"Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are." - 1Corinthians 3:16-17
A single Greek word is translated here as "defile" and "destroy", and while at first that may seem a little odd it is logical. According to both Strong's and Thayer's the Greek word means to corrupt as well as to destroy. Both of these reference books state that "in the opinion of the Jews, the temple was corrupted or "destroyed" when anyone defiled or in the slightest degree damaged anything in it, or if its guardians neglected their duties", and that an alternative meaning is "to lead away a Christian church from that state of knowledge and holiness in which it ought to abide". To the Jews the temple is a building of stone, initially built by Solomon on Mount Moriah, and subsequent buildings on the same site after the Babylonian invasion and destruction of Jerusalem, and the last one built by Herod for the Jews and which Jesus and the apostles frequented. The temple spoken of by Paul in these verses is not a building of stone; the word translated 'temple' is the Greek 'naos' meaning a dwelling place. The dwelling place of God spoken of here is the inner sanctum, which is the dwelling place of God and therefore all those that come to God must also be holy. Any man, or for that matter an ecclesia or fellowship, that thinks God can be approached on their own terms will be destroyed.
We see that the defilement of an ecclesia will cause Yahweh to destroy that ecclesia, for those who turn their backs on God, God in turn will distance them from Himself and His truth, thus resulting in their destruction. Compare this with Romans 1:21-32Romans 1:21-32 21 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. 22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, 23 And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things. 24 Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: 25 Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen. 26 For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: 27 And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet. 28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; 29 Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, 30 Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, 31 Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: 32 Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them. .