If they do otherwise, they are “worldly” and are called upon to desist. 1 CorinthiansChapter 3. doesn’t mean jewels, but fine stone materials like marble and granite. a. . For all things are yours: To say I am of Paul or I am of Apollos is to have a view that is too narrow, too constricted. And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual, These people are part of the family of God (he calls them, ), and that is the problem. The injunction of God is not that men shall go and "convert" all nations, but that they shall "preach the gospel to the whole creation.". i. i. You are free to opt out any time or opt in for other cookies to get a better experience. The destroyers here ( 1 Corinthians 3:16 1 Corinthians 3:17), are distinct from the unwise or unskilful builders ( 1 Corinthians 3:12 1 Corinthians 3:15); the latter held fast the "foundation" ( 1 Corinthians 3:11), and, therefore, though they lose their work of superstructure and the special reward, yet they are themselves saved; the destroyers, on the contrary, assailed with false … These Christians, to some extent, are, Could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal, Paul speaks about three categories of men. You are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you: What makes the church a temple? I Corinthians 13:1-3 “If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. When a farmer plants a seed, and waters it, he really does not. d. You are God’s field, you are God’s building: The work Paul did with God was to work “on” God’s people. 1 Paul, a called b by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus, and our brother Sosthenes,. "[37], To report dead links, typos, or html errors or suggestions about making these resources more useful use the convenient. If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. The Need for a Common Vision (1 Corinthians 1:10–17) Status in Church and at Work: Friends in Low Places (1 Corinthians 1:18–31) It Takes All Sorts (1 Corinthians 3:1–9) Do Good Work (1 Corinthians 3:10–17) Christian Leadership as Service (1 Corinthians 4:1–4) Working With Nonbelievers (1 Corinthians 5:9–10) They were his “field” (using the picture of a farmer planting and watering), and they were his “building” (using the picture of a builder). Let him become a fool that he may become wise, ? 3 - 1 Corinthiens 3 ; 4 3.1 - 1 Corinthiens 3:18-20. Commentaries for 1 Corinthians Chapter 3 The Corinthians reproved for their contentions. Mixing the wisdom of men with the wisdom of God in the work of building the church is like using alternate layers of straw and marble in building. For you are still carnal. 1 Corinthians 3:3. We might think Paul would be more kind to his own “fan club.” Instead of letting their praise stroke his flesh, Paul denounced even his own partisans. b. For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal. I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase. His notorious debaucheries were the scandal of forty generations. Biblical Commentary (Bible study) 1 Corinthians 1:1-9 EXEGESIS: THE CONTEXT: Acts 18:1-17 recounts Paul's visit to Corinth on his Second Missionary Journey and his work with the Jewish community there. How we need to hear. If any man thinketh that he is wise among you in this world, let him become a fool, that he may become wise. i. c. All are yours: This is Christian liberty. Commentary Introduction and General Overivew . And I, brethren: These people are part of the family of God (he calls them brethren), and that is the problem. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. Indeed, you are still not ready. This through 1 Corinthians 3:23 gives the highlights of what Paul had written up to this point. "[26], Of all the beautiful metaphors of God's church such as the bride of Christ, the vineyard of the Lord, the household of God, the pillar and ground of the truth, the spiritual body of Christ, and the flock of Christ, none is more beautiful or intriguing than "The Temple of God.". En contraste avec la description merveilleuse qu’il a faite d’un chrétien, l’apôtre apprécie maintenant en détail l’état de ceux auxquels il écrit. Commentary Introduction and General Overivew . 1 Corinthians Greeting. They believed they were ready for the “deeper things,” but were not living any deeper in the basic things he already preached to them. The fact that people do not fully understand this passage is implicit in the truth that some have built up the theory of purgatory, based partly on what is stated here. Following up on the humility that should pertain to all mortal servants of God, Paul climaxed his argument with an analogy in which he and Apollos were represented merely as laborers working on a farm belonging to another. Some were for setting up Paul, others Apollos, as their sole teachers, 4. The Need for a Common Vision (1 Corinthians 1:10–17) Status in Church and at Work: Friends in Low Places (1 Corinthians 1:18–31) It Takes All Sorts (1 Corinthians 3:1–9) Do Good Work (1 Corinthians 3:10–17) Christian Leadership as Service (1 Corinthians 4:1–4) Working With Nonbelievers (1 Corinthians 5:9–10) The departure of Israel from God's word in 2 Samuel 7 is exactly parallel to their departure from God's word in 1 Samuel 8. is “ours”; it is our servant, not our master! Butit was important for him to state his authority to the Christians at Corinth… Both Paul and Apollos belong to you; the whole universe is yours in Christ. So one can’t build on any other foundation; but one can build unworthily on the one foundation. [30] William Barclay, The Letters to the Corinthians (Philadelphia: The Westminster Press, 1954), p. 39. “The faithful, laborious minister or missionary who labours in obscurity and without apparent fruit, will meet a reward far beyond that of those who, with less self-denial and effort, are made the instruments of great results.” (Hodge), iii. This precious doxology reminds one of the famous passage in Romans 5:31-37; but this has a positive implication not in evidence there. There is no reference to baptism in "watered.". For it is written, “He catches the wise in their own craftiness”; and again, “The LORD knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile.”