United we stand, divided we fall
1 Corinthians 3
Introduction
Background to 1 Corinthians 3
The Christians in Corinth were struggling with their worldly and immoral environment. Surrounded by corruption and every conceivable type of personality, they felt the pressure to think, feel, behave and act in response to the pressure to adapt. They knew they were free in Christ, but failed to understand what this freedom meant and how it was to be exercised.
How should they view idols, sexuality, marriage, gender, women in the church?
How should they understand and embrace the so-called gifts of the Spirit, prayer, Scripture and tradition?
How should they handle conflict and division – especially in family and the church?
In chapter 3 Paul encourages the congregation to rally around the truths of the Gospel. He explains the role of church leaders and encourages them to grow up in their faith and to set an example for the wider congregation and immediate world to see and to follow.
Examination of our spiritual condition - a challenge to worldliness
1 Corinthians 3:1-3
But I, brothers, could not address you as spiritual people, but as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ. 2 I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for it. And even now you are not yet ready, 3 for you are still of the flesh. For while there
is jealousy and strife among you, are you not of the flesh and behaving only in a human way?
Paul’s Challenge:
Church leadership – follow Christ as head not men
1 Corinthians 3: 4-9
4 For when one says, “I follow Paul,” and another, “I follow Apollos,” are you not being merely human? 5 What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, as the Lord assigned to each. 6 I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. 7 So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. 8 He who plants and he who waters are one, and each will receive his wages according to his labor. 9 For we are God’s fellow workers. You are God’s field - God’s building.
Paul’s Challenge:
Christ the head of the church - the congregation the temple of the Holy Spirit
1 Corinthians 3:10-17
10 According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building upon it. Let each one take care how he builds upon it. 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. 16 Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you? 17 If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him. For God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple.
Paul’s challenge:
Paul’s rebuke and exhortation – a challenge for us today
1 Corinthians 3: 18-23
18 Let no one deceive himself. f anyone among you thinks that he is wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise. 19 For the wisdom of this world is folly with God. For it is written, “He catches the wise in their craftiness,” 20 and again, “The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile.” 21 So let no one boast in men. For all things are yours, 22 whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future—all are yours, 23 and you are Christ’s, and Christ is God’s.
Paul’s challenge:
Application
Paul in his letter whilst including some practical counsel, is essentially delivering the theological underpinning of Christ’s headship, our individual expression of our faith, the church and its leadership, and the collective congregation as the temple of the Holy Spirit. Throughout the New Testament we find much practical advice as to how this should be lived out in community.
To conclude the teaching of this chapter 3 of Corinthians let me suggest some basic biblical practices that will enable the church and its people to be of God rather than this world.
Practices to lead to church and family unity
1. Prayer for unity
2. Forbearance in small matters
3. Removal of the log in your own eye before toy try to remove the speck in another’s eye
4. Forgiveness of true offenses (the offended, the offender, the observer)
5. Resolution to move forward toward hard conversations with pleasant words especially when someone sins against you or disagrees with you
6. Resolution not to let relationships wither and die when you feel others are holding you back or opposing you
7. Resolution to be a peacemaker not a gossip
8. Understanding of the difference between constructive and destructive conversation
9. Adjustment of your expectations and assumptions
10. Development of perspective by discerning the level or depth of the issues faced
11. Resolution to submit to mistakes on unimportant matters
12. Not equating niceness or silence with unity – seeking all opinions
13. Understanding that love and unity in most cases are much more important than the disputed matters
Illustrations of the power of love and unity
1. Geese flying in formation provide support, encouragement, comfort, leadership and loyalty to their corporate purpose
2. Horses pulling together providing increased strength
For reflection and discussion
1. In your personal spiritual life and your thoughts about the church and its congregation, how strongly do you depend on God’s leading through prayer and His Word, and are you practically aligning with this direction?
2. What is your present practical contribution in time, talent, treasure and testimony to Chuwar Baptist Church and its ministries? How do you plan to increase that support to enable the church to survive?
3. Chuwar Baptist Church is currently facing real challenges to its survival especially in terms of finances and numerical growth. How could you positively contribute to these two critical areas?