The First Epistle of Paul to the Corinthians. Teaching Series Conducted At West Side Church of God in Christ Rockford, Illinois

Transcription

1 The First Epistle of Paul to the Corinthians Teaching Series Conducted At West Side Church of God in Christ Rockford, Illinois By Pastor Maurice A. West October 2004 to March 2005

2

3 THE LEGAL DISCLAIMERS There will be various translations of the Scriptures used in our study. If we depart from the King James Version, which will be our standard, what follows are the typical translations used: Amplified Bible The Amplified Bible. Copyright 1965, Zondervan Publishing House. Net Bible The Net Bible. Copyright , Biblical Studies Press NIV The New International Version. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. NKJV The New King James Version. Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. NLT The New Living Translation. Copyright At various times in this study, you may also find the following designations referring to reference material used to assist in putting together this study. Direct quotations will be shown in italicized text. {Adam Clarke} Adam Clarke s Commentary on the Whole Bible {JF&B} The Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown Commentary {Matthew Henry} Matthew Henry s Commentary on the Whole Bible in One Volume {Dake} Dake s Annotated Reference Bible {MacArthur} The MacArthur Study Bible {Thompson} The Thompson Chain-Reference Bible. {McGee} Thru the Bible Commentary Series by Dr. J. Vernon McGee If other references, commentators, or Bible translations are used they will be identified in the text. INTRODUCTION WRITER: The Apostle Paul wrote this epistle as is stated in the first verse of chapter 1. Clement of Rome, Polycarp, and Irenæus, noted leaders in the early church who are often quoted by theologians, further authenticated this, per JF&B. DATE: {MacArthur} This epistle was most likely written in the first half of A.D. 55 from Ephesus while Paul was on his third missionary journey. Paul established the church at Corinth in his second missionary journey. STATISTICS: {Dake} 46th book of the Bible; 16 chapters; 437 verses; 9,489 words. INTRODUCTION: {Ray C. Stedman} The first epistle of Paul to the Corinthians is a very, very important letter for us because it so thoroughly captures the problems that we face as moderns living in this modern age. The reason is, of course, that Corinth was the most American city in the New Testament---it was a resort city, the capital of pleasure in the Roman Empire. The conditions under which the Corinthians lived were very much like the conditions under which we live, or to put that the other way, the conditions under which we live today are Corinthian conditions. Corinth was a beautiful city, a lovely city of palms and beautiful buildings, the center Maurice A. West Page 3 of 90

4 of pleasure for the whole empire, and it was devoted to two things---the pursuit of pleasure (largely passion), and of wisdom. {McGee} Paul came to Corinth on his second missionary journey, and it was the [last stop] of his third missionary journey. Acts 18:1 18 gives us the account of eighteen months spent in Corinth. It was in Corinth that he met Aquila and Priscilla. They had been driven out of Rome by an edict of Emperor Claudius. Suetonius writes that this edict was issued because of tumults raised by the Jews who were persecuting their Christian brethren. On Paul s third journey he spent a long period of time in Ephesus. It was in Ephesus that he did some of his outstanding work as a missionary. Probably that area was more thoroughly evangelized than any other. However, this caused the Corinthians to become disturbed. They were baby Christians, and they were urging Paul to come to them. Apparently Paul wrote them a letter to correct some of the errors that had come into that church. They, in turn, wrote to Paul asking questions that they wanted answered about political issues, religion, domestic problems, heathenism, and morality. Paul answered them and responded to more reports which were brought to him. We do not have that first letter which Paul wrote to them. The letter that followed the reports brought to him is the letter we know today as 1 Corinthians. BACKGROUND ON THE CITY OF CORINTH: Due to its choice location (defensible and on trade routes), Corinth was one of the first regions of Greece to be inhabited. Caesar Augustus made Corinth the capital of the Province of Achaia and the residence of the Proconsul. It was built along the lines of a Roman city. The official language was Latin, but its mixed population spoke Greek. The city was cosmopolitan due to a constant influx of people due to heavy commercial activity. The population was Roman, Greek and Jewish (large community). Estimates of the size of the city range between six and seven hundred thousand people. Since Corinth was commercially oriented, Corinth became famous for certain products: pottery, brass, capitals and pillars. They were proud of their city and adorned it. Corinth was noted for the place where the Isthmus Games were held (they were held every two years and were second in renown only to the Olympic Games held every four years). Athletes were a common sight in Corinth (hence the reference in Corinthians). Corinth was famous for its party life (an ancient New Orleans). Lack of morals was such an issue in the city that the word Corinthian became a synonym for a hell raiser. To Corinthianize meant to engage in prostitution. To live as a Corinthian was to live in affluence and immorality. The immorality of Corinthian life was further cultivated by the worship of Aphrodite. There was a magnificent temple to this goddess with 1,000 female prostitutes for the free use of visitors (also worship of Venus). Temples to other gods abounded: Athena, Apollo, Poseidon, Hermes, etc. There was a temple to all gods. The temple of Aesculapius, the god of healing, was there. Finally, many foreign cults had temples there. (From an unknown author on the Internet.) WHY IS THIS BOOK IMPORTANT TO US? This epistle was written to people who were trying to find God in the midst of moral corruption and openness to all religions. This is a strange combination but similar to the combination we see in America today the attitude of tolerance which really means, anything goes. It is reminiscent of the attitude in the time of the Judges in Old Testament Judges 21:25 In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes. Because America has not made Jesus Christ preeminent, every one does what they think is right. On top of that, they were educated people who could receive strong doctrine and Paul gave them this in this book. After correcting many problems among the people, Paul presented some powerful doctrines on issues that are not found anywhere else in the Bible such as the principles of marriage versus the single life in chapter 7, the importance of the Lord s Supper in chapter 11, the teaching on the gifts of the Spirit in chapter 12, the instruction on love in Maurice A. West Page 4 of 90