. This verse is thus a refutation of the false teachers. We who are now "a spectacle to angels" shall then "judge angels." [1] J. W. McGarvey, Commentary on First Corinthians (Cincinnati: Standard Publishing Company, 1916), p. 62. They were so “filled” with this junk food that they were, i. 2. But let each one take heed how he builds on it. The “building” is what God builds in His people with the help of His. You cannot live like that any longer. See 1 Corinthians 3:8-9 (printed below) Now the one who plants and the one who waters have one purpose; and each will be rewarded according to his own labor. This shows that chapters 1-3 are a sustained argument about human wisdom and Christian leadership. The Need for a Common Vision (1 Corinthians 1:10–17) Status in Church and at Work: Friends in Low Places (1 Corinthians 1:18–31) It Takes All Sorts (1 Corinthians 3:1–9) Do Good Work (1 Corinthians 3:10–17) Christian Leadership as Service (1 Corinthians 4:1–4) Working With Nonbelievers (1 Corinthians 5:9–10) This through 1 Corinthians 3:23 gives the highlights of what Paul had written up to this point. With milk and not with solid food: The difference between milk and solid food is one of degrees, not kind. Precious stones doesn’t mean jewels, but fine stone materials like marble and granite. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I … b. The SPIRITUAL were those who, after conversion, had continued to grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord, no longer continuing as "babes in Christ." Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers through whom you believed, as the Lord gave to each one? By proceeding, you consent to our cookie usage. I fed you with milk and not with solid food; for until now you were not able to receive it, and even now you are still not able. (21-23) Glorify God by seeing His servants in the right perspective. We cannot work without Him, and He will not work without us (generally speaking). 1 Corinthians 1:1-3 c. Spiritual… carnal: Paul speaks about three categories of men. 2 To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those c sanctified in Christ Jesus, d called to be saints together with all those who in every place e call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours:. In 1 Corinthians, Paul first gives thanks for the grace of God which … Continue reading "Commentary on 1 Corinthians 1:3 … How did David react to the prophet's forbidding him in God's name to build a temple, and promising that "the Son of David" would build God's temple (a prophecy of the church)? The audience of the book of First Corinthians was the believers at the church in Corinth, whom Paul had come to know during his time when he stayed there in the house of Aquila and Priscilla (Acts 18:1-3). For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men? Here, Paul describes Christians as either spiritual or fleshly. shows that some will be saved, but barely saved, and saved with everything gone. 3 Brothers and sisters, I could not address you as people who live by the Spirit but as people who are still worldly —mere infants in Christ. The Corinthians named themselves after men; and those who do that love the wisdom of the world."[34]. Paul emphasises that he is an *apostlebecause of God’s plan. Let him become a fool that he may become wise: What is one to do if they are wise in this age? 1. natural man, 2:1. a. a. Click to enable/disable essential site cookies. 3 You are still worldly. Click to enable/disable _gat_* - Google Analytics Cookie. is in the imperfect tense, marking the continued work of God. Adam Clarke gave an example of God's doing just that type of thing when: Of course, history affords countless examples of the same thing. a. Each one will receive his own reward: All work together, but each is rewarded individually. Click to enable/disable _ga - Google Analytics Cookie. The apostle was a wise master-builder; but the grace of God made him such. In the analogy, the Corinthian congregation was the vineyard, or field, where Apollos and Paul had been fellow-workers. 1. He knew that his status as a worker in God’s field, or on God’s building, was based on God’s undeserved favor, not on his own deserving or merit. c. You were not able to receive it: It wasn’t that God prevented them from receiving the solid food Paul gave. And each as the Lord gave to him ... Any benefit that had come to the Christians at Corinth originated not with the instruments through whom it was conveyed, but with the Lord of glory. Christians have a higher call than living like the rest of humanity. e. If anyone’s work: The fire does not purify the worker, it tests their workmanship. 1 Corinthians 3:9-10. This chapter falls logically into two divisions having reference to fellow-laborers in God's field (1 Corinthians 3:1-9a), and to fellow-workers in God's building (1 Corinthians 3:9b-17), with a short summary and recapitulation of the apostle's argument in the epistle to this point (1 Corinthians 3:18-23). Straw may be fine, it may have a place (in the barn), but it is an inadequate building material. Again from Macknight: This writer is grieved to know that even now there are some, who were once baptized into Christ and served as elders of God's church, whose children are paying to get them prayed out of purgatory! Remaining worldly is not one of the options.” (Fee). ii. For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Some say it is a contradiction in terms; that Paul really says that these carnal ones are not Christians at all. : The Corinthian Christians thought of themselves