LESSON 5
(3:1-23)

GOD’S CO-WORKERS

3 But In, brethren, could not address you as spiritual men, but as men of the flesh, as babes in Christ.  2 In fed you with mild, not solid food; for you were not ready for it; and even yet you are not 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 like ordinary men?  4 For when one says, “In belong to Paul,” and another, “In belong to Apollos,” are you not merely men?
5 What then is Apollos?  What is Paul?  Servants through whom you believed, as the Lord assigned to each.  6 In planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth.  7 So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth.  8 He who plants and he who waters are equal and each shall receive his wages according to his labor.  9 For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, God’s building.
10 According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder In laid a foundation, and another man is building upon it.  Let each man take care how he builds upon it.  11 For no other foundation can any one lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.  12 Now if any one builds on the foundation with God, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw – 13 each man’s work will become manifest; for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done.  14 If the work which any man has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward.  15 If any man’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire.
16 Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?  17 If any one destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him.  For God’s temple is holy, and that temple you are.
18 Let no one deceive himself.  If any one 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 an again, “The Lord knows that the thoughts of the wise are futile.”  21 So let no one boast of 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.

As a bit of review, the basic theme underlying Chapters 1-4 is the message of God and Paul as God’s messenger.  Among the results of accepting God’s message is unity, oneness.  The sectarian worldly spirit in 1:10ff. in choosing one person over another in the church was not Christian.  The fact that God chose certain “ways” of doing things that seem foolish to men was made clear by Paul, as he discussed both the message and the messengers of God.  Unity was God’s wisdom and choosing.  The divisions among the brethren were threats to that oneness and displayed immaturity in that area.  Such problems could lead to destruction of the church itself, which is God’s, 3:16-17.  The irony of it all was that in God’s graciousness, He had provided for the Christians in such a way that all was theirs in Christ, 3:18-23.  This chapter shows why they were foolish for being as they were.
3:1 – But – The word “but” normally indicates a contrast to something preceding.  just what the contrast is, and how strong it is must be gathered from the context.  The Greek word is a conjunction, and is not normally adversative in meaning but, is commonly translated as “and,” “also,” “even,” etc.  The contrast in Paul’s mind may be between the apostles and non-Christians.
Paul’s comparison in 3:1-4, however, shows that they were not the spiritual people they should have been by reason of time.  they had the best of teachers in Paul and Apollos, but sometimes the student determines what the teacher can accomplish.  Their growth had been too slow in some areas.
V. 2 – you were not ready – One’s personality is a blend of many things: culture, environment, education, will, desire, potential, to name some.  In relationship to the Christian life, all begin as babes.  Everyone has to begin as a new creation.  The progress that is made as a Christian depends upon many things.  One may grow faster in some areas than others even as a non-Christian does.  Thus, there will be a mixture of maturity/immaturity in everyone who is Christian.  Individually, differences boh in the degree of growth and the area of growth will be true.  However, growth is normal and to be expected.  Christians have the “mind of Christ” and are to “put on Christ.”  In Corinth, growth in the area of allegiance to Christ and not to men had not happened as it ought to have happened.  The sectarian spirit in Ch. 1 was a throwback to their past.  Sadly, the milk diet was still necessary, for some were still babes.  Now a baby may be a grand thing, but to remain a baby is not a grand thing in either the physical realm or the spiritual realm.
V. 3 – of the flesh – The idea is that they were yet thinking as non-Christians normally think.  The disciples of Jesus had this same problem more than once, and growth was slow in this area.  Notice in this order: Mt. 18:1ff.; 20:20-28; 23:1-11; Lk. 22:24-30; Jn. 13:1-17.
