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1
Corinthians Chapter Three
1 Corinthians 3
They were not natural men; but they were carnal (not
spiritual) men, so that the apostle had to feed them with milk and not with
meat which was only fit for those that were of full age. That with which they
nourished their pride was a proof of this-their divisions into schools of
doctrine. Paul, no doubt, had planted; Apollos watered. It was well. But it was
God alone who gave the increase. Moreover the apostle had laid the foundation
of this building of God, the assembly at Corinth; others had built since-had
carried on the work of the edification of souls. Let every one take heed. There
was but one foundation; it was laid. But in connection with it, they might
teach things solid or worthless and form souls by one or the other-perhaps even
introduce souls won by such vain doctrines among the saints. The work would be
proved, sooner or later, by some day of trial. If they had wrought in the work
of God, with solid materials, the work would stand; if not, it would come to
nothing. The effect, the fruit of labour, would be destroyed-the man who had
wrought be saved, because he had built on the foundation-had true faith in
Christ. Yet the shaking, caused by the failure of all that he had thought
genuine, [1] would be apt, for himself, to shake the
consciousness of his connection with, and confidence in, the foundation. He
should be saved as through the fire. He who had wrought according to God should
receive the fruit of his labour. If any one corrupted the temple of
God-introduced that which destroyed fundamental truths, he should be destroyed
himself.
The subject then is ministerial labour, carried on by means of certain
doctrines, either good, worthless, or subversive of the truth; and the fruits
which this labour would produce. And there are three cases; the work good as
well as the workman; the work vain, but the workman saved; the corrupter of
God's temple-here the workman would be destroyed.
Finally, if any one desired to be wise in this world, let
him become unintelligent in order to be wise. God counted the wisdom of the
wise as foolishness, and would take them in their own craftiness. But in this
the saints were below their privileges. All things were theirs, since they were
the children of God. "All things are yours"-Paul, Apollos, all
things-you are Christ's, and Christ is God's.
[1] Remark
here, the very important instruction as to the assembly viewed as God's
building. In Matthew 16 we have Christ's building, and Satan's power cannot
prevail against it. This building will go on till complete at the end. Hence in
1 Peter 2 and Ephesians 2 we have no workman, and the stones come, and the
building grows. It is Christ's own work: He builds, and the building is not yet
complete. Here it is God's building; but there is a builder, and man's
responsibility comes in. There is a wise master-builder, or it may be those who
build with wood, hay, and stubble-yea, even those who corrupt. In Ephesians 2
there is also a present building, but it is the fact viewed abstractedly. Here
the responsibility is formally stated. The confusion of Christ's building (not
yet finished) and man's building, the applying the promise made to one to the
other which rests on man's responsibility and is a present building on earth,
is one grand source of Popish and Puseyite errors. Against Christ's work
nothing can prevail. Man may build with wood and hay and stubble, and his work
be destroyed, as it will.
── John Darby《Synopsis of 1 Corinthians》
1 Corinthians 3
Chapter Contents
The Corinthians reproved for their contentions. (1-4) The
true servants of Christ can do nothing without him. (5-9) He is the only
foundation, and every one should take heed what he builds thereon. (10-15) The
churches of Christ ought to be kept pure, and to be humble. (16,17) And they
should not glory in men, because ministers and all things else are theirs
through Christ. (18-23)
Commentary on 1 Corinthians 3:1-4
(Read 1 Corinthians 3:1-4)
The most simple truths of the gospel, as to man's
sinfulness and God's mercy, repentance towards God, and faith in our Lord Jesus
Christ, stated in the plainest language, suit the people better than deeper
mysteries. Men may have much doctrinal knowledge, yet be mere beginners in the
life of faith and experience. Contentions and quarrels about religion are sad
evidences of carnality. True religion makes men peaceable, not contentious. But
it is to be lamented, that many who should walk as Christians, live and act too
much like other men. Many professors, and preachers also, show themselves to be
yet carnal, by vain-glorious strife, eagerness for dispute, and readiness to
despise and speak evil of others.
