Immaturity and the Spirit’s Work - Boasting in Association (Ch 3)

3:1-4 - Corinthians as Infants

V1-2 - In contradiction to 2:6, Paul addresses Corinth as infants, not ready for the meat that is fed to the mature; that is, the Spiritual teaching of chapter 2.

V3-4 - 2:13 explained to us that Spiritual Wisdom is taught by the Holy Spirit to those “of the Spirit”. Paul condemns the Corinthians for behaving as if they were still “of the flesh”, and with a bit of sarcasm calls their best attempts at achievement “merely human”.

3:5-16 - The Field, The Building and the Temple
V5-6 - Much of our attention has been to the leaders or dividers in the church. Paul has used the name Apollos mostly for his example, but we have to read carefully because now he wants the church to get their minds off the factions. Just as he mocks their best attempts at wisdom as “merely human,” now he’s going to take their favorite leaders and reduce them to “servants.” Paul and Apollos, far from upper class, eloquent philosophers, instead play the role of planters and waterers.

V7 - God himself is producing fruit. The evidence of the Spirit in the church isn't from their associations, but directly from their intimate union with God, producing out of their bellies, rivers of living water.

V8 - The fellow workers should be one in mind and judgment (per chapter 1) and not drawing you apart from each other.

V9 - Along with verse 21, the apostle uses three illustrations to turn the focus onto the people and not the leaders. We are workers, but you are God’s project. He wants they:

God’s field

God’s building

God’s temple

V10 - Paul switches from planter/watered to founder/builder, but it’s the same point he made prior.

V11-15 - These verses have a dual meaning. Primarily, it’s a warning to the teachers. Practically, it is an instruction for each person’s own life.

V10 - Care must be taken while our lives are built. Once and done salvation is not Paul’s Gospel. See again all of chapter 2.

V11 - He reiterates that Christ (crucified) is the only foundation (2:2).

V12 - Two building materials:

Gold etc. - The Spiritual teaching of 2:2, 10, 16

Wood etc. - Boasting in status, association, accomplishment

V13 - The Day is referenced in 1:7-8. More than the Second Coming, it’s the new day, the final day, the day of no hiddenness, the day of purging, of knowing, of seeing, faith becoming sight, transformation, transfiguration, cumulation, totality. On that day light will flood the darkness. All will be known, judged and made right. Everything will be touched by fire (The Holy Spirit).

V14 - What has been built by the Spirit through the cross of Jesus in us will return to us a reward.

V15 - What has been built by boasting will result in total loss, pain and ruin, but that fire itself will save us.

V16-17 - Paul moves to the pinnacle of his argument which will lead us into the next few chapters. We are God’s temple. Along with 1:18 and 2:7-9, this passage is an anchor point in the book. Paul has crafted a two point argument:

First, the things we seek for ourselves are so much lower than what God is doing.

Second, if we are each part of this temple, we ought to be careful how we treat that temple.

V18-20 - Paul reiterates his earlier thesis.

3:18-23 - The Church is and has All Things That are Christ’s
V21-23 - Paul concludes what he began at the start of his field/building/temple illustration. Why boast in your association when what you essentially are is so much greater already? Why boast in status when your lowly status is what saved you (ch 1)? Why search for secret wisdom that turns out to be merely human (ch 3)? We align with things we think have something that we don’t when the reality is all things are already ours, and we are Christ’s and Christ is God’s.