1 Corinthians3

Paul addresses the Corinthians as carnal, not spiritual, due to their divisions and factionalism, emphasizing that he and Apollos are merely ministers through whom God gives the increase. He declares that Jesus Christ is the sole foundation, and all subsequent work will be tested by fire. Furthermore, believers are the temple of God, and worldly wisdom is foolishness in God's sight, urging them not to glory in men but to recognize that all things are theirs in Christ.

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Carnality and Immaturity in the Church

And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, as unto babes in Christ.

I fed you with milk, not with meat; for ye were not yet able to bear it: nay, not even now are ye able;

for ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you jealousy and strife, are ye not carnal, and do ye not walk after the manner of men?

For when one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not men?

Ministers are God's Fellow Workers

What then is Apollos? and what is Paul? Ministers through whom ye believed; and each as the Lord gave to him.

I planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.

So then neither is he that planteth anything, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase.

Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: but each shall receive his own reward according to his own labor.

For we are God’s fellow-workers: ye are God’s husbandry, God’s building.

Building on the Foundation of Christ

According to the grace of God which was given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder I laid a foundation; and another buildeth thereon. But let each man take heed how he buildeth thereon.

For other foundation can no man lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

But if any man buildeth on the foundation gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay, stubble;

each man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it is revealed in fire; and the fire itself shall prove each man’s work of what sort it is.

If any man’s work shall abide which he built thereon, he shall receive a reward.

If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as through fire.

The Community is God's Temple

Know ye not that ye are a temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?

If any man destroyeth the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, and such are ye.

True Wisdom and Divine Ownership

Let no man deceive himself. If any man thinketh that he is wise among you in this world, let him become a fool, that he may become wise.

For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He that taketh the wise in their craftiness:

and again, The Lord knoweth the reasonings of the wise, that they are vain.

Wherefore let no one glory in men. For all things are yours;

whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours;

and ye are Christ’s; and Christ is God’s.

Study Notes for 1 Corinthians 3

Verse 1

Paul contrasts the 'spiritual' Christian (one guided by the Spirit) with the 'carnal' or 'fleshly' Christian (one still dominated by fallen human nature), identifying the Corinthians as the latter.

Verse 2

The metaphor of 'milk' represents simple, foundational teachings, while 'meat' represents deeper theological or ethical truths. Their inability to handle 'meat' shows their spiritual immaturity.

Verse 3

The practical evidence of their carnality is factionalism ('envying, and strife, and divisions'), which mimics the behavior of the non-believing world ('walk as men').

Verse 5

Paul minimizes the roles of himself and Apollos, emphasizing that they are merely 'ministers' (servants) used by God to facilitate belief.

Verse 6

Using the agricultural metaphor, Paul 'planted' (founded the church), Apollos 'watered' (nurtured the converts), but the growth and results belong solely to God.

Verse 8

The workers are 'one' in purpose and service, yet each will be judged individually and rewarded for the quality and faithfulness of their own labor.

Verse 9

The church is described using two key metaphors: 'God’s husbandry' (a field being cultivated) and 'God’s building' (a structure under construction), highlighting divine ownership and purpose.

Verse 10

Paul identifies himself as a 'wise masterbuilder' (*architekton*), indicating his role in laying the essential foundation of the Gospel in Corinth. Subsequent teachers must be careful how they build upon it.

Verse 11

Jesus Christ is the non-negotiable, singular foundation for the church and all Christian teaching. No genuine spiritual work can be built on any other basis.

Verse 12

These materials represent the quality of ministry, teaching, or works: gold, silver, and precious stones represent enduring, godly work; wood, hay, and stubble represent worthless, superficial, or self-centered work.

Verse 13

The 'day' refers to the future judgment (often understood as the Bema Seat judgment for believers), where the quality of every person’s work will be tested by the purifying 'fire' of God's scrutiny.

Verse 15

The individual whose work fails the test will 'suffer loss' (of reward), but their salvation remains secure, emphasizing the distinction between eternal life and rewards for service.

Verse 16

Paul shifts the metaphor: the collective body of Corinthian believers (plural 'ye') is the holy dwelling place (*naos*) of God’s Spirit, replacing the physical temple in Jerusalem.

Verse 17

This is a severe warning against those who introduce destructive teaching or cause division, thereby 'defiling' or ruining the corporate temple (the church).

Verse 18

Paul returns to the theme of worldly wisdom (2:6), urging believers to reject human intellectual arrogance and embrace the 'foolishness' of the gospel in order to gain true divine wisdom.

Verse 19

Paul quotes Job 5:13 to demonstrate that God actively frustrates the schemes and cleverness of those who rely on their own earthly wisdom.

Verse 21

The conclusion to the factional argument: since all things ultimately belong to the believer through Christ, they have no reason to boast or 'glory' in temporary human leaders.

Verse 22

This radical list affirms the believer's comprehensive ownership of reality—including leaders, the physical world, and even the events of life and death—as a result of their union with Christ.

Verse 23

This verse establishes the ultimate theological hierarchy: everything belongs to the believer, but the believer belongs to Christ, and Christ belongs to God.

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1 Corinthians3

Carnality and Immaturity in the Church

Ministers are God's Fellow Workers

Building on the Foundation of Christ

The Community is God's Temple

True Wisdom and Divine Ownership

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