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1Co 3:1 And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ.
2 I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.
3 For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?
4 For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal?
In chapter 2, Paul presented two classes of mankind: the natural and the spiritual. Now he makes a further division, and it among believers: carnal Christians and spiritual Christians. A Christian's status manifests itself in his life and Christian service. So here in 3:1 we have the third class. He is the unnatural man: saved, but acting otherwise. Paul ended chapter 2 by saying that Christians were able to understand all things, yet he had only taught elementary doctrine to the Corinthians, avoiding the points of speculation which the Greeks delighted in debating. He now states the reasons why he had not done it: (1) They were not spiritually orientated. (2) They were saved, but acted like unregenerate people. (3) Their understanding was underdeveloped, like new-born infants. A Christian baby is one who is not growing in grace and knowledge of the word of God. He is weak in the faith, unable to express the hope that is in him (1 Pet.3:15), carried about by every wind of doctrine (Eph.4:14), in bondage to the elements of the world (Gal.4:3), and has forgotten that he was purged from his old sins (2 Pet.1:9). The babe in Christ is helpless.
A babe in Christ is unable to receive anything but milk. This condition suggests either infancy or infirmity. Milk is proper for awhile (1 Pet.2:2), but strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil (Heb.5:11-14). These Corinthian babies were not able to stomach meat yet.
A babe in Christ walks and talks like an unsaved man: "are ye not carnal, and walk as men?" All believers should consider this pointed question: "If you were arrested and charged with being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you? These Corinthians would have been released for lack of evidence. The word "carnal" means "fleshly." A carnal Christian uses the weak arm of the flesh to obtain spiritual goals. A carnival is a period of revelry which is warned against in Gal.5:21. Paul described people like this when he used the expression, "whose god is their belly" (Phil.3:19).
Wherever there is strife and division, there is a carnival going on. If you see divisions and gossip and strife and bitterness and hatred going on in a church, you know those Christians have their flesh on display. Sunday School classes, Bible conferences, and church-board meetings can be turned into carnivals by the stirring up up gossip, strife, envy, and division. A Christian may be separated from the world, and yet be carnal, as verse 4 points out.
These baby Christians were comparing spiritual leaders instead of spiritual truths (2:13). When a man compares men, the one who is most like the one doing the comparing, or the one he imagines himself to be most like will seem the best. That is human nature. When a Christian feels like comparing something, let him compare himself to Christ and try to measure up to Him.
3:5-8 "God's Work Versus Man's Work"
5 Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man?
6 I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.
7 So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase.
8 Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour.
Paul was the missionary; he had opened up the territory. Apollos became the pastor and built up the saints. They were both servants of God, though they ministered in different ways.
The important thing is not who the preacher is, but whether or not God is using him. If God is using him, then God should get the credit for the results. Give God the praise, not the man.
Christians need to realize that God uses many workmen, and He uses their personalities and abilities to get the job done. They may each do things a little differently, but we should not esteem one above another. They are all workmen together for God.
They are not the same person, but they both seek the same end result. The man that plants and the man that waters are both necessary to the harvest. Christians are to pray the Lord of the harvest, that he send forth laborers into the harvest (Matt.9:38), not quibble about which is the best worker. The job of deciding the quality of a man's work, and his reward for that work, belongs to the Lord of the harvest alone.
3:9-11 "Wise Building Versus Foolish Building"
9 For we are labourers together with God: ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building.
10 According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon.
11 For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
Paul and Apollos were working in conjunction with the Holy Spirit, and under His supervision, for the purpose of getting people saved and building them up in the faith.
Husbandry has to do with farming. The Corinthian church was the ground which was being tilled. The fallow ground was being broken up (Hos.10:12) so the Corinthians could sow righteousness and produce fruit.
First Paul says they were a field that God was cultivating, and that he and Apollos were laborers in that field, then he changes the metaphor to that of architecture and says that they, the church, as a building, had been erected by God. The same figure is used in 2 Cor.6:16, Eph.2:21, Heb.3:6, and 1 Pet.2:5.
