Chapter 3
Themes, discussion questions, Christ connections, and denomination lenses.
Just read this chapter →Scripture
KJV1And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ.
2I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.
3For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?
4For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal?
5Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man?
6I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.
7So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase.
8Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour.
9For we are labourers together with God: ye are God’s husbandry, ye are God’s building.
10According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon.
11For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
12Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble;
13Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is.
14If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.
15If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.
16Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?
17If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.
18Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise.
19For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness.
20And again, The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain.
21Therefore let no man glory in men. For all things are yours;
22Whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours;
23And ye are Christ’s; and Christ is God’s.
“For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.”
Overview
Paul addresses the Corinthians as carnal babes in Christ who are still fed with milk rather than solid food, evidenced by their envying, strife, and divisions. He explains that he and Apollos are merely servants through whom they believed, each with a different role — one planting, another watering, but God giving the increase. He warns that the church is God's building and each person must be careful how they build upon the foundation of Jesus Christ.
Key Themes
Spiritual Immaturity
The Corinthians' divisions and jealousy reveal that they are still carnal, unable to receive solid spiritual teaching because they remain as babes in Christ.
God Gives the Increase
Ministers are fellow laborers with God — one plants, another waters, but it is God alone who causes spiritual growth, and neither planter nor waterer is anything in comparison.
Building on the Right Foundation
No other foundation can be laid than Jesus Christ, and every believer's work will be tested by fire — some will receive reward, and some will suffer loss.
Study Questions
What are the marks of spiritual immaturity that Paul identifies in the Corinthians, and how might these appear in our own lives?
How does understanding that 'God gave the increase' (v. 6) free us from comparing ourselves with other believers or leaders?
What does it mean to build upon the foundation of Christ with 'gold, silver, precious stones' versus 'wood, hay, stubble' (v. 12)?
How does the truth that believers are 'the temple of God' (v. 16) affect the way we treat one another in the church?
Why does Paul say 'let no man glory in men' (v. 21), and how does this apply to modern Christian celebrity culture?
Connection to Christ
Paul declares that no other foundation can any man lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. He is the sole foundation of the church, and every ministry and every life built upon Him will endure the test of God's refining fire.
Personal Reflection
Take time to journal or meditate on what God is teaching you through 1 Corinthians 3. How can these truths transform your thinking and actions today?