5 chapter 13, and the instruction on church order in chapter 14. These are issues that the church continues to wrestle with so it is time to return to God through His Word and find out what He wants us to do. Maurice A. West Page 5 of 90

6 Chapter 1 Paul introduces this SECOND letter to the Corinthians (the first letter was lost) and rebukes the church for the division and factions in the church. (Refer to 1 Corinthians 5:9 for the reference to the previous epistle.) In his appeal for unity, he shows them (and US) what we have in Christ. Therefore, it s not about a group in the church, it s all about Jesus! INTRODUCTION 1 Paul called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother, {McGee} Apparently Sosthenes had brought the message from the church at Corinth, and now he is going to carry this epistle back to them. This opening verse is like so many that Paul wrote. It tells that he is the author, it tells his position, an apostle, and it tells who is sending greetings with him. Some identify Sosthenes as the chief ruler of the synagogue at Corinth. He was seized and beaten by the mob in the presence of Gallio, the Roman governor, when he refused to proceed against Paul at the instigation of the Jews (Acts 18:12-17). 2 Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours: The direct audience of this book was the Church at Corinth. Paul uses the term saints here, as he does throughout his letters. This is a term that has caused controversy among various denominations. Dr. MacArthur gives a good explanation of how to handle this term with balance: [The word saint is] not referring to a specially pious or revered person canonized by an ecclesiastical body, but a reference to everyone who by salvation has been sanctified, that is, set apart from sin in Christ Jesus. Not only is it written to this church, but he goes on to say that it is written to the saints in every place that call upon the name of the Jesus Christ who is not only their Lord but ours also. 3 Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. This was a greeting that Paul used in all of his letters. {MacArthur} The basic meaning of grace is favor ; peace is a result of God s saving grace. 4 I thank my God always on your behalf, for the grace of God which is given you by Jesus Christ; Paul introduces this letter a little different than he did other letters. It was his usual style to praise the work of the church in his introduction. Here he thanks God for the grace He has bestowed upon the church and, in the next verse, how He has blessed them with spiritual gifts. What they have done with His grace and His gifts, though, is the real issue of this letter. 5 That in every thing ye are enriched by him, in all utterance, and in all knowledge; {JF&B} Ye are rich in preachers or the preaching of the word, and rich in knowledge or apprehension of it: literally (the) word (preached). 6 Even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you: 7 So that ye come behind in no gift; waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ: {AC} Every gift and grace of God s Spirit was possessed by the members of that church, some having their gifts after this manner, others after that. This was, according to Paul s words, the premier church as far as the exhibition of the things of the Spirit at that time. There was no church that excelled them in the demonstration of the Spirit and, we ll find out, there was no church that excelled them in error and unholy living. This should not be considered unusual. SAINTS PRINCIPLE: Those that are especially favored by God are especially attacked by the devil but it s our job to resist the devil. Maurice A. West Page 6 of 90

