http://biblebitbybit.blogspot.com/2016/01/1-corinthians-3.html
Posted by 1 Corinthians on Tuesday, 5 January 2016
3:1-4. However, this was not true of all at Corinth. When Paul came and preached Christ to them, they believed. By faith they were justified and granted peace with God (Rom. 5:1-2). No doubt Paul taught them all the blessings that came to them as Christians, what Paul called milk. At that time their way of thinking and living was only beginning to be transformed (Rom. 12:2). They were still greatly influenced by worldly thinking and behavior—they were infants in Christ.
But “the message of the Cross” (1 Cor. 1:18) concerned more than justification. It also concerned sanctification. It called for a renewal of attitude and action in response to God’s revelation. It called for righteousness in thought and deed (Heb. 5:11-14). And this part of the message of “Christ . . . crucified” (1 Cor. 2:2), this solid food (3:2), the Corinthians had spurned. As a result they were still worldly (v. 3). Instead of mature behavior characterized by humility and concern for others—obedience to God—the Corinthians were infantile, self-centered, and therefore divisive (v. 4; cf. 1:12). They wanted lives of exaltation (4:8) without lives of humiliation (4:9-13) because they did not understand that “Christ . . . crucified” was a message concerned not only with justification but also with sanctification (cf. Phil. 2:1-8). This misunderstanding was at the root of their disunity (cf. 1 Cor. 1:10; 3:4), which error Paul wanted to correct.
2. A Misunderstanding of the Ministry (3:5-4:5).
A second and related cause of division in their church concerned the ministry. The Corinthians had focused on men when in fact God alone was the source of blessing (3:5-9) and ministers were only servants accountable to Him (3:10-17). Since that was so, a minister needed to beware of cultivating the praise of men—as certain leaders in the Corinthian church apparently were doing (3:18-23), and needed instead to seek by faithful service to gain the praise of God (4:1-5).
3:5-9. Apollos and Paul were given their ministries by Christ (Eph. 4:11). They were the means, not the cause, whereby the Corinthians believed (cf. 1 Cor. 2:4-5). God alone produced results. God made the seed grow (3:6). Therefore God alone should get the credit (v. 7). As servants, Paul and Apollos were not competing against each other but were complementing each other’s ministries (v. 8). Their purpose was to bring the church to maturity, to Christlikeness (Eph. 4:12-13). In accord with their faithfulness to that task would come their reward (cf. 1 Cor. 4:2-5). For though a minister served the church he was basically responsible to God. Paul and Apollos were fellow workers who belonged to God and worked for Him in His field, the church (3:9).
3:10-17. Paul then shifted metaphors for the church from a field to a building. Paul used in various ways the metaphor of Christians individually and collectively as a building in which God dwells, a temple. Jesus had referred to His physical body as a temple (John 2:19-22). In another letter Paul applied the same imagery to Christ’s spiritual body, the universal church (Eph. 2:21). Paul also called the body of each individual Christian a temple (1 Cor. 6:19). In this passage, however, it was the local church which he described as a building of God, a temple in which God’s Spirit lives (3:16).
Paul now further developed the theme of a minister’s accountability for his labor (v. 8). Though it was true that every Christian in the Corinthian church was given at least one gift, or ability to minister in some way to other church members (12:11), it was primarily the leading ministers Paul was concerned about, who functioned in a capacity like that of Apollos and himself (cf. 3:5, 21-22).
3:10. Not every minister, however, labored to the same effect in this building process. Paul had laid a foundation in Corinth with the message of the Cross. Apollos too had labored beneficially in Corinth (Acts 18:27-28). Apparently so also had Peter, whom Paul here called “Cephas” (1 Cor. 1:12; 3:22). But as Paul wrote, someone else was ministering in Corinth, and Paul’s words to him and others like him were a warning.
3:11. Jesus Christ alone was the foundation, the basis of salvation (Acts 4:12). But others had come to Corinth and preached a different gospel (2 Cor. 11:4). Perhaps such a one was present in Corinth when Paul wrote this letter.
3:12. In verses 12-17 Paul described three kinds of builders or ministers: the expert (v. 14; cf. v. 10), the unwise (v. 15), and the destructive (v. 17).
The materials used in the building may be interpreted in at least four ways: (a) The gold, silver, costly stones refer to the enduring quality of the builder’s work; and the wood, hay, or straw suggest work that is temporary and valueless. This view is supported by “work” (v. 13) and “what he has built” (v. 14). (b) The three expensive materials suggest sound doctrine which the builder “builds” into people’s lives, and the three valueless materials are false doctrines. (c) The first three materials refer to the worker’s worthy motives, and the other three point to his unworthy motives (cf. 4:5). (d) The “gold, silver, costly stones” refer to believers who constitute the church (this is supported by similar uses of the metaphor in Eph. 2:22; 2 Tim. 2:20; and 1 Peter 2:5), and the “wood, hay, or straw” represent unregenerate people present in the church (chorton, rendered “hay” in 1 Cor. 3:12, is used of unbelievers in James 1:10, where the niv renders it “wild flower”).
