Read 1 Corinthians 3

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Corinthians+13


1–4 The problem for the Corinthians was not doctrine but lack of spirituality. The people only thought they were spiritual. Paul was not able (3:1) to talk to them as mature believers because they were not able (3:2) to relate to such a mature address. The approach of ministry had to be as infants, not as to mature Christians. Their inability was related to their worldly or fleshly nature. They had been fleshly to begin with, and they were “still” in that state (3:3). They had not grown since they had come to Christ.
Paul continued his analogy of “infants” versus “mature” Christians with the illustration of feeding with “milk” or “solid food” (3:2–4). Paul sought to respond appropriately (3:1, “as” two times) to the needs of the Corinthians. He did not want to teach them truths they could not handle or understand. He had already spoken of the “secret” (2:7) to them and of the “lofty words and brilliant ideas” of God’s message (2:1). Paul had not held back deep spiritual truths from the Corinthians. But he had limited his manner of speaking to them for their good. He gave them only milk.

5–9 God’s view of servants (3:5) was that they were vehicles “through” whom God worked. Their work was limited to Christ’s gifts through the Holy Spirit within them. Any success they had was a gift from God. While Paul planted the church at Corinth, Apollos came to Corinth after Paul’s visit and helped the ministry to grow (3:6; cf. Acts 18:27–19:1). But God, not the workers, caused the growth.The unity of the workers was a result of their “ purpose” (3:8) and the fact that they all belonged to God.

10–17 In this section, the builders were being warned about the quality of their work. The foundation of the church is a Person, not a doctrine (3:11). True building of the church involves a person’s participation in the very life of Christ. This cuts against the “I am of Paul” mentality. For the final evaluation (3:12–15), see Amos 4:11 and Zechariah 3:2 regarding being saved through fire.
Paul shifted from God’s building (the church) to his dwelling (the individual Christian) (3:16–17). Paul reminded the Corinthians that their work would be evaluated at the judgment seat of Christ (2 Cor. 5:10; Rom. 14:10). Paul did not explain the nature of the reward (1 Cor. 3:14) but elsewhere referred to “crowns” as representative of the believers’ reward (1 Thess. 2:19; 2 Tim. 4:8; cf. also James 1:12; 1 Pet. 5:4).

18–23 The people of Corinth had deceived themselves concerning the nature of the building (the church) and its builders (the church leaders). In 3:19–20 Paul quoted from Job 5:13 and Psalm 94:11 as a warning to those who thought themselves to be wise. This was the high point of Paul’s discussion of the problem of division in the church. He ended the discussion with the focus on God, not God’s servants. If they had had the choice, the “proud” in Corinth would probably have ignored 1 Corinthians 3:23 because for them to belong to Christ would put them under his authority, and they wanted to be under no one’s authority. To add “and Christ is of God” was to put the Corinthians even one more level down from the top of the authority chain. They would want to stop with the statement “All things are yours” (3:21). They would have agreed with 3:21 but would not have seen its fuller implications until this point in the letter. All things were theirs but only in the context of taking their place of submission under Christ and under God. Some of the Corinthians mistakenly conceived all things as being theirs in a selfish sense—an attitude that Paul, as you will see next posting, sarcastically criticizes in 1 Corinthians 4:8. To claim to have great spiritual riches as a Christian also includes the obligation to take a humble and submissive place under Christ and God.


Discussion question

Why do you feel Paul called the Corinthians unspiritual, when in chapter one he said they did not lack any spiritual gift?

Reflection question

How solid is your foundation? Are you an infant or a mature Christian? Will it survive the fire? How can you improve on your foundation? How would you say your influence with others toward God is?