7 8 Who shall also confirm you unto the end, that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Before we get too caught up with the gifted church, let us remind ourselves, as Paul does them, that it is the Lord Jesus who shall preserve us blameless in that great day. It is not about our holy actions but His holy blood that will make us blameless. Paul goes on to say these three great words: GOD IS FAITHFUL. Because of His faithfulness, I can believe the Word that He has written through the apostle to come to pass! DIVISIONS IN THE CHURCH REBUKED 10 Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. Amplified Bible But I urge and entreat you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you be in perfect harmony and full agreement in what you say, and that there be no dissensions or factions or divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in your common understanding and in your opinions and judgments. Paul begs and urges the church (at Corinth and universally) to be joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment speaking the same thing. {AC} On every essential doctrine of the gospel all genuine Christians agree; why then need religious communion be interrupted? What a true statement by Adam Clarke. There are some doctrines that are serious enough to cause division but those that adhere to these doctrines want no part of the rest of the church anyway. This is a serious matter judging from the tone of Paul s plea. He not only begs them (beseech) but he does this in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. This was the same thing the Lord Jesus prayed for before His death in the Gospel of St. John that the church would be one. SAINTS PRINCIPLE: Factionalism, schisms, divisions, cliques, and the like will destroy the church that the Lord Jesus suffered and died for. Beware Church of God in Christ lest we be guilty of the same thing! 11 For it hath been declared unto me of you, my brethren, by them which are of the house of Chloe, that there are contentions among you. I like how Paul did this. He made it clear about the source of his information. It may have put this household on the firing line but they obviously brought it to Paul because they also wanted unity in the church. (Notice that Paul mentioned the household not the individual. There may have been many in this household who were members of the church so bringing criticism against a single individual was not possible.) Paul s source mentioned to him that there were contentions (confrontations, clashes, and strife) in the church. This is the natural outgrowth of the divisions mentioned in the previous verse. Once you divide and have your group, you must find a way to make your group superior to another group. Once this is done, the next step will be contentions. Look how bad the situation was in the next verse. 12 Now this I say, that every one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ. There are four words in this verse that point to the real problem at Corinth: every one of you. This was not just among a few. Everyone had joined up with one group or another and they were committed to their group. {Hampton Keathley IV, Biblical Studies Foundation, hamptonk@bible.org} There were those that followed Paul, who had founded the church. Others followed the eloquent Apollos (Acts 18:24). Some thought that Peter was the best, perhaps because he had been with Jesus. And perhaps the worst of all, at least because they were the most self-righteous, there were those who claimed they were superior because they followed Christ or were servants of Christ (cf. 2 Cor. 11:23). Maurice A. West Page 7 of 90

8 13 Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized in the name of Paul? Paul mentions only his group and the Christ group in his rebuke but the point he makes apply to all of the factions. SAINTS PRINCIPLE: Christ is not divided; He alone (not our favorite preacher!) is the backbone of our faith. 14 I thank God that I baptized none of you, but Crispus and Gaius; 15 Lest any should say that I had baptized in mine own name. 16 And I baptized also the household of Stephanas: besides, I know not whether I baptized any other. These verses let us know how far off they had gotten. They aligned themselves with certain prominent preachers and the truly self-righteous aligned themselves with Jesus. It makes you wonder, from the tone of this verse, if they were baptizing people in the name of their key preacher. If so, this baptism was worthless and unscriptural. 17 For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect. Paul, in his rebuke of the divisions in the church, goes down an important side road. He wants the Corinthians to understand that Christianity is not about personalities and prominent figures. Christianity is about the preaching of the gospel. Baptism is a part of the ministry, an important part of the ministry, but it is not what the preacher was called to do the preacher is called to preach the gospel. (This gives me a reason to ponder those that preach the importance of baptism over the importance of the cross of Christ.) And this preaching is not to be with eloquence and flowing words for then the power of the cross is diminished. If this becomes what is important, you end up with the current state of the church where the preacher and the preacher s style becomes more important than the Word that is preached. SAINTS PRINCIPLE: Be careful to not let culture and style influence your acceptance of the Word of God. 18 For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God. The world looks at the preaching of the cross, and Christianity as a whole, as foolishness but to us, the saved, it is special it is the power of God that delivered us from sin. The central theme of Christianity is the cross of Jesus Christ. It doesn t mean that everything that is preached must be the cross but the preaching must, in some way, draw the hearer closer to the cross. 19 For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent. This is a paraphrase from Isaiah 29:14. (Therefore, behold, I will proceed to do a marvelous work among this people, even a marvelous work and a wonder: for the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid.) 20 Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? NLT So where does this leave the philosophers, the scholars, and the world s brilliant debaters? God has made them all look foolish and has shown their wisdom to be useless nonsense. By comparison with God, where are all the ones who claim so much intelligence? God makes the wisdom of this world look foolish. 21 For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. Amplified Bible For when the world with all its earthly wisdom failed to perceive and recognize and know God by means of its own philosophy, God in His wisdom was pleased through the foolishness of preaching [salvation, procured by Christ and to be had through Him], to save those who believed (who clung to and trusted in and relied on Him). Since the world looks at preaching as foolishness, this is the method that God chose to use to save those that Maurice A. West Page 8 of 90

