1 Corinthians 3
1 So, brothers and sisters, I could not speak to you as spiritual people, but instead as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ.
Paul called the Corinthians "brothers and sisters", meaning that they were believers in Christ. In chapter two, Paul introduced two classes of people, believers and unbelievers. This chapter introduces two types of believers, mature believers and immature/carnal believers. Paul informed the Corinthians that he was not addressing them as mature spiritual believers, but as carnal, fleshy babes in Christ. He was addressing them not as spiritual adults, but as spiritual babies.
2 I fed you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready. In fact, you are still not ready,
When Paul was with the Corinthians, he had to feed them baby food, because they were not yet ready for the deep truths of Scripture.
3 for you are still influenced by the flesh. For since there is still jealousy and dissension among you, are you not influenced by the flesh and behaving like unregenerate people?
Paul gave a definition of the carnal Christian. They are influenced not by the deep truths of the Scripture, but by the carnalities of the flesh. They do not desire deep expository bible teaching, but they desire music concerts, skits, plays, pulpit comedians, and multi-media presentations to draw in members. It is the Word of God, not the hooks of the satanic world culture, which should draw members to a local congregation. Paul informed the Corinthians that when they desire these things, they were influenced by their carnal sin nature. They were chasing after the flesh and behaving like people who were not even saved. He also stated that this type of immaturity would cause division in the church. Paul was not giving a seeker-friendly message. This was not a message that most modern churches would want to hear today.
When a carnal Christian is accused by more mature Christians of dividing the church, his answer is usually that he is just being honest. He is not being honest. He is being immature, mean, and divisive. He is being used by Satan, but he does not have enough Bible doctrine to discern the difference.
4 For whenever someone says, “I am with Paul,” or “I am with Apollos,” are you not merely human?
Paul brought the gospel to the Corinthians. Apollos followed Paul and taught them the Word of God.
5 What is Apollos, really? Or what is Paul? Servants through whom you came to believe, and each of us in the ministry the Lord gave us.
Both Apollos and Paul were simply servants of the Lord who were sent to the Corinthians to help them grow in the Lord. They both had different ministries, but their message was not divisive.
6 I planted, Apollos watered, but God caused it to grow.
Paul planted the seed of the gospel. Apollos watered the garden of the gospel. God, not man, caused the growth.
7 So neither the one who plants counts for anything, nor the one who waters, but God who causes the growth.
God sends many servants to accomplish his work. We should not complain about the servants who God called before the foundations of the world.
8 The one who plants and the one who waters work as one, but each will receive his reward according to his work.
Those called by God will receive eternal crowns for their work.
9 We are coworkers belonging to God. You are God’s field, God’s building.
The Corinthians were all working in the same business for the same owner, who was God himself. They all worked God's field, which is the harvest of new souls. They all worked in the same building, which was the body of Christ.
10 According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master-builder I laid a foundation, but someone else builds on it. And each one must be careful how he builds.
Paul was trained in the wilderness by Jesus himself to become a skilled master-builder. Paul laid down the foundation of the gospel for the Corinthians. Paul laid this foundation, because God was nice to him and called him and allowed him to build it. Now, others were building and adding to this foundation. Everyone who builds on this foundation needs to be very careful on how he builds.
11 For no one can lay any foundation other than what is being laid, which is Jesus Christ.
The foundation of the church is Jesus Christ. When builders came to Jesus, they had no spiritual life, no tools, and no skills. Jesus took these unskilled workers and trained them to become master-builders.
12 If anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, or straw,
Believers can only use six types of building materials on the new building. They can use gold, silver and precious stones, which cannot burn. They can use wood, hay, or straw, which will burn. Kitchen fires were prevalent in Christian Rome.
13 each builder’s work will be plainly seen, for the Day will make it clear, because it will be revealed by fire. And the fire will test what kind of work each has done.
Quality, not quantity of work, will be tested by fire. Mature believers build with gold, silver, and precious stones. Carnal Christians build with valueless materials, such as wood, hay, or straw.
14 If what someone has built survives, he will receive a reward.
The mature builder will receive eternal rewards.
15 If someone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss. He himself will be saved, but only as through fire.
The carnal Christian will not lose his salvation, but he will not receive eternal rewards.
How do you recognize the carnal Christian? Mature Christians say "let's have a Bible study". Unbelievers laugh and say "Bible studies are foolish and a waste of time". Carnal Christian say "let's have a banquet instead, or let's listen to music rather than a Bible study. Let's have more music concerts, skits, plays, and comedians."
16 Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you?
The temple of the Old Testament was made up of old dirty stones and dead wood, but the Shechinah Glory did reside there. The New Testament temple is alive and made of human beings who have been chosen and washed by God. The Shechinah Glory resides in each believer as well.
17 If someone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him. For God’s temple is holy, which is what you are.
The Greek word for “destroy” is φθείρω (ptheiro), meaning to waste away, deteriorate, or decompose from a higher to a lower position. If any man contributes to the collapse of a local church (whether a believer or a professing believer), then he will be destroyed by God.
18 Guard against self-deception, each of you. If someone among you thinks he is wise in this age, let him become foolish so that he can become wise.
Paul gave a warning to ministers. Ministers are not to self-deceive themselves into thinking that they need to use the wisdom of the world in place of solid Bible doctrine. Ministers are to become foolish to the world and teach the truths from Scripture.
19 For the wisdom of this age is foolishness with God. As it is written, “He catches the wise in their craftiness.”
Paul quoted from Job 5:13. Human wisdom cannot save anyone.
20 And again, “The Lord knows that the thoughts of the wise are futile.”
Paul quoted from Psalm 94:11. Human wisdom cannot build or grow a church.
21 So then, no more boasting about mere mortals! For everything belongs to you,
The Corinthians need to quit boasting about their human pastors.
22 whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future. Everything belongs to you,
It is not important who taught them. The point is that they were being taught by men who were gifted of God.
23 and you belong to Christ, and Christ belongs to God.
The Corinthians belonged to God, not to human pastors.
