1 Corinthians With Mark Dever: When Church HurtsSample

Grow up!

Read 1 Corinthians 3

If the apostle Paul were commenting on your Christian maturity, how would he describe you? 

Children, how does Paul describe the Corinthians (verses 1-2)? What proves that they are like this (verses 3-4)?

Paul is writing to them as children because they just don’t seem ready for anything more. And this is their fault. They had had every opportunity to grow in Christ—Paul had lived among them, and Peter (ie: Cephas) seems to have visited them (1:12). Paul is not asking, spiritually speaking, a three-year-old to hold an adult conversation; he is asking a 33-year-old to move on to proper food.

Apply: Are you growing in Christian love, knowledge, obedience, godliness… in other words, Christian maturity? Looking back over the last couple of years, how have you been growing? Looking forward, in what areas do you need to “grow up”? What will you do in order to mature?

The seedWhat does Paul teach us about Christian ministry here? How is this reassuring? How is it humbling?

The building

God is the one who directs the various workmen He employs because the church is His. And a true church is built on the foundation of Jesus Christ (v 11). God owns the church; and God lives in the church (verses 16-17). How will “church work” be judged (verses 12-15)?

ApplyHow should this affect our attitude towards our local church? And towards our work for our church? 

All is yours“So then, no more boasting about human leaders! All things are yours…” How is verse 21 a summary of Paul’s argument through chapters 2 and 3?

A mature Christian realizes there’s no need for division in a church; no need to seek reflected glory by backing a particular pastor or speaker or organization. Why? Because everything God has promised is already theirs, not through following Paul, Apollos, or Cephas, but by belonging to Christ (verses 22-23). While worldly wisdom tells us to put ourselves forward, godly wisdom urges us to enjoy all we have in Jesus, and exalt Him. Praise Him now for giving you real life, no fear of death, and a place in His world to come.

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