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1 THESSALONIANS 2

1 THESSALONIANS 2

Section 2 2:1-12
Conduct of the apostles

Survey of the chapter
The apostle had mentioned the way the gospel had come to the Thessalonians, in verses 5 and 9 of chapter 1. Now he returns to the theme, for the Jews of Thessalonica had been so hostile to him when he was in the place, that he is concerned lest they try to turn the believers away from him, and consequently away from the truth of the gospel. This occupies verses 1-12. He then describes the way in which the Jews were hostile. At the end of the chapter he encourages the Thessalonian believers to persevere in the life of faith.

Structure of the chapter

(a)	Verses 1-12	The conduct of the apostle and his companions
(b)	Verses 13-16	The contrariness of the unbelievers in Thessalonica
(c)	Verses 17-20	The confidence of the apostle in the Thessalonians

(a) Verses 1-12
The conduct of the apostle and his companions

2:1
For yourselves, brethren, know our entrance in unto you, that it was not in vain:

For yourselves, brethren- the word “for” indicates that the apostle is returning to the theme of verses 5 and 9 of chapter 1, that of his behaviour when he was with them. Despite having been with them such a short while, the character of the missionaries had made a lasting impression, and the apostle is at pains to deepen that impression. The Thessalonians were going through much persecution, and under such pressure they might begin to doubt the motives of the preachers that had come to them. Paul writes to reassure them of their genuineness.

Know our entrance in unto you, that it was not in vain- it was testimony to the power of the gospel and the integrity of the preachers, that so many fine converts were made in such a short time. Not only was the preaching productive of results, (“not in vain” means “not empty of results”), but the character of the preachers began to be duplicated in the lives of the believers.

2:2
But even after that we had suffered before, and were shamefully entreated, as ye know, at Philippi, we were bold in our God to speak unto you the gospel of God with much contention.

But even after that we had suffered before- Paul and Silas, (Silvanus) had been imprisoned in Philippi, after having been beaten with rods, Acts 16:23. See also verse 33, “washed their stripes”. The Jewish punishment of beating was limited to “forty stripes save one”, 2 Corinthians 11:24. The law allowed forty, but it also said, “and shall not exceed”, Deuteronomy 25:3, so the Jews limited the beating to thirty-nine stripes in case they miscounted. But the Romans had no such law.

And were shamefully entreated, as ye know, at Philippi- not only were Paul and Silas beaten, but false accusations were levelled against them. More that this, they were beaten contrary to Roman law, which stipulated that Roman citizens should not receive that punishment, Acts 16:35-39. This was a shameful thing.

We were bold in our God to speak unto you the gospel of God with much contention- despite being opposed in Thessalonica, they were undeterred. The boldness that comes from the consciousness that they were doing the Lord’s will gave them courage. The contention came from the unbelievers; it was not that Paul and Silas were aggressive in their preaching. The gospel of God contains within itself the power to make converts, so any carnal efforts of the preacher are not needed.

2:3
For our exhortation was not of deceit, nor of uncleanness, nor in guile:

For our exhortation was not of deceit- notice that the apostle uses seven negative statements in these verses. He denies using deceit, uncleanness, or guile. He did seek to please men, or use flattering words. He was not covetous, nor did he seek glory from men. It is as if he is refuting the charges that the unbelievers in Thessalonica were levelling against him, (which he would have learnt about from Timothy’s visit, 3:2,6), and is ensuring that the believers in Thessalonica are not turned against him by these accusations, to their spiritual detriment.

The apostle describes their preaching of the gospel as exhortation, which simply means they drew alongside people to help them. It is the same word as is used of the Holy Spirit as the Comforter, or Paraclete. The apostle is asserting that when they did this, they had no ulterior motive, leading people to think that they were trying to lead them to the truth, whilst in fact seeking to lead them astray.

The word deceit has the idea of leading astray, it is “planos”, and if sailors plot their course by the planets, then they will be in danger of being lost at sea. Paul and Silas were preaching so that men would be safe and secure.

Nor of uncleanness- as far as we know, no-one accused the apostle of immorality, but there were those who suggested that the doctrines he taught allowed men licence to sin, and in that sense the preaching was sourced in uncleanness of doctrine. He tells us that “we be slanderously reported, and…some affirm that we say, ‘Let us do evil, that good may come'”, Romans 3:8. Such a charge was so outrageous that the apostle is content to refute it by simply and forthrightly saying, “whose damnation is just”.

