1 Corinthians 3:1-4 (NKJV) 1 And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual [people] but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ. 2 I fed you with milk and not with solid food; for until now you were not able [to receive it,] and even now you are still not able; 3 for you are still carnal. For where [there are] envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like [mere] men? 4 For when one says, “I am of Paul,” and another, “I [am] of Apollos,” are you not carnal?

And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual [people] but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ.

So in the last chapter Paul describes that the things of God can only really be known and understood by those indwelled with His Spirit, and that those who are not able to comprehend are still in the flesh, or here he says “carnal”.

But I want you to see that last statement in v1 “I am having to speak to you “as to carnal, as to babes in Christ”.

Paul makes it clear here that carnality and new born Christianity at times can resemble one another. But I want you to see that Paul never uses the term “carnal Christian” such a term is a contradiction and is a pseudo Christianity.

I fed you with milk and not with solid food; for until now you were not able [to receive it,] and even now you are still not able

As a result of this Paul doesn’t try to lay heavy doctrine on them but he feeds them with the basics. This wasn’t a good thing. Paul is actually rebuking them for it. But based on where they were in their growth they were unable to receive anything else.

for you are still carnal. For where [there are] envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like [mere] men? For when one says, “I am of Paul,” and another, “I [am] of Apollos,” are you not carnal?

That’s a powerful statement and not one to be taken lightly. He says earlier that new born Christians can resemble carnal or pseudo Christians. He says here, “you are carnal”.

He goes on to say why he believes this is the case. Because the fruit coming from their lives is “envy, strife and divisions”.

Paul is not being harsh or judgmental here. He is simply doing exactly what Jesus said to do:

Matthew 7:16-17 (NKJV) 16 “You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? 17 “Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.

Paul doesn’t play around here. He says new believers can resemble pseudo believers but time and fruit are the ultimate indicators.

Galatians 6:7-8 (NKJV) 7 Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. 8 For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life.

Is it unloving for someone to bring to our attention that where there is no evidence of growth, where there is no fruit over time, where the pursuit of our hearts are all the same things that the carnal, unsaved world wants, that we are possibly deceiving ourselves?

The purpose of Paul’s rebuke here is to cause them to take a spiritual inventory and get focused on what matters, because the evidence reveals that they’re not.

1 Corinthians 3:5-8 (NKJV) 5 Who then is Paul, and who [is] Apollos, but ministers through whom you believed, as the Lord gave to each one? 6 I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase. 7 So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase. 8 Now he who plants and he who waters are one, and each one will receive his own reward according to his own labor.

Who then is Paul, and who [is] Apollos, but ministers through whom you believed, as the Lord gave to each one?

So the debate they were having had to do with factions or what we might see as denominations, but Paul makes it clear here that we are just representatives of the Lord.

I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase. So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase.

Notice here that Paul says they have no power in themselves to cause one to come to faith. It is the Holy Spirit, God, who did this. But we do have separate and distinct roles in being used as his instruments for this. Jesus said:

John 3:5-8 (NKJV) 5 Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 “That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 “Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ 8 “The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

We all have roles to play. We’re to be faithful to His Word, trusting Him to do a work. But in the end it is the Spirit of God that blows where He wishes. We do not wield Him. He wields us, and uses us, according to His will.

Now he who plants and he who waters are one, and each one will receive his own reward according to his own labor.

So Paul just says, we’re all on the same team playing different roles according to how God has gifted us. But despite our differences we will each be rewarded according to our faithfulness.

1 Corinthians 3:9-11 (NKJV) 9 For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, [you are] God’s building. 10 According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it. 11 For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, [you are] God’s building.

Paul reiterates here that we are all fellow workers. Same team. Regardless of the role we play or the gifts we have. We are all working a field, building a house.

According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it.

Paul is recognizing here that even being able to play a part in something of such significance is a grace he didn’t deserve. We too, are called to such a high calling. To serve Christ in matters that will have eternal impacts.

It is God who is the wise master builder. Paul and the rest of us are laborers.

But the importance of a solid foundation cannot be overstated. For everything is built upon Christ, as He’s revealed Himself in His word. This is why it’s so crucial that we don’t compromise or minimize Jesus’s words at all.

A false faith built on a false Christ will not weather the storm of trials and tribulations. But a solid faith built on the real Christ isn’t surprised by trials. It isn’t surprised by persecution. It isn’t surprised by tribulation. Because the real Christ told us that’s what we’re to expect if we follow Him.

Matthew 7:21-27 (NKJV) 21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, buthe who does the will of My Father in heaven. 22 “Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ 23 “And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’ 24 “Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: 25 “and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. 26 “But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: 27 “and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.”

Paul warns his readers. Take heed that you not build on any other foundation. And take heed WHAT you do build on the true foundation.

For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

No other foundation will survive.

1 Corinthians 3:12-15 (NKJV) 12 Now if anyone builds on this foundation [with] gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, 13 each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is. 14 If anyone’s work which he has built on [it] endures, he will receive a reward. 15 If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.

Now if anyone builds on this foundation [with] gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is.

Paul lists several building materials here. And he says that those materials will be tested in that Day. The word Day is capitalized indicating the Day of the Lord. The Day of the Lords return. He says our work which is built on the foundation of Christ will be tested by fire to reveal what sort of material it is.

It is my opinion here that what is being tested is our motives. Was I doing this work out of faith? Gold, silver, precious stones… Was I doing this out of obligation, self righteousness, to win the approval of others? Wood, hay, stubble…

If anyone’s work which he has built on [it] endures, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.

If the work ensures it reveals the motives were pure. In faith, in love, in obedience to Christ, and a reward will be received as a result.

But if the work was done for selfish motives then that person will suffer loss of reward… but he himself will be saved, so as through fire.

Though his motives behind his work may not have been pure, they were still built on the foundation of Christ. As such he himself will be saved, but he will obtain no reward for his work.

Notice here that Paul doesn’t say that the quantity of the work is measured. It is the quality of the work.

1 Corinthians 3:16-17 (NKJV) 16 Do you not know that you are the temple of God and [that] the Spirit of God dwells in you? 17 If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which [temple] you are.

Paul adds this statement to make it clear that the last statement about being saved but simply receiving no reward is not a license to do what you want. He follows it up with the statement that we are Gods temple if God dwells in us and that He will not allow His temple to be defiled. There are some who believe that he is merely talking about killing the body and bringing the disobedient believer home sooner. Others believe this is a warning about losing salvation. In either case the consequences are serious and I would argue that the only ones who would see this as permission to be disobedient need to read Matt 7:21-23.

1 Corinthians 3:18-20 (NKJV) 18 Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you seems to be wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise. 19 For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, “He catches the wise in their [own] craftiness”; 20 and again, “The LORD knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile.”

First, he says let no one deceive themselves. This is not the only time Paul uses this statement. And it means that it is possible for us to do so. In Hebrews 3:12-14 we see that this deceit comes from sin and d indulging in it.

Second, I can’t tell you how many times we’re told to use wisdom, oftentimes in opposition to faith. But Paul here clearly lays out that the wisdom of this world is not what we’re after.

1 Corinthians 3:21-23 (NKJV) 21 Therefore 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 things present or things to come--all are yours. 23 And you [are] Christ’s, and Christ [is] God’s.

So Paul closes up this chapter with the fact that all things are yours. Whether you are of Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, all things are ours because we are Christ’s and Christ is Gods and all things belong to Him.