How will God judge Christian Workers — those that lead, preach and teach God’s people? What will He be looking for? How can those of us who have leadership in the body of Christ make sure we are preparing ourselves for this solemn judgment to come? How can we “be careful how we build upon the foundation” Paul laid? In this study, we examine Paul’s architectural metaphor of those that work to construct God’s building – God’s temple, and the fire which will test the quality of their works.
Teaching Notes:
God’s Judgment of Christian Workers
1 Corinthians 3:1-23
Intro: In this section, Paul continues to discuss the very first problem he addresses in chapter 1 – divisions over Christian Workers. Afterwards, he discusses God’s judgment of these workers. Notice that Paul calls himself and Apollos “servants”. A servant when you boil it all down is a worker. He further states the kind of work they are involved in: planting a garden and watering it. Further, he says it is like someone laying a foundation, and then another building on it. Vs. 13,14 and 15 mention the world “work”. Vs.9 says they are God’s fellow workers. So Christian workers or servants or ministers are in view in this chapter.
1. Division Over Christian Workers: (3:1-9; 18-23)
- The Cause of Division: the flesh (1-4). In ch.2:14-15 Paul categorized all men into natural and spiritual. The natural man doesn’t accept or understand the things of the Spirit, while the spiritual man values the things of God. However, even though these people were spiritual men, they weren’t acting like it. They were acting more like natural men. Paul believed them to be saved, because he addresses them as “brethren” and “infants in Christ.” In 3:3 he says they were “fleshly”, he had to speak to them as to “men of flesh”, and they were walking “like mere men” or natural men. So here we have the strange phenomenon of saved people living like unsaved men. Now, their fleshliness was not in every area, but in the area of strife and jealousy over their Leaders. As a result, Paul could not give them meat, but only milk. They could only take in the most rudimentary of Christian doctrine, and were not growing, taking in the more advanced doctrines related to discipleship, service, humility, and love. Like the “little children” of 1Jn.2:12 all they knew was their sins were forgiven for His name’s sake. And for them that was all they needed or wanted.
- The Symptoms of Division: jealousy and strife: (3:3). This jealousy and strife must have been centered in the Personalities who were ministering to them. They were jealous for their leader’s glory, and this resulted in strife between them. It was like the little kids in the sandbox arguing, “My daddy’s better than your daddy!”
- The Cure for Division:
- Don’t Exalt Spiritual Leaders (5-7). Paul and Apollos are only servants. A servant is nobody special. He is not to be exalted. Indeed, his whole function is to take the lowest place. Neither the planter or waterer is anything! Don’t boast in men! (21).
- Realize that Spiritual Leaders Have the Same Purpose (8). They are one. They have the same goal and ambition. They are not divided, unlike you. Why then, are you dividing under various Personalities?
- Exalt God (5-7). The Lord was the One who gave opportunity to each Worker. He caused the growth! You are God’s field and God’s building, not Paul’s field, or Apollos’ building! (9).
- Don’t Exalt Worldly Wisdom (18-20). Some of the teachers and preachers in Corinth must have been posing as possessors of great worldly wisdom. Paul’s input to them was that they must fools in the eyes of the world to become wise in the eyes of God. Man by his wisdom can not know God and would never have devised the way of salvation through a suffering Substitute!
- Realize that All things Are Yours (21-23). You don’t belong to Paul or Apollos. They belong to you! All God’s workers have been given for the benefit of the entire church, so that it might grow into Christ’s image! The world is yours – everything in this world is given for the pleasure and benefit of God’s people. Everything in the world is working together for our good. This present life belongs to you. Death is for your good. Things Present and things to Come are belong to you and are for your good.
2. Judgment Of Christian Workers: (3:10-17)
- Judgment of Faithful Workers: saved and rewarded. 3:8-9 has set Paul up for 3:10-15. In 3:8 he mentions the worker receiving a reward, and in 3:9 he mentions that the Corinthians are God’s building. Paul picks up both of those ideas and elaborates on them in 3:10-15. He switches from an agriculture to architecture metaphor. Planting and watering go with us being God’s field or garden. Laying a foundation and building on it go with an architecture metaphor.
3:10 – thesis statement of paragraph. Important phrase is “each man must be careful how he builds on it.” Who is the one who was like a wise master builder? Paul. Who was the one building on it? Apollos. In 3:12 who is the “any man” who builds on the foundation. In context this must mean Christian workers (preachers and teachers). So “any man” and “each man” in context means any worker, and each worker. This is really not a passage about every believer, but rather those believers who are working and providing teaching/leadership for a body of believers.
3:12 – The building materials can be divided into 2 groups: gold, silver and precious stones vs. wood, hay and straw. What is the difference between them. Permanent vs. temporary. Valuable vs. Cheap. Non-combustible vs. combustible.
3:13 – the “fire” speaks of Judgment Day (“the day”). Notice it is not the quantity, but the quality of each mans’ work that this fire will reveal. If the works are consumed in the judgment, they were not of the right sort and will not be rewarded. Jesus taught that any righteous deeds done to be seen of men will not be rewarded later (Mt.6:1). Those kinds of deeds are not the right quality. This is the work of preaching and teaching. Gold, silver and precious stones teaching is Sound Doctrine and Sound Application with a view to please the Lord, and not men. Wood, hay and straw is ministry conducted to be seen of men, not the Lord. Or perhaps the right quality of a man’s ministry is that he has taught truths that will have an eternal and lasting impact on his hearers, vs. those that teach that which only has a temporary impact which is rooted mainly in this life.
3:14 – If any works are not consumed in the judgment, he will receive a reward for them.
- Judgment of Foolish Workers: saved but not rewarded. They are foolish because they teach what does not count for eternity, and they teach to be seen of men. If his works are burned up, he will still be saved, but will suffer the loss of reward.
- Judgment of False Workers: lost and not rewarded (16-17). The “you” who are the temple of God is in the plural (ye). Paul and Apollos were laboring to construct a temple, which is the Church. The persons who destroy the temple are unsaved, false workers. They deliberately bring in damning doctrines, sow division amongst the brethren, and seek to generally wreak havoc in Christ’s body. What will be their portion? God will destroy them in hell! Luke 12:41-48.
Life Application:
1. There can be a great difference of spirituality and maturity among God’s true children. Some are infants, while others are mature. It is possible for a true believer to behave in a fleshly way, as the Corinthians did – they had strife and jealousy among them. They walked like mere men.
We need to remember not to judge another to be unsaved because of a lack of spiritual maturity, as long as he has the root of the matter in himself. Has he been sanctified in Christ Jesus, a saint by calling, and does he call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ? (1:2). Then he is a brother, albeit an infant.
2. We need to remember NOT to exalt Christian workers, or divide up under various ones. They are just lowly servants working for the kingdom, which should describe all of us. God is the One we should always remember to exalt, for He is the One responsible for our life and growth!
3. If you are a Christian worker, be careful how you build! Be careful to teach in light of eternity. As much as you can, make sure your teaching is true! Be careful that your motive is to glorify God and please Him! Make sure that you are not destroying God’s temple, rather than building it!
______________________________
© The Bridge
Permissions: You are permitted and encouraged to reproduce and distribute this material in any format provided that you do not alter the wording in any way and do not charge a fee beyond the cost of reproduction. For web posting, a link to this document on our website is preferred. Any exceptions to the above must be approved by The Bridge.
Please include the following statement on any distributed copy: By Brian Anderson. © The Bridge. Website: www.TheBridgeOnline.net
Follow Us!