Two Are Better Than One

1 CORINTHIANS 3:2b-17 - F. GOD EVALUATES CHRISTIAN WORKERS

1. 3:2b-9 GOD'S WORKERS: DIVISIONS INEXCUSABLE

a. 3:2b-3 CARNAL CHRISTIANS: WALK AS NATURAL MEN

All', ouDE Eti nun DUnas-the;

Nay, even now are you yet unable;

Eti gar sar-kiKOI [4559] es-te:

3for you are yet carnal:

HOpou gar en huMIN ZElos [2205] kai Eris [2054],

for whereas jealousy is among you and strife,

ouCHI sar-kiKOI es-te, kai kaTA ANthro-pon pe-ri-paTEIte?

are you not carnal, and walk you not after man's manner?

b. 3:4 CARNAL CHRISTIANS: WALK AFTER HUMAN LEADERS

HOtan gar LEgetis, E-GOmen ei-mi PAUlou;

For when one says, I am of Paul;

HEte-ros de, E-GO, A-polLO; ouk ANthroPOI es-te?

and another, I, of Apollos; are you not men​?

c. 3:5a QUESTION

ti oun es-tin A-polLOS? ti de es-tin PAUlos?

What then is Apollos? and what is Paul?

d. 3:5b ANSWER

diAko-noi [1249] di' hon e-pisTEUsa-te, kai heKASto hos ho KUri-os Edo-ken.

Ministers through whom you believed, and as the Lord gave to each.

e. 3:6 GOD'S RELATIONSHIP TO HIS WORKERS

eGO ePHUteu-sa [5452], Apol-LOS ePOti-sen [4222]; all' ho TheOS EUxa-nen [837].

I planted, Apollos watered; but :God gave increase.

f. 3:7 GOD SUPERCEDES BOTH PLANTER AND WATERER

HOSte OUte ho phuTEUon esTIN ti OUte ho poTIzon;

So then neither is who plants aught nor who waters;

all' ho auXAnon TheOS.

but God that gives increase.

g. 3:8 REWARD: ACCORDING TO INDIVIDUAL FAITHFULNESS

ho phuTEUon de kai ho poTIzon hen ei-sin:

Now who plants and who waters are one:

HEkas-tos de ton Idi-on misTHON [3408] LEMpse-tai kaTA ton Idi-on KOpon [2873].

but each shall receive his own :reward according to his own :toil.

h. 3:9 REASON: GOD IS PLEASED TO WORK THROUGH AND WITH US

TheOU gar es-men su-nerGOI [4904]:

For we are God's fellow-workers:

TheOU geORgi-on [1091], TheOU oi-ko-doME [3619] es-te.

you are God's husbandry, God's building.

2. 3:10-15 GOD'S BUILDING CODE FOR CHURCH WORKERS

a. 3:10a PAUL'S BUILDING-SKILL: HIS ACKNOWLEDGED GIFT

KaTA ten CHArin tou TheOU ten doTHEI-SAN moi,

According to the grace of :God :given me,

hos soPHOS ar-chiTEKton [753] theMEli-on [2310] Ethe-ka [5087];

as a wise masterbuilder I laid a foundation;

ALlos de e-poi-ko-doMEI [2026].

and another builds thereon.

b. 3:10b OUR RESPONSIBILITY: BUILD IN HARMONY WITH THE MASTERBUILDER

HEkas-tos de blePEtopos e-poi-ko-doMEI.

But let each look how he builds thereon.

c. 3:11 JESUS CHRIST: THE ONLY TRUE FOUNDATION

theMEli-on gar ALlon ouDEIS DUna-tai THEnai paRA ton KEIme-non [2749],

For other foundation can no one lay than what is laid,

hos es-tin 'IeSOUS ChrisTOS.

who is Jesus Christ.

d. 3:12-13 FIRE: WILL MAKE PROOF OF ALL OUR WORKS

ei de tis e-poi-ko-doMEI [2026] ePI ton theMEli-on chruSIon [5557],

But if any builds on the foundation gold,

arGUri-on [696], LIthous [3037]tiMIous [5093], XUla [3586], CHORton [5528], caLAmen [2562];

silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble;

heKAStou to ERgon pha-neRON [5318]geNEse-tai:

13the work of each shall be made manifest:

hegar heMEra deLOsei [1213],

for the day shall declare it,

HOti en puRI [4442] a-po-kaLUPte-tai [601];

because it is being revealed in fire;

kai heKAStou to ERgon hoMOI-ON es-tin to pur auTO do-kiMAsei [1381].

and the fire itself shall prove the work of each of what sort it is.

e. 3:14 REWARD: CONDITIONAL UPON THE FIRE TEST

ei ti-nos to ERgon meNEI ho e-poi-koDOmesen,

If the work of any shall abide which he built thereon,

misTHON LEMpse-tai.

he shall receive reward.

f. 3:15 FIRE: CAN DESTROY ALL THE WORKS OF A TRUE BELIEVER

ei ti-nos to ERgon ka-ta-kaEse-tai [2618], ze-mi-oTHEse-tai [2210]:

If the work of any shall be burned, he shall suffer loss:

auTOS de soTHEse-tai [4982]; HOUtos de hos diA puROS.

but himself shall be saved; yet so as through fire.

3. 3:16-17 JUDGMENT: UPON DESTROYERS OF GOD'S TEMPLE

a. 3:16 GOD'S SPIRIT DWELLS IN THE HUMAN SPIRIT

Ouk OIda-te HOti naOS [3485] TheOU esTE,

Know you not that you are God's sanctuary,

kai to PNEUma tou TheOU en huMIN oiKEI [3611]?

and the Spirit of :God dwells in you?

b. 3:17 GOD'S REQUIREMENT: HOLINESS FOR HIS SANCTUARY

ei tis ton naON tou TheOU PHTHEIrei [5351], phtheREI TOUton ho TheOS;

If any corrupts the sanctuary of :God, him shall :God corrupt;

ho gar naOS tou TheOU HAgiOS es-tin, HOItiNES es-te huMEIS.

for the sanctuary of God is holy, which you are.

NOTE: 3:2b-3 (3:2b-9) “Nay, even now are you yet unable; 3for you are yet carnal: for whereas jealousy is among you and strife, are you not carnal, and walk you not after man's manner?” It is very important for leaders especially to understand what the Spirit of God is leading the apostle Paul to write in this section. Carelessness in understanding will be shown up at the Judgment Seat (BEma) of Christ for all believers, following the general resurrection.

True local churches in each city should be led in unity with one another in each city church. This was normal in the beginning, though Corinth needed this letter from Paul to come up to standard. This is God's goal for us preceding the return of His Son. It is extremely important that leaders over local churches move in unity apart from strife and jealousy, which are signs of carnality and walking as natural men.

3:10a (3:10-15) “According to the grace of :God :given, as a wise masterbuilder I laid a foundation; and another builds thereon.” Here we find one of the clear apostolic credentials - founding city churches with Christ the foundation.

3:15 (10-15) “If the work of any shall abide which he built thereon, he shall receive reward.” Our works must be Spirit-led by a Spirit-possessed life - else they will be burnt. See Rees Howells, Intercessor” by Norman P. Grubb for a clear presentation on this. Oswald Chambers, George Muller and H. A. Baker walked in a parallel manner. Galatians 2:20 shows Paul's insight on this.

3:17 (3:16-17) “If any corrupts the sanctuary of :God, him shall :God corrupt; for the sanctuary of God is holy, which you are.” This is very serious. There are those who either ignorantly or deliberately hurt the organic body of Christ. We see government and political leaders who do this to cities, states and our nation. However, the majority of them are notin the Kingdom of God. But professing believers who are leaders of the church have no such excuse. We shallbe judged by the Plumbline of the Word of God, by Him whose eyes are a flame of fire! The Book of Revelation in the NT is little different from the prophetic teaching books of the OT.

Betterfor leaders to be forewarned today, so that we may walk a careful walk in the love of the Spirit. This will surely prepare us for that final day. - JW