Nor in guile- notice the change of preposition, “of deceit, of uncleanness, in guile”. The “of” tells us the source of things, whereas the “in” tells us the context of things. The whole ethos of the apostle and his companions was the opposite of guile. The word is used in the world of fishing, for it means “to bait the hook”. In this setting, the apostle is refuting suggestions that he had ulterior motives, and that the “bait” of gospel blessing was a disguise for something sinister. When the Lord commanded Peter to catch a fish, He said “Cast a hook”, for the Lord could bring a fish onto a hook without bait, and so He can in the spiritual realm, Matthew 17:23.

2:4
But as we were allowed of God to be put in trust with the gospel, even so we speak; not as pleasing men, but God, which trieth our hearts.

But as we were allowed of God to be put in trust with the gospel, even so we speak- the apostle was very aware that the gospel is of God, and he was entrusted with the task of making it known in a sincere way, and with pure motives. Being of God, the gospel does not need man’s innovations or assistance; it is simply to be passed on. The speaking forth of the gospel was governed by the fact that the message was the property of God, and must be handled reverently and faithfully.

Not as pleasing men, but God, which trieth our hearts- the preaching of the gospel is a priestly work, for Paul wrote of serving with his spirit in the gospel of God’s Son, Romans 1:9. The word serve he used there means to religiously serve or worship. It perhaps has its counterpart in the way the priests used the vessels of the altar as they went about their priestly duties, Numbers 4:14.

Since the preaching of the gospel is priestly work, then first and foremost it is for the glory of God. It is in His interests that the truth about His Son is made known, aside from any benefits that may accrue to men if they believe it. That being the case, all is done under the eye of God, and the apostle recognised that in view of this, it was important that his heart-motives should be priestly in character, meaning they would harmonise with the holy character of God. He would have heartily joined with the psalmist when he said, “Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my thoughts: and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting”, Psalm 139:23,24. He had begun the psalm saying “O Lord, thou hast searched me, and known me”, and at the end he asks that his heart be constantly exposed to the searching gaze of God, to whom everything is open.

2:5
For neither at any time used we flattering words, as ye know, nor a cloke of covetousness; God is witness:

For neither at any time used we flattering words, as ye know- there is nothing flattering about the gospel, for it tells of God’s condemnation of man’s sin. Sinners will not be brought to repentance if they are not told that they are condemned sinners. The apostle appeals to their memory of what he said when he was with them, for he can say “ye know”. They should set this knowledge against the false accusations of the Jews in Thessalonica.

Nor a cloke of covetousness; God is witness- the preachers did not have any thought of gaining a financial advantage by preaching the gospel. The Thessalonian believers knew what sort of words they used, that they were not flattery, but only God could witness to the preacher’s motives, whether there was any covetousness in their hearts or not. The apostle is happy to call upon the God who sees and knows all, to witness to their freedom from greed.

Alternatively, “cloak of covetousness” might be a reference to the presentation of the gospel in such a way as to suggest that, if believed, it would result in financial gain on the part of those who believed it. In some circles a “Prosperity Gospel” is being promoted, claiming to enhance the bank balances of those who are taken in by it.

2:6
Nor of men sought we glory, neither of you, nor yet of others, when we might have been burdensome, as the apostles of Christ.

Nor of men sought we glory, neither of you, nor yet of others- as the servants of the one who made Himself of no reputation, they made no attempt to attract attention to themselves. As the apostle wrote to the Galatians, “God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ”, Galatians 6:4.

When we might have been burdensome, as the apostles of Christ- they might have imposed a burden on the believers if they insisted on being given special treatment. Even though they were apostles of Christ, they did not seek this. Indeed, the fact that they were apostles of the one who did not seek reputation made it all the more important for them to not expect to be lauded and heaped with honours.

2:7
But we were gentle among you, even as a nurse cherisheth her children:

But we were gentle among you, even as a nurse cherisheth her children- a true nurse seeks only the welfare of those under her care, and does not make demands of them. She is a giver, not a taker, and so were the apostles. To make demands of the converts would have been harsh, but they were gentle, like true nurses are.

2:8
So being affectionately desirous of you, we were willing to have imparted unto you, not the gospel of God only, but also our own souls, because ye were dear unto us.

So being affectionately desirous of you- they showed all the love and concern a nursemaid would for those under her care.

We were willing to have imparted unto you, not the gospel of God only- their primary duty was to pass on from God the doctrines of the gospel they had learned from Him.

