Spiritual Immaturity and Division
Study note
Paul bluntly tells the Corinthians that he could not address them as spiritual people but only as infants in Christ. Their continued jealousy, strife, and faction-forming around human leaders is evidence that they are still living according to the flesh rather than the Spirit. The milk he fed them was appropriate for new believers, but their failure to grow is a serious concern.
1 And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual, but as to carnal, even as to babes in Christ. And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ.
2 I gave you milk because you were not ready for solid food. And honestly, you are still not ready for it. 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 You are still acting like your old selves. As long as you are jealous and fighting with each other, are you not living just like everybody else in the world? 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 One of you says, "I follow Paul." The next one says, "I follow Apollos." When you do this, you act like people who do not know God at all. For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal?
God's Fellow Workers
Study note
Paul redefines the roles of Apollos and himself: they are merely servants through whom the Corinthians believed, each performing the task the Lord assigned. Paul planted the seed and Apollos watered it, but only God made it grow. Neither the planter nor the waterer matters compared to God. Believers are God's field and God's building, a double metaphor that shifts attention from human leaders to divine ownership.
5 Who is Apollos, anyway? Who is Paul? We are just servants who helped you come to faith. Each of us did the job the Lord gave us. Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man?
6 I planted the seed, Apollos came along and watered it, but God is the one who made it grow. I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.
7 So the person who plants and the person who waters are not the important ones. The only one who matters is God, because he is the one who makes things grow. So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase.
8 The planter and the waterer are on the same team. Each one will be rewarded based on their own effort. Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour.
9 We are partners working together for God. You are God's garden. You are God's building project. For we are labourers together with God: ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building.
Building on the Foundation of Christ
Study note
Using his role as a wise master builder, Paul explains that he laid the foundation in Corinth, which is Jesus Christ himself, and no other foundation can be laid. Others build upon it with varying quality of materials, from gold and precious stones to wood, hay, and straw. The day of judgment will reveal each builder's work through fire. What survives brings reward; what burns up means loss, though the person may still be saved as though escaping through flames.
10 Using the ability God gave me, I laid the foundation like an experienced builder. Someone else is now building on top of it. But everyone should pay close attention to how they build. 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 Nobody can put down a different foundation than the one already there. That foundation is Jesus Christ. For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
12 People can build on this foundation using gold, silver, jewels, wood, hay, or straw. Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble;
13 But everyone's work will eventually be tested and exposed. The day of judgment will reveal it, because fire will test the quality of each person's work. 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 what you built holds up through the fire, you will get a reward. If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.
15 If what you built burns up, you will lose your reward. You yourself will still be saved, but just barely -- like someone escaping through flames. If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.
You Are God's Temple
Study note
Paul delivers a solemn warning: the Corinthian community is God's temple where the Spirit dwells, and anyone who destroys this temple will face God's destruction. He returns to the theme of worldly wisdom being foolishness before God, quoting Job and the Psalms. Rather than boasting in human leaders, believers should recognize that all things belong to them, they belong to Christ, and Christ belongs to God, a chain of belonging that eliminates rivalry.
16 Do you not realize that together you are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives right inside you? Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?
17 If anyone tears apart God's temple, God will tear them apart. God's temple is holy, and you are that temple. If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.
18 Do not kid yourself. If someone thinks they are wise by the world's standards, they need to be willing to look foolish so they can become truly wise. 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 The wisdom the world prizes is foolishness to God. The scriptures say, 'He traps the wise in their own tricks.' 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 sees right through the plans of the wise and knows they amount to nothing.' And again, The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain.
21 So stop bragging about which leader you follow. Everything already belongs to you! Therefore let no man glory in men. For all things are yours;
22 Paul, Apollos, Cephas, the whole world, life, death, right now, the future -- it is all yours. 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 you belong to Christ, and Christ belongs to God. And ye are Christ's; and Christ is God's.