1 Cor. 6:14-20 - In the Body of Christ

14 Now God has not only raised the Lord, but will also raise us up through His power.
15 Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take away the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? May it never be!
16 Or do you not know that the one who joins himself to a prostitute is one body with her? For He says, “THE TWO SHALL BECOME ONE FLESH.”
17 But the one who joins himself to the Lord is one spirit with Him.
18 Flee immorality. Every other sin that a man commits is outside the body, but the immoral man sins against his own body.
19 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own?
20 For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body.

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V. 14 - “Now God has not only raised the Lord” - Jesus Christ is the first to be resurrected from death to eternal life. (See: Matt. 28:1-20; Mark 16:1-20; Luke 24:1-53; John 20:1-21:25).

“will also raise us up” - In the previous verse Paul says our bodies will be done away with, our bodies will be for the Lord. I think this implies we receive new bodies, and this is confirmed in this verse. John in his first letter says, “Dear friends, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet been revealed. We know that when he appears, we will be like him because we will see him as he is.” (1 John 3:2) Think on this: We will be like Him! What a wondrous thing to ponder - His perfect spiritual body, like that! His spiritual union with the Father and the Holy Spirit - like that! Being able to praise the Lord, to stand in His presence without fear and in great joy - like that!

V. 15 - “Do you not know” - Has no one told you? Or, have you forgotten what we taught you?

“your bodies are members of Christ?” - This is one of those theological miracles or mysteries - when we believe and Christ as Lord and Savior, we become part of Christ. That statement is fantastic! We get Christ’s life when we believe in Him. The eternal resurrected life is ours. It is not a life eternal separate from God’s life, but His life in us. “God wanted to make known among the Gentiles the glorious wealth of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.” (Col. 1:27)

“Shall I then take away the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute?” - This is distinctly different from the way our modern society views the sexual act between a man and a woman. We are told by some that sex is just an act, nothing special... We see that God intended this is to be an emotional and spiritual union in addition to the physical act.

Here, Paul takes us all the way back to Genesis. (The emphasis is mine.) “The man gave names to all the cattle, and to the birds of the sky, and to every beast of the field, but for Adam there was not found a helper suitable for him. So the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and he slept; then He took one of his ribs and closed up the flesh at that place. The LORD God fashioned into a woman the rib which He had taken from the man, and brought her to the man. The man said, ‘This is now bone of my bones, And flesh of my flesh; She shall be called Woman, Because she was taken out of Man.’ For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh. And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed.” (Gen. 2:20-25) That is the basis for Paul’s statement.

V. 16 - “the one who joins himself to a prostitute is one body with her” - A reiteration of verse 15 above. This may seem to be a huge logical jump from settling personal disagreements about theology between believers to consorting with a prostitute. Because this section is more than disagreements over how often we should have communion; or whether communion bread should be unleavened wafers or pieces of sandwich bread; or whether we should baptize a new believer immediately, or whether the music is too loud. Did Paul really mean airing your differences is equal with committing adultery? Why, yes, I believe he did. 

We can think, “I would never ever be with a prostitute! Think of the horrible image that would provide to the non-believing world.” One aspect of this message is that we must be careful to hold to the gospel and principles taught by Jesus and the apostles. Following a teacher of a false doctrine will lead us to disobeience and rejection of Jesus as Lord. Rejecting the gospel is rejecting God and Jesus - in essence spiritual adultery. On the other hand, perhaps we would not lose a moment of sleep thinking about the image of the lack of love and forgiveness is displayed by taking another person to court in order to resolve a difference. Taking a fellow believer to court is rejecting the principle of being kind, forgiving and at peace with your brother. The non-Christian world is always watching, analyzing, judging. We claim to have a better way. They want to see ‘proof of life’.

“The two shall become one flesh.” - Quoted from Gen. 2:24. As noted above, there were no animals that were suitable to be a partner with Adam. God knew the animals would not do it (See: Gen. 2:18). It was not good for the man to be alone. This is significant. Man’s greatest need was to have someone with whom to share his life. Not one beast, not one bird, not one farm animal - not one living creature - could fill the need. No one was a perfect match. God ‘sculpted’ the woman (Gen. 2:22) - the NASB uses the word ‘fashioned’ for the creation of the woman. Whereas, God built or constructed the man (See: Gen. 2:7) from dust. (Two different verbs are used in these verses.)

I do not mean that the man was less than perfect, starting from dirt, and the woman was started with finer materials. That would imply that God is limited in some way in His creative powers. Not true. God is perfect in all His ways. Man and woman are designed by the Lord God to be the almost perfect match for each other.

The only perfect match for mankind is Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.

V. 17 - “the one who joins himself to the Lord is one spirit with Him.” - This theme, when we are in Christ, He is in us. We are joined together to become one. He lives in us. We live in Him. More than man and woman becoming “one flesh’, we have the Spirit of the living God in us.
Stop. Think about this. We have the Spirit of God Almighty, the LORD of Lords, the Creator and sustainer of the universe living in us. Why would you subject the Holy Spirit of God to be one with an adulterous person. This is not strictly a male problem, nor is it a female problem. It is demeaning the Holy God by joining Him to an immoral person by an immoral act.

V. 18 - “Flee immorality” - The admonition here is to flee sexually immoral behavior. The Greek word here is where we get our word “pornography”. Illicit sexual conduct, of all kinds, of any kind - man-and-woman, man-and-man, woman-and-woman, human-and-animal, self-gratification, movies, music, television, books, magazines - sexual immorality kills.

Sexual immorality brought the judgement during Noah’s time. Sexual immorality brought the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. It is interesting to note that Joseph did what Paul admonishes - Joseph fled from his boss’s wife when she tried to seduce him. However, David did not flee immorality and committed adultery with the wife of one of his warriors. (Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah).

“Every other sin that a man commits is outside the body,” - Whether murder, theft, disrespect of parents, or lying, these sins are committed against others or against God. It is not as if you are a third-party observer remotely watching yourself commit these acts. You are completely and fully involved in the planning, commission, and cover-up of these sins. Sexual sin is more personal, in that you are giving yourself to another person, intimately. All sin is a corruption of the plans of the Lord for you. Sexual sin is more corrosive, and destructive.

“the immoral man sins against his own body.” - For all the reasons stated above. Sexual immorality is more personal.

V. 19 - “do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit” - God the Holy Spirit lives within you when you commit your life to Christ. The Temple, and before that the Tabernacle, was where God dwelt with the nation of Israel. Michael Heiser identified this beautifully in his book “Unseen Realms” in the chapter on “Realm Distinction”.

“The concept of otherness was at the core of Israelite identity. Otherness was the core of holiness. The Hebrew vocabulary for holiness means to be set apart or to be distinct. While the idea has a moral dimension related to conduct, it is not intrinsically about morality. It is about distinction... Israelites were to be set apart (‘holy’) as Yahweh was set apart (‘holy’).

Yahweh’s complete otherness was reinforced in the minds of Israelites through worship and sacrifice.Yahweh was not only the source of Israel’s life - He was life. Yahweh was not of earth, a place where there is death, disease, and imperfection. His realm is supernatural; ours is terrestrial. The space He occupies is sacred and made otherworldly by his presence. The space we occupy is ‘profane’ or ordinary.

Many laws in the Torah illustrate this worldview and its messaging. Whether priest or not, male or female, people could be disqualified from sacred space by a variety of activities or conditions. Examples include sexual activity, bodily emissions, physical handicaps, contact with a dead body, and childbirth... These laws were not considered unclean out of prudishness... These laws kept the community conscious of Yahweh’s otherness.

Even within sacred space there were gradations of holiness or sanctity. The closer one got to Yahweh’s presence, the more holy the ground or the object in his proximity. The terms that describe the layout of the structure are evidence of this progression. From the entrance inward there was the court, the holy place, and the ‘most holy place’ (‘holy of holies’). The sacred space of the tabernacle got progressively more holy from the entrance to the innermost room.” (See note 1, below)

“who is in you, whom you have from God,” - The “who” in this sentence is the Holy Spirit. The Temple, and before that the Tabernacle, was the dwelling place for God among his chosen people, the Israelites. God never needed a place to “be”, but the Israelites (and other humans) needed a place where they could say they meet God. That dwelling place was centered in the Tabernacle and then the Temple. God judged Israel/Judah for their apostasy and the Babylonians took Judah captive and destroyed the Temple. It seems that at no time in the Second Temple period (515 BC to 70 AD) that God occupied the Holy of Holies.

Christ told the disciples/apostles that the Holy Spirit would be given them. (See: John 14:16, 17; 14:26; 15:26; 16:7-11; Acts 1:4-8; 2:1ff) The Temple is no longer applicable. An obsession to rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem is human pride ignoring the facts on the ground. The believer is the Temple of the Almighty God, not some building in a particular city.

“and that you are not your own?” - When we accept Christ as Lord and Savior we make a decision to surrender ourselves to Him. Christ becomes part of us; He is in us. We become part of Christ; we are in Christ. We are no longer to be a rebellious independent entity. We are to be ‘bond-slaves’ of the Lord God. That means if you decide to have sexual congress with a prostitute, or any sexual immoral activity you are subjecting Christ to that act! (I don’t think that is too strong a statement.)

The equation seems to go:

You believe in Christ = Christ in you. (vs. 6:17)
You have sex with a prostitute = you and prostitute “become one”. (vs. 6:16) Therefore: Christ is one with the prostitute. (vs. 6:15)

May it never be! Never, ever defile the Lord by such behavior! (The Lord cannot be lowered or diminished. He is before and above all. We are defiling our relationship with Him when we do such things.)

V. 20 - “you have been bought with a price:” - God came to earth as a human. He lived and then was crucified for our sin. The price was paid in full by Christ’s death. He personally took the penalty of death for sin upon Himself. The price paid was acceptable to God the Father. Christ rose from death to eternal life. That eternal life is ours when we believe and commit to Him.

