SUNDAY

SCHOOL
1 CORINTHIANS 3:1-23

OUTLINE
• LABOURERS WITH GOD (1-15)
• THE TEMPLE OF GOD (16-23)
 SUNDAY SCHOOL I 1 CORINTHIANS 3:1-23
LABOURERS WITH GOD
- THEIR IMMATURITY PREVENTED PAUL’S FEEDING
THEM MEAT ON HIS 1ST VISIT. THE GREEK WORD FOR
CARNAL (FROM SARKINOS) MEANS LITERALLY, MADE
OF FLESH, BEING EQUIVALENT OF THE EXPRESSION
IN THE FLESH. SAKRINOS IS THE THOUGHT OF
WEAKNESS, AS BABES CONFIRMS. AT PAUL’S 1ST VISIT
THE CORINTHIANS WERE WEAK, FOR THE SIMPLE
REASON THAT THEY WERE NEW BELIEVERS. THE
APOSTLE ATTACHES NO BLAME TO THOSE IN THIS
CONDITION.
 SUNDAY SCHOOL I 1 CORINTHIANS 3:1-23
LABOURERS WITH GOD
 A SERIOUS CHARGE OF SPIRITUAL INABILITY IS
MADE IN NEITHER YET NOW ARE YE ABLE (A
VERY STRONG EXPRESSION IN THE GREEK).
 CARNAL HERE IS NOT SARKINOS, BUT SARKIKOS,
WHICH MEANS LITERALLY, CHARACTERIZED BY
THE FLESH, BEING THE EQUIVALENT OF AFTER
THE FLESH.
 WEAKNESS PROLONGED BECOMES
WILFULNESS.
 SUNDAY SCHOOL I 1 CORINTHIANS 3:1-23
LABOURERS WITH GOD
 REFUSAL TO RESPOND TO THE MILK OF THE WORD
PREVENTS RECEPTION OF THE MEAT OF THE WORD.
IMPORTANT
• PAUL DESCRIBES FOUR TYPES OF MEN

1ST – THE NATURAL MAN, MAN WITHOUT THE SPIRIT;

2ND – THE CARNAL-WEAK MAN, THE BABE IN CHRIST,
WHO NEEDS GROWTH THROUGH RECEPTION OF THE
MILK OF THE WORD OF GOD;
 SUNDAY SCHOOL I 1 CORINTHIANS 3:1-23
LABOURERS WITH GOD
• PAUL DESCRIBES FOUR TYPES OF MEN

3RD – CARNAL-WILLFUL MAN, THE OLDER YET

IMMATURE, CHRISTIAN, WHO NEEDS RESTORATION TO
FELLOWSHIP, OR THE HEALTHY CONDITION
CONDUCIVE TO THE TAKING OF NOURISHMENT, BY
CONFESSION OF HIS WILLFULNESS/SIN
4TH – SPIRITUAL/MATURED MAN, WHO HAS RESPONDED
TO THE MILK AND GROWN INTO SPIRITUAL
ADULTHOOD, SO THAT HE IS STRONG AND ABLE TO
TAKE THE MEAT OF THE WORD.
 SUNDAY SCHOOL I 1 CORINTHIANS 3:1-23

LABOURERS WITH GOD

- THIS IS THE MAN GOD WOULD
HAVE EVERY CHRISTIAN TO BE.
THAT PAUL EQUATES THE MATURE
MAN WITH THE SPIRITUAL MAN IS
EVIDENT FROM A COMPARISON (HE
CONTRAST BABES WITH SPIRITUAL).
 SUNDAY SCHOOL I 1 CORINTHIANS 3:1-23
LABOURERS WITH GOD
 MISCONCEPTION OF THE MINISTRY
ONE THE REASONS FOR DIVISIONS,
MISUNDERSTANDING OF THE CHRISTIAN
MINISTRY, IS ALSO DISCUSSED HERE. MINISTERS
ARE SIMPLY SERVANTS; ACTUALLY, IT IS GOD
WHO WORKS (V. 5-9). THEY ARE RESPONSIBLE
FOR THE PROPER MATERIALS AS THEY BUILD IN
THE TEMPLE OF GOD, THE CHURCH.
 SUNDAY SCHOOL I 1 CORINTHIANS 3:1-23

LABOURERS WITH GOD

 MISCONCEPTION OF THE
MINISTRY
ONE MUST NOT GLORY IN ANY ONE
OF SUCH MEN, FOR THEY ALL
BELONG TO EACH BELIEVER AND
WILL BE JUDGED BY GOD ALONE.
 SUNDAY SCHOOL I 1 CORINTHIANS 3:1-23
LABOURERS WITH GOD
 PAUL AND APOLLOS WERE NOTHING MORE
THAN MINISTERS, SERVANTS OF GOD. PAUL
PLANTED AND APOLLOS WATERED, BUT ONLY
GOD MAKE THE SEED GROW. IN THE WORK PAUL
AND APOLLOS WERE ONE, THAT IS, IN HARMONY.
 HOWEVER, IN THE MATTER OF
REWARD, DISTINCTIONS WILL BE
MADE.
 SUNDAY SCHOOL I 1 CORINTHIANS 3:1-23

