Immaturity and Self-deception

3:1a to b - Paul clarifies that the difficult things he had to say are said as a brother to brothers. He would not say this to mature believers, nor to unbelievers. 3:1c to 3:1b - Paul wanted to address the brothers as spiritual people, but needed to substitute. He had to address them as: people that are of the flesh, i.e. are caught up with pride, jealousy, immorality, etc. People that have not matured in Christ. They looked elsewhere for significance, therefore all the wrong boasting in people and not in the one true God Almighty revealed in Christ's tremendous work of salvation for fallen mankind. ?! If 3:5e is indented under 3:5d it could be like that: - You believed because the Lord assigned it to each of you. I and Apollos did not give you faith. ?! - but this is missing the point. Paul is talking about who he and Apollos are not how the Corinthians believed. So, God assigned Apollos and Paul to serve Him in Corinth. 3:6 - Unless the Lord builds the house, They labor in vain who build it;... (Psalms 127:1 NKJV) 3:8 - Not the type of work but the labor put into each specific work is evaluated and rewarded . 3:10-11 - The foundation of God's building, the church, is laid. There is no other approved and valid foundation than Jesus Christ Himself. Practically speaking, make sure you are on a valid foundation. The Foundation is a divine person, Jesus Christ. An overemphasis on one single teaching or practice over another will take away and cripple from being on a complete and whole foundation, which must be consistent with the whole character of Jesus Christ. 3:12-15 - Motives for how someone builds on the foundation are crucial. The Lord knows them all and is the only true judge of them. Some turn from gold to straw because of a desire for personal preference. Others stick to straw while gold is available because it may be uncomfortable and untraditional to reach for it. 3:16-17 - People are not evolved animals but created with dignity and value. Furthermore, the people that are part of God's building are indwelled by God Spirit and are very special to Him. Anybody messing with His property will get in serious trouble. 3:18-23 - Why shouldn't the Corinthians boast themselves in men i.e. Paul or Apollos? Because if they do, it means that they have deceived themselves and become fools Because all things are given to them by God's grace. God is the source of their blessing. God chose Paul and Apollos as His instruments but He Himself was the mind and hand that has done it through them. Why boast and fight over the instrument when all glory belongs to the mastermind that guides His instruments? It is foolish - stupid - to do that! This unintelligent boasting springs from being of the flesh i.e. being controlled by selfish ambitions manifested in a desire to be puffed up over others and at the cost of others. This ties it back to the beginning verses: 3:1-4.

notes

Phrase

editing

1 Corinthians 3:1-23

esv

You are driven by selfish ambition

brothers,

Distinction of 3:1b

But I, ... could not address you as spiritual people,

but as people of the flesh,

Substitution of 3:1b

as infants in Christ.

I fed you with milk,

not solid food,

Negative of 3:2a

for you were not ready for it.

Ground of 3:2a

And even now

Temporal of 3:2f

yet

you are not ... ready,

still

Temporal of 3:3b

for you are ... of the flesh.

Ground of 3:2f

For

Ground of 3:3b

while there is jealousy ... among you,

Temporal of 3:3f

and strife

Accompaniment

are you not of the flesh

Ground of 3:3g

and behaving only in a human way?

Content of 3:3c

Ground of 3:3c

when one says,

Ground of 3:4e

“I follow Paul,”

Content of 3:4b

and another, “I follow Apollos,”

are you not being merely human?

Content of 3:4a

Who Apollos and I are

What then is Apollos?

Distinction of 3:5c

What is Paul?

Servants

through whom you believed,

Agency of 3:5c

as the Lord assigned to each.

Context of 3:5c

What God did through Apollos and me

I planted,

Concessive #1

Apollos watered,

Concessive #2

but God gave the growth.

So neither he who plants

Negative #1

nor he who waters is anything,

Negative #2

but only God who gives the growth.

He who plants and he who waters are one,

and each will receive his wages

according to his labor.

Manner

For we are God’s fellow workers.

Ground

How you were formed and how any further work should be done in regard to you

You are God’s field, God’s building.

Ground #1

According to the grace of God given to me,

like a skilled master builder

Comparison

I laid a foundation,

Ground #2

and someone else is building upon it.

Let each one take care how he builds upon it.

For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid,

Ground #3

which is Jesus Christ.

Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold,

Condition

silver,

precious stones,

wood,

hay,

straw—

each one’s work will become manifest,

Ground #4

for the Day will disclose it,

Ground #1

because it will be revealed by fire,

Ground #2

and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done.

If the work ... survives,

that anyone has built

Content

on the foundation

Locative

he will receive a reward.

Advantage

If anyone’s work is burned up,

he will suffer loss,

Disadvantage

though he himself will be saved,

Concessive

but only as through fire.

Who you are

Do you not know

that you are God’s temple

and that God’s Spirit dwells

in you?

If anyone destroys God’s temple,

God will destroy him.

For God’s temple is holy,

and you are that temple.

How it is foolish to boast in anything else then God

Let no one deceive himself.

Ground #1

If anyone ... thinks that he is wise

among you

Location

in this age,

Temporal

let him become a fool

that he may become wise.

Purpose

For the wisdom of this world is folly with God.

For it is written, “He catches the wise in their craftiness,”

Ground #1

and again, “The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile.”

Ground #2

So let no one boast in men.

Ground #2

all things are yours,

Content #1

whether Paul

or Apollos

or Cephas

or the world

or life

or death

or the present

or the future— all are yours,

and you are Christ’s,

Content #2

and Christ is God’s.

Content #3

phrasing

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