“therefore glorify God in your body” - We are not saved because we are good. We are not saved because we have earned it. We are saved by His grace, mercy and love. As a result we have Jesus and the Holy Spirit in us, in our bodies. We glorify God by our behavior that matches His standards and follow His directions. Nothing we do can make God greater than He already is. However, we are to be the image of God to the world. Our behavior, our actions as believers can show His glory and grace - our relationship with Him can glorify God to the world around us.

Many people go through life without thinking about God at all. Even Christians live without consciously thinking about the Lord. Jesus called us to be different than non-believers. “You shall be holy (“distinct, different”) because I am holy (“distinct, different”). (See: Lev. 19:2; 1 Pet 1:16) Why would anyone believe in Christ, based on my life and behavior, if I am not glorifying the Lord by my life and behavior?
As an example: Our son asked us how could we, as Christians, vote for Trump? (Seeing as how evil Trump was.) Wasn’t voting for Trump going against our faith in God? As it turns out, some or all of his objections to President Trump were not based on facts, but on news reports that either twisted the facts or outright lied. To him, a believer would not be able to cast a vote for such an evil person. We and he were not operating on the same set of facts (Trump lied, people died; kids in cages; etc.). That hardly matters, since he believed we were violating our Christian beliefs - further proof to him there is no value in faith in Christ.

I give this example because people are always watching us to see if the “peace that passes understanding” (Phil 4:7) is working in us; not to see if we are ‘religious’ but if we are showing Christ’s love and forgiveness. For it is not just about sex with prostitutes, but how does our lifestyle and actions glorify God to those around us. Does our love for others extend beyond our church buddies? Does our patience extend to clerks in the store; the waitress in the restaurant; the lady on the street that wants me to move so she can have six feet of space between us as she passes by (Covid-19 reference)? Are we patient, kind, and forgiving, just as the Lord was patient, kind, and forgiving with us? That is what people are looking for - they don’t care if you go to church every Sunday, carry a Bible, if you don’t treat them with Jesus’ love.

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Note 1: Michael S. Heiser; “The Unseen Realm: Recovering the Supernatural Worldview of the Bible”; Lexham Press; 2015.

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End of Chapter (31-Dec-2025)

1 Corinthians 5:9-13 - Keep the House Clean

9 I wrote you in my letter not to associate with immoral people;
10 I did not at all mean with the immoral people of this world, or with the covetous and swindlers, or with idolaters, for then you would have to go out of the world.
11 But actually, I wrote to you not to associate with any so-called brother if he is an immoral person, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or a swindler--not even to eat with such a one.
12 For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Do you not judge those who are within the church?
13 But those who are outside, God judges. REMOVE THE WICKED MAN FROM AMONG YOURSELVES.

Don’t Judge Outsiders

V. 9-10 - “not to associate with immoral people” - This letter is a follow-up of the discussion of what to do about the immoral behavior of some church members. In a previous letter to the Corinthian church, Paul gave them some instructions. We do not have the previous letter so that we can study what Paul had said to them.

“I did not at all mean with the immoral people of this world” - My first reaction, “Why did he have to write this admonition?”

You know that someone in the church would say, “But, Paul said not to associate with immoral people, and those outside the church are obviously immoral.” You just know there is some Pharisaical nit-picking ninny just aching to throw a penalty flag in order to call a personal foul on Paul.

V. 11 - “I wrote to you not to associate with any so-called brother” - See: Rom. 16:17; 2 Thess. 3:6. Watch out for people who are teaching and leading you away from the Lord. We cannot have heresy being taught in the church, either from the pulpit or in classes. Paul is expanding the DEW line. (See note 1) People who are damaging the church by their behavior needed discipline. People who are teaching tolerance of sinful behavior also needed discipline. The church could not afford to allow them to remain if they would not repent of their actions, and change their behavior. Their sinful behavior will damage the church and its witness to the world.

I think the descriptive phrase “so-called brother” is interesting. Paul is not picking on relatives, or even non-believing relatives. Paul is not thinking of non-believers at all. There are people in churches who claim Christian brotherhood, but don’t believe.
Why would anyone go through all the bother of attending a church and not accept Christ as Lord and Savior? A myriad of reasons: your wife believes and wants you to go to church with her; you have friends who believe and you go for the friendships; etc. The point here is that a person who is attending the church, may want to be known as being in the family of Christ. Yet, that person’s actions and lifestyle clearly show they are not saved. That person is a “so-called brother”. That person’s actions are leading others to think lowly of the church of Christ. The church is being harmed, in that people would rather die in their sin than be associated with the church.

V. 12 - “For what have I to do with judging outsiders?” - There are two concepts being taught here: keeping the church from the stain of sin, and keeping the church from judging non-Christians.
The first has been addressed above in 5:1-8. (Although those verses deal with one particular individual and sin, the concept can be used wherever sin in the body of the church is encountered.)
The second concept is the church (and Christians) are not the judges for the world and non-Christians. That is God’s right and responsibility. We are not the judge, we are the messengers of God to mankind so that people can come to know and accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. We are to take the gospel into all the world.

There is an interesting concept being discussed here and in verse 13. It seems the idea is that the church is not to stand on barrel on the street corner screaming at the non-church world, “You are sinners! Your are going to hell! You can go to heaven just like me!” Wowsers. Doesn’t that make you want to join that church? Doesn’t just make you want join up and become a Christians so you can become just like that person? Our pastor told us that our gospel message is not "Accept Jesus or you are going to hell!" No, the message Christ spoke was "I have come that you might live!" (See: John 3:16; 5:40; 6:40, 63; 10:10; 13:5; 17:3; 20:31)

I do not think I am able to fully discuss this here and now. I feel as if I am surfing over the tops of a deeper more complicated subject. That being said: This is NOT saying the church (Christians) should stand by silently, or turn away and not look at the moral carnage in our society. The church (and Christians) must say when things are not right - rape, murder, stealing, lying (especially politicians), etc. I think the message from that point must be, “You can be a better person than you are acting now.” Or, “God loves you, and has a wonderful plan for your life.” (See note 2) Through Jesus Christ each of us can be better than we are now.

Jesus can bring you peace of soul and spirit. “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, “teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Mat. 28:19-20)
“Then he said to them, 'Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.'” (Mark 16:15-16)
“He also said to them, ‘This is what is written: The Messiah would suffer and rise from the dead the third day, and repentance for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in his name to all the nations, beginning at Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things.’” (Luk. 24:46-48)

I think most people know and understand they are not perfect. (A few are delusional otherwise.) While they may not be perfect, they think they may be just good enough, or at least better than ‘that guy’. There is a better way, through Jesus Christ. We can have forgiveness of sin through Him. We can have newness of life in Him. We can have peace with God through Him.

When someone accepts Jesus Christ, believes in Him and turns their life over to Him they become part of His body - the church. You and I, believers also, are now on the same plain with them - we all are forgiven sinners, not by our own doing, but by the blood of Christ. Any authority we may have comes to us through Jesus, not our doing or accomplishments. The Holy Spirit can give us the words we need to say to a fellow-believer who is sinning.

But when it comes to ‘judging’ a non-believer... Way above our ‘pay-grade’. There is only One who has the authority to do that. See the following verses. (Psa 7:11, 50:6, 68:5, 75:7; Acts 10:42; Rom 2:16, 14:10; Heb 4:12, 12:23,  13:4; Rev 4:2, 5:1, 20:12)

V. 13 - “those who are outside, God judges” - God will judge  those outside the family of God, believers in the Lord Jesus Christ. The only one with the authority to judge - i.e., assign to heaven or condemn to hell - is Jesus, who has been given the authority by God the Father. When all has been said and done - at the final judgment - each person will have been recorded, or not recorded, in the Lamb’s Book of Life. (See: Rev. 20:11-13)

As Christians, our job is to show a better way to worship the Lord, not pour condemnation and judgment on those being lost. We can give them hope. We can present an option for them. We can warn them of the coming judgment of the Lord. It is their choice. This basic message has been given to us (the Jew first, and now the Gentile) - warn them, show them the way.

“If I say to the wicked, ‘Wicked one, you will surely die,’ but you do not speak out to warn him about his way, that wicked person will die for his iniquity, yet I will hold you responsible for his blood. But if you warn a wicked person to turn from his way and he doesn’t turn from it, he will die for his iniquity, but you will have rescued yourself.” (Eze. 33:8-9) Unfortunately (for this discussion, at least), that verse from Ezekiel says what I have just said not to do - warn them they are going to die and go to hell. I hope I have put a positive spin on a serious subject. The Christian’s job is to show the way of Salvation through Jesus Christ. We don’t need to necessarily scare people into heaven, but there is no sugar coating it. Unbelieving sinners will not be in heaven, but in eternal torment. There is a better future in Christ. Please take it.

“Remove the wicked man from among yourselves.” - Quoted from “So you shall purge the evil from among you.” (Deut. 13:5 (NASB)); Deut. 17:7, 12; 21:21; 22:21). Paul leaps back into the dealings in the church. We do not judge non-believers, that is God’s bailiwick. We can judge church members - we can’t say whether or not they are actually saved because we cannot know if they actually believe or are just saying so. Only God - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit - know that. But if a fellow church member, a believer, is sinning we have the authority to call them out, to tell or urge them to repent and return to the right way. If they choose to maintain their errant ways, we can ask them to leave the church. We do not need their stain of sinful behavior to sully the church’s image or witness here on earth.

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Note 1: “DEW” = Distance Early Warning. This was an outgrowth of the nuclear arms race that ran through the last 40 years of the 1900’s. There were radar facilities in Alaska that would give warning if Russia decided to launch an atomic attack by rocket.
Note 2: From “Have You Heard of the Four Spiritual Laws?”, Campus Crusade for Christ, pg. 1.

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End of Chapter - 1 Corinthians 5:1-13 (NASB)

1 Corinthians 5:6-8 - Clean Your House.

6 Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough?
7 Clean out the old leaven so that you may be a new lump, just as you are in fact unleavened. For Christ our Passover also has been sacrificed.
8 Therefore let us celebrate the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

Sincerity and Truth - Unleavened

V. 6 - “Your boasting is not good” - What do they have to boast about? Could they be boasting about how forgiving they are to the offending man (see verses 5:1-5, above)? Could they be proud they are not being judgmental? Are they proud they have no lower limits to what they will tolerate?