Commentary on 1 Corinthians 3:5-9
(Read 1 Corinthians 3:5-9)
The ministers about whom the Corinthians contended, were
only instruments used by God. We should not put ministers into the place of
God. He that planteth and he that watereth are one, employed by one Master,
trusted with the same revelation, busied in one work, and engaged in one
design. They have their different gifts from one and the same Spirit, for the
very same purposes; and should carry on the same design heartily. Those who
work hardest shall fare best. Those who are most faithful shall have the
greatest reward. They work together with God, in promoting the purposes of his
glory, and the salvation of precious souls; and He who knows their work, will
take care they do not labour in vain. They are employed in his husbandry and
building; and He will carefully look over them.
Commentary on 1 Corinthians 3:10-15
(Read 1 Corinthians 3:10-15)
The apostle was a wise master-builder; but the grace of
God made him such. Spiritual pride is abominable; it is using the greatest
favours of God, to feed our own vanity, and make idols of ourselves. But let
every man take heed; there may be bad building on a good foundation. Nothing
must be laid upon it, but what the foundation will bear, and what is of a piece
with it. Let us not dare to join a merely human or a carnal life with a Divine
faith, the corruption of sin with the profession of Christianity. Christ is a
firm, abiding, and immovable Rock of ages, every way able to bear all the
weight that God himself or the sinner can lay upon him; neither is there
salvation in any other. Leave out the doctrine of his atonement, and there is
no foundation for our hopes. But of those who rest on this foundation, there
are two sorts. Some hold nothing but the truth as it is in Jesus, and preach
nothing else. Others build on the good foundation what will not abide the test,
when the day of trail comes. We may be mistaken in ourselves and others; but
there is a day coming that will show our actions in the true light, without
covering or disguise. Those who spread true and pure religion in all its
branches, and whose work will abide in the great day, shall receive a reward.
And how great! how much exceeding their deserts! There are others, whose corrupt
opinions and doctrines, or vain inventions and usages in the worship of God,
shall be made known, disowned, and rejected, in that day. This is plainly meant
of a figurative fire, not of a real one; for what real fire can consume
religious rites or doctrines? And it is to try every man's works, those of Paul
and Apollos, as well as others. Let us consider the tendency of our
undertakings, compare them with God's word, and judge ourselves, that we be not
judged of the Lord.
Commentary on 1 Corinthians 3:16,17
(Read 1 Corinthians 3:16,17)
From other parts of the epistle, it appears that the
false teachers among the Corinthians taught unholy doctrines. Such teaching
tended to corrupt, to pollute, and destroy the building, which should be kept
pure and holy for God. Those who spread loose principles, which render the
church of God unholy, bring destruction upon themselves. Christ by his Spirit
dwells in all true believers. Christians are holy by profession, and should be
pure and clean, both in heart and conversation. He is deceived who deems
himself the temple of the Holy Ghost, yet is unconcerned about personal
holiness, or the peace and purity of the church.
Commentary on 1 Corinthians 3:18-23
(Read 1 Corinthians 3:18-23)
To have a high opinion of our own wisdom, is but to
flatter ourselves; and self-flattery is the next step to self-deceit. The wisdom
that wordly men esteem, is foolishness with God. How justly does he despise,
and how easily can he baffle and confound it! The thoughts of the wisest men in
the world, have vanity, weakness, and folly in them. All this should teach us
to be humble, and make us willing to be taught of God, so as not to be led
away, by pretences to human wisdom and skill, from the simple truths revealed
by Christ. Mankind are very apt to oppose the design of the mercies of God.
Observe the spiritual riches of a true believer; "All are yours,"
even ministers and ordinances. Nay, the world itself is yours. Saints have as
much of it as Infinite Wisdom sees fit for them, and they have it with the
Divine blessing. Life is yours, that you may have a season and opportunity to prepare
for the life of heaven; and death is yours, that you may go to the possession
of it. It is the kind messenger to take you from sin and sorrow, and to guide
you to your Father's house. Things present are yours, for your support on the
road; things to come are yours, to delight you for ever at your journey's end.
If we belong to Christ, and are true to him, all good belongs to us, and is
sure to us. Believers are the subjects of his kingdom. He is Lord over us, we
must own his dominion, and cheerfully submit to his command. God in Christ,
reconciling a sinful world to himself, and pouring the riches of his grace on a
reconciled world, is the sum and substance of the gospel.
