold, the glory of the God of Israel was coming from the way of the east. And His voice was like the sound of many waters; and the earth shone with His glory. 3And it was like the appearance of the vision which I saw, like the vision which I saw when He came to destroy the city. And the visions were like the vision which I saw by the river Chebar; and I fell on my face. 4And the glory of the Lord came into the house by the way of the gate facing toward the east. 5And the Spirit lifted me up and brought me into the inner court; and behold, the glory of the Lord filled the house.

​1Then he led me to the gate, the gate facing toward the east; 2and behold, the glory of the God of Israel was coming from the way of the east. And His voice was like the sound of many waters; and the earth shone with His glory. 3And it was like the appearance of the vision which I saw [Ezek 1-8], like the vision which I saw when He came to destroy the city. And the visions were like the vision which I saw by the river Chebar; and I fell on my face. 4And the glory of the Lord came into the house by the way of the gate facing toward the east. 5And the Spirit lifted me up and brought me into the inner court; and behold, the glory of the Lord filled the house (Ezekiel 43:1-5).

This is the law of the house: its entire area on the top of the mountain all around shall be most holy. Behold, this is the law of the house (Ezekiel 43:12).

Then he went inside and measured each side pillar of the doorway, two cubits, and the doorway, six cubits high; and the width of the doorway, seven cubits (Ezekiel 41:3).

 Then he brought me to the inner court by the south gate; and he measured the south gate according to those same measurements (Ezek 40:28).

The inner court (ἐσωτέρᾳ) had a gate opposite the gate on the north as well as the gate on the east; and he measured a hundred cubits from gate to gate (Ezek 40:23)

From the outside to the inner gate were chambers for the singers in the inner (ἐσωτέραν) court, one of which was at the side of the north gate, with its front toward the south, and one at the side of the south gate facing toward the north (Ezek 40:44)

On the day that he goes into the sanctuary, into the inner (ἐσωτέραν) court to minister in the sanctuary, he shall offer his sin offering,” declares the Lord God (Ezek 44:27).

Nor shall any of the priests drink wine when they enter the inner (ἐσωτέραν) court (Ezek 44:21).[6]

‘Thus says the Lord God, “The gate of the inner (ἐσωτέρᾳ) court facing east shall be shut the six working days; but it shall be opened on the sabbath day and opened on the day of the new moon (Ezekiel 46:1)

Then He brought me into the inner (ἐσωτέραν) court of the Lord’s house. And behold, at the entrance to the temple of the Lord, between the porch and the altar, were about twenty-five men with their backs to the temple of the Lord and their faces toward the east; and they were prostrating themselves eastward toward the sun (Ezek 8:16).

Now the cherubim were standing on the right side of the temple when the man entered, and the cloud filled the inner (ἐσωτέραν) court (Ezek 10:3).

He said to me, “Son of man, this is the place of My throne and the place of the soles of My feet, where I will dwell among the sons of Israel forever (Ezek 43:7; note the language of Eph 1:22–23, cf. Ps. 8)

Now let them put away their harlotry and the corpses of their kings far from Me; and I will dwell [κατασκηνώσω] among them forever (Ezek 43:9).

Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle (Exod 40:34)

Then the glory of the Lord went up from the cherub to the threshold of the temple, and the temple was filled with the cloudand the court was filled with the brightness of the glory of the Lord (Ezek 10:4).

And the Spirit lifted me up and brought me into the inner (ἐσωτέραν) court; and behold, the glory of the Lord filled the house(Ezek 43:5).

so that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud, for the glory of the Lord filled the house of the Lord (1 Kgs 8:11)

11Take silver and gold, make an ornate crown and set it on the head of Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest. 12Then say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, “Behold, a man whose name is Branch, for He will branch out from where He is; and He will build the temple of the Lord. 13Yes, it is He who will build the temple of the Lord, and He who will bear the honor and sit and rule on His throne. Thus, He will be a priest on His throne, and the counsel of peace will be between the two offices.”’ 14Now the crown will become a reminder in the temple of the Lord to Helem, Tobijah, Jedaiah and Hen the son of Zephaniah. 15Those who are far off [οἱ μακρὰν] will come and build the temple of the Lord.” Then you will know that the Lord of hosts has sent me to you. And it will take place if you completely obey the Lord your God

Then Solomon sent word to Huram the king of Tyre, saying, “As you dealt with David my father [τοῦ πατρός] and sent him cedars to build him a house to dwell in [τοῦ οἰκοδομῆσαι ἑαυτῷ οἶκον κατοικῆσαι], so do for me. Behold, I am about to build a house for the name [τῷ ὀνόματι] of the Lord my God, dedicating it to Him, to burn fragrant incense before Him and to set out the showbread continually, and to offer burnt offerings morning and evening, on sabbaths and on new moons and on the appointed feasts of the Lord our God, this being required forever in Israel (2 Chron 2:3–4).

“But will God indeed dwell [κατοικήσει] with mankind on the earth? Behold, heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain You; how much less this house which I have built. 19Yet have regard to the prayer of Your servant and to his supplication, O Lord my God, to listen to the cry and to the prayer which Your servant prays before You; 20that Your eye may be open toward this house day and night, toward the place of which You have said that You would put Your name there, to listen to the prayer which Your servant shall pray toward this place. 21Listen to the supplications of Your servant and of Your people Israel when they pray toward this place; hear from Your dwelling place [κατοικήσεώς], from heaven; hear and forgive (2 Chron 2:18–21)

[T]hen hear from heaven Your dwelling place [κατοικητηρίου], and forgive, and render to each according to all his ways, whose heart You know for You alone know the hearts of the sons of men, 31that they may fear You, to walk in Your ways as long as they live in the land which You have given to our fathers. 32“Also concerning the foreigner who is not from Your people Israel, when he comes from a far country for Your great name’s sake and Your mighty hand and Your outstretched arm, when they come and pray toward this house, 33then hear from heaven, from Your dwelling place[κατοικητηρίου], and do according to all for which the foreigner calls to You, in order that all the peoples of the earth may know Your name, and fear You as do Your people Israel, and that they may know that this house which I have built [ᾠκοδόμησα] is called by Your name (2 Chron 6:30–33)

[I]f they return to You with all their heart and with all their soul in the land of their captivity, where they have been taken captive,[3] and pray toward their land which You have given to their fathers and the city which You have chosen, and toward the house which I have built for Your name, 39then hear from heaven, from Your dwelling place [κατοικητηρίου], their prayer and supplications, and maintain their cause and forgive Your people who have sinned against You (2 Chron 6:38–39)

The burden is on those reading an individualistic reference to explain as to why Paul would switch his referent from corporate to the individual, sharply, with no other clues, and then back to corporate.

The link between the Ephesians 2 “one new man” and the Ephesians 3 “inner man” is strengthen by the parallel results of God’s action: indwelling of the Spirit (κατοικητήριον, 2:22) and the indwelling of Messiah (κατοικῆσαι, 3:17).
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