1 Cor 3-4
Grow Up
Who’s On Your Podcast? V1-4
people of the flesh
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?
Heres the Question, Will It Last?
gold, silver, precious stones. Materials used in the construction of Solomon’s temple (1 Chron. 29:2), and here an image for what will survive the judgment, in contrast to wood, hay, and straw. Work that Christians do in Christlike faith and obedience (1 Cor. 3:10–11) will survive and be rewarded; work done in the power of the “flesh” (v. 1) or in disobedience to Scripture (4:6) will not.
Although those who have believed in Jesus have already been justified by faith (Rom. 5:1) and will not face condemnation on the final day (John 5:24; Rom. 8:1, 33), God will still judge their works (Rom. 14:10–12; 2 Cor. 5:10) and reward them accordingly (Matt. 6:1–6, 16, 18; 10:41–42).
A sower went out to sow. 4 And as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them. 5 Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and immediately they sprang up, since they had no depth of soil, 6 but when the sun rose they were scorched. And since they had no root, they withered away. 7 Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. 8 Other seeds fell on good soil and produced grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. 9 He who has ears, let him hear.”
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
Chapter 4
A “mystery” (Gk. mystērion) in Paul’s letters is something that people, in their human weakness, could not understand unless God graciously revealed it to them (Dan. 2:18–19, 28; Eph. 1:7–9), but now Paul does explain these mysteries.
The second word, stewards, is fairly common in the New Testament. The Greek oikonomos was a housekeeper or overseer (often a slave), charged with providing the establishment of a large estate with food and all things needful. He was responsible, not to his fellows, but to his lord.
judged by you. Some of the Corinthians, perhaps followers of Apollos or Cephas, probably spoke disparagingly of Paul, especially of his speaking ability (1:17; 2:3–4; 4:18–21; 2 Cor. 10:9), thinking they were able to judge his spiritual effectiveness.
For who sees anything different in you? What do you have that you did not receive? If then you received it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it?
This set of rhetorical questions expresses in a nutshell the central theological truth that the Corinthians, in their divisiveness, seem to have forgotten: all their abilities, opportunities, and blessings are from God, so they should not boast. What do you have that you did not receive? If Christians repeatedly ask this of themselves, it will produce deep humility and thanksgiving. See also 1:4, 30–31; 3:6–7, 21–23.
You vs Us
We are fools for Christ’s sake, but you are wise in Christ. We are weak, but you are strong. You are held in honor, but we in disrepute. 11 To the present hour we hunger and thirst, we are poorly dressed and buffeted and homeless, 12 and we labor, working with our own hands. When reviled, we bless; when persecuted, we endure; 13 when slandered, we entreat. We have become, and are still, like the scum of the world, the refuse of all things.