A Study in I Corinthians-Week 03

I Corinthians 3:1-23

For the next 8 weeks we’ll be continuing our study of I Corinthians.

After his greeting and his thanksgiving for the Church of Corinth, Paul dove right into the theme of I Corinthians: Unity in the Spirit.
He decried divisions in the church, imploring us to give up self and focus on Christ and what He wants for us. He told us that this unity can only come when we yield ourselves to the Holy Spirit’s leadership and wisdom.

01 1-4 Paul knows that there are divisions in the church at Corinth, and he concludes that he is going to have to treat them like babies, not like mature Christians, because mature Christians would not be engaged in divisiveness. He cites the reasons for the divisions as: jealous quarreling...that is: each member wanted things HIS/HER own way. Paul says they are acting like carnal creatures, not born again believers who are growing in Christ’s wisdom. They are prone to follow each other, or someone they think is special instead of following Christ and Christ only.

02 5-9 Paul emphasizes servanthood…the same servanthood Jesus exhibited when He washed the disciples feet over their initial objections. He tells us that each member has a specific part in the ministry, and that when we do it according to God’s plan, He causes it to grow. In verse 9 Paul tells us that we are God’s building (as opposed to the brick and mortar that we meet in).

03 10-15 Here Paul reminds us that our foundation is Christ. That applies both educationally and spiritually. If our foundation is anything other than Christ, such as our own wisdom, our own opinions, our own desires, that foundation will be thrown into the fire and destroyed. We won’t come “un-saved,” but we will never know the joy of being in a right “servant oriented” relationship with God. Our salvation will be little more than “fire insurance,” keeping us out of Hell and out of joy as well.

04 16-17 Remember, God does not live in the church house. We call this God’s house because we have dedicated it to Him and to His Kingdom’s use, but this building is not His temple, YOU are his temple. If you are NOT His temple, then you need to be saved and become His temple. Now, contrary to popular teaching, Paul is not talking about the body, per se. He is talking about that which is your essence, that which is the real you…your innermost soul.

05 18-20 Absorb the full meaning of this passage: If you count yourself wise because you know the ways of the world, or are greatly educated, or are someone important in the eyes of the world, you are nothing more than a fool. But if you are a fool for Christ’s sake, then you are really wise. Being wise, you would never set yourself up as somehow physically, intellectually or spiritually superior, but would humble yourself as a servant to the Most High God.

06 21-23 Don’t boast! Don’t boast about yourself, don’t boast about each other, don’t boast about some great leader (spiritual or natural), don’t boast about some theologian. Boast only in Christ.

Remember: If you have a relationship with God through Christ by confessing with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, believing in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, trusted in, and only in, His finished work at the cross of Calvary, you are of Christ.

And Christ is of God.