“Look, see how forgiving and tolerant we are!”
Survey says, "Braaaack! Wrong!”

“A little leaven...” - It doesn’t take much evil to corrupt a spiritual life. It only takes one person committing sin in a church, and the enemies of the church paint ALL believers as hypocrites and failures.

I have started to bake bread (Yes, it is easier to buy a loaf from the store, but not as satisfying!). When measuring out the ingredients for bread, the proportions are about 800 gm of flour and 4 gm of yeast (that is about 4 cups flour and 5 tsp yeast) to make two loaves of bread. The yeast is about 1/200th the amount of flour. The admixture of yeast (that is “leaven”) and flour in bread is symbolic of something pure being tainted. This is a vivid picture because most of us love bread, doughnuts, and pastry, and do not tend to think of the bread as evil.

In the Old Covenant, “unleavened bread” - i.e., bread made without yeast - was the only bread acceptable for sacrificial offerings in the Tabernacle or Temple. Perhaps the reason God stipulated unleavened bread was as a continual reminder that purity or perfection is required to come before Him. Likewise the animals sacrificed on the altar had to be without blemish.

A little spot of sin, blackens the whole person. Only sinless perfection can stand before the Lord. Jesus Christ is the source of that sinless perfection. We can receive His nature when we accept and believe in Him as Lord and Savior. All will be judged at the final judgment. Those who have rejected Christ will be cast away. Those who have believed in Jesus, will be defended by Him - they are forgiven, and have received newness of life, the life of Jesus Christ. There is no condemnation for us, because He took it all upon Himself. There will be no spot or stain in or on us. Not because we are worthy, but because He took our sin upon Himself.

V. 7 - “Clean out the old leaven” - Paul here likens “a little sin” in the church to leaven. It only takes a little to change the nature of the body. Get rid of the offending situation. Scrape the bowl clean! Wash it. The new dough in the clean bowl will be clean and pure. Do not allow sinful behavior by church members be the definition of the Christian church the world sees.

“You are in fact unleavened” - You are Jesus’ own people, or body. You are as pure as He is pure. Believe it and live it. You are unadulterated. Demonstrate that to the whole world. A stained church allows the world to believe that Christ Himself may be stained and not worth the faith in Him. It doesn't take much to cause problems.

An example: One of our sons has decided he no longer believes in Christ (we continually pray for his return). He also hates Donald Trump. He told us that he was doubting our Christian faith because we supported Trump for President. How could a Christian support such an evil person? It made no difference to him that we were not looking to Trump as a church pastor, leader, or savior - only as the best choice for the secular job of President running in 2020. There were only two choices - both were flawed men. I realized as we talked with him that we and he were operating on different sets of information. His information painted Trump as an evil, corrupt villain. We knew he is not perfect, but the data we had showed him to be a far better )choice than the alternative. So, the conclusion I drew was he considered that my choice of political candidate meant my Christian faith was suspect.

“Christ our Passover also has been sacrificed” - The lamb without blemish was sacrificed to free the Israelite families from bondage in Egypt. (Exo 12:21ff) The lambs sacrificed on the altar of the Tabernacle or Temple washed the sins that had been committed for the past year. The Israelites also brought a sacrifice to cover sins they had committed, not just at Passover. (Lev 4, 5) Christ, being the Lord’s Passover Lamb, was a perfect sinless sacrifice for all sin for all time. The Israelites had to present the sacrifice to have their sins forgiven. They could not ‘piggyback’ on their neighbor’s sacrifice - they had to do it themselves. Similarly, you and I cannot expect to receive forgiveness of sin based on Christ’s sacrifice if we do not believe and accept it into our own lives. Our parents cannot do it for us; our brothers or sisters cannot.  Eternal life and forgiveness of sin is available to all, but only efficacious for the few. (Mat 22:14)

V. 8 - “Therefore let us celebrate the feast” - Not talking about a meal here. Although there will be a big celebration when Christ returns and we are all assembled with Him and the Father. See: “Then he said to me, ‘Write: Blessed are those invited to the marriage feast of the Lamb!’ He also said to me, ‘These words of God are true.’” (Rev. 19:9).

This could be a hint toward taking communion, where we celebrate or remember His death and resurrection.

Personally, I think this is an image of the joy we should be sharing because we are in Christ. We have eternal life in Him. We are free from sin in Him.

“the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth” - There can be no true celebration of Christ’s wondrous gift of salvation if we are tainted by malice and wickedness. If we hold grudges with hatred and anger toward someone, how can we be filled and controlled by the Holy Spirit? Not possible. If you have ill-will toward someone, and want to see them hurt or suffer - the love of God, the power of the Holy Spirit is not in you.

This verse is addressed to the church in which the offending person (see verses 6:1-5) is being chastised or removed from fellowship because of sinful behavior. The church must take this action with seriousness, reverence, and maybe a little fear of the Lord. It does no good for the church members to get angry and wish harm on the offender. The body of Christ suffers when one of the believers is mired in sinful behavior. That destroys the witness to the unsaved world. If the church does not have better morals than the world, why take on the ‘baggage’ of the church? So: the church cannot abide by immoral behavior (in the Corinthian church it was a man and his mother acting like lovers (that just kind of makes me go, “Ewwww!”). The church must remove that person, or lead them to repentance. If repentance is rejected and there is no change of heart or action, those people must be removed from fellowship in the church.

That is where is this verse begins to take on meaning. Sincerity and truth must guide the church body as it disciplines the offender. Anger has no place here, wickedness would take precedence, rather than a spirit of humility and grace. The desire to punish would overwhelm love and discipline.

Wickedness has no place in the church - whether in immoral behavior, or hard hearts and evil attitudes. Malice has no place in the church - whether between individuals or between the church body and an individual.

1 Corinthians 5:1-5 - Rules For harmonious living

Introduction: In the previous chapters, Paul reprimanded them for separating themselves into factions based on who had preached the gospel to them. He also warned them away from false doctrines and teachings. Paul now begins to deal with specific problems in the Corinthian church. In some ways, the church in Corinth is pattern of the church down through the ages - not a good pattern in some cases, but one in which we can see similar problems in our own church gathering.

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Chap. 5 - Rules For harmonious living
5:1-5 - Immorality and Arrogance
5:6-8 - Clean Out
5:9-13 - Keep the House Cleanx

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1 It is actually reported that there is immorality among you, and immorality of such a kind as does not exist even among the Gentiles, that someone has his father’s wife.
2 You have become arrogant and have not mourned instead, so that the one who had done this deed would be removed from your midst.
3 For I, on my part, though absent in body but present in spirit, have already judged him who has so committed this, as though I were present.
4 In the name of our Lord Jesus, when you are assembled, and I with you in spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus,
5 I have decided to deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of his flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.

1 Cor 5:1-5 - Immorality and Arrogance.

V. 1 - “It is actually reported that there is immorality among you” - According to some commentaries... because the area of sex was one of the most dramatic places where the ethics of Greek culture clashed with the ethics of Jesus. Sexual immorality was an accepted fact of life for the common person in Greek culture, but it was not to be so among the followers of Jesus. (See note 1, below) Actually, in our pop culture (movies, TV, music, sports), sexual immorality has become quite prevalent, both on screen and in real life. Consider in movies or TV how many times a young man and woman meet, for the first time, and it doesn't take long for them to be ripping each other’s clothes off in order to have sex. There are no recriminations, feelings of guilt, pledges to abstain written in the script. Did you know there is a pornography ‘academy award’ (not connected directly to the ‘Oscars’) but with the same premise - an award for the best sexual performer, best sex scenes, etc?

So it is not just the Greek culture from which the church needed to distance itself. Our own culture is intensely over-sexualized. I am not sure our society has a clear picture of ‘purity’.

"immorality of such a kind as does not exist even among the Gentiles” - Sexual immorality which even made the Greeks uncomfortable! This person (or persons) was having sex with his Dad’s wife - that’s his mother or step-mother, I don’t know which. The implication is that this was not just a one-time thing - which would be bad in and of itself - but this was an ongoing affair, also it seems this was happening while the father was still alive. Kinda makes you shudder and say, “Ewwwww!” This was so bad, even the Greeks thought it was out-of-bounds! Look back through the major prophets, sexual sin, especially infidelity, was one of the sins God hated most. Leaving God for other gods or religions was likened to prostitution. The relationship of God to a believer is pictured as a marriage. (See Note 2, below.) God equates unfaithfulness to Him with harlotry and prostitution.

V. 2 - “You have become arrogant and have not mourned instead” - There were notes on arrogance in 1 Cor 4:6, and 4:18, above. Why do they think they had license to do anything - anything - they pleased? Did they think they could act out with complete impunity? As Christians, did they misinterpret the freedoms they gained from the Law? They knew the Law no longer applied to them, if they were in Christ. They should have known the sacrifices, the holy day observances, the Sabbath rules no longer applied. Christ did away with all that. Did they think the the Ten Commandments no longer applied also? Did Christ negate the Law? A friend of mine, Gay Stavney, had a premise he often quoted, “A conclusion drawn based on illogical means cannot be refuted by logic.” A corollary is: “You cannot get back to the truth using logic, when the starting premise is faulty or illogical.”

They seemed to have started with the premise that nothing in the Law (for example: Exodus through Deuteronomy) applied to them any longer. Also, Gentile Christians appeared to think the Law had never applied to them. Their logical conclusion: they were not bound in any way to its instructions. They were free. If the truth is going to be told, that’s not quite true. Above all, God values faithfulness to Him, which includes moral purity.

“the one who had done this deed” - The Corinthian church should have been upset by the immorality of these people. Their behavior should have caused so much distress in the church community that the only thing they could have done was chastise the offenders. Warn them. Talk with them. If they do not stop this immoral behavior, they will be removed from the church.

