Cleansing of the Temple

Text and Content

The account appears in Matthew 21:12-17, Mark 11:15-19, Luke 19:45-48, and John 2:13-22. In the Temple in Jerusalem, Jesus overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves, and drove out those who bought and sold.

The Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke) place this event immediately after the Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem. Jesus quotes "Mine house shall be called an house of prayer" (Isaiah 56:7) and "a den of thieves" (Jeremiah 7:11). Mark inserts the event between the two parts of the account of the cursing of the fig tree and records that afterward the chief priests and scribes sought how they might destroy Jesus (Mark 11:18). In Matthew, the account continues with Jesus healing the blind and the lame in the Temple and children crying out "Hosanna."

The Gospel of John places this event at a Passover early in Jesus' public ministry. In John, Jesus makes a scourge of small cords, drives out the sheep and oxen, and says, "Make not my Father's house an house of merchandise." His disciples remember the words of Psalm 69:9, "The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up." Jesus then says, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up," and John explains that He spoke of the temple of His body (John 2:19-21).

Background

The Temple of that time was the one Herod had greatly expanded. Pilgrims coming from distant places had to purchase sacrificial animals at the Temple. Doves were the offering brought by the poor (Leviticus 5:7). Because the Temple tax had to be paid in a designated currency, money changing was necessary. According to a widely held view, these transactions took place in the outer court of the Temple, commonly called the "Court of the Gentiles."

Significance in the Wider Biblical Context

The Old Testament contains the prophecy that the Lord would suddenly come to His temple (Malachi 3:1) and the prophecy that in that day there would be no more the Canaanite in the house of the LORD (Zechariah 14:21). These prophecies are read in connection with this event. John's Gospel shifts the meaning of the Temple to the body of Jesus and His resurrection. Other New Testament passages also call the community of believers the temple of God (1 Corinthians 3:16-17).

Interpretations and Debates

• Once or twice?: Some interpreters hold that Jesus cleansed the Temple twice, once early and once late in His public ministry. Others hold that it was a single event that John placed earlier for theological reasons (see Synoptic Problem).
• Meaning of the action: Some interpret it as an act of reform that corrected commercialization and corruption. Others interpret it as a prophetic symbolic act foreshadowing the judgment and downfall of the Temple system.
• Use of the scourge: The text alone does not make clear whether, in John 2:15, the scourge was used against people or only to drive out the animals. Some sermons cite this passage as grounds for so-called "righteous anger," but that is a matter of interpretation.

In the Korean Church

In preaching, the passage is frequently cited to urge the preservation of pure worship and to warn against the secularization and commercialization of the church. It is also invoked in disagreements over whether it is appropriate to sell goods inside a church building or to operate a church café. Views differ, however, on whether the passage can be applied directly to present-day church facilities.