All of Paul's skill had been given to him by God. Like a smart contractor, Paul laid a solid foundation: the preaching of the cross of Christ. Other teachers, Apollos in particular, built upon that foundation by teaching and preaching the word of God; raising up the Corinthians according to the blueprint of sound doctrine.
Now comes a warning to both individual Christians and teachers to be careful how they build (see also James 3:1 inre: teachers) upon the foundation of Christ crucified, and grace through faith in His finished work. This is a warning to Judaizers who frustrate the grace of God by telling babes in Christ that they must keep the law in order to stay saved.
Religion built upon a foundation other than grace through faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ is sinking sand, and not a foundation at all (Matt.7;24-27).
3:12-22 "Right Versus Wrong Building Materials"
12 Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble;
13 Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is.
14 If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.
15 If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.
16 Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?
17 If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.
18 Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise.
19 For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness.
20 And again, The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain.
21 Therefore let no man glory in men. For all things are yours;
22 Whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours;
23 And ye are Christ's; and Christ is God's.
If "any man," that is any believer, not just preachers and teachers. "If" denotes that building (works) upon the foundation of the gospel of 1 Corinthians 15:1-4 is not necessary to salvation. In the New Testament, God offers the free gift (Eph.2:8-9) of salvation to the lost; and for the faithful service of the saved, He offers rewards.
The believer was judged as a sinner at Calvary which is past (2 Cor.5:21); he is presently being judged as a son (1 Cor.11:32; Heb.12:5), and at the future Judgment Seat of Christ, which is the subject of this passage, his service, if any, will be judged.
There exists two kinds of service. One is illustrated by gold, silver, and precious stones, built by the spiritual believer, and indestructable by the fires of judgment. The other is set forth by wood, hay, and stubble, built by the worldly Christian. This is destructable and will not stand up before Him whose eyes are like a flame of fire (Rev.1:14).
Gold is representative of Deity in manifestation, Christ in us the hope of glory (Col.1:27) working in us to will and do of His good pleasure (Phil.2:13). Silver is representative of the atonement, the price paid to redeem lost sinners (Ex.30:12-16). Silver represents the works that we do, by which we deny ourselves (Luke 9:23) and suffer reproach (1 Tim.4:20) in order to lead the lost to Christ. Precious stones are those whom we have led to the Lord (1 Pet.2:5). Gold, silver, and precious stones are treasure laid up in heaven (Matt.6:20).
A great tree is symbolic of religion (Luke 19:13). That great tree is, of course, wood. All religions are systems of works, based on "things" and "doing." The Lord Jesus Christ despises religion (Matt.15:1-20), and stated in Matthew 15:13: "Every plant which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up." Wood is good works done for good work's sake, not for Christ. Those who perform good works to be admired by men have had their reward on earth (Matt.6:1-5), and will suffer loss in heaven.
Hay is works that appear for a little while, but wither away and come to nothing, having no lasting value (Prov.27:25; Isa.15:6). A haystack really stands out on the horizon, but it will go up in smoke. There are going to be some people in heaven who will be there because their foundation is Christ, but they will smell like they were bought at a fire sale.
Stubble is dead and absolutely worthless. It is consumed by God's wrath (Ex.15:7). It has a root of rottenness in the flesh; deeds done contrary to the word of God (Isa.5:24). In Isaiah 47:12-15 it is portrayed as astrology, sorcery, enchantment, and the merchants of such. In Obadiah 1:18, stubble is likened to Esau who sold his birthright for a mess of pottage. In Malachi 4:1, it is pride and wicked deeds. All through the Bible, stubble is portrayed as being blown about by the wind, like childish Christians who are blown about by every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness (Eph.4:14). Stubble works are the result of either ignorance of God's words and doctrine or rebellion against them.
Every man's work will be made known for what it is on the day of the Judgment Seat of Christ. It will be revealed by fire. Our God is a consuming fire (Deut.4:24; Heb.12:29). There will be no partiality, for God and fire are not respecters of persons (Acts 10:34). If any man's work abide, he will receive a reward. There are five rewards available for the Christian.
