Monday | 10 August 2026

An elect lady

There is a relationship, but also a distinction, between the temple of the Lord and lampstand churches. The temple of the Lord is the body of Christ. The building blocks of the temple of the Lord are chosen, precious, and are living stones. In his first letter, the apostle Peter declared, ‘Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious, you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.’ 1Pe 2:4-5. We are individual members of Christ’s body.  

In addition to being the Head of His many-membered body, Jesus Christ is also the Head of every household that belongs to His lampstand churches. The building blocks of a lampstand church are worthy houses. It is the Father who places sons of God into the fellowship of the body of Christ. 1Co 12:18. However, it is Christ who builds His lampstand churches by discipling worthy houses through the messengers in His right hand. We recall that Jesus said to Peter, ‘On this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.’ Mat 16:18.

Lampstand churches, which are composed of worthy houses, are formed from the body of Christ. The apostle Peter described a fellowship of worthy houses in a local congregation that is part of a lampstand church as ‘an elect lady’. 2Jn 1:1. Referring to the congregation of worthy houses in Babylon, Peter finished his first letter by saying, ‘She who is in Babylon, elect together with you; greets you’. 1Pe 5:13. An elect lady is a local manifestation of the bride of Christ. Speaking as a messenger of Christ, the apostle Paul wrote to the congregation in Corinth, ‘I am jealous for you with godly jealousy. For I have betrothed you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.’ 2Co 11:2.