| Back to Home Page | Back to
Book Index |
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