1 Corinthians 3

Greetings in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,

Hello again, friends. The Chapter Memory Study continues this week in 1 Cor 3. As I have gone through this study I have often felt the need to 'brush up' on chapters that I've already studied. I focus on remembering the memory passages, but sometimes miss or forget the rest of the text. So at night I have started to read through the book that I am studying. But I read one chapter per night in stead of one chapter per week. I haven't done the math, but I should read through the 16 chapters of 1 Cor a few times before my study in 1 Cor is done. I think this might help me keep it all in context better.

The memory passage for 1 Cor 3 is
1 Corinthians 3:11-15 (ESV)
¹¹ For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. ¹² Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw— ¹³ each one's work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. ¹⁴ If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. ¹⁵ If anyone's work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire.

The outline theme for this chapter is Correct Ministry in the Church.

Paul addresses the immaturity of the believers in the frist section. He writes that he can't even address them as spiritual people because of their actions. While it appears that they are justified by faith, they seem to still be walking in the flesh. One issue is their high and false opinion of their leaders as we saw also in chapter 1. Some people aligned themselves with Paul and some with Apollos. Paul responds in several ways; we are human, we are servants, we are fellow workers. He gives the rightful place of the one who is served, the one who gives growth, and the one who rewards the workers to God and God only.

In verse 10 he begins an extended metaphor of a building. The foundation is and must always be Jesus Christ. Anyone who builds on that foundation (speaking of human ministers) will be be tested by the Lord. While the interpretations of the six building materials in verse12 vary significantly, I take the fairly straight-forward approach. Because Paul mentions 'work' in verses 13, 14, and 15, I interpret the building materials in verse 12 to be the quality of the works that are built by those who are ministers of Christ. If the work survives the fire that will test it on 'the Day', the worker will be rewarded. If the work is burned up, the worker will not be lost to hell, but there will be no eternal reward in heaven.

From the building in 10-15, Paul switches to the 'temple' in vv 16-17. We are God's temple because He dwells in us. Verse 17 is a strong warning against those who seek to destroy the children of God.

Finally in verses 18-22 he addresses the ministers. "Don't rest in your own wisdom or cleverness; the wisdom of this age is foolishness to God. Become a fool for Christ and rest in the wisdom from the Spirit (2:13) and the mind of Christ." (2:16). He ends with a different approach to the quote he gave in 1:31, 'Don't boast in men, because everything is God's'.

How does this affect my worship?
Before the time of Christ on this earth, anyone who wanted to worship God went to the tabernacle or the temple. But as Jesus clearly taught in John 4, we don't have to worship in any particular place anymore because God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth (John 4:23-24). The short but profound contents of verse 16 shed a little different light on it; not only is God everywhere, but He is IN us. We are now His temple. This thought should transform my worship. As I seek to be a 'living sacrifice' who is acceptable and pleasing to God (Rom 12:1), I must remember that He dwells in me and is constantly working to make my worship more acceptable and more pleasing. In one sense that is comforting; in another sense it is humbling.

How does this affect my discipleship?
This memory passage speaks directly to anyone seeking to obey the command of God and serve Him on this earth. Your work, including your discipleship, will be tested on 'the Day'. If it is built with quality, precious, costly work it will not only survive but be rewarded. If it is built with empty, cheap, or worldly work it will not survive the test of fire. As I build into someone's life, on the foundation of Christ, I must always remember to keep my focus on the eternal and not the worldly. It's not about me. It's about Him. More of Him, less of me.

May you build on the foundation of Christ as you walk with Him today,

Ethan