BIBLE STUDY QUESTIONNAIRE 1 CORINTHIANS: LESSON THREE: Chapter 3: 1-23 Bible source: NKJV. Primary expositor resource: David Guzik, Bible Expositor Secondary resources: William Barclay, Warren W. Wiersbe, F. F. Bruce, Irving L. Jensen, Chuck Smith http://www.blueletterbible.org/commentaries/comm_author.cfm?authorid=2 Regarding Verses 1 23 1. List the main point(s) of this chapter. There is strife and division within the church because there are those who think they are wise by exalting/siding with certain church leaders. 2. What verse(s) do you see as key to this chapter? Verse 1 Verses 5-7 Regarding Verses 1 4 3. In chapter 2 Paul identified two kinds of people: the unnatural (unbelievers) and spiritual (believers). In chapter 3 we see Paul addressing another kind: Carnal. Referring to Chapter 2 natural vs. spiritual man So the spiritual man is a man whose mind is now controlled by the Spirit. Man, a threefold being: body, soul, spirit. If the body is uppermost, then your mind is controlled by the body needs and is occupied by your body needs and you have what Paul calls in Romans 8, "the mind of the flesh" or "the carnal mind which is enmity against God, neither can it know Him." When a person is born again by the Spirit of God he becomes spirit, soul and body. And when the spirit is uppermost, then you have the mind of the Spirit, the mind that is under the control of the Spirit, as Paul said here, "We have the mind of Christ." (Smith) Now referring to Chapter 3 the 3 rd kind of person: the carnal Christian Now the issue arises, and people often question, is it possible to be a carnal Christian? A carnal Christian is one who has received Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior, but does not yet have victory over the flesh and thus, still walks, many times, under the control of the flesh. He does believe, he has received Jesus as his Savior, but not as his Lord, for the flesh is still ruling over him. And he needs deliverance from that power of the flesh that has a hold on his life. So Paul describes this as the conditions of those in Corinth. (Smith) He cannot talk to them as spiritual, for they are still carnal, but he does call them babes in Christ. And so he acknowledges that they are in Christ, but unfortunately, they are babes. There is a natural development and growth physically even as there is and should be a natural
development and growth spiritually. There is a time when being a babe in Christ is a beautiful, glorious thing. I love to see natural babes in Christ. (Smith) 4. What evidence did Paul cite for him to conclude that the believers in the church at Corinth were not mature believers? The actions and behaviors of the believers were causing strife and division. 5. As fleshly (carnal) believers, what level of preaching was Paul compelled to preach? Just the basics. Paul kept his teaching on the basics, even though they had an inflated view of their spirituality. They believed they were ready for the deeper things, but were not living any deeper in the basic things he had already preached to them! The difference between milk and solid food is one of degrees, not kind. Every doctrine that can be taught in seminary can be taught to children, though not in the same words. (Guzik) Regarding Verses 5 9 6. Here Paul refers to a diversity of workers, i. e., those who plant and those who water. What, then, separates God from the type of work these field laborers do? God performs the increase (growth process). i. When a farmer plants a seed, and waters it, he really does not make it grow. The miracle of life does that. All the farmer can do is provide the right environment for growth, and trust in the miracle of life. We do the same thing in ministering Jesus to other people. ii. Some people are frustrated because they want to water when God has called them to plant, or they want to plant when God has called them to water. Others are frustrated because they want to make the increase happen, when only God can do that. Real fruitfulness in ministry happens when we are peacefully content with what God has called us to do. (Guzik) 7. What point is Paul making in verse 7 regarding which preacher is greater? No one is greater; each is nothing in terms of God s servants doing His work. in the garden one man may plant [the seed] and another may water it; but neither can claim to make the seed grow. That belongs to God and to God alone. The man who plants and the man who waters are on one level; neither can claim any preference over the other; they are but servants working together for the one Master God. (Barclay) 8. What does Paul mean when he talks of being rewarded for their labor? V8 Rev. 22:12 And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last.
If Jesus will give to everyone according to his work, does that mean we are saved by our works? No, but it does show that living faith will have works with it. (Guzik) The faithful, laborious minister or missionary who labours in obscurity and without apparent fruit, will meet a reward far beyond that of those who, with less self-denial and effort, are made the instruments of great results. (Hodge) Regarding Verses 10 17 9. As a preacher/evangelist Paul laid a doctrinal foundation as he worked to establish the church in Corinth, and that foundation was based on what? Jesus Christ and Him crucified. Regarding the foundation of the church, Chuck Smith states It is a sad error of the Catholic Church to declare that Peter is the foundation upon which the church was built. Taking Matthew's gospel, chapter 16, where at Caesarea Philippi Jesus said, "Who do men say that I am?" And they began to say the current concepts that people had about Jesus. Finally, Jesus said, "Who do you say that I am?" And Peter answered and said, "Thou are the Christ, the Son of the living God." Or, "You're the Messiah. You're the Son of the living God." And Jesus said, "Blessed art thou Simon Bar-Jonah: for flesh and blood has not revealed this unto you, but my Father which is in heaven. And I say also unto you, that you are Petros [you're a little stone], and upon this petra [the rock] I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it" (Matthew 16:16-18). So the rock upon which the church was built, the Catholics say, was Peter. He is the foundation. Not so. Jesus said, "You are Petros [a little stone], upon this petra I will build my church." What is the petra, the rock upon which the church was built? The confession of Peter that Jesus Christ is the Messiah, the Son of the living God. That's the foundation upon which the church was built, as Paul here declares, "No other foundation can any man lay than that which has already been laid, which is Jesus Christ." 10. What was Paul s warning to others who followed him once he left Corinth? (v10) let each one take heed how he builds on it. There is only one foundation for the church. If it isn t founded on Jesus Christ, it isn t a church at all. So one can t build on any other foundation; but one can build unworthily on the one foundation. (Guzik) 11. We see Paul, in verses 12-15, developing the comparison of the church s spiritual stability and strength with various natural resources. From this, explain the difference in his use of gold, silver and precious stones, with wood, hay and straw. Paul is describing the building of God s church. He is not referring to a structure ( building ) but, figuratively, to the building materials. The building God is constructing is in His people, with His fellow workers as His temple. (Guzik)
Precious stones doesn t mean jewels, but fine stone materials like marble and granite. Mixing the wisdom of men with the wisdom of God in the work of building the church is like using alternate layers of straw and marble in building. Straw may be fine, it may have a place (in the barn), but it is an inadequate building material. In the same way, human wisdom and fleshly attractions may have a place in life, but not in the building of the church. (Guzik) Two Greek words for temple, the word hieron referred to the entire temple complex. It included the buildings, the courts, the porches, even the temple mount. Satan took Jesus to the pinnacle of the temple, the hieron. The other Greek word for temple is naos, which is the inner sanctuary, the holy place. It is the word that Jesus used when the Pharisees asked for a sign and He said, "Destroy this temple and in three days I will build it again." He used the word naos, this inner sanctuary, this holy place. "You," Paul said, "are the naos of God." The inner sanctuary was the place of divine activity. That's where God revealed Himself to man. That's where man came into a relationship with God, for the Shekinah dwelt in the naos, in that inner sanctuary. "You," Paul said, "are the naos of God." Therefore, your life becomes the center of divine activity. Your life is the instrument through which God reveals Himself to man today. Your life is the dwelling place of God, your body. (Smith) 12. Also in verses 12 15 Paul is telling the believers in Corinth that the foundation he laid and was built upon after his departure by Apollos and his fellow workers will be tested by fire. Does this mean, that literally, it will go up in flames? Explain your answer. No. When our work is tested by God, it will be revealed what kind of work it was. Just as fire will destroy wood, hay, and straw, but not gold, silver, and precious stones, so the work of some will be revealed as nothing on that Day. (Guzik) Verse 13 speaks of the fire that will test (purify) each one s works. The fire does not purify the worker, it tests their workmanship. Roman Catholics use this passage to teach purgatory, the idea that when we die, we go to a place where we are purified by fire before we go to heaven. The idea of purgatory has nothing to do with this passage, and nothing to do with any other passage in the Bible. Purgatory is strictly a human invention, and denies the finished work of Jesus for the believer. (Guzik) Regarding Verses 18 23 13. What does Paul mean when he says in verse 18 that to become wise one must become a fool that he may then become wise? We must become humble and in the process renounce all worldly wisdom and recognize our Lord as Master of our lives. If one is not willing to be considered a fool by those who value only human wisdom, they will never be able to truly become wise. 14. According to Paul, if anyone thinks he is wise, it is because he is falling prey to adopting and adhering to worldly wisdom instead of heavenly wisdom
TRUE OR FALSE QUESTIONS 1 T Those in the church at Corinth were saved despite their fleshly, carnal behaviors. 2 T By siding with particular preachers in Corinth and thereby causing strife and divisions, Paul is stating they are acting as if they were unsaved. 3 F He who plants seed is a much more important worker than he who waters because if the seed had not been planted there would be nothing to water. 4 F Verse 10 clearly states that Paul was proud of the fact that he is a wise master builder.. 5 T As born-again believers, we are the temple of God and the Holy Spirit dwells within us. 6 F Today s application of verse 14 is that we should work very hard to grow our church in Chapin so that we can receive a reward from God. 7 T Creating tension and division within a church can result in the destruction of God s church. DIGGING DEEPER Each of us has a tendency to favor one preacher over another whether that preacher be local, on TV, on the Internet, etc. Discuss how this positioning can result in church-wide problems, as well as problems within one s own spiritual maturity.