LABOURERS WITH GOD

- LABOURERS TOGETHER WITH
GOD MAY MEAN THAT THEY
WERE FELLOW WORKERS WITH
ONE ANOTHER WHO BELONG TO
GOD.
 SUNDAY SCHOOL I 1 CORINTHIANS 3:1-23

LABOURERS WITH GOD

 THE GRACE OF GOD IS THE DIVINE
ENABLEMENT GIVEN PAUL FOR THE
PLANTING OF THE CHURCHES. GOD
MIGHT HAVE USED ANGELS, OR EVEN
SINNERS, BUT TO USE THE “CHIEF” OF
SINNERS WAS A NEVER ENDING
MARVEL TO THE BELOVED APOSTLE.
 SUNDAY SCHOOL I 1 CORINTHIANS 3:1-23
LABOURERS WITH GOD
- I HAVE LAID (AORIST TENSE, EMPHASIZING THE
EVENT) POINT TO THE INITIAL PREACHING, ANOTHER
BUILDETH (PRESENT TENSE, INDICATING THE
CONTINUAL BUILDING) INCLUDES APOLLOS WORK.
FOR JESUS CHRIST
ONE MUST BE CAREFUL,
IS THE ONE AND ONLY FOUNDATION
(JOHN 8:12; 10:9; 14:6; ACTS 4:12).
 SUNDAY SCHOOL I 1 CORINTHIANS 3:1-23
LABOURERS WITH GOD
- THREE (3) TYPES OF BUILDERS
THE WISE MAN, THE UNWISE, AND THE FOOLISH,
WHO INJURES THE BUILDING. THREE (3)
DIFFERENT RESULTS FOLLOW.
- EVEN AMONG GOD’S LABORERS TWO TYPES OF
LABOR MAY BE EXPENDED, THE ONE SOLID AND
ENDURING, THE OTHER PERISHABLE AND PASSING
(THE FOOLISH LABORER DOES NOT BELONG TO
GOD).
 SUNDAY SCHOOL I 1 CORINTHIANS 3:1-23
LABOURERS WITH GOD
- THE PHRASE, EVERY MAN’S WORK (V.13) LOOKS
AT INDIVIDUAL RESPONSIBILITY. THE DAY IS THE
DAY OF THE JUDGMENT SEAT OF CHRIST (V.4-5; 2
COR. 5:10), BEFORE WHICH ONLY BELIEVERS
APPEAR. OF WHAT SORT IT IS INDICATES THAT
THE BASIS OF JUDGMENT IS QUALITY OF WORK,
NOT QUANTITY, A COMFORTING THING FOR
THOSE OF LITTLE GIFT (1 COR. 4:2).
 SUNDAY SCHOOL I 1 CORINTHIANS 3:1-23
LABOURERS WITH GOD
- PAUL DOES NOT EXPLAIN THE NATURE OF
THE REWARD. SHALL SUFFER LOSS. LOSS OF
REWARD, NOT LOSS OF SALVATION. THERE
ARE NO DIFFERENCES AMONG THE LORD’S
SHEEP; THERE MAY BE DIFFERENCES AMONG
HIS SERVANTS. HE HIMSELF CONTRASTS THE
PERSON WITH HIS WORK AND POINTEDLY
UPHOLDS THE BELIEVER’S SECURITY.
 SUNDAY SCHOOL I 1 CORINTHIANS 3:1-23
THE TEMPLE OF GOD
 THE 3RD CLASS OF BUILDER, WHO INJURES
THE BUILDING, IS THE NON-CHRISTIAN
PROFESSOR, WHO IS NOT A POSSESSOR
(GAL. 2:4; 2 PETER 2:1-22). DEFILE AND
DESTROY ARE RENDERINGS OF THE SAME
GREEK WORD, WHICH IS MUCH STRONGER
THAN SUFFER LOSS (1 COR. 3:15).
 SUNDAY SCHOOL I 1 CORINTHIANS 3:1-23
THE TEMPLE OF GOD
- THE TEMPLE IS THE LOCAL CHURCH,
BUT SURELY THE LOCAL CHURCH AS
THE LOCAL MANIFESTATION OF ONE
TRUE TEMPLE OF GOD, THE CHURCH
INVISIBLE, COMPOSED OF ALL TRUE
BELIEVERS IN CHRIST.
 SUNDAY SCHOOL I 1 CORINTHIANS 3:1-23
THE TEMPLE OF GOD
- THESE FOLLOWS A WARNING TO THOSE
WHO THINK THEY ARE WISE (V.18-20),
AND AN EXHORTATION TO GLORY IN THE
POSSESSION OF ALL THINGS, INCLUDING
PAUL, APOLLOS, AND CEPHAS (V.21-23).
 SUNDAY SCHOOL I 1 CORINTHIANS 3:1-23
THE TEMPLE OF GOD
- EACH BELIEVER BELONGS TO CHRIST,
NOT TO SOME HUMAN SERVANT
(REBUKE TO THE FOLLOWERS OF PAUL,
APOLLOS AND CEPHAS).
 SUNDAY SCHOOL I 1 CORINTHIANS 3:1-23
END!

THANK YOU AND GOD BLESS!

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