9 would put their trust in Him. It is God s method to proclaim the Good News. Romans 10:14 How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? 22 For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom: 23 But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness; The Jews, just as they were in the days of Jesus, wanted to SEE something. Their faith was limited to what they could see. (Of course, faith that is seen is NOT faith.) The Greeks, on the other hand, were excited about philosophical discussions. In the midst of this, we throw Christ, who provided the Jews no sign and who the Greeks viewed as foolish. The Jews expected Messiah to come in glory and majesty, not meek and lowly and end up on the cross. (They made this error because they didn t know the Scriptures.) The Greeks, on the other hand, saw it as ridiculous to place your life (natural and spiritual) into the hands of a man that was executed as a criminal by the Romans. 24 But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God. To those that are called and that have accepted the invitation, Christ represents the power and wisdom of God. He is all that we need. Christ has the power to transform lives and the wisdom to maintain that life in this wicked world. Truly, He is ALL that we need. 25 Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men. NLT This foolish plan of God is far wiser than the wisest of human plans, and God s weakness is far stronger than the greatest of human strength. Since God s plan is so wise wise enough to fool the devil into being a pawn in that plan why don t we (mankind in general) accept this plan? Even in the church, we try to make it harder than it is. Christ has done the work He has fulfilled the plan of God. 26 For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: Amplified Bible For [simply] consider your own call, brethren; not many [of you were considered to be] wise according to human estimates and standards, not many influential and powerful, not many of high and noble birth. This verse doesn t mean that NONE that fall into this category will be saved but it does mean that there are FEW in this category. Look around you. The church has always consisted of common people. They followed Jesus on the earth and we follow Jesus now. Once we come to Jesus, He blesses us but we must never forget where we came from. 27 But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; 28 And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: 29 That no flesh should glory in his presence. One preacher said that God practices an upside-down philosophy. Almost everything He does is the reverse of what the world says is important. Now we see why He does it to confound (or put to shame) those that think too highly of themselves and their wisdom. We are NEVER to glory in His presence. Instead, as we soon will see, we glory because of what He has done. The things in the world that are viewed as foolish (drug addicts, prostitutes, addictive personalities) are chosen by God to shame those that consider themselves wise. Those that are weak in the world, whether weak in character (feeble minded, can t help it personalities) or weak in circumstances of life (poor, down on their luck), are similarly chosen to shame and confound those that seem to have it all together. The base things, the very lowest of society, also receive the call to bring to nothing those that have everything. The reason: GOD WILL HAVE NO FLESH GLORY IN HIS PRESENCE. Maurice A. West Page 9 of 90

10 30 But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: Amplified Bible But it is from Him that you have your life in Christ Jesus, Whom God made our Wisdom from God, [revealed to us a knowledge of the divine plan of salvation previously hidden, manifesting itself as] our Righteousness [thus making us upright and putting us in right standing with God], and our Consecration [making us pure and holy], and our Redemption [providing our ransom from eternal penalty for sin]. But unto us who are the weak, the foolish, the base things, the despised things, the things which are not, we are in Christ Jesus, who God has made unto us wisdom (Godly wisdom surpassing and encompassing all worldly wisdom), righteousness (not self righteousness but the righteousness which is of God only), sanctification (for we are set apart for His use only) and redemption (for though you may view us as being at the bottom of the barrel, we are bought with a price the precious blood of the Lord Jesus). 31 That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord. NLT As the Scriptures say, The person who wishes to boast should boast only of what the Lord has done. This is agreed to be a paraphrase from Jeremiah 9:24 But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the LORD which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the LORD. Therefore, we don t glory in natural things for we have nothing natural to glory in. There is nothing left for us to do when get up closer to the top of the mountain (of life naturally and spiritually) but to shout, Look where He brought me from! And this will be done to the glory of the Lord. Maurice A. West Page 10 of 90