as spiritual, but their divisions show that they are in fact fleshly. Because of the carnal, divided state of the people at Corinth, the apostle was obliged to treat them as children in the knowledge of sacred things, 1 Corinthians 3:1-3. If you refuse cookies we will remove all set cookies in our domain. [4] T. Teignmouth Shore, Ellicott's Commentary on the Holy Bible (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1959), p. 295. According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. II. We value the gifts and honors of men more than the gifts and honors God gives. i. Paul asks them to renounce all worldly wisdom, all humanism (man-centered philosophy), even if it means being called a fool. As Grosheide said, "Paul is here recapitulating all he has said before. "This is still worthy of emphasis in a day when so many build their `Christianity' without Christ, on a foundation of good works, humanism or science. Only God… gives the increase. For other foundation can no man lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. (2) How Paul treated carnal believers. If they are wise according to a human measure of wisdom? If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. We provide you with a list of stored cookies on your computer in our domain so you can check what we stored. The real problem was the Corinthian attraction to spiritual “junk food,” based on man’s wisdom and eloquence. “Spiritual people are to walk in the Spirit. There are many different types of services and workings. Purgatory is strictly a human invention, and denies the finished work of Jesus for the believer. The Spirit of God dwells in you. iii. This passage begins by seeming to say that God sends only the ministry to labor in His behalf. While Christ was on earth, the true temple was "his body" (John 2:21); and after Pentecost, the true temple has been nothing other than the spiritual body of Christ. The true temple of God, therefore, has never been anything else except the church of Jesus Christ our Lord. Visit our library of inductive Bible studies for more in depth inductive studies on this and other books of the Bible you can use in your small group. You always can block or delete cookies by changing your browser settings and force blocking all cookies on this website. It is a sobering thought: many, many people who believe they are serving God, but are doing it in an unworthy manner or with unworthy “materials” will come to find in eternity that they have, in reality, done nothing for the Lord. Paul’s regular opening thanksgivings serve at least two purposes: here he signals the concerns he has for his addressees and seeks to influence their behavior and self-understanding. As Grosheide said: The words ANOTHER and EACH MAN are too indefinite to apply to Apollos, having rather an application to all who labor in God's building. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are. A Christian is in fact a member of no sect or party, because he has entered "into the possession of a fellowship and love which are as wide as the universe."[35]. ii. Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? God permitted both. Therefore, this verse makes it crystal clear what Paul condemned in 1 Corinthians 1:12. a. Paul says that the Corinthians were sarkikos. Commentary for 1 Corinthians 3 . Every doctrine that can be taught in seminary can be taught to children, though not in the same words. These cookies are strictly necessary to provide you with services available through our website and to use some of its features. They were his “field” (using the picture of a farmer planting and watering), and they were his “building” (using the picture of a builder). This news came from people who were living in Chloe’s house (1 Corinthians 1:11), and from Stephanas, Fortunatus and Achaicus (1 Corinthians 16:17). For all things are yours; whether Paul, Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours. Death may be to us as the angel who touched Peter in Acts 12, causing his chains to fall off, and leading him through a gate that opens by itself, into real freedom. 1 Corinthians 3:13 "Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is." Do you not know that you are the temple of God and. Know ye not that ye are a temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? Some were for setting up Paul, others Apollos, as their sole teachers, 1 Corinthians 3:4. Although Paul was the grandest apostle of the New Covenant, he nevertheless refers to himself here with a title which, as variously translated in the New Testament, means "servant," "minister," or "deacon." i. 1 Corinthians 3:13 "Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is." The conduct of the Corinthians was such that the Spirit of God would be grieved and denied of any place in their hearts, thus destroying God's true temple; and just as any defilement of the ancient tabernacle had been punishable by death, there would be fearful retribution against all who defile the church. "Paul always spoke of Apollos with the highest esteem and affection."