Doing nothing about it is tacitly approving the behavior. This is not right. Not only were these people committing sin, the church was not sufficiently incensed to do anything about it.

V. 3 - “For I... have already judged him“ - I get mixed messages from this verse. One of the first things that comes to mind is: “Do not judge so that you will not be judged.” (Matt. 7:1) Jesus says something similar in Lk 6:37. However, Jesus also chastises the ‘spiritual leaders’ for their hypocrisy when they don’t rightly condemn sin. (See: Lk 12:57) Likewise in Jn 7:24, “Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment.” Is there a conflict in these varied verses? Most probably not. Jesus was not teaching us to stay silent in the evidence of sin. The standard you use to make moral and value judgments can also be used against you. Using scriptures, or God’s commands, as the basis for judgment is appropriate.

V. 4-5 - “In the name of our Lord Jesus... I have decided to deliver such a one to Satan” - Based on the information Paul has (he considers the information true), decided that action needs to be taken against this person. The idea of delivering someone to Satan is mind boggling. I am thinking, “What?! Condemning that person to hell?” This does not compute!

I am not sure if the church member is saved and has fallen completely carnal, or if the person is not at all saved and has infiltrated the church. For now, I will assume the offending man is a Christian, but deep into sin, thereby carnal. He is not living in the power of the Holy Spirit! (A huge understatement) This of course means that the image of the church and of Christ is being harmed by his behavior. Why would any person want to be involved with a group of people that condone such evil behavior?

I do not believe Paul was condemning this man to hell. First, Paul does not have that authority or power - that is God’s alone. Second, the rest of the sentence clarifies the ‘deliver’ statement

“so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus” - I think this means the man will, somehow and I don’t know how, be allowed to be tormented by Satan. I look back to the Old Testament and the amount of turmoil and pain the Israelites went through because they would not obey. Attacked and over-run by Assyria, beset on all sides by Philistines, Edomites, Ammonites, Egypt, and exile in Babylon. Many of these trials were allowed by God in order to get their attention, to urge them to repent and fall into the loving arms of the Lord. But they refused to listen (Zech. 7:11-13), and so a great wrath fell upon them. Paul may be asking the Lord to allow the man to be persecuted by Satan, in hopes the man will repent, and be forgiven (or recognize the grace and forgiveness that are his because of Jesus’ death and sacrifice), and return to the church, to Jesus. If the man was not a believer, then perhaps the persecution by Satan will pierce his conscience, and he will realize there is a better way - the way of Jesus Christ our Lord.

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Note 1: “Study Guide for 1 Corinthians 5”, David Guzik, 2013.
Note 2: I don’t understand how one man can have several wives, but one woman cannot have several husbands. This is not clearly spelled out in the OT laws and instructions. For example if a woman is divorced, and she marries another man, she cannot go back to marry the first man again. (See: Jer. 3:1)
Note 3: The ‘New American Standard Bible’ (NASB) uses ‘immorality’ here for a term that means sexual immoral behavior. (The Greek word is the source for our word ‘pornography’.) >***

1 Corinthians 4:18-21 - I am Coming to You

18 Now some have become arrogant, as though I were not coming to you.
19 But I will come to you soon, if the Lord wills, and I shall find out, not the words of those who are arrogant but their power.
20 For the kingdom of God does not consist in words but in power.
21 What do you desire? Shall I come to you with a rod, or with love and a spirit of gentleness?

The Kingdom of God Consists of Power

V. 18 - “Some have become arrogant” - These people have strayed from the truth, “fallen off the wagon”, and are teaching falsehoods. Because they believe Paul is not returning to Corinth, they see no reason to remain faithful. This is not just a problem with the Corinthian church - all humans tend to rebellion, especially if they are sure no one is looking, or will catch them. If you read the Isaiah or Jeremiah, you will see this as a recurring theme. Because God is “not paying attention”, anything goes. The Corinthian church is making the same egregious error as the Jews of ancient Israel and Judah.

V. 19 - “I shall find out” - If God allows Paul to return to Corinth he will determine for himself what is going on in that church.

“Not their words... but their power” - Are they living in the power of the Holy Spirit? Are they living by their own devices and power? The Holy Spirit is the source of the overflowing life (John 7:37-39). God has provided for us an abundant and fruitful Christian life. (John 10:10, 15:5; Gal. 5:22, 23; Acts 1:8). (See Note 1, below)

Carnal Christians cannot experience the abundant and fruitful life. The carnal man trusts his own efforts to life he Christian life. (Rom. 5:8-10, 7:5-24; Heb. 10:1-25, 1 John 1; 2:1-3; 2 Peter 1:9; Acts 1:8)

Jesus promised the abundant and fruitful life as the result of being filled (directed and empowered) by the Holy Spirit. The Spirit-filled life is the Christ-directed life by which Christ lives His life in and through us in the power of the Holy Spirit. (John 15) - (see note 1 below).

V. 20 - “the kingdom of God does not consist in words but in power” - What you say can be a manifestation of who you are. But the Spirit-filled life is demonstrated by your behavior - your physical life if manifestation of your spiritual life. What is said may not always be the truth - we lie to ourselves as much as we lie to others. We cannot lie to God (we may try, but God knows and reveals all; He cannot be fooled). He will not lie to us.

When Paul comes, it will not be to just talk to them. He will come in the power of the Holy Spirit, and will offer reproof, correction, love and power in the Spirit.

V. 21 - “What do you desire?” - Paul is asking which do you prefer: chastisement, or gentle love and teaching? Paul is going to teach no matter where he goes. The question remains if they want to remain rebellious to receive stern correction and teaching, or if they want encouragement and instruction with love and tenderness? It is their choice.

This is our choice, also. We can follow the guidance of the Holy Spirit, patterning our lives after the leading of Christ. We can follow our own guidance, rejecting the leading of the Holy Spirit, knowing full well that our path with diverge from the path Christ would have us follow. Listen to the Lord, wherever you go: “You will hear a word spoken behind you, saying, ‘This is the correct way, walk in it,’ whether you are heading to the right or the left.” (Isa. 30:21). He will always be with you, to guide you, to help you, uphold you, comfort and teach.

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Note 1: For a more complete explanation and to discover how you can be filled and empowered by the Holy Spirit, please see and use the booklet “Have You Made the Wonderful Discovery of the Spirit-filled Life”, by William R. Bright, President, Campus Crusade International.
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End of Chapter

1 Corinthians 4:14-17 - This is Not to Shame You

14 I do not write these things to shame you, but to admonish you as my beloved children.
15 For if you were to have countless tutors in Christ, yet you would not have many fathers, for in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel.
16 Therefore I exhort you, be imitators of me.
17 For this reason I have sent to you Timothy, who is my beloved and faithful child in the Lord, and he will remind you of my ways which are in Christ, just as I teach everywhere in every church.

Be Imitators of Me!

V. 14 - “I do not write these things to shame you” - He is not trying to make them feel bad.

“admonish you as my beloved children” - He is giving them instructions. He is telling them where they are off-track, and the steps they need to take. “This is where you have gone wrong. This is what you need to do to become right again.” Guiding them as a father would teach his children, helping them learn the correct way to behave.
Our modern society has become very “feelings” oriented. Many rules, laws and decisions are made so peoples’ feelings are not hurt. Sometimes it seems that it doesn’t matter what the facts or reality of the situation may be. We will make decisions so people can feel good about themselves. We don’t deal with the sin that is causing the problem, but we feel good about ourselves.

V. 15 - “for in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel.” - Paul was there when they accepted Christ as Lord and Savior. Paul was the first to lead them to Christ. There may be many others that will come along to offer instruction and guidance. No matter how many teachers and preachers may come through their life, only one person was present at their new birth.

I committed my life to Christ in Dallas, TX during “Explo ‘72”. We had daily meetings in which the speaker, Howard Ball would teach us. Bill Bright would speak also, but it was Howard that had the deepest impact on me. His teaching and instruction helped me to see that I needed to turn my life over to Christ. I had grown up going to church with my parents. I had believed in Jesus and was baptized when I was a child. But it wasn’t until Explo ‘72 that it finally dawned on me what I needed to do. And, I will forever be grateful to Dave Nelson who mentored me and guided me in my spiritual growth, but it was Howard in Dallas who was there at my new birth.

V. 16 - “Therefore I exhort you, be imitators of me” - How confident Paul is in his faith! Am I brave enough to encourage others to copy me and my Christian lifestyle? People should know I am a Christian. People should not be turned off to Jesus Christ because of my behavior. Even though you may not be a teacher or preacher, you are a Christian and your life is scrutinized by all around you.

V. 17 - “For this reason I have sent to you Timothy” - Timothy began to work with Paul after he and Silas worked their way through the area of Cilicia (An area of southern Turkey - which is between the Mediterranean Sea and the Black Sea), and met in the town of Lystra. Timothy was the son of a Jewish mother and Greek father.
An interesting part of this account is that Paul asked Timothy to be circumcised, and he agreed. You may wonder at that, since Paul’s ministry was primarily to the Gentiles. Paul started almost every encounter in a town or city in a synagogue. The devout Jews would not speak or discuss with Timothy if he was not circumcised. Therefore his circumcision opened doors for Paul and Timothy to share the gospel.
Timothy’s circumcision was not a religious rite that made him acceptable to God. Think about that: he would do whatever it takes to be able to share Christ. It was pain and suffering endured so that he would not be hindered in sharing the gospel with anyone - Jew or Gentile. Silas and Timothy became such trusted co-workers that he had no qualms sending them to churches, or leaving them in cities to continue preaching. Paul could trust them to teach and preach.

“He will remind you of my ways which are in Christ” - Timothy was more than a co-worker. He is called “a beloved and faithful child in the Lord”. Being a solid and well-grounded believer, he could trusted to teach the principles of being a child of God. He will teach the same things Paul teaches, which Paul learned from the Lord Jesus Christ.

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1 Corinthians 4:9-13 - The Trials of Being an Apostle

9 For, I think, God has exhibited us apostles last of all, as men condemned to death; because we have become a spectacle to the world, both to angels and to men.
10 We are fools for Christ’s sake, but you are prudent in Christ; we are weak, but you are strong; you are distinguished, but we are without honor.
11 To this present hour we are both hungry and thirsty, and are poorly clothed, and are roughly treated, and are homeless;
12 and we toil, working with our own hands; when we are reviled, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure;
13 when we are slandered, we try to conciliate; we have become as the scum of the world, the dregs of all things, even until now.

You Are Strong, Distinguished!

V. 9 - “God has exhibited us apostles last of all” - God called the prophets in “the old days”. But the people did not listen or obey. “But they refused to pay attention and turned a stubborn shoulder and stopped their ears from hearing. They made their hearts like flint so that they could not hear the law and the words which the LORD of hosts had sent by His Spirit through the former prophets; therefore great wrath came from the LORD of hosts.” (Zech. 7:11-12)

God send His Son to proclaim peace and salvation with God. But the people did not listen - they crucified Him. “Therefore let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made Him both Lord and Christ--this Jesus whom you crucified.” (Acts 2:36) Jew or Gentile - both rejected the gift from God. See: “but we preach Christ crucified, to Jews a stumbling block and to Gentiles foolishness” (1 Cor. 1:23) The end for those who rejected Him will not be pretty. “And their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city which mystically is called Sodom and Egypt, where also their Lord was crucified.” (Rev. 11:8) They did not just turn their backs on Him, they killed Him.

God has called the apostles to spread the gospel of forgiveness and love through His Son, Jesus Christ. As Paul said earlier in this letter, “servants of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God.” The apostles and missionaries are not received any better than the prophets or the Messiah.

“Spectacle to the world” - Paul includes the fact they (Paul, and others) face opposition, including being jailed and executed (See: “condemned to death”). The apostles are not sneaking about in secret. They are proclaiming Christ publicly. Paul spoke to kings and religious leaders. He spoke to the learned scholars of the world in Athens. He spoke with the power leaders of Rome. He is out there, speaking for Christ in the spiritual and earthly realms.

V. 10 - “We are fools for Christ’s sake, but you are prudent in Christ” - Paul speaks of the mercy of Jesus Christ in order to be true to his calling. In the face of intense opposition and hatred, Paul preaches Christ. It would seem foolish to put yourself out there in danger. You can almost hearing people saying to Paul, “Are you nuts!?”

Paul has praised their prudence in Christ. This does not mean they are hiding their faith, huddled in the basement. It means they have listened and responded. They have not rejected Christ as did the religious leaders. Their prudence and wisdom is demonstrated in their faith.

“We are weak, but you are strong” - Paul is encouraging them to be faithful. He may appear to be weak because he is constantly persecuted. They have strength beyond their understanding because they have the Lord. Our strength in the Lord is dependent upon the amount of trust we are willing to place in Him. There is no need to rely upon our own will power to succeed in our spiritual life. That is the paradox we live in - the life and power of the Lord is ours, but we bumble along, trying to tough it out.

“We are without honorr” - (you are distinguished) - Again, more encouragement. In this case, Paul is building them up, while claiming no honor for himself.

V. 11-13 - “Hungry... thirsty... poorly clothed... roughly treated... homeless” - A litany of the trials and tribulations of being an apostle! He is not complaining, but pointing out he is not traveling by corporate jet, being chauffeured in a stretch limo, making his missionary headquarters in a Hilton hotel suite.

“We toil... work, when we are reviled... blessed, when we are persecuted... endure” - In spite of those things arrayed against his ministry, his mission, Paul is still at work.

“Slandered... conciliate, scum of the world, dregs...” - He knows what the world, the non-believing world, thinks of him. What the world thinks is of little import, because it is what the Lord judges that matters. Paul is not thumbing his nose at the world, but is remaining faithful to the call given him.

He is not denigrating his call as an apostle or missionary, but is letting them know what he goes through to remain faithful to that call. We whine and complain about the disrespect and disdain the secular world around us shows to Christians. Paul did not face just a bad attitude towards him. He faced persecution and death. We need have an attitude more like Paul.

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1 Corinthians 4:6-8 - Which of You is Superior?

6 Now these things, brethren, I have figuratively applied to myself and Apollos for your sakes, so that in us you may learn not to exceed what is written, so that no one of you will become arrogant in behalf of one against the other.
7 For who regards you as superior? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received
8 You are already filled, you have already become rich, you have become kings without us; and indeed, I wish that you had become kings so that we also might reign with you.

Don’t Become Arrogant

V. 6 - “I have figuratively applied to myself and Apollos for your sakes” - Don’t pass judgment against each other based on your favorite evangelist. Whether it might be McGee, or Moody, or Calvin, or Graham (or in this case - Paul or Apollos) is of little importance. The Gospel is what matters.
Paul is applying this standard to himself, Apollos, Peter and others. He will not judge the ministry of these missionary-apostles. As long as they are preaching Christ and Him crucified, he has no problem with their message.

“No one of you will become arrogant” - No one is to place themselves as better than another. Claiming that high ground is placing your opinion equal with God’s.

Arrogance is not a new problem for believers, or so-called believers. Read through Isaiah or Jeremiah. Note how often it is said the people became arrogant towards God. Arrogance usually comes from not believing God’s warnings - refusing to believe He will do what He said He will do. It is coming to the erroneous conclusion that they can handle whatever God can dish out.

If we say we know more than God, about any situation, we have supplanted God as Lord of our lives. Refusing to obey, either by active rebellion or passive indifference, (That is a succinct definition of ‘sin’) is placing our mind, understanding, and will above the Lord’s. Refusing to place yourself in the proper order of things, with respect to God and His commands, is arrogance. It is refusing to see that it will not end well for you. As an example: I love to play golf, and have a handicap rating of 18 (really good golfers have a “0” handicap). It only takes a couple of holes when playing with a low handicap golfer to know that I have no chance of beating him. It would be foolish to challenge that golfer. Arrogance (stupidity) would tell me that I can take him.

V. 7 - “For who regards you as superior?” - Other than you yourself?

“What do you have that you did not receive?” - What did you do to earn salvation? What did you do that will pay the cost of your sin? How have you made yourself spotless and sinless before the Lord? If you could do that, then you could have a claim. As long as your salvation is given to you by God, there is nothing you can claim. Paul knows: “It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost of all. Yet for this reason I found mercy, so that in me as the foremost, Jesus Christ might demonstrate His perfect patience as an example for those who would believe in Him for eternal life.” (1 Tim. 1:15-16)

“Why do you boast as if you had not received it?” - We all are totally dependent on God’s mercy and patience. “So then it does not depend on the man who wills or the man who runs, but on God who has mercy.” (Rom. 9:16) God makes the salvation possible. We can respond to His call. “For if by the transgression of the one, death reigned through the one, much more those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.” (Rom. 5:17). The one death - Jesus Christ died for our sin - paid for us all. We have eternal life in Him. “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Rom. 6:23) Eternal life for you and me has been purchased by His blood.

V. 8 - “You are already filled, you have already become rich” - There is no need to build yourselves up in your or others’ estimation. You accepted Christ as savior - and Paul wasn’t there when it happened! And yet, you are still saved!

“[You] have become kings without us” - Because of Christ, we have all been given a ‘step up’ - we are now children of the living God, the Lord and King of the universe. A king’s children are royalty - and can be kings (or queens) themselves. You are royalty! The Lord and King is your Father who is in heaven. “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; for you once were not a people, but now you are the people of God; you had not received mercy, but now you have Received Mercy.” (1 Pet. 2:9-10) You were nothing. Now you are someone special!

“I wish that you had become kings” - I think Paul is making a gentle jest here. We are royalty in God’s kingdom. Paul is giving a little elbow in the ribs by telling them if they were made kings here on earth then he would be a king right along side them. Knowing that kingship here on earth is a paltry thing compared to reigning with God for eternity.

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1 Cor 4:1-5 - We Are Servants

Chapter 4 Outline:

4:1-5 - We Are Servants
4:6-8 - Fools, or, Do not be Arrogant
4:9-13 - Working to build you up
4:14-21 - Admonishments

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Introduction

Paul begins to wrap up the admonishment started in chapter 1:10 regarding who is the better believer  based on who led them to faith in Christ. Who is more ‘Christian’? Were you saved through J. Vernon McGee, or D. L. Moody, or Billy Graham? Which one of those makes you more saved, a better disciple? What? None of the above? Are you sure you are saved, then? That is the type of argument that was consuming the Corinthian church. Paul did not want special adulation from the church members, did not want worship. He knows he answers to the Lord. In fact, he is not comfortable analyzing his own performance.

1 Corinthians 4:1-5 - Christ Evaluates Our Service

1 Let a man regard us in this manner, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God.
2 In this case, moreover, it is required of stewards that one be found trustworthy.
3 But to me it is a very small thing that I may be examined by you, or by any human court; in fact, I do not even examine myself.
4 For I am conscious of nothing against myself, yet I am not by this acquitted; but the one who examines me is the Lord.
5 Therefore do not go on passing judgment before the time, but wait until the Lord comes who will both bring to light the things hidden in the darkness and disclose the motives of men’s hearts; and then each man’s praise will come to him from God.

So No One Can Boast

V. 1 - “Let a man regard us in this manner” - Let’s be realistic. We - Paul, Apollos, Peter - have a job to do for the Lord. That is how we want to be judged. Don’t raise Paul or Apollos up on a pedestal, to be revered.

“servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God” - Judge the missionaries, ministers, pastors, or teachers on this: have they clearly taught the words of God - salvation in Jesus Christ, eternal life, forgiveness of sin, and love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (See: Gal. 5:22-23).