jealousy and strife – Jealousy is of such nature that it can be good or bad, depending upon its object and the person’s motives.  Paul was jealous over the Church of Corinth, II Cor. 11:2.  Note these O.T. texts: Num. 25:10-13; Deut. 29:20; Ezek. 23:25 (R.S.V. has “indignation”); 38:19; Zech. 1:14; In Cor. 10:22.  The Greek word is dz_los and can be seen in such texts as Lk. 6:15; Acts 1:13; 5:17; 22:3; Rom. 10:2; 13:13; In Cor. 12:31; 13:4; 14:1, 12, 39; II Cor. 7:11; 9:2; 12:20; Gal. 4:17, 18; Phil. 3:6; Tit. 2:14; Jam. 3:14, 16; 4:2; In Pet. 3:13.  One can be zealous for the good, Rom. 12:11, or unduly jealous.  It is akin to anger:  one may be angry with cause or angry and sinful.  (For strife, see on 1:11)
ordinary men – No word in the Greek text for “ordinary” but the contrast in Paul’s mind is between how Christians behave versus non-Christians (i.e., “men”).  The behavior he had in mind was brought up in 1:10ff., and restated here in v. 4.
V. 5 – Paul now attempts to use himself and Apollos to show clearly where the problem lay.
servants – Paul and Apollos (and Peter and everyone else) were but servants (diakonos) of God, hardly anything over which to divide.  Wisdom would have perceived this fact.  Fools gloried in men.  Notice that Paul asked “what” were the men, not “who” were the men.  Read 4:1-5 now.
V. 6 – God chose each one for a specific task that His great purpose of redeeming man might be accomplished.  he “made” the servants and empowered them (Col. 1:29) to do His work.
God gave – The Greek is clear: God gave and was till giving all the growth; Paul and Apollos simply served as God directed.  The result of such wisdom is stated in v. 7.
V. 8 – The servants of God are equal (the Greek text says they are hen = one); none greater than another, but each as important as the other.  (Chapter 12 will amplify this point.)
each shall receive – God deals with individuals, and each one is treated justly.  Each one has a “work” to do, unique to the person. 3:10-15 develops this idea.
V. 9 – we are – God uses everyone as He pleases.  When Christians recognize this fact, both “clergy” and “laymen” alike, they will put away the spirit of rivalry and rejoice in God’s working.  All will count it a blessing to labor for God.  They will not glory in anything that displeases God or reflects on His choices.
you are – God, through His chosen people, was trying to do a work among the brethren in Corinth as elsewhere.  They needed to quit hampering His work and desire for them.
V. 10 – commission – Actually the Greek text has the word charis, normally translated “grace” or “gift” as in 1:3.  For Paul, God’s Corinthians should have caught on that their thinking was not all it could be when they found fault with Paul.
foundation – The foundation was Christ Jesus, and the sum of Paul’s message.  Notice in the following verses that the work of men stands or falls as God judges, but it is not said that the foundation is affected either way.  Since God is the builder, He is in command of it all.  God may choose for many to labor in the building process, and each will be judged individually, v. 8.  God has planned that Christians be stones in the building, In Pet. 2:5, and that growth be such that the total body of Christians become a holy temple, Eph. 2:19-22, wherein God may dwell.  See vv. 16-17.
let each man take care – The workmen are in view here, whoever they may be.  the foundation was down, v. 12, and the rest of the building was to go up through the work of God’s servants.
V. 12 – if any one – This could mean the Corinthians as well as those they considered teachers.  The building in Paul’s mind is the church, God’s temple.
V. 13 – In this extended analogy of the progress of an ordinary building as compared to the church, just as the quality of any man’s work will be tested by time, so God will est each man’s labor, v. 8.
V. 14 – An earthly builder may have a building collapse because the plans or the materials were poor.  His status as a god workman rests on the products of his labor.  So it is in the work of God.
V. 16 – The analogy is dropped, and Paul speaks to them directly.  All God’s workers, including those in Corinth, are involved in God’s building, v. 10.  He will hold each person accountable for “labor on the building.”  Therefore, every person must be very careful what is done, for something more valuable than anything earthly is in view.
V. 17 – if God’s will is not done, His wisdom not followed, then damage will be done to God’s building.  As a consequence, those who cause the damage will be punished.  One, each one, must take care what is done.
With this in mind, the Corinthians should have been prompted to reevaluate their thinking and living.  Paul and Apollos were God’s workmen to help them grow.  However, they must not be made objects of strife, which tears down rather than builds up.