11 Chapter 2 Paul is in the midst of a side road in his rebuke of the Corinthians for division. He continues it in this chapter as he teaches of the superiority of God s wisdom and the overwhelming generosity of God in sharing this with His Church. He will continue his rebuke for division in the next chapter. 1 And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God. Paul continues the theme from the end of the last chapter he that glories, let him glory in the Lord. To that end, Paul did not bring to them the Gospel in a way that exalted him but in a way that exalted God. 2 For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified. The West translation of this verse goes like this, I didn t try to get into your business or learn the type of things that you liked to learn. I only wanted to know more about the Lord Jesus and the benefits of the cross. {JF&B} The Greek implies, The only definite thing that I made it my business to know among you, was to know Jesus Christ (His person) and Him crucified (His office), not exalted on the earthly throne of David, but executed as the vilest malefactor. The historical fact of Christ s crucifixion had probably been put less prominently forward by the seekers after human wisdom in the Corinthian church, to avoid offending learned heathens and Jews. Christ s person and Christ s office constitute the sum of the Gospel. The way that JF&B puts it, this statement of Paul was quite a statement! SAINTS PRINCIPLE: The Gospel can be wrapped up into two key facts: the Word became flesh in the person of Jesus Christ and the Word died for our sins. 3 And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling. Was Paul afraid of these people? Hardly. Was he weak kneed and cowardly? No, he was not. His weakness was his inadequacy in the preaching of this great gospel. (This is an inadequacy that EVERYONE must have for the job is too awesome!) His fear was not of man but to make sure that he was 100% within the will of God. His trembling was also before God, for Paul said in Philippians 2:12b work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. He has no fear of man for that would contradict his own words in 2 Timothy 1:7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. {MH} None know the fear and trembling of faithful ministers, who are zealous over souls with a godly jealousy; and a deep sense of their own weakness is the occasion of this fear and trembling. They know how insufficient they are, and are therefore fearful for themselves. But, though Paul managed this with modesty and concern, yet he spoke with authority: In the demonstration of the Spirit and of power. 4 And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: Paul used none of the methods of the great orators. He had no ambition to be tagged as the Prince of Preachers. He came in the demonstration of the Spirit and power. Why? See the next verse. 5 That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God. This is where a lot of people are in error today they are more committed to a preacher than to the preaching of the preacher. If something happens to the preacher, they will leave the church. Paul wanted their commitment to be to God and to God only. (This goes back to the issue of divisions in the church.) 6 Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought: Amplified Bible Yet when we are among the full grown Maurice A. West Page 11 of 90

12 spiritually mature Christians who are ripe in understanding we do impart a (higher) wisdom [that is, the knowledge of the divine plan previously hidden]; but it is indeed not a wisdom of this present age nor of this world or of the leaders and rulers of this age, who are brought to nothing and are doomed to pass away. Even though what Paul preached was not done in the wisdom of this world, that does not mean that it was not done in wisdom. This wisdom is so high that only those {JF&B} matured in Christian experience and knowledge alone can understand the true superiority of the Christian wisdom which Paul preached. This wisdom has nothing to do with the world and did not originate from the princes (demons) of this world who are doomed to destruction. (Why would I want to hear the wisdom of those that are doomed? I would rather hear the wisdom of those that will live!) 7 But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory: This wisdom of God was formerly a mystery. It had been hidden from the time of its conception, before the origin of the world. It is now revealed for our glory for even the Word said that Old Testament prophets and angels desire to look into the things that we have and did not have the opportunity (1 Peter 1:10-12). 8 Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. This is a key Scripture in our personal encouragement and confessions. It tells us that the wisdom of the devil is far inferiority to the wisdom of God for the devil fell right into the plan of God without knowing he was being used. How do we know this? If he and those he used had known the plan of God (the hidden wisdom of verse 7), they would not have crucified Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory. This wisdom was so well hidden, that none of the powers of darkness could comprehend it. It was beyond their understanding because it worked in love. If they could have understood it, which they could not, they would not have crucified the Lord Jesus and have been drawn into the Lord s awesome snare. They saw all the bits and pieces of prophecy throughout the years but they could never put it together because they didn t understand the love of God toward His people. One modern day writer said that they came close but they could not grasp the fact that God would send His only begotten Son to die for sinful, unrepentant people. Romans 5:8 NKJV But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. This is a paraphrase of Isaiah 64:4 For since the beginning of the world men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye seen, O God, beside thee, what he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him. This verse if often quoted by the saints as a verse of hope for the future a future that we seem to say will be beyond what we could figure out. However, this verse is an Old Testament verse. The next verse is the New Testament promise that goes with it which speaks to that wisdom that even Isaiah could not receive at that time. I encourage you to always quote this verse with the next verse the next verse brings in the better things of the New Testament. 10 But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. The Holy Spirit of God reveals to the Church the things that are hidden and have never entered into the heart of man. How can He do this? SAINTS PRINCIPLE: The Spirit of God searches out the deep things of God with the intention of sharing these deep, mysterious things with the Church. Maurice A. West Page 12 of 90

