The First Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Church at Corinth

Chapter 3:4-9

4 For when one saith, I am Paul’s, and another, I am Apollos’s, are ye not carnal?

5 Who is Paul then? and who is Apollos, but the ministers by whom ye believed, and as the Lord gave to every man?

6 I have planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase.

7 So then, neither is he that planteth anything, neither he that watereth, but God that giveth the increase.

8 And he that planteth, and he that watereth, are one, and every man shall receive his wages, according to his labor.

9 For we together are God’s laborers: ye are God’s husbandry, and God’s building.

Related Scripture:

Verse 5 - Romans 15:16; 2 Corinthians 3:3,6 ; 4:1; 5:18; Ephesians 3:7; Colossians 1:25; 1 Timothy 1:12

Verse 6 - Acts 18:4; 1 Corinthians 4:5; 9:1; 15:1; 2 Corinthians 10:14; Acts 18:24-27; 1 Corinthians 1:12; 2 Corinthians 3:5

Verse 7 - 2 Corinthians 12:11; Galatians 6:

Verse 8- Psalm 62::12; Romans 2:6

Verse 9 - Mark 16: 20; Acts 18:4; 2 Corinthians 6:1; 1 Corinthians 3:16; Ephesians 2:20-22; Colossians 2:7; Hebrews 3:3-4; 1 Peter 2:5

Editor’s thoughts:

Brethren, in continuing with Pauls commentary on sectarianism, he points out that although he and Apollos are indeed individuals, they work for the same Master.

Paul, as he writes, plants, Apollos watered, (meaning the raising of a church, and subsequently brothers and sisters in Christ), However, it is the Master that brings increase and knowledge to the new brethren.

It is added herein, that the Master, our Creator, uses many of us to harvest the increase. Yet in all things, we are but one part of the body of Christ. Each of us, no matter how small we might be, are not insignificant. Each one of us serves a purpose, in God's plans.

The First Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Church at Corinth Chapter 3:1-3

1 And I could not speak unto you, brethren, as unto spiritual men, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ.

2 I gave you milk to drink, and not meat: for ye were not yet able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.

3 For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?

Related Scripture:

Verse 1 - 1 Corinthians 2:6; Ephesians 4:14; Hebrews 5:13

Verse 2 - Hebrews 5:12; 1 Peter 2:2; John 16:12

Editor’s thoughts:

A warning on sectarianism.

Brethren:

In these verses above, Paul begins his discourse on avoiding sectarianism, which causes dissension and division within the church. For such begins to cause strife, envy, jealousies, and all manner of divers troubles. It likewise, means that as Christians, we are not of one mind in the body of Christ, but of many, that do not, or cannot function together. My friends, this should not be so. For such, is walking in carnality. We are still walking in the ways of the world by acting and behaving in such a way.

Hard Questions

By R.P. Woitowitz Sr.

The following are my thoughts on the sermon by my pastor today.

First, is the scripture that was read today.

Matthew 16:13-20

13 Now when Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I, the son of man, am?

14 And they said, Some say, John Baptist: and some, Elijah: and others, Jeremiah, or one of the Prophets.

15 He said unto them, But whom say ye that I am?

16 Then Simon Peter answered, and said, Thou art that Christ, the son of the living God.

17 And Jesus answered, and said to him, Blessed art thou, Simon, the son of Jonah: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.

18 And I say also unto thee, that thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church: and the gates of hell shall not overcome it.

19 And I will give unto thee the keys of the Kingdom of heaven, and whatsoever thou shalt bind upon earth, shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth, shall be loosed in heaven.

20 Then he charged his disciples, that they should tell no man that he was Jesus that Christ.

Verse Twenty:

He (this is to say Jesus), forbids that they should let it be known. Perhaps, because He wants others to come to this knowledge through the revelation of the Holy Spirit, and not by man's word.

Who do you say I am, and who do you serve? We serve the living God. Each of us needs be to ask ourselves; who do I serve, and who do I believe Him to be? And more importantly, HOW do I come to this knowledge? Is it through hearsay, or is it from the searching the scriptures and God's word?

How do we express this answer? Is it without any doubt and with certainty, or from the repetition of what we've heard?

Faith in this revelation is the key to the profession of belief.

"You are the Son of the living God" as said by Peter. As such, by His sacrifice, we are all joint heirs in the kingdom of Heaven

(Read Romans 8:17)

The First Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Church at Corinth Chapter 2:15-16

15 But he that is spiritual, discerneth all things: yet he himself is judged of no man.

16 For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he might instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.

Cross references:

1 Corinthians 2:16 - Job 15:8; Isaiah 40:13; Romans 11:34; John 15:15

Editor’s thoughts:

Brethren:

We read today, in the closing verses of this chapter that we are to be like minded in Christ. For was not He like minded with our Heavenly Father in all matters, and did He not make all things known unto us?

Henceforth, my brothers and sisters, and all friends, we are to judge and discern all things through the eyes of Christ. This is to say to base all that we see, hear, and do, in His ways.

Be of courage and be of good cheer. Test all things to see if they align with the word of God. Fear not to call out evil when you see it. Likewise, give praise to all things that of good report.

(Read 1 Thessalonians 5:20-22)

The First Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Church at Corinth

Chapter 2:12-14

12 Now we have receiveth not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit, which is of God, that we might know the things that are given to us of God.

13 Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the holy Ghost teacheth, comparing spiritual things with spiritual things.

14 But the natural man perceiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him, neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

Cross references:

1 Corinthians 2:12 - 1 John 1:1-4

1 Corinthians 2:13 - 1 Corinthians 1:17-18; 2 Peter 1:16

Editor’s thoughts:

Brethren, in the above verses we see the continuation of Paul's writings on being able to discern the things of and from God, due to being imbued with His Holy Spirit.

The natural man, the man who is of this world simply cannot see them and considers them to be of no importance to him, (for his own carnality cannot conceive of anything higher than himself), and foolishness.

He perceives the world from the eyes of nonbelief, as opposed to the eyes of faith strengthened by the Spirit of God.

The First Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Church at Corinth

Chapter 2:10-11

10 But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.

11 For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of a man, which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.

Related Scripture:

1 Corinthians 10 - Ephesians 3:18

1 Corinthians 11 - Job 32:8

Commentary:

“The apostle speaks here of the subject-matter of the divine revelation under the gospel. These are such as eye hath not seen nor ear heard. Observe: The great truths of the gospel are things lying out of the sphere of human discovery: Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard them, nor have they entered into the heart of man. [Read Isaiah 64:4, 65:17] Were they objects of sense, could they be discovered by an eye of reason, and communicated by the ear to the mind, as matters of common human knowledge may, there had been no need of a revelation. But, lying out of the sphere of nature, we cannot discover them but by the light of revelation. And therefore we must take them as they lie in the scriptures, and as God has been pleased to reveal them. We here see by whom this wisdom is discovered to us: God hath revealed them to us by his Spirit. The scripture is given by inspiration of God. Holy men spoke of old as they were moved by the Holy Ghost, [2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:21]. And the apostles spoke by inspiration of the same Spirit, as he taught them, and gave them utterance. Here is a proof of the divine authority of the holy scriptures. Paul wrote what he taught: and what he taught was revealed of God by his Spirit, that Spirit that searches all things, yea, the deep things of God, and knows the things of God, as the spirit of a man that is in him knows the things of a man.

The man knows his own mind because his mind is one with himself. The Spirit of God knows the things of God because he is one with God. And as no man can come at the knowledge of what is in another man’s mind till he communicates and reveals it, so neither can we know the secret counsels and purposes of God till they are made known to us by his Holy Spirit. We cannot know them at all till he had proposed them objectively (as it is called) in the external revelation; we cannot know or believe them to salvation till he enlightens the faculty, opens the eye of the mind, and gives us such a knowledge and faith of them. And it was by this Spirit that the apostles had received the wisdom of God in a mystery, which they spoke.” - Matthew Henry - Theologian

The First Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Church at Corinth

Chapter 2:6-9

6 And we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: not the wisdom of this world, neither of the princes of this world, which come to nought.

7 But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hid wisdom, which God had determined before the world, unto our glory.

8 Which none of the princes of this world hath known: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.

9 But as it is written, The things which eye hath not seen, neither ear hath heard, neither came into man’s heart, are, which God hath prepared for them that love him.

Cross references:

1 Corinthians 2:9 - Isaiah 64:4

Editor’s thoughts:

Brethren:

There are two things at work herein above.

The first being, Paul shifts his epistle and directs it to those that have matured in the Gospel of Christ. The second is the fact that none of the so-called enlightened leaders of this time can understand this knowledge, for, as previously mentioned earlier in this letter, they simply cannot accept it as anything more than foolishness.

Of the for they are aware fully, of the plan of redemption. He goes on to say, that this wisdom is not oof this age, (eon; literal Greek word used; αιών,aiwnos, aiOnos) as reflected by the wisdom of man. Nay, they have heard the wisdom that comes from above.

As for the latter group, Paul writes that had they had been able to understand it, they would not have crucified Christ, for there would have been no need to do so.

“Though the wise philosophers among the Gentiles accounted the Gospel foolishness; and though the apostle, by an ironical concession, had called the ministry of it the foolishness of preaching, and the foolishness of God, and had thought best, for wise reasons, to deliver it in a plain and simple manner, without the embellishments of human wisdom; yet he vindicates it from the charge of folly: it was not folly, but wisdom, which he and his fellow ministers preached, and that of the highest kind, as appears from what follows. Though it was not esteemed so by all men, yet [he writes to those that are] at age, opposed to babes and children, [Read 1 Corinthians 3:2; Hebrews 5:12-13; 1 Peter 2:2], such who have their understandings enlightened by the spirit of wisdom and revelation; who have their senses exercised to discern between divine and human wisdom; and who are perfect in a comparative sense, having more spiritual knowledge and understanding than others; for none, in the present state of things, are absolutely perfect in knowledge; they that know most, know but in part: now to such the Gospel and the doctrines of it appear to be the highest wisdom; for the apostle's sense is not that he and other Gospel ministers preached the more sublime doctrines of it to a select set of persons that had more judgment and a better understanding of things than others: if this could be thought to be the apostle's meaning, he might be supposed to allude to a custom among the Jews, not to deliver the sublime things of the law, but to persons so and so qualified. So they did not suffer the first chapter of Genesis and the visions of Ezekiel to be read until thirty years of age, and from them the Pythagoreans took their notion of not declaring their mysteries but to (teleioi) , ‘perfect ones’, the word here used, but the apostle's sense is, that to such that were perfect, and even to everyone that had the least degree of spiritual knowledge, the Gospel was wisdom. Some refer this clause not to persons, but things; and so the Arabic version reads it, "we speak wisdom concerning things that are perfect"; as the things of the Gospel are, such as a plenteous redemption, perfect righteousness, full pardon, plenary satisfaction, and complete salvation and happiness.

Meaning not the idolatry, superstition, curious and magic arts introduced by demons, which principalities and powers, with all their works, are spoiled and destroyed by Christ; but either the political wisdom and crafty schemes of the civil governors of the world, against Christ and his Gospel, who were by this time most, if not all of them, dead; or the vain philosophy of the wise and learned among the Gentiles, who every day were less and less in vogue, through the quick and powerful spread of the Gospel; or rather the highest pitch of wisdom and knowledge in divine things, which the doctors and Rabbins among the Jews attained to in the age before the Messiah's coming; called ‘this world’ in distinction from the times of the Messiah, which in Jewish language was, "the world to come", as Dr. Lightfoot observes; who with all their wisdom were confounded and brought to nought by the superior wisdom of the Gospel.” John Gill - Theologian