The temple is not merely a place, it is the church of Christ: open to everyone and dedicated to prayer. However, not everyone is aware of this. The Chief Apostle provides some insight.
In a divine service for ministers on Wednesday, 1 July 2026, in Limete, Kinshasa (Democratic Republic of the Congo), Chief Apostle Helge Mutschler explained part of Mark 11: 17: “Then He taught, saying to them, ‘Is it not written, My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations’?”
“We are the temple.”
Two thousand years ago, many Jews travelled to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover. There, they were required to pay the temple tax in the local currency and to bring an offering. As a result, there were money changers and sellers of doves in the temple who charged exorbitant prices and took advantage of the situation.
“One day after the Passover, Jesus went to the temple and saw this.” He became angry and drove out the sellers and buyers and overturned the tables of the money changers. “Attention!” warned the Chief Apostle. “Jesus did not do this to show that violence is permissible in the name of religion.” He did it to make a statement and to teach people that such behaviour was completely unacceptable in the temple.
Jesus pointed to the temple and made it clear that His house was to be a house of prayer for all nations, but these people had turned it into a den of thieves. Today, this temple no longer exists. “So, what did Jesus mean by the term ‘temple’?” asked Chief Apostle Mutschler. “We are the temple.” All of us together, the church of Christ, make up the temple. “We are to be a house of prayer.”
Neither a place for commercial activity nor a den of thieves
This makes it clear what this temple definitely is not:
Not a place of commerce: it is unacceptable to conduct business in the name of the Church or to misuse it for economic purposes. Nor is God a vending machine into which we insert a prayer like a coin and expect Him to give us whatever we want. Doing something in the house of God and asking, “What is the benefit for me?” The fear of not being loved and asking: “What must I do to be loved by God?”
Not a den of thieves: thieves hide. They shut the windows and doors and turn off the lights. They remain completely silent because they fear being punished. “We are all such thieves because we are sinners.” We often hide our dark side and do not speak about it.
Not a place of empty rituals: some pilgrims in Jerusalem were bored and went through the motions mechanically when they brought their sacrifices. The same can happen in our service to God. We might think, “Oh, now I have to do this and that. I don’t really want to, but I have to.”
A house of prayer
The Chief Apostle urged, “Let us be a house of prayer and …”
“… go to God. You can ask Him whatever you want, but in a humble way.” We do not have to perform so that God can love us, the Chief Apostle said. “God loves you.” And all that we do in church, we do not do for a benefit, but “because we love God and because we love our brothers and sisters”.
“… go to God and speak with Him about our dark sides and sins. Don’t be afraid, just believe.” God does not want to punish. He loves you and He wants to forgive you.
“… understand that our entire ministry is devoted to worshipping God with great joy.”
A temple for everyone
The whole church is to be a house of prayer. It is equally open to children, young people, the elderly, inactive members, the poor, the weak, and sinners—there are no distinctions. Every human being has the same dignity!
The church of Christ stands above ethnic differences. As ministers, we do not place ourselves above our fellow members and exploit our position to their detriment. In Christ, we live in unity amidst diversity. Every congregation is a blend of different cultures, traditions, behaviours, customs, and opinions. Yet we are bound together by God’s love and focused on Christ. The gospel is for all people of all nations—today and in the kingdom of peace.
“We are the temple of God,” the Chief Apostle concluded his sermon. “This temple is to be a house of prayer for everyone. And may the greatest prayer be heard there every single day, which is: “Come, Lord Jesus, come!”
Photo: ENA RDC Ouest
