
I Corinthians 3
Church Talk – A Study of I and II Corinthians
Pastor Brandon Ball
04/12/2023
- Remember: Paul is writing letters back to the church in Corinth.
- His messages in Chapter 1 and Chapter 2 are:
- Divisions in the church (“I follow Paul, I follow Apollos, etc.”).
- Christ, The Wisdom, and Power of God (“Christ crucified”).
- Avoiding lofty speech or tactics of men that would water down the cross.
- Spiritual Man, Carnal Man, and Natural Man.
- In Chapter 3, Paul refers back to the Spiritual Man and Carnal Man.
- Notice he leaves out the Natural Man, this is another indicator that Paul is
writing/speaking to The Church or saved people.
1. Personal
This point may seem overstated, but self-awareness must be considered and applied individually as well as publicly.
Divisions in the Church
1 But I, brothers, could not address you as spiritual people, but as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ. 2 I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for it. And even now you are not yet ready, 3 for you are still of the flesh. For while there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not of the flesh and behaving only in a human way? 4 For when one says, “I follow Paul,” and another, “I follow Apollos,” are you not being merely human? —1 Corinthians 3:1–4 (ESV)
The specific carnal problem that Paul is dealing with is
.
Understand, however, that we don’t only have to struggle with division to find personal relevance with the text.
- The key word here is carnal (anything carnal).
- Elevating careers or business above spiritual responsibilities.
- Working extra hard doesn’t make up for a lack of a prayer life.
- This includes ministers!
Do you know “where you are” on the spiritual or carnal scale?
2.
What are you building?
10 According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building upon it. Let each one take care how he builds upon it. 11 For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw— 13 each one’s work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. 14 If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. 15 If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire. —1 Corinthians 3:10–15 (ESV)
What if we were building a new church and we paid to lay the foundation, and instead of good materials, we used the worst possible materials to build upon the foundation?
You might be offended because of how much you gave to make the new building possible.
Do you think, after giving himself (the most valuable offering every given), he’s pleased with what you’re building?
How are you stewarding the foundation that was laid?
This paragraph is written to the spiritual leaders of the Corinthian Church.
- They were building with society’s preferences in mind.
- They were conceding to cultural norms rather than the truth of Christ.
But here is what Paul promised, 12 Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw— 13 each one’s work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done.
I don’t think Paul’s point was a focus on certain materials (otherwise he wouldn’t done that), but rather a focus on ensuring what is built stands the test of judgement.
- Is there anything wrong with precious stones, probably not. Can you build an entire building out of them? Probably not.
14 If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. 15 If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire.
The picture here is a man who has built a
. It’s on fire and he barely makes it – running out of the burning building the moment it collapses.
- This is not a scripture in favor of the doctrine of purgatory.
- This scripture does indicate that the builder is saved (despite his work failing).
The heart wrenching fact is this, what truly makes up the building? People!
16 Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you? 17 If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him. For God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple.
What are you building?
- “Well, I’m not a minister”.
- What about your husband?
- What about your wife?
- What about your children?
Are you stewarding the costly foundation that Jesus paid to lay for you?
3. Radical
18 Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you thinks that he is wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise. 19 For the wisdom of this world is folly with God. For it is written, “He catches the wise in their craftiness,” 20 and again, “The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile.” 21 So let no one boast in men. For all things are yours, 22 whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future—all are yours, 23 and you are Christ’s, and Christ is God’s. —1 Corinthians 3:18–23 (ESV)
Paul quotes from Job 5:13 and Psalm 94:11.
13 He catches the wise in their own craftiness, and the schemes of the wily are brought to a quick end. —Job 5:13 (ESV)
11 the LORD—knows the thoughts of man, that they are but a breath. —Psalm 94:11 (ESV)
Paul essentially says that ANY wisdom in this world, when compared to God, is foolishness!
Additionally, in Chapter 1 Paul explicitly states that it is the
of Christ that is the “wisdom of God”. Therefore, the way to become truly wise is to become a “fool,” which is to embrace the cross not only as the object of faith but as a value system, a way of thinking and behaving.
How much stake do you put in your little sphere of “wisdom”?
Paul was saying that he, Apollos, Cephas are all just servants of the Christ.
They are gifts given to the church by God, for the collective benefit of the body.
Here’s what we need to ask ourselves, can we actually approach God with our hands open and declare, God I’m “foolish” – any gifting I have in this world is “foolishness” compared to you. But at the same time, I recognize, that what I have has come from you for the benefit of all.
Notes: