The Chosen Key Word in this Chapter is “Temple” it comes from the Greek Word “naos” which means “temple, sanctuary.”
Paul tells the Corinthians bluntly that their constant quarreling proves they’re still spiritually immature. Welcome to Bible Life Basics Chapter Reviews, I am Chris and this is 1 Corinthians 3.
Paul explains he could not address the Corinthians as spiritual people, but as carnal, mere infants in Christ, feeding them milk rather than solid food since they were not yet ready for it, and remain not ready even now, since envying, strife, and divisions among them prove they are still walking according to the flesh rather than the Spirit. He addresses their factional loyalty to Paul or Apollos directly, explaining that both are simply servants through whom the Corinthians believed, “I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase,” so that neither planter nor waterer is anything, “but God that giveth the increase.”
Paul describes believers as God’s field and God’s building, with himself, as a wise master builder, having laid the foundation, which is Jesus Christ, warning that everyone must be careful how they build on it. He describes a coming day of testing by fire that will reveal the true quality of each person’s work, whether built with gold, silver, and precious stones that survive, or wood, hay, and stubble that burn up, with the builder themselves still being saved “yet so as by fire” even if their work is lost.
Paul reminds them that they themselves are “the temple,” “naos” in Greek, meaning sanctuary, of God, and that God’s Spirit dwells in them, warning severely that anyone who defiles this temple will be destroyed by God, “for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.” He closes urging them not to deceive themselves with worldly wisdom, since such wisdom is foolishness with God, and reminds them that all things, whether Paul, Apollos, Cephas, the world, life, death, present, or future, ultimately belong to them, since they belong to Christ, and Christ belongs to God.
Paul’s image of believers as God’s field and God’s building reframes the entire church-leader rivalry the Corinthians were caught up in. No single teacher deserved credit for genuine spiritual growth, since God alone gives the increase. Recognizing that truth removes the entire foundation for prideful loyalty to any one human leader.
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