13 11 For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. {Dake} This defines the human spirit as that part of man which knows - the intellect, mind, and will. Therefore, who knows an individual better than the spirit which is within that individual? In like fashion, who knows God and the things of God better than the Spirit of God? 12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. We, as the Church, have not received the spirit of the world - a spirit of demons - but rather, we have received the Spirit of God. By the Spirit we have access to the things (the mysteries, the truths, the promises, everything!) that are FREELY and LAVISHLY given to us by God. 13 Which things also we speak, not in the words which man s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. We do not try to bring the things of God down to our level (speaking of them in the wisdom of man) but we speak of His things using strictly the insights provided (taught to us) by the Holy Ghost. The things of God are spiritual and must be spiritually understood. This takes the Spirit of God. Instead, we learn to compare spiritual things with spiritual. When we study the Word, we learn to compare Scripture with Scripture to gain an understanding of the mind of God. {MH} Spiritual things, when brought together, will help to illustrate one another; but, if the principles of human art and science are to be made a test of revelation, we shall certainly judge amiss concerning it. 14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. In the next two verses, Paul contrasts the natural man and the spiritual man. THE NATURAL MAN - {Dake} This is man living under the control of the fleshly passions, the sensual and depraved part of man in contrast with the rational part. He is the animal man as opposed to the spiritual man. He has no sense of spiritual values and no relish for them. He counts it the highest wisdom to live for this world and carnal pleasures. Spiritual things are foolishness to him. He cannot see their supreme excellence due to animal appetites and being spiritually dead. Per {JF&B}, the natural man is the man of animal soul. 15 But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man. THE SPIRITUAL MAN - {Dake} This man is living under the control of the Holy Spirit and minds the things of the Spirit. He has the mind of Christ and discerns and esteems spiritual things above the sensual. He is a new creature and resurrected from death in trespasses and sins. The lower animal passions have been crucified and put off. The spiritual man examines, convinces, and reproves the natural man of his evil ways, yet no one is able to find fault with the godly man. {AC} His mind is enlightened and his life is holy and therefore the animal man cannot convict him of sin. 16 For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ. What person yet living in the passions of the flesh can say anything about the mind of Christ? How can such a person provide instruction to one that is spiritual when their passions lie in the sensual things of this world? But we, the church, on the other hand have the same mind as Christ - we mind spiritual things. Maurice A. West Page 13 of 90

14 Chapter 3 While Paul continues his rebuke of the Corinthian church for their divisions, he introduces two doctrines: the reward of the saint beyond heaven and the saint being the temple of the Holy Ghost. 1 And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. [Breaking the chapters at this point is not appropriate because this verse continues the same theme as the prior verse.] It was Paul s desire to share great spiritual insights with this gifted church but they just weren t ready. They were like so many today they focused on the gifts and not on the spiritual understanding of how to operate correctly in the gifts. Because of this, Paul had to treat them as if they were still baby saints. 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. Paul had to feed them milk, basic fundamental truths for baby saints, instead of the meat (deeper mysteries and truths) that they should have been ready for. We receive an idea of what spiritual milk is from Hebrews 6:1-2: NLT So let us stop going over the basics of Christianity again and again. Let us go on instead and become mature in our understanding. Surely we don t need to start all over again with the importance of turning away from evil deeds and placing our faith in God. You don t need further instruction about baptisms, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. There are six doctrines mentioned in these two verses that representative foundation principles milk. These are things that the mature Christian should have a firm understanding of and move past. Unfortunately, this is not always true and we are much like the Corinthian church. The sad truth in the last part of our verse is that, in spite of their spiritual gifts, they were still unable to handle the deep things of God. SAINTS PRINCIPLE: The deep things of God are beyond the gifts of the Spirit but to get there, the gifts have to already be operating in your life. 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? What an indictment to Christians, especially those that have been in this walk for a while - you are yet carnal! How did Paul come to this conclusion? Because there was envy, strife and division among the Corinthian church, they were still carnal Christians. Dake makes the point that this all had its root in envy. Envy (a state of the soul) brought on strife (contention in words). Because the envy ate so heavily at them, they could not be civil to one another. After the strife came about, they separated themselves into various camps (divisions). This is not the walk of Christians! SAINTS PRINCIPLE: An unholy walk or bickering over fundamental Christian principles is an obvious sign of carnality. Such a one cannot receive the deep things of God. 4 For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal? Now we return to the discussion from chapter 1. (This also lets you see that the chapter breaks are not appropriate because Paul is still working on his opening issue division in the church.) The Amplified Bible gives a powerful and almost frightening translation of this verse: For when one says, I belong to Paul, and another, I belong to Apollos, are you not [proving yourselves] ordinary (unchanged) men? 5 Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man? This is how we must view the minister today. We respect them because they are the ones by whom you believed but they are yet ministers (servants of the people) given by God to every man. Maurice A. West Page 14 of 90

15 6 I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. 7 So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase. Paul planted the church, Apollos came and preached it out to add to the foundation but in spite of who did what, it takes God to prosper the work. So it s not in Paul nor is it in Apollos but it is in God who prospers the work. SAINTS PRINCIPLE: It s all about God and not His preachers. Without Him, we can do nothing! 8 Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour. He that planteth (Paul) and he that watereth (Apollos) are ONE. Since the ministers are one, should not the church also be one? But though they are one, every minister (laborer) shall receive his reward based on his own labor and we ll soon see that the reward is ABOVE salvation. Salvation was paid for at the cross of Christ. The reward will be paid for by our labors AFTER salvation. {JF&B} He shall be rewarded according to, not his success or the amount of work done, but according to his own labor. It shall be said to him, Well done, thou good and (not [necessarily] successful, but) faithful servant, enter thou into the joy of thy Lord. 9 For we are labourers together with God: ye are God s husbandry, ye are God s building. NLT We work together as partners who belong to God. You are God s field, God s building not ours. We re not working divided but working TOGETHER WITH GOD. We realize that it s not about us because the people of God are His field and His building. They don t belong to the minister. 10 According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise master builder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. Master builder - {Dake} Greek - Architekton, architect. The plan belonged to God, but the execution of the plan was entrusted to Paul. Paul had laid the foundation but someone else came along and began to build the rest of the spiritual structure on the foundation that Paul laid. Paul acted as the concrete contractor for the souls of the people. As long as the foundation was good, there was hope for the rest of the building. WARNING! But let the next minister who comes along be careful to build upon the existing foundation doctrines which will build the Christian into the type of building that the LORD will be pleased with. Don t introduce doctrines that weaken the foundation! Is the foundation then unique based on the teachings of the particular minister? Let s go to the next verse for the answer. 11 For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. NLT For no one can lay any other foundation than the one we already have Jesus Christ. The answer to the question from the previous verse is a loud, resounding, NO! The foundation is Jesus Christ. The song says, He laid the foundation and opened up the way... but in reality, Jesus Christ IS the foundation. Let s look at some verses to get an understanding of this before going forward because this will set the stage for the verses that follow: Isaiah 28:16 NKJV Therefore thus says the Lord God: Behold, I lay in Zion a stone for a foundation, A tried stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation; Whoever believes will not act hastily. Before Christ came on the scene as a man, God had already spoken through the prophet that He was to be a sure foundation. Not only is He the foundation, He is the cornerstone of the foundation. In the natural, the cornerstone tells the story of the building. In the spiritual, since Jesus Christ is our cornerstone, He tells the story of our salvation. Maurice A. West Page 15 of 90

