Sunday Service - October 3, 2021

1 Corinthians Chapter 3 starts off with Paul telling the Corinthians that they were still like babies in Christ. He could not address them as if they were in the spirit because they had not reached that level yet. They still acted like mere humans and the spirit could not be seen in them.

Arguments and Divisions
There was jealousy and quarreling among the people in the church at Corinth. Some of the people would say that they followed in the footsteps of Paul or Apollos, but this did not show in their actions. They were not deeply rooted in the God’s Word and they were not showing that they had been born again in Christ.

Paul and Apollos Plant Seeds
Paul said that he planted a seed in Corinth and Apollos watered it. Although not everyone had turned to Christ, some did and they would be rewarded according to their labor. God knows who is sincere and who is not.

Paul explained that he and Apollos were merely servants of God who were assigned a task. He told the people not look up to them. Instead, they should look up to Christ. Paul and Apollos were simply co-workers and each had his own job. They both worked on the field that God had laid out for them, doing what they were told to do for the glory of God.

The Body is a Temple
The Lord had already set out a foundation, which is in Jesus Christ. Paul had started a structure on that foundation. He said a person could build a structure using gold, silver, or precious stones and even hay or straw. This will all show during the Day of Judgment. If the structure burns down in flames, the builder will be at a loss.

Paul told the people in 1 Corinthians Chapter 3 that their bodies were the temple of Christ, and they should treat it that way. They were being deceived by their own ways and they were adhering to the standards of the ages. In this, they had become fools to their own wisdom.

1 Corinthians Chapter 4 discusses the true nature of apostleship. Paul said that people should be able to see Christ within those who serve Him. They should be regarded as the people of God and those that can be trusted with the Word.

Paul Tries to Please Only God
He said he did not care what the world had to say about him because in the end, it was only God who would judge him. He warned in 1 Corinthians Chapter 4 against judging others before the time of the Lord arrives. Only God can take out what is in the darkness and bring it to the light.

Only God Can Judge People
Paul told the Corinthians that they should not go beyond what the Word of God says. They should not puff up and become arrogant. He said they were just like everyone else and would still be judged.

Paul claimed that even if he is with Christ, he is not innocent. Yet, it is only God who can judge him rather than people. Paul talked about being an apostle and how they were cursed and blessed at the same time. They were persecuted by the world. But he said that just served to make them stronger in Christ.

Paul’s Warning about Arrogance
Paul said in 1 Corinthians Chapter 4 that he did not share these words with them to shame them, but rather to enlighten them. Paul sent Timothy, whom he loved dearly, to them in order to share the Word with them so that they too can find Christ.

Some of them, however, acted as if though Paul was not coming and they remained arrogant. He urged them to follow in his ways and leave their old lives behind. Timothy would show them how the way of life in Christ is. He asked them if they would rather him visit with a rod of discipline or with love and compassion.