1. Corinthians Chapter 2:14-3:17

1. Corinthians Chapter 2:14-3:17 Natural person and the spiritual person, fleshly people, The church as God’s temple. (A call to Grow up and build on Christ, by being in Christ and working for him doing God work).

Paul had just written, that Spirt of God, knows God and teaches and shows the Spiritual man who God is. And teaches the wisdom of God.

The natural person, does not know God or the wisdom of God, because the things of the Spirt of God are folly to him, and he can’t understand. PPT

The Spiritual person, can examine question judge all things by the wisdom of God by the Holy Spirt and dose not need to worry about being judged by others because the spiritual person knows that only God will judge him. (free from of others condemnation and comparison) PPT

The Spirt understands God mind, Isaiah 40:13 cites; (- God does not need our advice -it shows how arrogant we are when we think we can give wisdom to God).

We do have the mind of Lord Christ, we can have our mind renewed, informed by the Spirt. What a blessed gift that we can have the mind of Christ, to love Jesus serve like him love like he did enjoying God.   

Paul will not address some of the problems, in the fellowship. A lack of maturity.

Paul choses to address them as infants in Christ (and they were) – giving them milk, they were not ready- and still not, - they are in Christ but immature called infants and people of the flesh.

Hey Paul why can you write that? Seems unkind and unloving calling them infants and people of the flesh. (today that would make many offended).

Well, we know that Paul loves them dearly and has done all he can to point them to Jesus, and that they are in Christ, they have all the need and Jesus will keep them blames when He comes.

Because Paul loves Jesus and them, he needs to correct them to help them grow. As a loving parent does. (Sometimes correction is hard to hear for the ego, especially today, where everyone thinks they know what is right at true. But in an honest moment; we know that children are not God, and we are not God, we know there are people in Christ that can and should correct us. God is wiser that we are, therefore correction from God or a brother or sister; that loves us is a grace of God. And shows a special care and love, that the world does not have). Paul could have been indifferent/ self-preserving; I don’t want them not to like me therefore I will not correct them, - but that would be very unloving, and would leave them open to Satan’s schemes of division and destruction of the fellowship.  PPT

Paul will point to jealousy, and strife as a problem, that show them they are still infants and fleshly people. (A short pause! What about me? What about you? Are you filled with Jealousy? And why? Do you know it causes strife and division in the church fellowship? Are you, am I and infant in Christ? Acting only as a person of the flesh?)

We are not divided - why are you dividing?

When you say you follow Paul or I follow Apollos, you’re just looking at flesh, and not seeing the Spiritual work that each is doing by the same Spirt. Servants of God working by the same Spirt the job God gave each of them. (We are not divided but united in the same Spirt).

Paul used and farming metaphor, Paul planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. 7) Therefor it is not the planter or the one that waters that is anything, butGod who gives the growth, there is unity with Paul and Apollos (not division). Each will receive his wages; they are fellow works in Gods field. And God is the one that should get glory and the one the Corinthians should follow. (Not people).

Paul now using a new metaphor, Gods building. -that will be completed in verses 16-17. Where Paul calls the Corinthians Gods temple.

Paul as God’s grace was given him, he laid the foundation as a skilled master builder, - others came and watered, - here Paul comes with a warning: “take care how each person builds (What kind of work is it God’s word are we doing Jesus’ work? With His love or is it all for us self? And on our own?). For Jesus, or for myself. – what is taught and why? For the glory of God and good of others.

Paul restating, The fact that there is only one foundation and it is: Jesus Christ – as Paul also wrote in the introduction. (Anyone that would say or do different is a false teacher, trying to lay a different foundation).

12-17 What is built on the foundation and who does it?

A warning to teachers and preachers. What is taught and why it is taught, and lied on the foundation of Jesus Christ, the work will be tested, and the work done in own strength and power for oneness own glory will be tested and burned up. Jesus will keep them as he said in the beginning, but the reward (praise), will not be there, and the works will be taken by the fire, it will fail the test.  

