READING 1 CORINTHIANS, CHAPTER 3

 

Wednesday, November 29, 2023

 INTRODUCING 1 CORINTHIANS, CHAPTER 3 

Chapter 3 continues along the same vein in Paul's teaching that only spiritual people can understand the wisdom of God. Paul cannot fully call the Corinthian Christians spiritual people, though, because they continue to live according to the flesh, as if they were still infants trapped in an immature condition. Evidence includes the divisions among them. Paul insists that he and Apollos are both servants of the same master and that the Corinthians should follow God, not them.  Paul also expounds on the idea that believers ought to set Christ as their example, rather than being defined in terms of their earthly leaders such as the Pastors, Priests, or Bishops of today. (https://www.bibleref.com/1-Corinthians/3/1-Corinthians-chapter-3.html

The Church & Its Leaders, Part 1, Verses 1-8, MAMA

Brothers and sisters, I could not address you as people who live by the Spirit but as people who are still worldly—mere infants in Christ. 2 I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready. 3 You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere humans? 4 For when one says, “I follow Paul,” and another, “I follow Apollos,” are you not mere human beings?
5 What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe—as the Lord has assigned to each his task. 6 I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow. 7 So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. 8 The one who plants and the one who waters have one purpose, and they will each be rewarded according to their own labor.

SECTION QUESTIONS:

1. Why couldn't Paul address the Church of Corinth as a spiritual people (babies & milk)? (V.1-2)

2. Why did Paul consider them worldly? (V.3)

3. What were Paul and Apollos sent to do by God? (V.5)

4. What relationship should the planter and the waterer have? (V.8)

Thought Questions:

1. The description of mankind in verses 1-3 is sometimes referred to as the "carnal" nature of man. What do you think this means? 

2. Define "jealousy". How was it manifested in Corinth? 

3. Can you think of how jealousy might create problems among religious leaders? 

4. What do you think verses 6-7 mean? 

The Church & Its Leaders, Part 2, Verses 9-16, Part 2, DESTINY

⁹ For we are co-workers in God’s service; you are God’s field, God’s building. ¹⁰ By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as a wise builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should be built with care. ¹¹ For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. ¹² If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay, or straw, ¹³ their work will be shown for what it is because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person’s work. ¹⁴ If what has been built survives, the builder will receive a reward. ¹⁵ If it is burned up, the builder will suffer loss but yet will be saved—even though only as one escaping through the flames. ¹⁶ Don’t you know that you, yourselves, are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst?

SECTION QUESTIONS:

1. In the earlier section, Christians were described as seeds, how are we described in this section? (V.9-10) 

2. What is the Christian's foundation? (V.11)

2. What is the meaning of these two verses? (B.12-13)

3. What happens if your work is burned up? (V.15)

1. Thought Questions:

1.     1. The phrase "Once saved; always saved" is usually taken from this context. Can you identify the scripture that is often used to justify this statement? How would you respond to that statement? 

3) The Church & Its Leaders, Verses 17-23, Part 3, TBA

¹⁷ If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy that person; for God’s temple is sacred, and you together are that temple. ¹⁸ Do not deceive yourselves. If any of you think you are wise by the standards of this age, you should become “fools” so that you may become wise. ¹⁹ For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God’s sight. As it is written: “He catches the wise in their craftiness”^[a]; ²⁰ and again, “The Lord knows that the thoughts of the wise are futile.”^[b] 21 So then, no more boasting about human leaders! All things are yours, ²² whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas^[c] or the world or life or death or the present or the future—all are yours, ²³ and you are of Christ, and Christ is of God.

SECTION QUESTIONS:

1. Who are you? (V.16)

2. What happens if you destroy God's temple? (V.17)

3. Why should we become fools to worldly wisdom? (V.18)

4. What does God consider worldly wisdom to be? (V.19)

5. Why did Paul tell them to stop boasting about human leaders? (V.21-23)

Thought Question: 

1.     

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Prayer Confession for 1Corinthians, Chapter 3: 

Heavenly Father, thank you for the many warnings against worldliness, carnality, and fleshly desires. Help us to press on for the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. May we become one whose focus is on Christ. Our desire is to live and work for Your greater praise and glory. We pray that we may abide in You and grow in grace so that, day to day, we may be conformed to Your image. There is so much to learn from the corrective instructions in Paul's letter to the Corinthians. Prevent us from falling into the trap of elevating ourselves or others in the Body of Christ. Develop in us a teachable spirit, and may all of us in the Body of Christ learn the value of living in the unity of spirit for the glory of God. In Jesus' name, AMEN. Source: (https://prayer.knowing-jesus.com/1-Corinthians/3)