1 Corinthians Bible Study Message 9 1 Cor. 3:5-17

Sure, here's an ice breaker illustration for introducing 1 Corinthians 3:5-17:

---

Imagine you're at a potluck dinner, and everyone in the church has brought their favorite dish. There's Grandma Johnson's famous fried chicken, Brother Smith's BBQ ribs, and Sister Lee's legendary apple pie. Each dish is delicious in its own right, and everyone has their favorite.

Now, imagine if people started forming groups based on whose dish they liked best. Some say, "I'm with Grandma Johnson's chicken!" Others proclaim, "I only eat Brother Smith's ribs!" And a few insist, "Sister Lee's apple pie is the only dessert worth eating!"

This would be silly, wouldn't it? The potluck is meant to be a time of fellowship and enjoyment, where we appreciate the variety and savor the collective feast. The point isn't to elevate one dish over another but to celebrate the meal together.

In 1 Corinthians 3:5-17, Paul addresses a similar issue within the church. People were aligning themselves with different leaders—some claimed to follow Paul, others Apollos, and still others Peter. Paul reminds them that while each leader has a role, it is God who gives the growth. Just as the focus of the potluck should be on the shared meal rather than individual dishes, the focus in the church should be on Jesus, the foundation, rather than the personalities of the leaders. In Christ, we are all working together to build something beautiful for God's glory.

This illustration can help set the stage for discussing the unity and purpose in the body of Christ, as Paul emphasizes in the passage.

1 Cor. 3:5-17

1 Corinthians 3:5–17 NKJV

5 Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers through whom you believed, as the Lord gave to each one? 6 I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase. 7 So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase. 8 Now he who plants and he who waters are one, and each one will receive his own reward according to his own labor. 9 For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, you are God’s building. 10 According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it. 11 For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, 13 each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is. 14 If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. 15 If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire. 16 Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? 17 If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are.

Emphasis

Paul as you know is writing to the church at Corinth and He is addressing some issues that call for a corrective epistle. . The church had encountered factions and dissension over several issues, but one paramount struggle was the overemphasis of leaders in the church rather than focusing on the Lord and His role in the mission.

In other words, the loyalty became distorted to the point of joining camps within the church. This may sound foreign but the reality is that churches in our region have walked through such struggles. It has happened among Southern Baptist churches in our region and if you were to look back into the better than 140 year history I imagine these types of issues have surfaced here

here at Mt Zion.

1 Corinthians 3:5 “5 Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers through whom you believed, as the Lord gave to each one?”

Notice Paul is writing in the 3rd person even though He is speaking of himself. Paul is saying, yes, there are different personalities that serve the Lord, but note those diakonos, those ministers are gifts of the Lord.

Ministers-Diakonos

They are servants. Serving in the capacity of their Superior.

A Key phrase is “ministers through” . In other words, these men are mediums, minsters, mentors at time, but the one who ultimately accomplishes the mission is Jesus. We are not to make them Messiah’s. There is only one Messiah.

1 Corinthians 3:6–7 “6 I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase. 7 So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase.”

Dearly beloved, we are components, or cogs in the wheel, but God brings completion.

Paul in no way is stating that we do not have value to the Lord. God values greatly what you and I do. Its the fact that we wain in comparison to knowing who ultimately is fulfilling the mission in the lives of His church.

Ephesians 3:7 “7 of which I became a minister according to the gift of the grace of God given to me by the effective working of His power.”

Colossians 1:25 “25 of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God which was given to me for you, to fulfill the word of God,”

We must understand why we have been ingifted in the first place and understand the gift is to be used for His glory in ministering to God’s people.

1 Corinthians 4:15 “15 For though you might have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet you do not have many fathers; for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel.”

Here is where we need to have clear understanding. We all including me have certain personalities we prefer to hear and could be for many reasons. We have more in common with the individual. We are of the same age or raise in the same era.

God uses different people to reach different audiences. He uses ministers with different gifts to address different matters.

Ill. Dwayne Rembert, Matthew Hosier, Dr. Kline Johnson, or myself.

Each has a unique set of gifts and background, but all of work to serve the Lord.

Paul writes in Galatians to keeps us humble. We are not to think more of ourselves than we ought.

Look at this text below.

I reiterate. You are highly valuable to the Lord. But stay humble in understanding who moves the needle in Your assigned area of ministry.

Galatians 6:3 “3 For if anyone thinks himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself.”

1 Cor. 16:10-20.

Col. 4:7-15

Effort

In verses 6-9, rather than engaging in the sin of overzealous emphasis on personalities that we need to give our attention to engaging in our own efforts in serving the Lord.

