«　WEEK 7　DAY 6　»

　　1 Kings 6:7 And the house, when it was being built, was built of finished stone, cut at the quarry...

　　1 Pet. 2:4-5 Coming to Him, a living stone, rejected by men but with God chosen and precious, you yourselves also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house into a holy priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

　　The stones signify Christ’s humanity in transformation, the transformed Christ (1 Kings 6:7, 36; 5:17; 2 Chron. 3:6). As God, Christ in His incarnation put on man’s flesh (John 1:14; Heb. 2:14). Having become a man in the flesh, that is, a man in the old creation, He needed to be transformed in His human part. Such a transformed Christ is now the foundation stone, the cornerstone, the living stone, the precious stone, and the topstone in God’s divine building (Isa. 28:16; 1 Cor. 3:11; Eph. 2:20; 1 Pet. 2:4; Rev. 4:3; Zech. 4:7). The stones in the temple also signify the believers in Christ who have been transformed by Christ as the stone (Matt. 16:18; John 1:42; 1 Pet. 2:5; Rev. 21:11, 14, 19-20). (1 Kings 6:7, footnote 1)

　　In addition to wood, stone was used for the building of the temple (1 Kings 5:15-18). The stones were cut in a mountain quarry in the wilderness with much effort (6:7). This signifies that the materials for the building of the church are found in the world and cut with much effort.

　　Every saved one in the church is a stone in the church. Just as the stones were in the mountains of the wilderness, we were all in the world, but one day God’s workers found us; that is, we were found by God’s work. Then God’s workers and God’s work began to deal with us and do a cutting work upon us. The spiritual stones used for the building of the church must have life inwardly and be worked upon outwardly. Hence, the New Testament speaks of living stones (1 Pet. 2:5), and the Old Testament speaks of cut stones (1 Kings 5:15, 17-18; 6:7). The stones used for the building of the church must be living inwardly and must be cut outwardly. Living implies regeneration. However, after regeneration the stones still need to allow God to cut them over a long period of time.

　　By the time the temple was built, all the stones had been prepared. The preparation work was done at the quarry. The stones were cut and shaped into certain sizes. In the actual construction, the stones were laid on top of each other to form the building. The way of building the temple indicates that those who are built into the church must pass through a considerable amount of God’s cutting work.

　　Both the wood and stones... were used as building materials for the temple... Wood denotes death and resurrection, and stones denote man’s need to be regenerated inwardly and dealt with outwardly. People in the church must not only pass through death and resurrection but must also have God’s life and be dealt with by Him. Those who have been regenerated but not dealt with have no way to be built up.

　　When we consider the condition of some brothers and sisters, we cannot deny that they are stones; however, they are freshly cut stones... They are not stable enough to be built upon, nor are they stable enough to coordinate and serve with others, to fight the battle with others, or to bear the Ark with others... They may be capable and quick-witted, but they cannot bear the testimony because they have never been dealt with. Some brothers and sisters are too round and slippery. They are like rolling stones that can slip away no matter where they are placed... There is the need for much cutting in order for them to become a certain size to match others... In this way they will be able to coordinate and be built up with others wherever they are placed. (CWWL, 1956, vol. 2, “Three Aspects of the Church, Book 1: The Meaning of the Church,” pp. 204-205)

　　Further Reading: CWWL, 1994-1997, vol. 1, “Crystallization-study of the Epistle to the Romans,” ch. 17