Free Bible Commentary
“1 Corinthians 3:1-9”
Categories: 1 Corinthians“And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual men, but as to men of flesh, as to infants in Christ. I gave you milk to drink, not solid food; for you were not yet able to receive it. Indeed, even now you are not yet able, for you are still fleshly. For since there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not fleshly, and are you not walking like mere men? For when one says, ‘I am of Paul,’ and another, ‘I am of Apollos,’ are you not mere men?
“What then is Apollos? And what is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, even as the Lord gave opportunity to each one. I planted, Apollos watered, but God was causing the growth. So then neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but God who causes the growth. Now he who plants and he who waters are one; but each will receive his own reward according to his own labor. For we are God's fellow workers; you are God's field, God's building.”
---End of Scripture verses---
Paul had wisdom to impart to the brethren in the church at Corinth, but they were just not ready for it. It was a wisdom for the mature (chapter 2 verse 6), and unfortunately these brethren were still “infants in Christ” (verse 1). They had been stuck in spiritual infancy since their conversion, and even worse, they were “still fleshly” (verse 3).
They were not quite as bad as “natural men” (1 Corinthians 2:14) because they had actually “spiritually appraised” the value of Christ and “the things of the Spirit of God.” But unfortunately, they were still “walking like mere men” (verse 3). Their manner of life was not following suit with their spiritual conversion.
The main source of the problem is that they were focused on the “servants” of the Lord and not on the Master (verse 5). They were aiming their devotion to Paul and Apollos, who were mere workers in the kingdom, and not to the King of kings and Lord of Lords. This misaimed devotion was causing “jealousy and strife” among the members of Christ (verse 3), and Jesus died to save and unify His body.
Because they were focusing on human beings and not on their Creator, they were not growing spiritually. The reason for this is that preachers and teachers of the Gospel “plant” and “water” the seed of the word into human hearts, but “it is God who causes the growth” (verse 7). No matter how skilled or devoted or beloved a human teacher is, God is the only source of faith, salvation and spiritual growth.
It is our responsibility to plant the seed and water the seed, and those are vitally important jobs. But we must remember that it is God who gave us the “word implanted” that transforms human hearts (James 1:21), and only a heart centered and focused upon God can garner the growth that only He can impart.
So, if we are stuck in spiritual neutral, we really just need to center our focus upon Christ again (or for the first time if necessary). What “fleshly” (verse 3) things are robbing our attention away from the spiritual pursuits that are the most important? Our job? Our hobbies? Sports? Recreation? Worries? People? Let’s focus on “serving the Lord” (verse 5), and not the worries of this world.
Please read 1 Corinthians 3:10-16 for tomorrow.
God bless your Friday!
- Louie Taylor