3:13. The day of judgment is when Christ will judge the quality of His servants’ work (2 Cor. 5:10). It is not a question of salvation which is a gift (Rom. 6:23), or a matter of individual deeds (Eph. 2:8-9), but of service which is judged on the basis of quality not quantity. Considerable apparent success can be had by dint of human effort and wisdom (cf. 1 Cor. 2:4), but unless it is empowered by God in accordance with His plan it cannot last (Ps. 127:1).
3:14-15. The image of fire associated with the coming of Christ is used elsewhere in the New Testament (2 Thes. 1:7; Rev. 18:8). What the reward for the expert builder consists of was not detailed, though praise (1 Cor. 4:5) is certainly a part. The inept builder will see the loss of his labor, but he himself will be saved, like a burning stick snatched from a fire (Amos 4:11; Jude 23). Before such judgment the various materials may coexist and appear indistinguishable (cf. Matt. 13:30).
3:16-17. However, a local church (you here is pl.) might come to the point where its structure is so weak that it collapses entirely or exists in name only, that is, it is destroyed. Paul did not want this to happen in Corinth (2 Cor. 11:3, 13). If it did, the false minister would be paid back in kind by God Himself (an application of the OT lex talionis [Gen. 9:6; cf. 2 Cor. 11:15]). The destroyer would be destroyed (Matt. 13:41-42). The words Don’t you know (1 Cor. 3:16) are the first of 10 occurrences of the clause in this letter (cf. 5:6; 6:2-3, 9, 15-16, 19; 9:13, 24; each time it introduces an indisputable statement).
3:18-23. Since this was so, Paul gave a pointed warning to ministers (vv. 18-20) and to the congregation in Corinth (vv. 21-23). Ministers could avoid self-deception by evaluating their ministries and realizing that the wisdom of this world reflects the mind of Satan (Eph. 2:2) and is foolishness in God’s sight (1 Cor. 3:19). Paul supported this fact by quoting from Job 5:13 and Psalm 94:11. The members needed to see that the practice of boasting (1 Cor. 3:21) about ministers was similarly a self-centered spirit. Instead, they should boast in God (cf. 1:31) to whom they belonged (3:23; cf. 1:2, 15:28) and who was the source of their every blessing (cf. 1:30).
Excerpt from:
Walvoord, J. F., Zuck, R. B., & Dallas Theological Seminary. (1983-c1985).
The Bible knowledge commentary : An Exposition of the Scriptures.
Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.
But “the message of the Cross” (1 Cor. 1:18) concerned more than justification. It also concerned sanctification. It called for a renewal of attitude and action in response to God’s revelation. It called for righteousness in thought and deed (Heb. 5:11-14). And this part of the message of “Christ . . . crucified” (1 Cor. 2:2), this solid food (3:2), the Corinthians had spurned. As a result they were still worldly (v. 3). Instead of mature behavior characterized by humility and concern for others—obedience to God—the Corinthians were infantile, self-centered, and therefore divisive (v. 4; cf. 1:12). They wanted lives of exaltation (4:8) without lives of humiliation (4:9-13) because they did not understand that “Christ . . . crucified” was a message concerned not only with justification but also with sanctification (cf. Phil. 2:1-8). This misunderstanding was at the root of their disunity (cf. 1 Cor. 1:10; 3:4), which error Paul wanted to correct.
2. A Misunderstanding of the Ministry (3:5-4:5).
A second and related cause of division in their church concerned the ministry. The Corinthians had focused on men when in fact God alone was the source of blessing (3:5-9) and ministers were only servants accountable to Him (3:10-17). Since that was so, a minister needed to beware of cultivating the praise of men—as certain leaders in the Corinthian church apparently were doing (3:18-23), and needed instead to seek by faithful service to gain the praise of God (4:1-5).
3:5-9. Apollos and Paul were given their ministries by Christ (Eph. 4:11). They were the means, not the cause, whereby the Corinthians believed (cf. 1 Cor. 2:4-5). God alone produced results. God made the seed grow (3:6). Therefore God alone should get the credit (v. 7). As servants, Paul and Apollos were not competing against each other but were complementing each other’s ministries (v. 8). Their purpose was to bring the church to maturity, to Christlikeness (Eph. 4:12-13). In accord with their faithfulness to that task would come their reward (cf. 1 Cor. 4:2-5). For though a minister served the church he was basically responsible to God. Paul and Apollos were fellow workers who belonged to God and worked for Him in His field, the church (3:9).
