1 Cor. Commentary - Chapter 3, THE CHURCH IS HOLY

[Dr. Henry, President of the AOCI]

CHAPTER 3: THE CHURCH IS HOLY
v. 1 Many of the Corinthian Christians hadn’t entered into spiritual maturity but where carnal (worldly). They were still living the carnal lives meaning they where dominated by desires of human flesh and mind and demonstrating human wisdom instead of Godly wisdom. Paul called them babes in Christ (2 Peter 1).
v. 2 Babes in Christ aren’t able to understand and put into practice the clear teachings of the Bible. They look more to testimonies and stories. Babes in Christ indicate immaturity. The Corinthians only understood elementary teachings like salvation, baptism, and laying on of hands however, they could not go on to solid food which is the profound teachings of the Bible that had to do with righteousness and holiness. Milk indicates the easy or basic truths in the Bible. Solid food indicates the deeper things of God in the Bible. SPIRITUAL IMMATURITY MAKES ONE UNABLE TO RECEIVE THE RICHEST AND DEEPEST TRUTHS OF GOD’S WORD. The Corinthians jealousy and quarreling proved they were worldly.
V.3 CARNALITY IS THE CAUSE FOR CHURCH SPLITS AND DIVORCES. The works of the flesh such as envy, strife, severe forms of selfishness, quarreling, jealousy and church divisions are all carnal. Read Gal. 6:7-8. Lists of these sins are listed in Gal. 5:19-21 of which those who practice such things will not make heaven.
v. 4-5 Paul again shows that the Corinthians are carnal because they where siding with different teaching ministries who glorified Christ.
v. 6 -9 in the church at Ephesus and Corinth, Paul planted and Apollo’s watered the seed but it was God who made it grow. The attention of a church should be on Christ and not on their Pastor who cannot make ANYTHING GROW!! God alone is the one who makes possible salvation and growth in numbers. It is the individual Christians responsibility to partner with God for growth by praying, reading the Bible, and keeping the Sabbath Holy!! The church must work together, NOT WITH GOD, BUT UNDER GOD, cooperating with each other in serving the Lord and building up believers instead of tearing them down.
v. 10-15 The death, burial and resurrection of Christ is the foundation for our faith. No other foundation can be laid for the church. No other book than the Bible has the authority of God and no other doctrine can be taught other than what’s already written in the Bible.
GOLD, SILVER, AND COSTLY STONES-speaks of building up the assembly of believers with spiritual truth that enables them to live lives that bring glory to God before the world around them.
WOOD, HAY, AND STRAW-speaks of inferior teaching coming from mere human wisdom and wrong motives which was bringing divisions in the Corinthian church. Matt. 6:1
THE JUDGEMENT SEAT OF CHRIST- YOU WILL BE JUDGED FOR:
1-YOUR MOTIVES-anything done for the LORD without love and a pure heart. (1 Cor. 3:3,12-15; 2 Cor. 5:10; Rom. 14:10)
2-YOUR FAITHFULNESS-Matt. 25:21-23; Luke 12:42-43; Col. 3:23-24; Heb. 6:10-11
3-TESTING DURING PERSECUTION AND TRIALS-2 Cor. 5:10
4-WHAT YOU BELIEVE DOCTRINALLY-Does it line up with what the Bible teaches? You will be judged for inferior teaching coming from mere human wisdom or wrong motives, such as that which was bringing divisions and arguments among the Corinthian believers. Teaching without the Love of Christ which compromises the word of God. 1 Cor. 13:3
5-THE OPPORTUNITIES YOU HAVE TO GLORIFY GOD-any opportunity to witness, to pray, to remain silent, to invest, to give, to maximize the gifts that God has given to you. Luke 16
v.16-You is plural and refers to the local church, the assembly of fellowship of believers. The Holy Spirit dwells in their midst. The Greek word for Temple here includes the inner sanctuary where God manifested his presence-The temple of the Old Testament is a picture of the church of Christ also.
V-17-The consequences of bringing divisions, strife and all that comes with being a Carnal Christian affecting the Church of Christ is that God will DESTROY THEM FOR THE CHURCH IS HOLY.
One of the major problems in the Corinthian church was that they wanted to experience God’s blessing (best) but they refused to separate themselves from the world’s evil ways. They demonstrated this by:
a. Allowing people to be among them that called themselves Christians and not addressing them to forsake their sinful activities. These people only professed to be Christians but did not posses the gift of God of Salvation. This church tolerated selfish divisions, worldly philosophy, jealousy and quarreling, pride, immorality, trivial lawsuits, and rejection of fundamental doctrinal truths.
Jesus warns that if any church tolerates this within the fellowship they will have their candlestick removed and lose its place in God’s kingdom. Further, Jesus warns the believer of His corrective wrath. (Rev. 2:5; 3:15-19). God calls every believer to true repentance, separation from the world, perfecting of holiness in the fear of God (2 Cor. 6:16-18; 7:1)
V-18-23-Paul anticipates that some will think they are so wise that they do not need the warnings he has been giving. Paul warns that they should not deceive themselves
We should not measure our wisdom by the standards of the world system but by the wisdom of God found in the written word of God. We need to become fools, that is, in the eyes of the world so that we can be wise. Only when we humble ourselves this way and turning away form worldly wisdom can we truly serve God and begin to build the temple of God instead of tearing it down.
Instead of boasting on human leaders, we need to recognize that we belong to Christ. We serve one LORD, one Baptism, and one Spirit. When we humble ourselves, activate God’s wisdom, treat the Body of Christ as Holy, then we can serve the LORD in true holiness and serve one another in the Spirit of Love. Blessed be the name of the LORD!!