I. God’s Workers Vs. 5-8
A. The Mentality Of The Corinthian Believers
1. The Christians at Corinth were carnal in many ways.
a. One of those ways was that they wrongly exalted their church leaders.
b. This led to divisions amongst the Christians at Corinth. Refer to 1:10-12
c. Instead of giving glory to God, the Corinthians gave glory to the servants.
2. Vs. 5, 6-Paul reminded them of who he and Apollos were.
a. They were ministers-a servant who obeys his master. A waiter who serves food/drink.
b. They were simply ministers with different responsibilities.
c. Paul was the missionary/church planter. Apollos was a teaching pastor.
d. But it was God who saved them, called, them equipped them, empowered them, etc.
3. V. 7-Paul and Apollos were not the ones to be praised.
a. They were simply carrying out their responsibility. They were just obeying their master.
b. Turn to Luke 17:7-10. This is how Jesus described servanthood.
c. Paul said that they weren’t anything. They were ‘‘nothings’’.
d. MacClaren- “So what was the use of fighting which of two nothings was the greater?”
e. It is God who is to be praised, and to whom we give our hearts and allegiance.
4. V. 8- God would be faithful to reward these men who were both faithful servants.
a. Paul reminded them that though they were different men with different giftings and different callings, they were still one.
b. NOTE- Servants are not rewarded according to their calling, but according to their labor.
c. God who determines the calling; the servant who determines the faithfulness in labor.
d. Paul had a calling as a church planter. He had the gifting for that as well.
e. Apollos had the calling of a ‘‘follow up’’ pastor, and the gifting to do that.
f. Hodge- “The faithful, laborious minister or missionary who labors 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.”
II. God’s Work Vs. 9-17
A. The Church As A Building Vs. 9-11
1. Paul now changes from the idea of the church as a field, to the church being a building.
2. Paul laid the foundation for the Corinthian church.
a. The only foundation that can be laid: the person and work of Jesus Christ
b. God gave Paul the grace to do that work as a church planter.
3. The church is not to be built on any other foundation. Jesus is the foundation.
4. But you can build wrongfully on the foundation of Jesus Christ. 2
5. Many churches are correct in their view of who Jesus is, but they are mistaken in many of their practices and in some of
their theology.
6. Both the foundation and the walls of the church must be according to God’s design.
B. The Quality Of What Is Built Will Be Tested Vs. 12-15
1. I believe that Paul is primarily speaking about leaders in the church, though this teaching applies to all Christians.
2. We are all called to build the church of Jesus; to be involved in mutual encouragement, teaching, love, assisting others, etc.
3. But leaders are especially responsible for how a church is built, and the context of the passage speaks tells us that the
Corinthians Believers were following favorite leaders.
4. Church leaders establish the working philosophy of the church, i.e. what is taught, practiced, communicated. They
establish what the goals of the corporate church are.
5. Some leaders build the church in a way that pleases God, others don’t.
6. At the Bema Seat, Jesus will reward those who built his church well.
7. Other church leaders will get little to no reward, for they built with inferior materials.
8. Gold, silver, precious stones-Bible teaching, Christ honoring worship, no manipulation regarding membership or service,
no pressure on people financially.
9. Wood, hay, straw-Men’s opinions, low view of the Bible, giving in to the culture, performance instead of worship,
manipulation of members to serve, pressure to give.
10. One method exalts God and allows him to change people-they are well taught, so they serve, worship and give out of thanks and heartfelt dedication to God.
11. The other method features the ideas and methods of men-The leaders don’t teach God’s word, and so in order to get results, they entertain people and motivate the people through emotions or peer pressure. The result is spiritually starved Christians.
12. Mixing the wisdom of men with the wisdom of God in the world of building the church is like using alternating layers of straw and marble in building. Inherent weakness.
13. Vs. 14, 15-The distinction isn’t between lost and saved, but between those saved who have built well and those who have built poorly.
14. Some will be saved, but with a life that was wasted, and receive no reward.
C. A Strong Warning Against Those Who Build Wrongly Vs. 16, 17
1. NOTE- This verse is not speaking of a person who commits suicide. Not the context.
2. V. 16– Paul speaks of the Holy Spirit dwelling in the corporate gathering of what is called the church.
3. Paul will later (6:19-20) speak as individual Christians being temples; here his emphasis is on the church as a whole (though it has application to individuals)
4. The context also leans towards applying this truth to leaders, because the passage is speaking about Christians who wrongly exalt leaders.
5. V. 17-This is a strong warning that all Christians should pay attention to.3
6. V. 17- The word defile and the word destroy are the same word in the Greek.
7. Phtheiro- fhti’-ro-to corrupt, to corrupt oneself, to be corrupt, to defile, to destroy.
a. The first century Jews believed that the Temple was defiled/corrupted defiled it in the slightest way or were derelict in their duties in the Temple.
b. To lead a church away from the state of holiness and knowledge in which they ought to abide.
c. In an ethical sense, to corrupt or deprave.
d. To shrivel or wither, to spoil or be ruined.
8. If a Christian defiles the church, God will defile/spoil/leave depraved that person.
9. It is sobering to think that God will respond to us in the way we respond to His church
10. This speaks of God’s workers, and with what and how they build up God’s people.
11. If a person defiles a Christian, or a church, with false information and sinful activity, God will deal with them.
12. Conversely, what a huge blessing it is when any of us build with gold, silver, precious stones. Those things will pass through the fire of inspection, and we will be rewarded.
13. Not only that, but they endure here on earth, and bring forth much fruit.
14. John 15:16a You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain…