1Brothers and sisters, I could not address you as people who live by the Spirit but as people who are still worldly—mere infants in Christ. 2I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready. 3You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere humans?
When we are ‘born again’ we become babes in Christ. We must learn and grow to mature. We cannot immediately understand all of God’s truths simply because we’ve accepted Christ. The people of the church of Corinth were acting like small children, quarrelling and allowing their differences to distract them from their worship. Immature Christians are still worldly, being controlled by their own desires.
Being controlled by your own desires stunts your growth in the Lord. Your goal should be to allow God’s desires to become your own.
4For when one says, “I follow Paul,” and another, “I follow Apollos,” are you not mere human beings? 5What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe—as the Lord has assigned to each his task. 6I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow.
Paul returns to the theme he began in chapter 1. He had no tolerance for hero worship of those who had taught them the gospel. The people were dividing themselves into separate belief systems according to the leader they wanted to follow: Peter, who had walked and talked with Christ on earth; Apollos, with his sophisticated, cultivated style; Paul, the famous missionary; and Christ himself.
Each leader has a particular job to perform. Paul planted the seed by interpreting spiritual truths and conveying the gospel to the people. Apollos was to nurture the seed by continuing the job in Paul’s absence. As with flowers, we water them, but it is God who makes them grow.
The Corinthian believers began pledging their loyalty to different teachers. We should respect our church leaders, but never place them on pedestals that create barriers between people.
7So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. 8The one who plants and the one who waters have one purpose, and they will each be rewarded according to their own labor. 9For we are co-workers in God’s service; you are God’s field, God’s building.
Paul reminds them again not to worship any human worker for they all belong to God, and God alone is to be worshipped.
10By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as a wise builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should build with care. 11For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ.
Paul founded the church in Corinth. He taught the gospel of Christ, laying the foundation. Apollos was to continue the leadership of the church by helping the members understand and grow stronger in their faith. His purpose was to build on the foundation Paul left behind. A building is only as solid as its foundation. The foundation of the church, and all believers, is Jesus Christ. Paul warns leaders of the church to build with care, using high-quality materials that meet God’s standards. These high-quality materials would be the right doctrine and sound teachings.
12If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, 13their work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person’s work. 14If what has been built survives, the builder will receive a reward. 15If it is burned up, the builder will suffer loss but yet will be saved—even though only as one escaping through the flames.
On Judgment Day, Christ will be the judge who will separate the good builders from the bad. He will evaluate the church leaders to determine the sincerity of each person’s work and whether they have been faithful to Jesus’ instructions. Good workers will be rewarded; unfaithful workers will be revealed as such. However, notice they will still be saved. They will be like someone barely escaping a burning building. All their possessions will be lost. All their accomplishments will be discarded.
16Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst? 17If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy that person; for God’s temple is sacred, and you together are that temple.
Just as our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit, the church is God’s temple—not the building, but the assembly of members. It is not to be destroyed or ruined by controversy or divisions as members come together to worship God.
18Do not deceive yourselves. If any of you think you are wise by the standards of this age, you should become “fools” so that you may become wise. 19For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God’s sight. As it is written: “He catches the wise in their craftiness”; (This quote is taken from Job 5:13)
Paul is suggesting they cast off worldly wisdom, which causes them to evaluate their leaders by how well they present the message rather than the content of the message.
20and again, “The Lord knows that the thoughts of the wise are futile.” (This quote is taken from Psalm 94:11)
21So then, no more boasting about human leaders! All things are yours, 22whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas (Cephas is another name for Peter) or the world or life or death or the present or the future—all are yours, 23and you are of Christ, and Christ is of God.
Nonbelievers are victims of life, always wondering if there is meaning to it. Believers understand the true purpose of life and can therefore use their life for that purpose. Nonbelievers fear death, but believers know Christ has conquered death, leaving nothing to fear. Believers know death is the beginning of eternal life with God.
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