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Generally, a servant works for someone. A servant is not usually an independent operator, i.e., they are not given lots of latitude, or free reign, but follow instructions, directions or commands. (See Note 1, below)

A steward is responsible manages the affairs of another, and seems to have the freedom to utilize methods and techniques to achieve a goal. An example would be a financial advisor or manager - you hand over your ‘nest egg’, the advisor manages it. You don’t ‘micro-manage’, because you probably don’t have the expertise. There are basic goals for your account, and how these are met may be a mystery to you, but not to the financial advisor (you hope).

God called Paul, et. al., to be missionaries, apostles. Their service was to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ. (See: Acts 2:6; 1 Cor. 2:2; Gal. 6:14) They were also called to explain the miracle of Jesus - the mystery. (Note: a ‘mystery’ is something God does in and through Christ that was not clearly prophesied or predicted in the Old Testament scriptures.) The Jews were looking anxiously for the Messiah, but somehow could not see the Messiah in Jesus Christ. The were looking for a victorious savior, but didn’t foresee His victory over death and His resurrection. Not only did they not anticipate Jesus’ victory over death, they were blinded to the actual event, and opposed those who did believe and accept Jesus as Savior. Paul’s eyes, and others eyes, were opened by the Lord to be able to see how Jesus fulfilled all the prophesies, and he taught these ‘mysteries’ to the new Christians.

Even more so when addressing Gentiles. Most Jews were familiar (or at least, should have been) with the prophesied Messiah. Gentiles’ understanding of the Jewish faith is probably very limited - Sabbath, circumcision (maybe), yarmulke (men’s skull caps), Israel, Jerusalem, etc. Paul’s evangelistic message would be the same to Jews and Gentiles - “Jesus died for your sins, according to the scriptures, and He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the scriptures...” (See: 1 Cor. 15:3-9) For Gentiles, the prophecies about the Christ may indeed be “mysteries”, and will need clarification and explanation. Most other religions in that era were not about making you a better person, forgiving your sins - most were appeals to get stuff from the gods. Nothing was done to relieve guilt, take away sin, give you hope.)

V. 2 - “it is required of stewards that one be found trustworthy” - If your house manager is not trustworthy, you fire him. If your financial manager mismanages, you get someone else. The stakes here are even higher - eternal life or death. In reality, we all are required to be trustworthy with respect to our salvation and witness to the world.

V. 3 - “it is a very small thing that I may be examined by you” - Paul says, “You may think you judge me. I don’t even judge myself.” This does not mean Paul runs wild, doing anything he feels. He is well aware he must answer to the Lord, and it is only to the Lord. He knows the Lord misses nothing - good or bad. Paul knows what he is called to do. He is doing his best to follow God’s instructions to him. Paul is not thinking, “I am doing pretty well.” This kind of self congratulations usually involves comparing our own performance to some one else. God does not compare my actions to another’s. He judges my actions by His commands.

V. 4 - “The one who examines me is the Lord” - Paul emphasizes that it is not his own judgment that determines if he has met the Lord’s commands.

V. 5 - “Therefore do not go on passing judgment” - Mind you own business. Again, this is not carte blanche license to do anything (I mean anything). Committing sin is not acceptable in any circumstance. Forming factions based on who delivered the gospel message - Paul, Apollos, Barnabas, or Peter - is the issue here. How is “Christ died for your sin” correct if Paul says it, but not correct if Peter says it? We saw something similar when opponents of Jesus were going through the countryside preaching the gospel in order to cause trouble. When Jesus’ disciples objected, they were told the gospel is being preached even so. (See: Mark 9:36-40)

“Each man’s praise will come to him from God” - Wait for it. Let God sort it out. It is not your job to judge the work of another. Only the Lord can do this. Jesus deals with each of us on an individual level, and we do not have any authority to question that. See how Jesus dealt with this in John 21:20-23. 

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Note 1: There is a variety of appellations ascribed to Christians in the NT. We are children of God (1 John 3:2);  we are Jesus’s own people, He has purchased us by His blood (John 8:31); we are servants (Heb 4:1); we are slaves (Eph 6:6); we are the church (Mat 16:18, Acts 8:1), etc.  

1 Cor. 3:18-23 - You Belong to Christ

18 Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you thinks that he is wise in this age, he must become foolish, so that he may become wise.
19 For the wisdom of this world is foolishness before God. For it is written, "He is THE ONE WHO CATCHES THE WISE IN THEIR CRAFTINESS";
20 and again, "THE LORD KNOWS THE REASONINGS of the wise, THAT THEY ARE USELESS."
21 So then let no one boast in men. For all things belong to you,
22 whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or things present or things to come; all things belong to you,
23 and you belong to Christ; and Christ belongs to God.

No Bragging!

V. 18 - “Let no man deceive himself” - That is one thing we are really, really good at doing! No one likes to think they are as bad as they actually are. Self-deception is one of the powerful tools we use against our own best interests. (See: Gal. 6:3) Our pride and arrogance blinds us to our faults. (See also: Prov. 11:2; 15:25; 16:5; 18, 19; 18:12; 21:4, 24)

“Thinks he is wise in this age” - You may think you have all under control...

“Must become foolish” - It is time to reassess. If the non-believing world (“this age”) is telling you that you are doing the right thing by rejecting God’s offer and guidance - remember, the world’s wisdom is not God’s wisdom.

Stop. Re-think what you are doing. What is better for you in the long run, i.e., eternity? You may need to be “foolish” (as the non-believing world considers “wise” vs. “foolish”) and turn to the Lord Jesus, confess your sin and be cleansed. That’s the point you actually become “wise”, when you trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. (See: Prov. 3:5-8)

V. 19 - “the wisdom of this world is foolishness before God” - We think we are so smart. We are so scientific, understanding everything. We believe, we depend on SCIENCE! Yet we are so ignorant of the things of God. We look into the far reaches of the universe, trying to look back into time, to discover how the universe was made. We can’t even be sure, scientifically, when it was made. We have no idea, scientifically, how life started on the earth, how the animals came into being, nor humans. We have THEORIES! These are ‘scientific guesses’, masquerading as knowledge. (See Note 1, below) You may wish to reject the concept that God spoke the universe into existence. You are helpless in proving otherwise.

The physical universe is but a tiny part of what we don’t know about God. The areas of interpersonal relationships, of governments and governing, of peace and war - all of these, as we look at history show how little we know about what we are doing. Man’s inhumanity to man is not an isolated incident. It runs rampant throughout the world.

“For it is written....” - Quoted from Job 5:13. “He frustrates the plans of the crafty so that their hands cannot accomplish what they had planned! He catches the wise in their own craftiness, and the counsel of the cunning is brought to a quick end.” Mankind operates upon its own knowledge and power. We see what devastation we cause - human-to-human. God wants us to assess what we are and do, and He provides a better way. Our own wisdom and craftiness brings pain and destruction. God provides love and forgiveness. We want the forgiveness, but do not want to give it. Because we refuse to live by God’s standards, we live in pain and suffering.

V. 20 - “and again” - Quoted from Psalm 94:11- “The LORD knows the thoughts of man, That they are futile.” If the thoughts of man are directed by the Lord, the futility begins to dwindle away. Human futility seems to be a permanent feature of our existence, most likely due stubbornness and habit. God’s wisdom within us must be nurtured. It is not natural to us. Rebellion and rejection of God and His ways are more natural to humans.

V. 21 - “So then let no one boast in men” - Don’t brag that you were saved by Paul, therefore you are a better Christian; or vice-versa for Apollos, or Peter.

“For all things belong to you” - This seems to be an odd, off-the-wall conclusion. Think on this - if you have Jesus, then Paul, Apollos, and Peter are mere bagatelles (I almost likened them to carnival trinkets, but that is a bridge too far. But, yet, they are not Christ. Wonderful and as grateful as we can be for their faithful service bringing the message of salvation - they are not Christ.)

If you are the Lord’s own, because you have believed in Him and accepted Him as Lord and Savior - you have the mind of Christ. (See: 1 Cor. 2:16) When Jesus Christ is our Lord and Savior, we have the Holy Spirit. (See: John 14:16, 26; 15:26) He will place the necessary understanding in our mind and thoughts when needed. Christ is not an ancillary add-on to our lives. He is not a repair job, where the dents are pounded out, or “bondo” is used to fill in and smooth over damage, a new coat of paint added to cover blemishes. He is not “part of our lives - Jesus IS our life.

The "all things" referred to here are not new cars, new houses, fancy clothes, money, money, money! All the things the Lord gives - peace, forgiveness, sanctification, redemption, salvation, God the Father, God the Holy Spirit, etc., - these are yours in full. How about love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, kindness, faithfulness gentleness, and self-control? Yours in full! (See: Gal. 5:22-23) How about whatever is true, honorable, right, pure, or lovely, whatever is of good repute, excellence, and worthy of praise? Yours in full! What about the peace of God, and peace with God? Yours in full! (See: Phil. 4:8)

V. 22 - "All are yours" - What a list! The eight items in Philippians listed above encompass all there is or may be. Paul expands on those here in this verse to include: People they know, people important in their lives; the world around them; life; death; now and not-yet!
“Paul, Apollos, Cephas” - These men brought them to Christ, mentored them in their faith helping them grow closer to Jesus.
“world” - Where they live, their towns, their family, neighbors, authorities, governments, etc.
“life or death” - How you are living now. What will you be when you die.
“things present or things to come” - Every thing you will experience in this life, or the life to come.

“For all things belong to you” - Repeated for emphasis. Paul says the world is yours. You have new life in Christ. This isn’t just slogan, church-talk.

V. 23 - “and you belong to Christ; and Christ belongs to God” - If  “you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” (Rom. 10:9-10)

In Christ you have life. See: John 20:31; Rom. 6:3, 8:9; Gal. 3:27; Eph. 2:5, 13; Col. 2:6, 3:1; 2 Tim. 3:15; 1 John 1:3. See, also: John 3:35, 14:12, 28, 16:10, 20:17; Matt. 11:27, 16:27; Mark 8:38,13:32; Luke 10:22.

If you have accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, you are His.