1. The incorruptable crown, given to those who successfully master the old nature (1 Cor.9:25-27).
2. The crown of rejoicing, given to soulwinners (1 Thess.2:19).
3. The crown of life, given to those who successfully endure temptation (James 1:12). After the church is taken out, this reward may be earned by tribulation saints through martyrdom (Rev.2:10).
4. The crown of righteousness, given to those who love the doctrine of the Rapture and will delight in His appearing (2 Tim.4:8).
5. The crown of glory, given to faithful preachers and teachers (1 Pet.5:2-4).
If any man's work is burned, he shall suffer the loss of reward, the loss of the privilege of casting his crown at the feet of Christ, and the loss of consciousness of all things not done for Christ. Things which are not holy may not enter into the abode of God. The Lord Jesus Christ is going to present His Body, spotless and without wrinkle, to the Father. All which offends a holy, righteous God will be removed. Christians need to think about how much of their consciousnesses will remain for eternity. "Just one life `twill soon be past, only what's done for Christ will last. Carnal Christians, living only to please themselves, may have nothing left of themselves but the remembrance that they once asked the Lord to save them from the eternal torment of hell. Yet, they shall be saved, so as by fire. The very fire of God's holiness, which burns away all that which offends, will save them; for, were it not for that cleansing fire, they would not be able to enter into His presence.
In verse 16, Paul tells us all what we are, individually: the temple of God, indwelt by the Spirit of God. In light of the foregoing, we must ask ourselves whether we are providing a temple fit for God, or a straw hut.
There is a strong warning against defiling the temple of the believer. Verse 17 has been used to preach against the intake of everything from tobacco to sprayed vegetables, but the Lord Jesus said: "There is nothing from without a man, that entering into him can defile him: but the things which come out of him, those are they that defile the man. If any man have ears to hear, let him hear" (Mark 7:15-16). The things that defile are: evil thoughts, adultery, fornication, murder, theft, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, laciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, and foolishness. Before a pharisaic believer disdains a weaker brother who smokes, let him consider that the thought of foolishness is sin (Prov.24:9). Every believer needs to get the beam out his own eye before he goes after the mote in someone else's (Matt.7:3).
If a man is to receive rewards at the Judgment Seat of Christ, he must become foolish in the eyes of the world, going about doing good as the Lord did (Acts 10:38), doing all things heartily as unto the Lord and not unto men (Col.3:23), bearing His reproach (Heb.13:13), and disdaining those things which are so important to men who are "stuck to the flesh." True wisdom lays up treasure in heaven, for earthly treasure shall be left behind and the effort expended in obtaining it shall be burned at the Judgment Seat of Christ.
The Lord takes the wordly-wise in their own craftiness. Craftiness is dishonety (2 Cor.4:2) and men use it to deceive (Eph.4:14). The tongue of the crafty utters sin (Job 15:5). The chief priests and scribes wanted to use craft to capture and kill Jesus (Mark 14:1). Craftsmen make idols (Deut.27:15; Hos.13:2; Acts 19:24-27). Antichrist will cause craft to prosper in his
hand and destroy many by peace; that is, by lying about peace (Dan.8:25; Jer.6:14; 8:11). Job 5:12 says that God disappoints the devices of the crafty so they can't bring their plans to fruition. One needs only to turn to Revelation 18:21-22 to see that this is true. No craftsman of whatsoever craft will be found after Babylon is thrown down, and the crafty Antichrist will be broken without hand when he stands up against the Prince of princes
(Dan.8:25).
The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain. The chief priests and the scribes tried to trap Jesus with the question about the tribute money, but He perceived their craftiness (Luke 20:23). "The LORD knoweth the thoughts of man, that they are vanity" (Psalms 94:11).
It is wonderful that the word of God reveals these things to us so that we do not become ensnared by the lying lips of crafty, worldly-wise, hell-bound fools. He reveals these things to us so that we will not glory in "intellectual" morons. All things are ours because God has given all things into His Son's hand (John 3:35) and we are joint-heirs with Him (Rom.8:17). It is glorious to meet around the person of Christ with other believers who are on the foundation, who are on the Rock, the Lord Jesus Christ. Seeing these things to be true, we are to be wise builders, not foolish builders who will have their efforts go up in smoke.