It is recognized that 3:10-15 is a difficult text, and ideas about it often differ.  We have taken the position that is expressed above.  It is true that God’s people are like a building in some ways.  Each Christian is both a part of the building and also a builder, which confuses the analogy, and interpretations.  This seems clear: God chooses each person for a particular work and he judges the results of that work.  The foundation is sure, but God will hold each accountable for what is placed upon the foundation.  considering the whole text from 3:6-17, one may perform well as God’s workman and be rewarded, or one may destroy and be destroyed by God.
Part of the difficulty with the text is with the ideas in vv. 12-15, and the limitations of the analogy used.  does Paul have in mind by gold, etc., one’s doctrines, one’s personal faith, or what?  how can one’s work (whatever that means) be destroyed but the person saved?  There are no sure answers to these questions or others like them.
destroys – From phtheir_ which means to corrupt or to spoil, thus to ruin.  Check some other places where ti appears: In Cor. 15:33; II Cor. 7:2; 11:3; Eph. 4:22; II Pet. 2:12; Jude v. 10; Rev. 19:2.
From an Old Testament standpoint, God’s temple was holy; one could not defile it and go scot free.  Read Exodus ch. 40; Lev. chapters 8, 9, 10:1-7; 15:31.  The temple represented God’s presence, His dwelling among His people.  The same point is true about the temple in the New Testament dispensation: it is the dwelling place of God.  The temple is, however, not made of material things but of Christians, as pointed out above.  The church and the temple are identical in this way, since Christians make up each.  The church is Christ’s body, Eph. 1:22-23; the temple God’s abode.  Individually, Christians are members of Christ’s body, In Cor. 12, and God’s personal temple, Jn. 14:23; In Cor. 6:19-20.
From the perspective of corruption, it is not clear how much is involved, since Christians are both builders and building materials.  What a person teaches, believes, does: all have results on both self and others.  Since the text is difficult, may we all determine to think as Christ thought and to live as Christ lived.  Let us not be content with less than our best work for God’s building.
V. 18 – Let no one deceive himself – Continuing the wise/foolish refrain, Paul lays down this command.  It sort of sums up all the preceding chapters and focuses upon the necessity of self-examination.  Unwise decisions about men, neglect of God’s revealed will, harm done to God’s temple, are all at issue.
V. 19 – Quoting a text from Job 5:13 here and a like thought out of Psalms 94:11, both having to do with how great God is as compared to man, Paul drives home his argument that some of those in Corinth were not as God wished.  Men may give the appearance of being smart, but God is not fooled.  In fact, man’s best is but emptiness compared to God’s ways.
V. 21 – Repeating the idea in 1:31 that they not miss it.  All God’s servants are of His own choosing; don’t be fools over them.
all are yours – In God’s love, he has made abundant provision for all His children, so that no one need feel slighted or shorted in any way.  There ought then to be no undue strife or jealousy evident in Christians.  If we refuse to glory in men and only glory in Christ, it will be hard to start a sect.
V. 22 – all are yours – Repeating for emphasis.  Notice that Paul doesn’t say they belong to any man but all belong to each other and to Christ.
V. 23 – The ascending climax ends with God.
A somewhat parallel test is in Rom. 8:28-39.
As one concludes this portion of Paul’s discussion, and this lesson ends, it sort of brings to mind the distant but still clear challenge of Joshua: “Choose today whom you will serve.”  The words of many songs came to mind, such as those in the hymn written by John Bowring, “In the Cross of Christ In Glory” or by Helen Lemmel, “Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus.”

	LESSON 5 QUESTIONS

1.	Are you trying to keep these lessons in their proper place as far as the epistle is written, so that you don’t isolate them from the intent which Paul had in writing to the Corinthians?

2.	What contrast is in 3:1-4?

3.	What were Paul and Apollos?

4.	Was the carnal spirit evident in some rather far removed from what they should have been?

5.	Have you ever thought that the great God in heaven has a place especially for you in His “building program” and that you have the privilege of being His co-worker?

6.	How do you think one could be careful in building upon the foundation (which is Christ)?  Has God left us “in the dark” about His wishes in this matter?  or do we have the mind of Christ, at least in some measure?

7.	Would knowing God’s Word help us to keep from destroying His temple, the church?

8.	Do you now anyone who thinks he is smarter than God and can fool God?

9.	In thinking about vv. 21-23, would consideration of the elder brother in Luke ch. 15 be of any value?  What was his attitude in 15:29-30?  What was his father’s reply?