16 Luke 6:47-49 Whosoever cometh to me, and heareth my sayings, and doeth them, I will shew you to whom he is like: 48 He is like a man which built an house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock. 49 But he that heareth, and doeth not, is like a man that without a foundation built an house upon the earth; against which the stream did beat vehemently, and immediately it fell; and the ruin of that house was great. The Lord Jesus Himself then took Isaiah one step further and said that His doctrines provide the foundation that are built upon a strong rock. With this verse, we see Jesus as not only the foundation but also as the rock. (This we will see later in this same book in 1 Corinthians 10:4 And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.) So then, the foundation that we are built upon is not just Christ Jesus, but it is the trust in His doctrines that establish us. Ephesians 2:20 went further to say that we are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone. The added ingredient to our foundation is the written Word of God the declared prophecies of the Old Testament (the prophets) and the foundation teachings of the New Testament (the apostles). SAINTS PRINCIPLE: Since the foundation is so awesome, let us make the building awesome also. With this great truth, let us go deeper in our understanding of God s building us! 12 Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; Once the foundation of Jesus Christ has been established within the child of God, the individual saint, and other saints and ministers working with them, begin to move forward to build upon that foundation. The child of God not only builds himself but relies upon the teaching of pastors, teachers, evangelists, prophets, and apostles to build their building. That s why the warning on the previous page is so important. Paul uses six ingredients to describe what could be built upon the foundation: gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, or stubble (straw). The first three refer to quality work in adding to our building. These could be things such as fasting, praying, Bible study, soul winning, spiritual warfare, intercessory prayer, soul encouragement, and the like all the things that help to build up the Body of Christ. The last three refer to work that may be profitable and necessary but that do nothing for eternity such as church work and denominational positions. WARNING!: NOTHING on this list has to do with sin or any type of evil. {McGee} As you well know, a little piece of gold isn t as visible as a hay stack. Possibly God is the only One who knows that it is gold. Now a haystack is another thing I have traveled across flat farmland, and it seemed to me I could see haystacks that were twenty miles away. There are a lot of folk building haystacks, and everybody hears about what they are doing. The haystacks are going to be tested someday, and then there won t be one haystack left, because the testing is going to be by fire. The same thing will be true of works of wood or stubble. 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. Amplified Bible The work of each [one] will become [plainly, openly] known (shown for what it is); for the day [of Christ] will disclose and declare it, because it will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test and critically appraise the character and worth of the work each person has done. This is a difficult verse so we ll break it down bit by bit. By the way, the key to understanding this verse is the word, WORK. Since Christians are saved by Maurice A. West Page 16 of 90

17 grace and Ephesians 2:9 Not of works, lest any man should boast, it has to do with what WE do after grace has done its job. Every man - first of all, the reality of this verse is that it is NOT about every man. The previous verse lets us know that this has to do with those that have laid the foundation of Jesus Christ. It has nothing to do with those that have not. Therefore, every man that has laid the foundation of Jesus Christ shall have his (her) works made manifest (revealed). The day - {JF&B} make it clear that this is a specific day because of the definite article. It is the Day of Judgment for the church that appears somewhere between the rapture and the Great White Throne Judgment. Luke 14:14 And thou shalt be blessed; for they cannot recompense thee: for thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just. It could even occur at the rapture because Jesus said, in Revelation 22:12 And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is WITH ME, to give every man according as his work shall be. What am I saying here? No one knows what this day is but we do know what it is not. We do know that it is NOT the Great White Throne Judgment of Revelation 20. No, this day is the judgment of the church at the resurrection of the just. Revelation also makes it clear that the first resurrection (the resurrection of the just) is our goal as believers. Revelation 20:6a Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power. The rewards of this resurrection are discussed in the third and fourth chapters of Revelation when the Lord describes the blessings of those that overcome. By fire - whether this is a literal fire is unknown but it makes sense in the context. BEWARE! This is NOT purgatory. The believer does not go through a literal fire. We escaped the punishment of sin which is what the fire is for. However, the fire shall try every man s WORK. Let us assume that the fire is symbolic in the same manner that the works have been made to be gold, silver, etc. At this judgment, the works of believers shall be tried for substance - to find out what they are made of. 14 If any man s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. Amplified Bible If the work which any person has built on this Foundation [any product of his efforts whatever] survives [this test], he will get his reward. Every work that survives the judging process shall provide a reward for the believer. 15 If any man s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire. Amplified Bible But if any person s work is burned up [under the test], he will suffer the loss [of it all, losing his reward], though he himself will be saved, but only as [one who has passed] through fire. {McGee} He does not lose his salvation if he is on the foundation, which is trust in Christ, even though he receives no reward. If the work does not survive the judging process, the believer shall find that what he has done has been judged not beneficial for eternal glory but he himself shall be saved. The key to these verses is that we are now engaged in kingdom work. As those that are working for the king, we are also preparing for the day that we enter the kingdom. At that time, not only arriving in the kingdom will be important but what you did in securing the kingdom (your rewards) will be important. The average Christian is focused on heaven but we should be focused on the rewards of the kingdom. Jesus Christ already paid our price for heaven. 16 Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? How does this verse fit with the prior verses? We are the Temple of God (the spiritual building designed and built by the Maurice A. West Page 17 of 90