Study notes
The Corinthians did not act like the spiritual people Paul described in 1 Corinthians 2:15. Instead, they behaved like unbelievers drawn to worldly wisdom and values.
as infants in Christ: Although they converted, their lives and thoughts did not show maturity in Christ or the transformative perspective of his Spirit.
Paul criticizes the Christians in Corinth for not growing spiritually.
After comparing human and spiritual wisdom, Paul addresses the divisions in the Corinthian church (see 1 Corinthians 1:10–12), especially their undue loyalty to him and Apollos.
The Corinthian believers hadn’t grown up spiritually or grown strong in their faith. Paul said that they were still like babies in their faith. They had heard about Jesus and believed in him. But they weren’t living like people who were filled with the Holy Spirit. They were still living the way they had before they trusted Jesus.
This was why they were jealous and argued. Paul said that they were acting in the ways of the world. He was talking about sinful ways of living. Those ways kept the believers from growing into healthy and strong followers of Jesus.
Then Paul explained that the believers were like a field. When people tell others about Jesus, it’s like they plant and water seeds in the field. Paul and Apollos had done that for the church in Corinth. The field belongs to God. God makes the seeds grow into healthy plants. This is a picture of how believers grow as they trust in Jesus and follow him.
Because the Corinthian Christians were not spiritually mature, Paul could not discuss the deeper truths of life in Christ, which are like solid food (see 1 Corinthians 2:6–7) meant for mature Christians. Instead, he had to focus on milk, the basic teachings of the good news about Jesus (compare Hebrews 5:12–14; 6:1–3; 1 Peter 2:2).
Their jealousy and arguments (see 1 Corinthians 1:10–12) showed they behaved like unbelievers. They followed their sinful nature, not the Spirit of God (compare 2 Corinthians 12:20; Galatians 5:19–21).
In Greek culture, people often identified with a favorite teacher (see 1 Corinthians 1:12). However, this does not align with the teachings of Christ (3:5–9; compare Matthew 23:8–10).
It is wrong to proudly identify as a follower of a human teacher because God does the real work of redemption. He deserves the honor.
They are servants: See 2 Corinthians 4:5.
I planted the seed: See Acts 18:1–11.
Apollos watered it: See Acts 18:27–19:1.
Paul started the church in Corinth. Now, others are adding to it by teaching the young Christians.
Everyone is responsible to God for how they serve Christ.
Believers who share the good news about Jesus are builders for God. That is how Paul described them. When they tell people about Jesus, it’s like they lay the foundation for the building. Paul did this for the Corinthian church.
Paul asked the Corinthians what they were building on the foundation he had laid. He was talking about how they were putting their faith into practice. God will test and judge what people think and what they do. Teachings about Jesus that aren’t true will burn like a building that catches on fire. Work that isn’t based on God’s Spirit will also burn up. What is true and based on Jesus will last on judgement day. It will be blessed by God.
Paul wanted the Corinthians to be like the wise builders that Jesus taught about in Matthew 7:24–29. Wise builders listen to Jesus and obey him. Foolish builders follow their own ideas or those of other human teachers. The building that Paul talked about was the temple. Jesus is the foundation. Jesus’ followers are the building itself. The Holy Spirit lives among them. This is a picture of how God is present on earth through believers.
The church's only foundation is Jesus Christ himself (see Isaiah 28:16; 1 Peter 2:4–8; compare Romans 9:33). However, the Corinthians risked making a human teacher their foundation.
Some things people build on Christ's foundation will last. Others will burn in judgment (see Malachi 4:1). On judgment day, the work of each church teacher will be evaluated (see James 3:1; also Romans 14:10–12; 2 Corinthians 5:10). Those with faithful teachings will earn a reward. Others will face great loss, not of salvation but of reward. They will be saved, but barely, like someone rescued through flames (see Amos 4:11; Zechariah 3:2; Jude 1:23).
Christians should be careful about what they teach and how they interact with each other. The community of believers is God's temple, where God's Spirit lives (see Ephesians 2:21–22). God's temple is holy (see 1 Corinthians 1:2). There are serious consequences for anyone who harms God's temple through jealousy, arguments, or division (see 3:3–4).
Paul contrasts human wisdom with divine wisdom again (see 1 Corinthians 1:18–25). He uses Old Testament quotes to encourage the Corinthians. He urges them to be willing to seem foolish to the world so that they can be truly wise in God's eyes.
As God's privileged children, they can now claim everything—the world, life, death, the present, and the future (see Romans 8:38–39). Therefore, claiming a specific human leader is unnecessary.
They may claim everything as their own, but Christ has claimed them for himself (see Romans 14:7–9). In Christ, God ultimately claims them (see 1 Corinthians 6:19–20; 7:23).
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