All Things Are Yours (1 Cor. 3:16-23)

Posted on by

 

Paul has been wrestling with the Corinthians who have become divided over human teachers and wisdom.

  1. A right view of the Church.
    • 3:16-17. Ten times in 1 Corinthians Paul says: ‘Do you not know?’ In other words, he expects us to know this. The Holy Spirit indwells the individual Christian’s body (1 Cor.6:19) and the church, plural (1 Cor.3:17). God’s glory filled the Old Testament tabernacle and temple – Ex.25:8; 1 Kings 8:10-11.
    • the Church triumphant cannot be destroyed – Matt.16:18. But local congregations or even whole denominations can perish.
    • Gen.12:3; Zech.2:8. Hear what Jesus says in Matthew 18:6.
  2. A right view of human wisdom.
    • 3:18-21a (citing Job 5:13 and Psalm 94:11). In 1937 Victor Gollancz visited Russia, and wrote: ‘For the first time I have been completely happy … while here one can forget the evil in the rest of the world.’ !!
  3. A right view of Christ.
    • 3:21b-23. See 1 Tim.6:17; Ps.16:11
    • those in Christ possess what Christ possesses – 2 Cor.5:17; Eph.2:5-6. The miser does not possess riches; they possess him. The unbeliever does not believe that, so he hangs onto the garbage dump when the Celestial City is beckoning. C. S. Lewis in ‘The Weight of Glory’: ‘We are far too easily pleased.’