3:10-17. Paul then shifted metaphors for the church from a field to a building. Paul used in various ways the metaphor of Christians individually and collectively as a building in which God dwells, a temple. Jesus had referred to His physical body as a temple (John 2:19-22). In another letter Paul applied the same imagery to Christ’s spiritual body, the universal church (Eph. 2:21). Paul also called the body of each individual Christian a temple (1 Cor. 6:19). In this passage, however, it was the local church which he described as a building of God, a temple in which God’s Spirit lives (3:16).
Paul now further developed the theme of a minister’s accountability for his labor (v. 8). Though it was true that every Christian in the Corinthian church was given at least one gift, or ability to minister in some way to other church members (12:11), it was primarily the leading ministers Paul was concerned about, who functioned in a capacity like that of Apollos and himself (cf. 3:5, 21-22).
3:10. Not every minister, however, labored to the same effect in this building process. Paul had laid a foundation in Corinth with the message of the Cross. Apollos too had labored beneficially in Corinth (Acts 18:27-28). Apparently so also had Peter, whom Paul here called “Cephas” (1 Cor. 1:12; 3:22). But as Paul wrote, someone else was ministering in Corinth, and Paul’s words to him and others like him were a warning.
3:11. Jesus Christ alone was the foundation, the basis of salvation (Acts 4:12). But others had come to Corinth and preached a different gospel (2 Cor. 11:4). Perhaps such a one was present in Corinth when Paul wrote this letter.
3:12. In verses 12-17 Paul described three kinds of builders or ministers: the expert (v. 14; cf. v. 10), the unwise (v. 15), and the destructive (v. 17).
The materials used in the building may be interpreted in at least four ways: (a) The gold, silver, costly stones refer to the enduring quality of the builder’s work; and the wood, hay, or straw suggest work that is temporary and valueless. This view is supported by “work” (v. 13) and “what he has built” (v. 14). (b) The three expensive materials suggest sound doctrine which the builder “builds” into people’s lives, and the three valueless materials are false doctrines. (c) The first three materials refer to the worker’s worthy motives, and the other three point to his unworthy motives (cf. 4:5). (d) The “gold, silver, costly stones” refer to believers who constitute the church (this is supported by similar uses of the metaphor in Eph. 2:22; 2 Tim. 2:20; and 1 Peter 2:5), and the “wood, hay, or straw” represent unregenerate people present in the church (chorton, rendered “hay” in 1 Cor. 3:12, is used of unbelievers in James 1:10, where the niv renders it “wild flower”).
3:13. The day of judgment is when Christ will judge the quality of His servants’ work (2 Cor. 5:10). It is not a question of salvation which is a gift (Rom. 6:23), or a matter of individual deeds (Eph. 2:8-9), but of service which is judged on the basis of quality not quantity. Considerable apparent success can be had by dint of human effort and wisdom (cf. 1 Cor. 2:4), but unless it is empowered by God in accordance with His plan it cannot last (Ps. 127:1).
3:14-15. The image of fire associated with the coming of Christ is used elsewhere in the New Testament (2 Thes. 1:7; Rev. 18:8). What the reward for the expert builder consists of was not detailed, though praise (1 Cor. 4:5) is certainly a part. The inept builder will see the loss of his labor, but he himself will be saved, like a burning stick snatched from a fire (Amos 4:11; Jude 23). Before such judgment the various materials may coexist and appear indistinguishable (cf. Matt. 13:30).
3:16-17. However, a local church (you here is pl.) might come to the point where its structure is so weak that it collapses entirely or exists in name only, that is, it is destroyed. Paul did not want this to happen in Corinth (2 Cor. 11:3, 13). If it did, the false minister would be paid back in kind by God Himself (an application of the OT lex talionis [Gen. 9:6; cf. 2 Cor. 11:15]). The destroyer would be destroyed (Matt. 13:41-42). The words Don’t you know (1 Cor. 3:16) are the first of 10 occurrences of the clause in this letter (cf. 5:6; 6:2-3, 9, 15-16, 19; 9:13, 24; each time it introduces an indisputable statement).
3:18-23. Since this was so, Paul gave a pointed warning to ministers (vv. 18-20) and to the congregation in Corinth (vv. 21-23). Ministers could avoid self-deception by evaluating their ministries and realizing that the wisdom of this world reflects the mind of Satan (Eph. 2:2) and is foolishness in God’s sight (1 Cor. 3:19). Paul supported this fact by quoting from Job 5:13 and Psalm 94:11. The members needed to see that the practice of boasting (1 Cor. 3:21) about ministers was similarly a self-centered spirit. Instead, they should boast in God (cf. 1:31) to whom they belonged (3:23; cf. 1:2, 15:28) and who was the source of their every blessing (cf. 1:30).
Excerpt from:
Walvoord, J. F., Zuck, R. B., & Dallas Theological Seminary. (1983-c1985).
The Bible knowledge commentary : An Exposition of the Scriptures.
Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.
