To Your Temple I Draw Near
To your temple I draw near
The hymn reflects Lutheran soteriology by emphasizing that Christ's blood cleanses the conscience and enables the believer to serve as a living temple of the Holy Spirit. It demonstrates the Reformed Reformation understanding of the spiritual temple replacing the physical temple, aligning with Article VII of the Augsburg Confession on the Church.
History & Background
Originally written in Danish by Thomas H. Kingo as "Til dit tempel jeg mig vender" in his 1689 hymnal collection, this text emphasizes the believer as a living temple purified by Christ's sacrifice. Gracia Grindal's English translation was published in 1978, making this significant Danish baroque hymn accessible to English-speaking Lutheran congregations.
Hymnal Appearances
- Evangelical Lutheran Worship — 406
- Lutheran Service Book — 981
- Lutheran Worship — 207
- The Lutheran Hymnal — 2
Translation
Bulletin Note
Composed by Danish pastor Thomas Kingo in 1689, this hymn captures Reformation theology: the physical temple is replaced by believers themselves as holy dwelling places of God's Spirit, cleansed eternally by Christ's blood.
Preaching Connection
This hymn embodies the Reformation insight that the law exposes our spiritual defilement while the gospel announces that Christ's blood eternally consecrates us as God's dwelling place, shifting the locus of holiness from stone to Spirit-filled believer.
Stanza Arc
The narrative or theological arc traced by this tune's stanzas: Proclamation of Christ's Church as eternally founded on the Rock (Matthew 16:18), immovable amid historical upheaval, sustained by grace rather than human institutions, demanding faithful living in confidence of salvation
Themes
The Church as God's temple Redemption through Christ's blood Sanctification and cleansing The Holy Spirit's indwelling