First Corinthians

First Corinthians was taught by Dr. James Modlish
Outline provided by Randy Rogers

 

CHAPTER THREE

3:1 The Corinthians were not Spiritual, and Paul brings this to their attention in this first of two letters to the Corinthians.

 

Proofs of their lack of spirituality:

[1]. Chapter 1 - Divisions, strife, envy (1:3).
[2]. Chapter 3 - Carnal - Still following the ways of the flesh (3:3).
[3]. Chapter 4 - Lack of Stewardship - Not faithful to the mysteries of God (3:1-2).
[4]. Chapter 5 - Fornication, lack of repentance, and lack of judgment (5:1-2).
[5]. Chapter 12 - Wrong Gifts lifted up and extolled. They put too much emphasis on the least of the gifts. The ones that had to do with the flesh (12:30-31).

3:2 Baby’s are expected to be so for a while, but they have to grow up (1 Pet. 2:1-2).
Grow Up!

3:3 “Ye are yet carnal” - still having strife, envy, divisions, like a bunch of babies in a nursery.
They should have been able to bear things, but weren't due to their carnality. They walk as unsaved men.
Still unskilled in the word and require milk - (Heb. 5:13-14). They aren’t learning very much.

3:4 Divisions among them as to who is better Apollos, or Paul. Childish comparisons.

3:5 The important thing is the Lord. Paul & Apollos are ministers by which the Corinthians came to the knowledge of Christ.

3:6 This is a great truth. We can do all we can, but if God doesn’t give the increase, then there is none. God is the Key in all this Sowing and Reaping business. (Heb. 3:4)

3:7 The Lord doesn’t need us!

3:8 Here is the only place where Zero plus Zero = ONE! (See 3:7)
God pays you what you are worth!

3:9 Labourers with God - Together! This ought to change things we we stop being carnal.

 

Husbandry = vineyard
We are God’s building - house

3:10 When it comes to carpentry there are different skill levels:

[1]. Apprentice - Beginner
[2]. Journeyman - Can work on his own without supervision, he knows the work, and has the skills.
[3]. Master - Top level, he knows all the ends and outs, and takes extra special care.
[4]. Wise Master - A wise master builder probably has even more understanding and skill than the other three.

3:10 Two foundations - Here and in Eph. 2:19-20).

3:11 Jesus Christ is the issue here! He is the foundation (Isa. 28:16) on which all Christians are to build, not works, worldly possessions, etc. Your millennial reward depends on what you build on this foundation!

3:12 “Any man” = another minister

Things that you build on this foundation that will last:

[1]. Gold - Stands for deity! A picture of God. Gold is mentioned 365 times in scripture. It is a precious medal. Christians get to walk on it in Heaven, down here it is coveted after. When you talk about God, and tell people about him; you are laying up gold in Heaven.
[2]. Silver - Stands for the Price of Redemption! Jesus Christ was betrayed for 30 pieces of silver (Matt. 26:15; 27:3,5,6). See also (Zech. 11) this has to do with the Antichrist (Judas). Silver is mentioned 286 times in scripture. When you tell someone about Jesus Christ, and how he died and rose again to redeem them and keep them out of hell, you are laying up silver in Heaven.
[3]. Precious Stones - These stand for souls that you win to Christ. Stars are also a type of souls you win to Christ (Dan. 12:3). Precious Stones are mentioned 19 times in scripture. When you win a soul to Jesus Christ you are laying up Precious Stones in Heaven.

Things that you build on this foundation that will not last:

[1]. Wood - Still somewhat useful in building stuff, but once it is put through the fire, there ain’t nothing left but ashes. Wood is mentioned 133 times in scripture, and in order for it to appear “nice” and last for a while, it needs to be overlaid with gold. This is the case-in-point concerning the Tabernacle. Wood is an organism that grows, and can be infected with diseases. Wood pictures something that you build for yourself. Toot’n your own wooden horn as it were. It won’t bring any rewards at the Judgment Seat of Christ.
[2]. Hay - Can’t do much with this, but feed animals. Hay is mentioned 3 times in scripture. Have you ever seen a prairie fire? It moves very fast, and devours everything in its path. A dry hayfield is just as bad. This is another item that will not last the fire of the Judgment Seat of Christ.
[3]. Stubble - This is the end result of hay after it has been harvested. Stubble is mentioned 18 times in scripture, and in every case it is bad. The Egyptians gave Israel “stubble” (Ex. 5:12) instead of straw to make bricks. The armies of earth, are counted as “stubble” at the 2nd advent of Christ (Joel 2:5). About the only thing that you can use stubble for, is to plow it back into the ground and use it for compost (fertilizer).

The afore mentioned items are classified as DEAD works! No rewards will come as a result.

Paul lists the Fruit of The Spirit in (Gal. 5:22), and if a Christian will walk after the Spirit he will lay up Gold, Silver, Precious Stones.

If a Christian does not walk after the Spirit, he will lay up Wood, Hay, Stubble, which is called the Works of The Flesh (Gal. 5:16-21).

3:13 Our works - what we have done after salvation will be revealed (made manifest) (2 Cor. 5:10-11).
What sort of works were done after salvation is “revealed by fire.” Quality NOT Quantity!

3:14 At the Judgment Seat of Christ, your works are put through the fire, and if Gold, Silver, and Precious Stones come through you will receive a reward. Five crowns are given out at this judgment. This will be discussed further in chapter 9.

(2 Jn. 8-11) states that it is possible to lose rewards, and a warning is given about this.

3:15 Here we have the proof text for the false doctrine of Purgatory that the Roman Catholics like to espouse. Works - (Vs. 13; 15).

The picture here is a man getting out of a house fire with nothing on at all, or at the least with the clothes on his back. Everything else goes up in smoke - “yet so as by fire.”

Lot is a picture of a worldly Christian that gets out with the clothes on his back. It is said of Lot in (2 Pet. 2:7-8) that he “vexed his righteous soul with the filthy conversation of the wicked.” The Scripture calls him Righteous, yet he loses everything when Sodom and Gomorrah went up in fire.

3:16 This verse is aimed at “tongue talkers” that doubted the indwelling Spirit. The Holy Spirit was promised to believers, and that he would indwell them (Jn. 14:14-16).

3:17 Defiling the Temple (your body) - can come in all sorts of ways -

[1]. Fornication
[2]. Adultery
[3]. Smoking
[4]. Drinking
[5]. Drugs
[6]. Gluttony

This destruction is in most cases a slow process. God being as merciful as he is he gives us a chance to repent and get right. At least 1/2 of the people are sick because of sin!

3:18 It is possible to be self-deceived about a thing. Paul says don’t deceive yourself!

Worldly Wise - You need to get out of fellowship with the world, and become a fool for Christ’s sake. (Rom. 12:1-2)

3:19 The reason why is found in (Vs. 18)
“Craftiness” - akin to a Job.

3:20 The thought life is where a person starts to go wrong. The thoughts are “vain”. Solomon said in (Prov. 16:3) Commit thy works unto the LORD, and thy thoughts shall be established.

The word “I” is mentioned more times in Ecclesiastes than in any other book of the same size. Solomon spoke much about vanity!

3:21 All are yours - (vs. 22)

3:22 (1 Tim. 6:17)

3:23 This sums it all up in a nut shell. (Rom. 14:8)

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