What is built on Christ and His word and wisdom by the Holy Spirt that will last, and stand in the day of Jesus, and the builder will get a reward (praise for doing God work faithfully).  

When you and the Corinthians listen to preachers/teachers’ /builders - It is not their wisdom, their funny personality, but what they teach and preach, and why they do it, that matters. Are they using the grace God has given to do the work God has called them to for his glory? Like Paul said he had done when he laid the foundation. And as Apollos had done when he build /and watered.   

-Why is this important? Good question, for Paul it is so important that he writes it, to correct the behavior of the Corinthians. Because for Paul it seems to be taking a long time for the Corinthians to mature, and instead of growing they are dividing, following their own preferences not understanding that Paul and Apollos are servants of God working together for their good, that they might stand fully mature in Christ. The Corinthians are acting like the don’t have the Holy Spirt, admiring worldly wisdom, and judging others by it instead of by Jesus. (Who was Humle, Meak, wisdom of God word of God).  They lacked understating of Christ Crucified, the humble suffering servant, despised in the world’s eyes, but the very wisdom of God. That is why it is important that Paul and S writes the letter, to encourage the Corinthians in who they are in Jesus Christ and Gods wisdom of the cross and not the worlds wisdom and judgment.  

Well, that is great, good job Paul on teaching the Corinthians. Yes true, but the truth of God, will examen us all therefore this text should also lay us bare before God, and we should examen ourself in the same light.  

Are we living in growing in the fruit of the Spirt or in the wisdom of the world?

Are we joy-filled in Christ, or in our politics or sports achievements or work?

Where is our joy from, and why do we serve and follow Jesus?

De judge others? If we can’t be judged by others, only God can so why? Are we sharing the good news instead, - and love others as we were loved by aJesus? And therefore, care about one another, and like Paul correct the fellowships for good and the people in it not for praise of men, and a following – on social-media or in the church. (I wonder if most of the time we don’t do the hard thing and fellowships divides instead of repent and stay united in Christ.) The main point Jesus is the foundation.

If that is not the case, we are not to be united with the people teaching another gospel.

False teachers should not be followed and God will destroy the people that destroy his church. Great hope of God perfect judgement.

And all teachers work will only stand if done in and for Jesus Christ by the grace of God by the power of the Holy Spirt.

We like them are God’s temple holy and home where Gods presents reside The Holy Spirt. A Holy building (the people) – by Jesus. (The building is not the building but the people. Like the Church is not the building it is the people). Paul reminds them again and us that despite of our failures and infancy they are and we are Holy in Christ Jesus, God’s temple is Holy.  

Paul and I could say, do better work harder, - instead Paul keeps pointing to Jesus and what Jesus has done and who they are in Christ. And say look at that wisdom, look at the grace of God, humble yourself as Jesus did, learn form him. Instead of learning the from the wisdom of the world.

Why are we immature? Why where they? Taken captive of the word’s wisdom, and the flesh, selfishness, looking to one self.

Paul asks them to lift their eyes to see Jesus, to understand the good news about Jesus was not only salvation, it was also being made Holy/sanctification. It was to live out their faith in a fellowship, with Jesus as the center. And getting to know the good news of Jesus Christ more and deeper that it might affect how the relate to one and another and to God.

The what about you? How is your growth? Are you an infant? What do you know most about? What comes out of your hands and feet? What is your mind occupied with? Many things will stunt our growth in Christ in this world. Are there some that are keeping you an infant or stopping your growth?

What about God, and Jesus; that Paul have written about brings you joy? What is the good news of the Gospel of Christ Crucified?

Do I love like Paul and S, like they have been loved by God in Christ Jesus’?

To grow we need to understand the wisdom of God Jesus Christ, by the Holy Spirt, not only in knowledge but in the wisdom of God, that it will be want we live out – who Jesus Christ is – our Lord, God and savior.