Rather than externalizing about the followship of this minister or that minister, give your energy and effort to doing your part in fulfilling the mission.

I say this statement all the time but this section of text supports the thought.

“A Pulling Mule Can’t Kick.”

If you are more absorbed in your own called place of service, you will not have time to have a critical spirit about other ministers of the church or to be involved in taking sides or drawing lines in the sand following varying individuals.

1 Corinthians 3:8 “8 Now he who plants and he who waters are one, and each one will receive his own reward according to his own labor.”

Rather than being caught up in the varying personalities, focus inward and ask yourself the question. Am I doing my part?

Note in verse 8 and important point:

“now He who plants and He who waters is one.”

We find further definition in our roles spelled out in this text.

“We Complement Each Other. We Do Not Compete With Each Other.”

Excellence

1 Corinthians 3:9–10 “9 For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, you are God’s building. 10 According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it.”

Notice that Paul calls the church at Corinth uses titles for the church as agrarian or construction oriented.

Paul uses three titles for the people of God that are part of His church.

Staff-worker

Let’s consider Hyundai for a moment, one of our regional manufacturers in the area. I toured that plant and if you have never had an opportunity, you are missing a real treat.

Company-CEO, Sales & Marketing, Inventory Mgmt, Manufacturing, Distribution, Human Resource, and the list goes on. Let’s drill it down. You have the seats, you have the paint area, you have hire assembly, engines, transmissions, the drive off team, the tier 1 and tier 2 suppliers, they call it “right on time”.

If any area drops the ball, the whole process is dead in the water.

Can you imagine?

Acts 15:4 “4 And when they had come to Jerusalem, they were received by the church and the apostles and the elders; and they reported all things that God had done with them.”

There was a convergence, a reporting to gain encouragement, one hand knowing what the other hand was doing because they were on the same team.

Soil-the field-notice He did not say they were the crop or the fruit. We are the field. What is important is that we are fertile ground for the Lord to grow a crop.

Mark 4:3–8 NKJV

3 “Listen! Behold, a sower went out to sow. 4 And it happened, as he sowed, that some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds of the air came and devoured it. 5 Some fell on stony ground, where it did not have much earth; and immediately it sprang up because it had no depth of earth. 6 But when the sun was up it was scorched, and because it had no root it withered away. 7 And some seed fell among thorns; and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no crop. 8 But other seed fell on good ground and yielded a crop that sprang up, increased and produced: some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred.”

To become a more fertile field for the Lord, consider these actions: Cultivate Spiritual Disciplines: Engage in regular prayer, Bible study, and meditation on God's Word. This helps in nurturing a deep and personal relationship with God. Seek Godly Wisdom and Fellowship: Surround yourself with fellow believers who can offer guidance, support, and accountability. Participating in church activities, Bible study groups, and seeking mentorship from mature Christians can be very beneficial. Serve and Obey: Actively serve in your church and community, following the teachings and commands of Jesus. Living out your faith through acts of love, kindness, and service helps to bear spiritual fruit. Reflect and Repent: Regularly examine your life, confess sins, and turn away from behaviors that hinder spiritual growth. Allow the Holy Spirit to transform and renew your mind and heart. Stay Humble and Teachable: Maintain a humble heart, always open to learning and growing. Be willing to accept correction and seek continual growth in your faith and character. By focusing on these areas, you can cultivate a more fertile and receptive heart for God's work in and through your life.

1 Corinthians 3:10 “10 According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it.”

Structure-God’s building

Evidence

1 Corinthians 3:10–15 NKJV

10 According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it. 11 For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, 13 each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is. 14 If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. 15 If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.

I entitled this section as a focal word-evidence. There will be an evidence to the type builder we will be.

He provides the answer to being a great builder and we spoke to this last Sunday morning.

1 Corinthians 3:11 “11 For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

Matthew 7:24–28 NKJV

24 “Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: 25 and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. 26 “But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: 27 and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.” 28 And so it was, when Jesus had ended these sayings, that the people were astonished at His teaching,

Everyone of us are a building, a structure. The question is what type of structure are we?

1 Corinthians 3:12 “12 Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw,”

Is not Paul describing vary degrees of materials that have permanence vs. perishable?

1 Thessalonians 2:19–20 “For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Is it not even you in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming? For you are our glory and joy.”

For what is our hope, our joy, or the crown in which we will glory in the presence of our Lord Jesus when he comes? Is it not you? Indeed, you are our glory and joy.

The Holy Bible: New International Version (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1984), 1 Th 2:19–20.