[9]. The teaching is not merely that "Human thought is fruitless in the sense of not producing anything of spiritual value that redeems man from sin,"[33] but that it is likewise ineffectual in devising any worthwhile solutions of the secular, political, economic and social problems which plague the entire world. are in the ancient Greek aorist tense, marking definite acts in the past. Therefore, Paul's designation of the body of Christ in this passage as the temple of God is of the utmost significance. Chapitre 3. Christians have a higher call than living like the rest of humanity. This was a letter written by the … Please be aware that this might heavily reduce the functionality and appearance of our site. We fully respect if you want to refuse cookies but to avoid asking you again and again kindly allow us to store a cookie for that. The CARNAL were those who were continuing to live like the unconverted, full of envy, jealousy and strife. There are not two gospels, one for the learned and one for the unlearned; there is no part of the gospel that we are authorized to keep back from the people. We can date this visit fairly precisely, because of the reference in Acts 18:12 to the Roman proconsul Gallio, who i. It was evidence of carnality, of a fleshly way of thinking and living. There is the natural man (1 Corinthians 2:14), who is patterned after Adam and rejects the things of the Spirit; there is the spiritual man (1 Corinthians 2:15), who knows the things of God; and there is the carnal man who knows the things of God, yet in some significant ways is still characterized by the flesh. This is possible by comparing the larger context of 1:12 through 3:4-5. This quotation is from Psalms 94:11. God’s temple – His church – is holy, and it matters to God how we treat His holy temple. Verses 4-6The Spirit has given us all different kinds of gifts. We all know that we serv… Cela ne veut pas dire qu’ils ne fussent pas des enfants de Dieu. The milk is the first principles (Hebrews 6:1,2); meat is more advanced learning. For all things are yours: whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas, or the world or life or death, or things present or things to come—all are yours. c. If anyone defiles the temple of God: If you defile the church, God will destroy you. 1 Corinthians 3:6-17. 3. judge angels—namely, bad angels. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1950), p. 94. If one is not willing to be considered a fool by those who value only human wisdom, they will never be able to truly become wise. c. The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise: God has evaluated the wisdom of this world, and He considers it foolishness, craftiness, and futile. That was one of their problems, their love of worldly wisdom. We do the same thing in ministering Jesus to other people. Paul even had his office as apostle because it was given to him. Why, even death is “ours”; it is our servant, not our master! Had they been spiritual, they would have looked to Christ and would not have been partisans of men. : In combating the Corinthian desire to divide among leaders, Paul reminds them they are all on the same team. He accommodated to the hardness of the people's heart; but that extravagant earthly temple of the Jews was only a second outcropping of the fleshly desire of Israel to be like the nations around them, which had their richly ornamented temples erected to pagan deities. Wherefore, let no one glory in men. [5] F. W. Grosheide, The New International Commentary (Grand Rapids: Wm. Verses 1-3Now friends I want you to know about spiritual gifts, I do not want you to be left in the dark anymore. ii. Some “spiritual junk food Christians” are greatly blessed when they get a spiritual meal of. (5-9) He is the only foundation, and every one should take heed what he builds thereon. 1 Corinthians 3:1-15 New International Version (NIV) The Church and Its Leaders. , because their spiritual “taste buds” are so conditioned to junk food, that is all they have a taste for. We use cookies to let us know when you visit our websites, how you interact with us, to enrich your user experience, and to customize your relationship with our website. ou are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For when one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not men? 1. Acts 18 gives us In it alone, not in some man-made shrine, men are called to worship and serve the Lord of glory. Mixing the wisdom of men with the wisdom of God in the work of building the church is like using alternate layers of straw and marble in building. 142-144). 1 Corinthiens 3:1-15 Paul condamne la jalousie, les querelles et l'esprit de parti chez les Corinthiens 3 Pour moi, frères, je n'ai pas pu vous parler comme à des [hommes] spirituels, mais comme à des [hommes] charnels 1 , comme à de petits enfants en Christ. All the farmer can do is provide the right environment for growth, and trust in the miracle of life. So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase. Read Introduction to 1 Corinthians . "This is a simple way of urging a man to be humble enough to learn."[30]. . C. Note the three groups. 2 To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those c sanctified in Christ Jesus, d called to be saints together with all those who in every place e call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours:. 3 d Grace to you and peace from God our Father … Useful Bible Studies > 1 Corinthians Commentary > chapter 3. For it is written, “He catches the wise in their, : Paul is being a little sarcastic here. (18-20) Glorify Him by pursuing real wisdom. Deux choses caractérisaient les Corinthiens: Premièrement, ils étaient charnels. 1 Corinthians 12:1-31 (New International Version) Spiritual Gifts. 2 Corinthians 5 Resources. 1 And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. Charles Hodge was a professor at Princeton Seminary in the nineteenth century and a stalwart Reformed theologian. The above reflections are not denied by the fact of God's using the temple after the Jews constructed it against his will; he did the same thing with the secular kingdom. Eliphaz was wrong in his application of these words to Job, but the words themselves are true. cit., p. 297. This is the sum and substance of the gospel. Practically all of the next eight verses have reference to the church as the temple of God. ii. The physical temple was the picture; God’s dwelling in us is the reality. Moreover, the temple proved to be as big a stumbling block to the Jews as the secular kingdom was. 1. Yet he knew that others would come after him and build on the foundation he set. EasyEnglish is a system of simple English designed by Wycliffe Associates (UK).