── Matthew Henry《Concise Commentary on 1 Corinthians》
1 Corinthians 3
Verse 1
[1] And
I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal,
even as unto babes in Christ.
And I, brethren — He
spoke before, 1 Corinthians 2:1, of his entrance, now of his
progress, among them.
Could not speak to you as unto spiritual — Adult, experienced Christians. But as unto men who were still in great
measure carnal, as unto babes in Christ - Still weak in grace, though eminent
in gifts, 1 Corinthians 1:5.
Verse 2
[2] I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able
to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.
I fed you, as babes, with milk - The first
and plainest truths of the gospel. So should every preacher suit his doctrine
to his hearers.
Verse 3
[3] For
ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and
divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?
For while there is among you emulation in
your hearts, strife in your words, and actual divisions, are ye not carnal, and
walk according to men - As mere men; not as Christians, according to God.
Verse 4
[4] For
while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal?
I am of Apollos —
St. Paul named himself and Apollos, to show that he would condemn any division
among them, even though it were in favour of himself, or the dearest friend he
had in the world.
Are ye not carnal —
For the Spirit of God allows no party zeal.
Verse 5
[5] Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed,
even as the Lord gave to every man?
Ministers — Or
servants. By whom ye believed, as the Lord, the Master of those servants, gave
to every man.
Verse 7
[7] So
then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God
that giveth the increase.
God that giveth the increase — Is all in all: without him neither planting nor watering avails.
Verse 8
[8] Now
he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his
own reward according to his own labour.
But he that planteth and he that watereth are
one — Which is another argument against
division. Though their labours are different. they are all employed in one
general work, - the saving souls. Hence he takes occasion to speak of the
reward of them that labour faithfully, and the awful account to be given by
all. Every man shall receive his own peculiar reward according to his own
peculiar labour - Not according to his success; but he who labours much, though
with small success, shall have a great reward. Has not all this reasoning the
same force still? The ministers are still surely instruments in God's hand, and
depend as entirely as ever on his blessing, to give the increase to their
labours. Without this, they are nothing: with it, their part is so small, that
they hardly deserve to be mentioned. May their hearts and hands be more united;
and, retaining a due sense of the honour God doeth them in employing them, may
they faithfully labour, not as for themselves, but for the great Proprietor of
all, till the day come when he will reward them in full proportion to their
fidelity and diligence!
Verse 9
[9] For
we are labourers together with God: ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's
building.
For we are all fellowlabourers — God's labourers, and fellowlabourers with each other.
Ye are God's husbandry — This is the sum of what went before: it is a comprehensive word, taking
in both a field, a garden, and a vineyard.
Ye are God's building — This is the sum of what follows.
Verse 10
[10]
According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder,
I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man
take heed how he buildeth thereupon.
According to the grace of God given to me — This he premises, lest he should seem to ascribe it to himself.
Let every one take heed how he buildeth
thereon — That all his doctrines may be consistent
with the foundation.
Verse 11
[11] For
other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
For other foundation — On which the whole church: and all its doctrines, duties, and blessings
may be built.
Can no man lay than what is laid — In the counsels of divine wisdom, in the promises and prophecies of the
Old Testament, in the preaching of the apostles, St. Paul in particular.
Which is Jesus Christ — Who, in his person and offices, is the firm, immovable Rock of Ages,
every way sufficient to bear all the weight that God himself, or the sinner,
when he believes, can lay upon him.
Verse 12
[12] Now
if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay,
stubble;
If any one build gold, silver, costly stones — Three sorts of materials which will bear the fire; true and solid
doctrines.
Wood, hay, stubble —
Three which will not bear the fire. Such are all doctrines, ceremonies, and
forms of human invention; all but the substantial, vital truths of Christianity.
Verse 13
[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 time is coming when every one's work
shall be made manifest: for the day of the Lord, that great and final day,
shall declare it - To all the world.
For it is revealed —
What faith beholds as so certain and so near is spoken of as already present.
By fire; yea, the fire shall try every one's
work, of what sort it is — The strict process of that day will try
every man's doctrines, whether they come up to the scripture standard or not.