You are safe and secure. No one can take you away from Him. All power has been given to Christ from the Father. All power belongs to God - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Many people have the honor and privilege to serve Jesus Christ as missionaries, preachers, and teachers. Their job is to be the conduit through which the Spirit of God flows to tell the world of the love which Christ wants to share and bless the world. They are not the message, Christ is the message of hope and salvation.
It is important to realize that it is not just pastors and missionaries that are to take the Gospel into the world. It is you and me. We are to share the Good News of salvation in Jesus Christ to our neighbors, our towns, our nation. Our life is to portray Jesus living in us. We are to speak words of grace and hope to those around us.

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Note 1: I learned a couple of terms in my engineering career: one was "WAG", another was "SWAG", when referring to conclusions drawn. "WAG" is an acronym for "Wild-A..-Guess. "SWAG" is short for "Scientific-Wild-A..-Guess".
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End of Chapter

1 Cor. 3:16-17 - Temple of God

16 Do you not know that you are a temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?
17 If any man destroys the temple of God, God will destroy him, for the temple of God is holy, and that is what you are.

You Are the Temple of God, and Holy

V. 16 - “you are a temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you” - The Tabernacle (from Moses’ time through David’s) and then the Temple (Solomon’s time until it was destroyed by Babylon) was where the Lord resided. (See: Exo. 40:34-35; 1 Ki. 8:11; 2 Chr. 5:14, 7:1-3) I do not think there is any reference to the glory of the Lord filling the several rebuilt temples, starting with Ezra/Nehemiah up through the coming of Jesus.

Do not misunderstand, God was not confined to the Holy of Holies room in the Tabernacle or Temple. But, except for relatively rare instances, in the Old Testament, God did not enter and empower individuals. The men who built the Tabernacle, or constructed the several accoutrements in the Temple (Ark of the Covenant, Altar, etc.), were filled with the Holy Spirit empowering them to do the work per God’s instructions. When the work was completed, the Holy Spirit no longer filled them.

The Holy of Holies, and God’s presence there would seem to provide ‘tangible’ evidence that there is a God, and He is with them. As if getting Israel out of Egypt miraculously, etc., was not enough! I suppose that people could say, “That was then! Where is He now, when we need Him?!”

This statement, “You are the temple of God...” has massive implications and meaning for the Jews, especially the Jews in that time period. They still had a Temple in Jerusalem. They believed God’s presence was to be found in the Holy of Holies, with the Ark of the Covenant, and the Seraphim. This place was so holy that only the high priest, after cleansing and offerings for himself, was allowed to enter. Jews from all over the world, not just Judea and Samaria, made treks to Jerusalem to present their offerings and sacrifices. Non-Jewish people also would understand, perhaps not in the same intensity, the importance of a Temple. I have seen and read in magazines and books the ruins of temples to the various gods and goddesses, (I have never been to Greece or Rome, etc.).  Temples are where you go to meet god. (That thought process lives in us even in our ‘enlightened selves’ - consider all massive elegant cathedrals or temples the various denominations and religious organizations have constructed.)

By massive implications, consider the following: No longer must you go to Jerusalem to speak with God, to offer sacrifice, to be cleansed and forgiven. God is with you. God is in you. The Temple and the various altars and tables and appliances had to be cleansed and purified before they could be used. (See: Exo. 29:10ff) The cleansing was always with blood.

You, personally, are now a Temple of God. You have been cleansed by the blood Jesus shed on the cross. By His death you have been made holy - holy enough for the God of the universe to be in you. No longer do you make a trek across land or sea to a place to meet with God, to be forgiven, cleansed and used for His glory. No longer do you need a certain man or priest to stand in for you - between you and God! God is there with you, there inside your heart, mind, and soul. You talk directly to God Himself. You do not need a pastor, a minister, Bible Study leader, elder or deacon to speak to God. You have Jesus, the Son of God, God Himself to talk to, to pray to.

Meditate on that, and allow the massive implication blow your mind. It is staggering, frightening, and wonderful.

V. 17 - “If any man destroys the temple of God” - I think this has a two-fold meaning: persecution of Christ believers, and being led away from your belief and faith in Christ by enemies of God. Enemies of God will try to destroy the person as well as the faith of that person. Coercion, jail, torture, murder - all of these and more will be used to destroy Jesus’ own. In so-called civilized countries, believers are pressured to abandon the faith, to turn their backs on Jesus in order to save jobs, reputations, homes, families. Sometimes the pressure is very subtle, but pressure none-the-less. In less civilized areas, believers are martyred. We have seen that very thing happen in the Middle East countries, in Africa, led by extremists.

“God will destroy him,  for the temple of God is holy” - Note that God does not destroy the believer, but the oppressor. Again, an amazing statement - you are a holy temple for the Lord! I look at myself, and am astounded the God considers ‘this’ as holy! Yet, God has not changed. God was Holy when He brought the people of Israel out of Egypt. He was Holy, and commanded the Tabernacle, and later the Temple to be made pure and holy for His presence. He filled the Holy of Holies in the Tabernacle and Temple when they were purified.

God is Holy, and always will be Holy. And this Holy God will live within you, making you holy also. That same terrifying presence is at peace in you because you accept and believe Jesus has shed His blood for your sins. You have been purified, sanctified, and made holy for the God of the universe to be in you.

God will bring every act to judgement. (Eccl 12:14) He will not be disrespected. You are His holy dwelling place. God no longer dwells in a temple, tabernacle, or cathedral. God dwells in us, in people. I do not know the extent of the ‘destruction’, nor when it comes about. I do know that I do not want to be on the receiving end of that wrath. Everything, everyone who rejects God and Jesus will be unholy, and will have no place in the New Jerusalem. Their names will not be written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.

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Note 1: The original Temple was built by Solomon, and completed about 957 BC. It was destroyed a couple of times by the Assyrians or Babylonians. Ezra and Nehemiah rebuilt the Temple between 515-444 BC. King Herod repaired and rebuilt the Temple in 20 BC. That Temple is the one Jesus worshipped in, and cleaned out. (Luke 19:45-47) That Temple is where the veil on the entrance to the Holy of Holies was torn in two when Jesus died on the cross. (Luke 23:45) Between 70-135 AD, the Temple was completely destroyed, never to be rebuilt by the Jews. (Islam has built a temple, the Dome of Rock, on the Temple Mount, and it still exists there now.)

1 Cor. 3:10-15 - Built on Christ’s Foundation

10 According to the grace of God which was given to me, like a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another is building on it. But each man must be careful how he builds on it.
11 For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
12 Now if any man builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw,
13 each man’s work will become evident; for the day will show it because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test the quality of each man’s work.
14 If any man’s work which he has built on it remains, he will receive a reward.
15 If any man’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.

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I think that at this point in Paul’s letter, the emphasis is moving from “who led you to Christ?” (See: 1 Cor. 1:11-13; 3:4), to “Are you living for Christ? Is the Holy Spirit guiding your life so you are becoming more and more like Christ?” Paul and Apollos, or Peter, Titus, Timothy, or Barnabas - any of these evangelists can bring the gospel. They also can teach and mentor the believers as they grow in their Christian lives.

The message becomes more personal in that each believer must decide if he will follow the Lord.

The pastors and teachers provide the tools and materials for building your own faith-life. They cannot accept Christ as Savior for you - that is your decision. They also cannot accept and live out the teachings that will help you grow in Christ - those are your decisions. God will judge each teacher concerning the veracity of the message. God will judge each believer with respect to living out the faith. There is no corporate salvation - you are not saved because your family members have accepted Christ. You are not saved because you go to the church where others are saved. One of the problems the Jews had was that they thought they got a free pass simply because they were Jews.

No Other Foundation but Jesus Christ

V. 10 - “I laid a foundation” - Is Paul bragging here - “wise master builder”? I don’t think so. It seems Paul’s personality and temperament drove him to do the best possible job he could. Paul was a Pharisee, studied under a master Pharisee (Gamaliel - see: Acts 5:34, 22:3, 23:6, 26:5; Phil. 3:5). You get the impression he did nothing half-heartedly. When Paul was “in”, he was “all in”.

Here he is stating Jesus called him (on the road to Damascus Acts 9:1-6). Jesus taught him (Gal. 1:17).

The foundation of the church - Jesus Christ, who died for our sin, was resurrected to glory. Jesus Christ is God, the Messiah, the fulfillment of the long awaited promise, made to Adam and Abraham and the Jews and the Gentiles, of salvation and redemption. The key is “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” (Rom. 5:8)

“Another is building on it” - Paul moves us beyond a strictly local dust-up in a church. We need to see that the foundation of the church is holy - because Jesus is Holy (See: 1 Pet. 1:15-16; Lev. 11:44ff; 19:2; 20:7). Believers, whether Jews or Gentiles, were to be different than the average bloke who does not know God. Why? Because God is different - God is Holy, and those who are His are to be like Him - that is, Holy. One person may share or spread the gospel message, but another can teach and mentor the new believers in their Christian life.

“Each man must be careful how he builds on it” - Be sure, as you teach others about their life in Christ that you are not mixing worldly philosophy and mores with the pure Word of God. Let the Holy Spirit lead you as you teach and preach. Examine what is being taught - does it match, conform to the teaching of the Word of God?

V. 11 - “For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.” - There is no other foundation - basis for salvation - other than Jesus Christ our Lord. Teaching some “Christ-plus” religion is not Christianity. “Christ-plus” is humans inserting themselves into the equation in order be able to do something to make themselves acceptable to God.

