Bible Reading and Commentary:

Read: 1 Corinthians 3

Because the Corinthians are judging by means of the flesh and have entirely too high a view of themselves, they are mere infants in Christ and have been overtaken by jealousy and factionalism, which misses the heart of the gospel. We can identify with similar problems present in the church of our own day and, with Paul, warn our contemporaries of the dangers of divisions that disrupt Christian unity, promote one Christian leader above fellow ministers (and even above Christ), and defile the holy temple of God.

Let’s take a closer look at this chapter. The Corinthian believers were spiritual because they had received the Holy Spirit. However, they were acting carnally, being driven by fleshly desires, and immature, as infants. This certainly would have been a shock to them, as they perceived themselves to be mature spiritual people.

Paul justifies this claim that they are acting carnally by describing their behavior: envying, strife, and division. These things are not to characterize Christians. Christians cannot be carnal, they can only act carnally. Just like an adult cannot be a child but can certainly act childish.

Paul uses agricultural terms, planted, watered, growth, to highlight the foolishness of developing factions around ministers. Any lasting success in ministry is God’s doing. Therefore he receives the glory.

We are fellow workers with God. Paul and Apollos are co-workers in one ministry under God. Here Paul transitions from agricultural imagery to architectural imagery (building). The imagery continues the element of partnership in the first metaphor, but here Paul will add the element of how one builds in the ministry.

Paul’s role in the building of the church in Corinth was to lay the foundation. Apollos continued the work that Paul started. Paul laid the foundation and Apollos built the structure. These two works are not contrary to one another, but complementary. The only true foundation is Jesus Christ. Paul appeals to the very message he wanted the Corinthians to know, Jesus Christ and him crucified.

Paul addresses church leaders directly regarding how they build upon the foundation (although there is application for everyone who serves in the church). One can build upon the foundation, which is Christ, with perishable goods (wood, hay, stubble) or imperishable goods (gold, silver, precious stones). Every ministry will be evaluated because it will be revealed by fire. The minister who builds according to God’s Word will receive reward. Though the leader who builds unwisely by worldly standards will suffer loss. If he is a true believer his salvation will not be lost.

The church corporately is the temple of God. The Spirit dwells in the church. If any man defiles the temple of God, he will be destroyed. It is no small thing to trifle with the church of God.

Paul brings his arguments regarding the nature of church ministry back to the contrast between worldly wisdom and true wisdom. If a believer is to be truly wise, he must be willing to be a fool according to the world. Paul again cites the Old Testament (Job 5:13; Psalm 94:11) to remind them that God catches the wise in their own craftiness and views their wisdom to be vain.

In Christ, all things belong to all believers. It is folly to boast about one thing when all things belong to you. God gave the church in Corinth Paul, Apollos, and Cephas for their benefit, not for them to create divisive factions. They belong to Christ, all of them, and so envying and strife should be cast away. Since Christ is God’s, those being in Christ have access to the source of all things, God himself.

Understanding these things should give us great cause to pray for our ministers and leaders and of course each other. We are in this together and to have all things in Christ should cause us to rejoice always. Since we have all things equally as Christians, this sense of entitlement that the culture claims is just wrongheaded. Let’s praise God from whom all blessings flow!