Here is a plain allusion to the flaming light and consuming heat of the general
conflagration. But the expression, when applied to the trying of doctrines, and
consuming those that are wrong, is evidently figurative; because no material
fire can have such an effect on what is of a moral nature. And therefore it is
added, he who builds wood, hay, or stubble, shall be saved as through the fire -
Or, as narrowly as a man escapes through the fire, when his house is all in
flames about him. This text, then, is so far from establishing the Romish
purgatory, that it utterly overthrows it. For the fire here mentioned does not
exist till the day of judgment: therefore, if this be the fire of purgatory, it
follows that purgatory does not exist before the day of judgment.
Verse 14
[14] If
any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.
He shall receive a reward — A peculiar degree of glory. Some degree even the other will receive,
seeing he held the foundation; though through ignorance he built thereon what
would not abide the fire.
Verse 15
[15] If
any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be
saved; yet so as by fire.
He shall suffer loss — The loss of that peculiar degree of glory.
Verse 16
[16] Know
ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in
you?
Ye — All Christians.
Are the temple of God — The most noble kind of building, 1 Corinthians 3:9.
Verse 17
[17] If
any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God
is holy, which temple ye are.
If any man destroy the temple of God — Destroy a real Christian, by schisms, or doctrines fundamentally wrong.
Him shall God destroy — He shall not be saved at all; not even as through the fire."
Verse 18
[18] Let
no man deceive himself. If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world,
let him become a fool, that he may be wise.
Let him become a fool in this world — Such as the world accounts so.
That he may become wise — In God's account.
Verse 19
[19] For
the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He taketh
the wise in their own craftiness.
For all the boasted wisdom of the world is
mere foolishness in the sight of God.
He taketh the wise in their own craftiness — Not only while they think they are acting wisely, but by their very
wisdom, which itself is their snare, and the occasion of their destruction. Job 5:13.
Verse 20
[20] And
again, The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain.
That they are but vain — Empty, foolish; they and all their thoughts. Psalms 94:11.
Verse 21
[21]
Therefore let no man glory in men. For all things are yours;
Therefore —
Upon the whole.
Let none glory in men — So as to divide into parties on their account.
For all things are yours — and we in particular. We are not your lords, but rather your servants.
Verse 22
[22]
Whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things
present, or things to come; all are yours;
Whether Paul or Apollos, or Cephas — We are all equally yours, to serve you for Christ's sake.
Or the world —
This leap from Peter to the world greatly enlarges the thought, and argues a
kind of impatience of enumerating the rest. Peter and every one in the whole
world, however excellent in gifts, or grace, or office, are also your servants
for Christ's sake.
Or life, or death —
These, with all their various circumstances, are disposed as will be most for
your advantage.
Or things present — On
earth.
Or things to come — In
heaven. Contend, therefore, no more about these little things; but be ye united
in love, as ye are in blessings.
Verse 23
[23] And
ye are Christ's; and Christ is God's.
And ye are Christ's —
His property, his subjects. his members.
And Christ is God's — As
Mediator, he refers all his services to his Father's glory.
── John Wesley《Explanatory Notes on 1
Corinthians》
1 Cor. 3:6~7；Source
of Spiritual Growth
Some years ago, a study was
done by an agricultural school in Iowa. It reported that production of a
hundred bushels of corn from one acre of land required
So
it is in spiritual realms: God causes the growth (1 Cor. 3:6~7).
Chapter 3. The Only Foundation
God's Field
God's Building
I. Three Steps
to Be God's Fellow Workers
II. The Test of
Fire
III. Believers
Are God's Temple
── Chih-Hsin Chang《An Outline of The New Testament》
Chapter Three General Review OBJECTIVES IN STUDYING THIS CHAPTER
1) To see the proper place of preachers and teachers in relation to their work 2) To appreciate God's view of the church as the temple of God SUMMARY
Paul continues to deal with the problem of division in this chapter.Its seriousness is seen in its carnality, which prevented Paul frombeing able to speak as to spiritually mature people (1-4). To helpthem see the folly of exalting preachers over each another, Paul showstheir relation to one other and to their work, which is building the