I CORINTHIANS

Chapter 3

Carnal Christians, Good vs Bad Works, and the Wisdom of God

Carnality in the Corinthian Church

• 1. AND I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ.
  
  • Greek
    • Καὶ ἐγώ, ἀδελφοί οὐκ ἠδυνήθην λαλῆσαι ὑμῖν ὡς πνευματικοῖς ἀλλ᾽ ὡς σαρκικοῖς ὡς νηπίοις ἐν Χριστῷ
• 2. I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.
  
  • Greek
    • γάλα ὑμᾶς ἐπότισα καὶ οὐ βρῶμα οὔπω γὰρ ἠδύνασθε ἀλλ᾽ οὖτε ἔτι νῦν δύνασθε
• 3. For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?
  
  • Greek
    • ἔτι γὰρ σαρκικοί ἐστε ὅπου γὰρ ἐν ὑμῖν ζῆλος καὶ ἔρις καὶ διχοστασίαι, οὐχὶ σαρκικοί ἐστε καὶ κατὰ ἄνθρωπον περιπατεῖτε
• 4. For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal?
  
  • Greek
    • ὅταν γὰρ λέγῃ τις Ἐγὼ μέν εἰμι Παύλου ἕτερος δέ Ἐγὼ Ἀπολλῶ οὐχὶ σαρκικοί ἐστε
• 5. Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man?
  
  • Greek
    • τίς οὖν ἐστιν Παῦλος τίς δέ Ἀπολλῶς ἀλλ᾽ ἢ διάκονοι δι᾽ ὧν ἐπιστεύσατε καὶ ἑκάστῳ ὡς ὁ κύριος ἔδωκεν
• 6. I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.
  
  • Greek
    • ἐγὼ ἐφύτευσα Ἀπολλῶς ἐπότισεν ἀλλ᾽ ὁ θεὸς ηὔξανεν·
• 7. So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase.
  
  • Greek
    • ὥστε οὔτε ὁ φυτεύων ἐστίν τι οὔτε ὁ ποτίζων ἀλλ᾽ ὁ αὐξάνων θεός

Good Works vs Bad Works

• 8. Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour.
  
  • Greek
    • ὁ φυτεύων δὲ καὶ ὁ ποτίζων ἕν εἰσιν ἕκαστος δὲ τὸν ἴδιον μισθὸν λήψεται κατὰ τὸν ἴδιον κόπον·
• 9. For we are labourers together with God: ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building.
  
  • Greek
    • θεοῦ γάρ ἐσμεν συνεργοί θεοῦ γεώργιον θεοῦ οἰκοδομή ἐστε
• 10. According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon.
  
  • Greek
    • Κατὰ τὴν χάριν τοῦ θεοῦ τὴν δοθεῖσάν μοι ὡς σοφὸς ἀρχιτέκτων θεμέλιον τέθεικα, ἄλλος δὲ ἐποικοδομεῖ ἕκαστος δὲ βλεπέτω πῶς ἐποικοδομεῖ
• 11.↓ For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
  
  • Greek
    • θεμέλιον γὰρ ἄλλον οὐδεὶς δύναται θεῖναι παρὰ τὸν κείμενον ὅς ἐστιν Ἰησοῦς ὁ Χριστός
  • Notes
    • ° Jesus is the only foundation upon which you can build an eternal inheritance (and that foundation adheres to The Word!)
      ° He laid the foundation of your salvation, it is then up to you to build upon it while in this body
      
      
• 12.↓ Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble;
  
  • Greek
    • εἰ δέ τις ἐποικοδομεῖ ἐπὶ τὸν θεμέλιον τοῦτον χρυσόν ἄργυρον λίθους τιμίους ξύλα χόρτον καλάμην
  • Notes
    • ° As you go through your life you are either building those things which are sown in the flesh (wood, hay, stubble) or those things which are sown in the Spirit (gold, silver, precious stones)
      ° When we stand before the bema seat of Christ everything is tried to see if it is temporary or eternal
      ° For the works to remain eternal, they must be compatible with the foundation upon which they were placed
      
      
      • Wood, Hay, & Stubble
      • Gold, SIlver, & Precious Stones
      • Temporary
      • Combustible
      • Cheap (not costly)
      • Wisdom of the world
      • Satisfaction is temporary
      • Eternal
      • Not Combustible
      • Expensive (they will cost you)
      • Wisdom of the Lord
      • Joy everlasting
      
      →Inheritance & Rewards
      
      
• 13. Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is.
  
  • Greek
    • ἑκάστου τὸ ἔργον φανερὸν γενήσεται ἡ γὰρ ἡμέρα δηλώσει ὅτι ἐν πυρὶ ἀποκαλύπτεται· καὶ ἑκάστου τὸ ἔργον ὁποῖόν ἐστιν τὸ πῦρ δοκιμάσει
• 14. If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.
  
  • Greek
    • εἴ τινος τὸ ἔργον μενεῖ ὃ ἐπωκοδόμησεν μισθὸν λήψεται
• 15.↓↓ If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.
  
  • Greek
    • εἴ τινος τὸ ἔργον κατακαήσεται ζημιωθήσεται αὐτὸς δὲ σωθήσεται οὕτως δὲ ὡς διὰ πυρός
  • Notes
    • Return to →The King's Return
      
      Return to →Inheritance & Rewards
• 16. Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?
  
  • Greek
    • οὐκ οἴδατε ὅτι ναὸς θεοῦ ἐστε καὶ τὸ πνεῦμα τοῦ θεοῦ οἰκεῖ ἐν ὑμῖν
• 17. If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy: for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.
  
  • Greek
    • εἴ τις τὸν ναὸν τοῦ θεοῦ φθείρει φθερεῖ τοῦτον ὁ θεός· ὁ γὰρ ναὸς τοῦ θεοῦ ἅγιός ἐστιν οἵτινές ἐστε ὑμεῖς

Pursuing Real Wisdom Glorifies God

• 18. Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise.
  
  • Greek
    • Μηδεὶς ἑαυτὸν ἐξαπατάτω· εἴ τις δοκεῖ σοφὸς εἶναι ἐν ὑμῖν ἐν τῷ αἰῶνι τούτῳ μωρὸς γενέσθω ἵνα γένηται σοφός
• 19. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness.
  
  • Greek
    • ἡ γὰρ σοφία τοῦ κόσμου τούτου μωρία παρὰ τῷ θεῷ ἐστιν γέγραπται γάρ Ὁ δρασσόμενος τοὺς σοφοὺς ἐν τῇ πανουργίᾳ αὐτῶν·
• 20. And again, The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain.
  
  • Greek
    • καὶ πάλιν Κύριος γινώσκει τοὺς διαλογισμοὺς τῶν σοφῶν ὅτι εἰσὶν μάταιοι
• 21. Therefore let no man glory in men. For all things are yours;
  
  • Greek
    • ὥστε μηδεὶς καυχάσθω ἐν ἀνθρώποις· πάντα γὰρ ὑμῶν ἐστιν
• 22. Whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours;
  
  • Greek
    • εἴτε Παῦλος εἴτε Ἀπολλῶς εἴτε Κηφᾶς εἴτε κόσμος εἴτε ζωὴ εἴτε θάνατος εἴτε ἐνεστῶτα εἴτε μέλλοντα· πάντα ὑμῶν ἐστιν,
• 23. And ye are Christ's; and Christ is God's.
  
  • Greek
    • ὑμεῖς δὲ Χριστοῦ Χριστὸς δὲ θεοῦ