V. 12-13 - “If any man builds on the foundation” - Every believer is expected to mature in the faith. Pastors and teachers are used by the Lord to encourage that growth in faith. The images of gold versus wood, silver versus straw, diamonds or rubies compared to hay is to help us see not all teaching and mentoring are equal. Gold and silver are purified by heating them intensely - to the point that the metals turn liquid - so the impurities either boil off or can be skimmed, leaving only the pure metal. Wood, hay and straw cannot withstand the heat, and will turn to ashes. God’s judgment is a purifying fire. (See: Gen. 19:24; Exo. 24:17; Lev. 10:2; Num. 11:1, 16:3) But God’s fire also can be a protection for those who are His. (See: Exo. 13:21)

“Each man’s work...” - There are several phrases or words in this chapter that link together the ideas of believers in the Lord Jesus Christ are not to be static, but to grow and expand the faith. Consider the following:

“fleshly” (vss. 3:1, 3) - I think Paul is frustrated with the Corinthian believers. He is telling them there is little evidence that Jesus is in their lives. Jealousy and strife indicates they are not living with the power of God (Jesus + Holy Spirit) working in them. It seems they are living and acting as if Jesus had no place in their lives.

“God causes growth” (vss. 3:6, 7) - Do not rely on Paul, or Apollos, or your local pastor/minister to make your life more Christ-like. All change which draws you closer to God comes from Him. It is not your doing. Mostly we hinder God’s working in us, trying to take over and do it ourselves.

“foundation” (vss. 3:10, 11, 12) - Jesus Christ, our Savior, lived and was crucified, raised from the dead. That is our foundation. Christ stands before the Father and testified that you or I are His. We are forgiven our sins because we believe in Him, place our faith and hope in Him. There is no other foundation upon which we can base eternal life.

“each man’s work” (vss. 3:13, 14, 15) - Every thing you do.

“temple of God” (vss. 3:16, 17) - We, each believer and the collection of believers, have replaced the Temple. God resides in us, not in an edifice, no matter how magnificent that building may be.

V. 14-15 - “If any man’s work...” - All that we do will be judged by God. (See: note 1 below) There several references to the Lord likened to a ‘consuming fire’ in the Old Testament (See: Exo. 24:17; Deut. 4:24, 9:3; Isa. 29:6, 30:27, 30:30; Lam. 2:3). The image is that God is so perfect, so brilliant in majesty, that anything not as perfect as He will be burned. Similar to approaching too close to the Sun or another star. The heat is intense, as it must be to generate enough light to flow out to the planets and moons. God is even more brilliant, and therefore even hotter than the sun.

Our works, that is, our life comes before God. If it is worthwhile, it will survive. Similar to the way metal is purified. When gold or silver is heated to a liquid state, impurities float to the top and can be skimmed off. Only those works done in the power of the Holy Spirit will survive in the presence of the Lord.

And even if no works, things we do as Christians, survive the presence of the Lord, the believer will survive. All ‘impurities’ will be removed, and we will be pure and ‘golden’ before the Lord. Praise His Holy name.

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Note 1: I don’t know the extent of ‘judging of works” for those who do not accept Jesus as Lord and Savior. I suspect it hardly matters, because those who do not believe, those whose name is not written the Lamb’s Book of Life, are separated from God for eternity. We call that going to hell. I think there are hints that those who do evil will receive a judgement in addition to being permanently separated from God. I am not sure how much worse that could be.

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1 Cor 3:1-9 - You Are Fleshly

Chapter 3 Outline:
3:1-9 - You Are Fleshly
3:10-15 - Built on Christ’s Foundation
3:16-17 - Temple of God
3:18-23 - You Belong to Christ

1 And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual men, but as to men of flesh, as to infants in Christ.
2 I gave you milk to drink, not solid food; for you were not yet able to receive it. Indeed, even now you are not yet able,
3 for you are still fleshly. For since there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not fleshly, and are you not walking like mere men?
4 For when one says, "I am of Paul," and another, "I am of Apollos," are you not mere men? 5 What then is Apollos? And what is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, even as the Lord gave opportunity to each one.
6 I planted, Apollos watered, but God was causing the growth.
7 So then neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but God who causes the growth.
8 Now he who plants and he who waters are one; but each will receive his own reward according to his own labor.
9 For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, God’s building.

Don’t Be Trapped By Your Fleshly Desire

V. 1 - “I could not speak to you as to spiritual men” - The sentence could easily start with “But I, brethren...“. Paul just discussed how spiritual people could “hear” spiritual words and spiritual wisdom, because spiritual people have the mind of Christ. But Paul could not dive right into some of the spiritual instructions. He could not because they were not ready to hear them. (See: 1 Cor. 2:15, 14:37; Gal. 6:1) Just as you would not take someone who has only had a couple of golf lessons to Augusta to play in The Masters. The old adage, “Taking a sip from a fire hose” fits here. The believers could be overwhelmed and discouraged from continuing on.

“but as to men of flesh” - Paul sought to bring them along slowly and steadily. (See: Rom. 7:14-15) He will share the basics with them:

1. God loves you and wants you to have an abundant life here and now. 
2. As a natural man, you cannot meet God’s plan. 
3. God has provided the way for you to meet His plan for you. It is Jesus Christ as Savior. 
4. You can live the abundant life, if you will believe and accept Jesus Christ as your own Savior.

The deeper things, such as: resurrection of the believers; Christ’s triumphant return; Great White Throne judgment, etc., - these can be pursued and studied later, when they are ready.

“as to infants in Christ” - God knows and understands us. He knows that we must be taught in stages. Just like elementary school - letter names and sounds, consonants, vowels, letter combinations making single syllable words, sentences, paragraphs, and “War and Peace” (maybe that’s too big of a jump - perhaps start with “Dick and Jane” first). They were not ready for wisdom (See: 1 Cor. 2:6).

V. 2 - “I gave you milk to drink, not solid food“ - The idea that new believers need to be taught and guided is seen in other writings. (See: Heb. 5:12, 13)

“you were not yet able to receive it” - Too much, too soon can lead to confusion and discouragement. Without sufficient tutoring, the new believer can be misled, and end up taking a path that will hinder their growth and success in Christian life. (See: Eph. 4:14) Paul wants them to be successful, encouraged and longing for more spiritual truths. (See: 1 Pet. 2:2) He wants their attitude to be, “I can’t get enough of you, Jesus. May I have some more?”

“even now you are not yet able” - These Christians appeared to not be growing in Christ. They had to be reminded of the basic truths. It’s kind of like the question once asked of another person, “You say you’ve been a Christian for 15 years, is that 15 years of growth, or one year’s experience 15 times?” The writer of the letter to the Hebrews had the same opinion as Paul - they were not maturing in Christ. (See: Heb. 5:12, 13).

V. 3 - “for you are still fleshly” - Paul’s reason was not just a wild guess. He had plenty of evidence of ‘failure to thrive’. Their behavior was a good indicator they were not controlled and empowered by the Holy Spirit.

“and are you not walking like mere men?” - He is asking them to examine themselves, to “see” what everyone else knows: that they are not demonstrating Jesus’ power and abundant life.

"Jealousy and strife" - They are not “bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you” (Col. 3:13) Also they were to “Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.” (Eph. 4:32)

This is a theme that is also seen in 1 Cor 6:7-8, and elsewhere. That is: you are not behaving like Christians, but like unbelievers.

V. 4 - “are you not like mere men?” - The repetition of the phrase “mere men” emphasizes is they are acting like natural men, or normal non-believers. Position, pride, dominance - all are on display here. The Corinthians were focused on the wrong thing. They were very aware of from whom they had heard the gospel - either Paul or Apollos. Who preached had taken on more importance than the gospel itself. Salvation preached by Paul could save you, but salvation preached by Apollos could not! Things have not changed much in the 2000 years since this letter was written. We still divide into factions.

Here Paul goes back to the issue brought up in 1:10-13 - the arguments between the church members over who was the better disciple based on who led them to Christ.

V. 5 - “Servants through whom you believed” - Paul debunks the idea that the gospel from Paul is effective, whereas the gospel from Apollos is not! (And, vice-versa.) Apollos and Paul were merely (!) conduits through which the power of God came into the Corinthian believers’ lives. Paul says, “I am not the message! I am the lucky guy who got to share the message of God’s love with you!”

“Even as the Lord gave opportunity” - The same was true for Apollos - and any other minister, preacher, evangelist, missionary, Sunday school teacher, or Bible Study leader. The servant is not the message - salvation through Christ alone is the message. The messenger can impede the delivery, and thereby the acceptance of the message by misbehavior, etc. Our life in Christ, lived out in our daily activities, should never conflict with the message we are sharing with others. That is part of the problem the Corinthian church had, their squabbles, quarrels, and divisions was in direct conflict with the message of peace in and through Jesus Christ.

V. 6 - “God causing the growth” - Here, and in verse 9, Paul strengthens the point using additional imagery - first servants, then gardening/farming, and finally, building. Apollos and Paul are servant messengers who took the opportunity God presented to them. In this verse, Paul likens his missionary calling (and Apollo’s) to growing vegetables, or gardening. Paul plants the seed. Apollos steps up to water the plants so they will grow. But all that is useless if God does not cause the life to grow. Otherwise it is like watering a rock, and expecting it to grow into a diamond.

V. 7 - “neither the one... is anything” - God gets all the glory! Don’t glorify Paul or Apollos, because anyone could have done what they did. That being said, I am not denigrating the call by God to a missionary or pastor. And Paul places claim on his authority as an apostle to preach and correct the local churches in other writings. (See his salutation at the beginning of almost every letter he wrote. Plus he defends his apostleship: Rom. 11:13; 1 Cor. 9:1; 2 Cor. 12:12; 1 Tim. 2:7.) The Corinthian church was placing too much emphasis on persons of Paul or Apollos rather on Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Savior and Messiah. Jesus saves, not Paul. God justifies, not Apollos.

V. 8 - “each will receive his own reward” - Each person has his job to do, and will be recompensed for job well done (assuming that is the case). Faithful servants of the Lord will receive the commendation, “Well done...”! (See: Matt. 25:21ff; Luke 19:17.) We are to seek God’s approval, not man’s. We accomplish that by doing what His Holy Spirit directs us to do.

V. 9 - “God’s workers... God’s field... God’s building” - God directs us to spread His Word about salvation through Jesus Christ. You, the people around us are the field into which the Word is cast. Jesus builds His church from those who have heard, believe and accept Him into their lives. (See: Matt. 13:3-8, 19-23; Mark 4:5ff.)

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