But also our own souls, because ye were dear unto us- they taught the doctrine of the gospel in such a way that the very caring personality of the preachers shone through. We must not devalue the impact the character and attitude displayed by the preacher may have on the hearers. In the first instance, he is the visible representation of the gospel; thereafter, as the truth is unfolded, Christ is seen more and more. The word soul is a translation of the word for life. It was not just that the preachers showed feelings, but that they preached so that the very character of the life they had in Christ might be reproduced in their converts.

2:9
For ye remember, brethren, our labour and travail: for labouring night and day, because we would not be chargeable unto any of you, we preached unto you the gospel of God.

For ye remember, brethren, our labour and travail- the sentence begins with the word for, telling us that he is about to state ways in which the preachers imparted their souls to them. Labour is hard work, and travail is the stress associated with earning one’s own living. These two things Paul and Silas experienced at Thessalonica, and everywhere they went.

For labouring night and day, because we would not be chargeable unto any of you, we preached unto you the gospel of God- we might think, if we only read “our labour and travail, for labouring night and day…we preached unto you the gospel of God”, that the labour and travail was through preaching. But the explanation for the travail is “because we would not be chargeable unto any of you”. In other words, the labour involves tent-making, so that they did not need financial support from the new converts. So if they were preaching during the day, they worked at their trade into the night, and if they were preaching at night, they worked during the day. He is reminding the believers of this because there may have been some in Thessalonica who were accusing the apostles of preaching for money.

It was a saying amongst the Jews that, “If a man does not teach his son a trade, it is as if he taught him to steal”. So Paul’s father had taught him how to make tents, just as Joseph taught Jesus to be a carpenter. Rabbi Hillel was a wood-cutter; Rabbi Shimei a carpenter; other celebrated rabbis were shoemakers, or tailors, or sandalmakers, or smiths, or potters or builders, or gravediggers. The apostle made it very clear to the Corinthians that only the apostles who had companied with the Lord, and he and Barnabas, had the authority from the Lord to “forbear working”, 1 Corinthians 9:6. And even then they did not always exercise that right.

The sad thing is, that if there are those who have to be supported because they have left their secular employment, resources that could be used to help and support deprived Christians have to be diverted to the upkeep of those who are well able to earn their own living.

Notice how the apostle links working with preaching as if they were the same thing. He had written to the believing slaves in the Colossian assembly that “ye serve the Lord Christ”, Colossians 3:24. So they were working for the Lord as they went about their daily duties, for they were performing those duties to the glory of God.

2:10
Ye are witnesses, and God also, how holily and justly and unblameably we behaved ourselves among you that believe:

Ye are witnesses, and God also- with the real possibility that false witnesses were slandering the apostles, Paul relies upon the Thessalonians to bear testimony to his behaviour amongst them. And those things which they were not able to discern, God could, and Paul is confident that he is clear of any charge before God in this matter.

How holily and justly and unblameably we behaved ourselves among you that believe- there are two words for “holy” in the New Testament, and this is the one less often used, and it is a combination of righteousness and kindness. They did what it was right to do and what it was kind to do. It is the word used in Psalm 89 for lovingkindness, and is also used of Christ as God’s “Holy One”, Acts 13:35. He is the prime example of one who combined righteousness with kindness.

They acted in strict justice or righteousness also, so the kindness of their holiness did not hinder the maintenance of right dealings. As a result, no blame could be laid at their door, despite what their opponents might have been saying.

2:11
As ye know how we exhorted and comforted and charged every one of you, as a father doth his children,

As ye know how we exhorted and comforted and charged every one of you- they exhorted to right behaviour, comforted in their difficulties because of the opposition of unbelievers, and charged them to engage in further activity for the Lord.

As a father doth his children- as newly-saved converts, they needed the tender care of a nursing mother, verse 7. But they also needed the more rugged exhortations and warnings of a father-figure, and this they had been given. If little children are going to grow in a balanced way, they need both aspects of Christian care.

2:12
That ye would walk worthy of God, who hath called you unto his kingdom and glory.

That ye would walk worthy of God- they must conduct their lives in view of the present and the future. As to the present, they were to live before men as those who represented the God to whom they had turned. They could only do this as they displayed the virtues of Christ, as seen in the lives of the apostles. Paul could say, “Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ”, 1 Corinthians 11:1.

Who hath called you unto his kingdom and glory- as to their state as believers, they were in the kingdom, being born again, John 3:3,5. As to their status in the kingdom, that depended on the level of faithfulness to Divine principles they exhibited in their lives in the here and now, for they are called to kingdom-glory. We need not expect a glorious place of responsibility in the kingdom if we have not acted responsibly in our lives beforehand. It is the principle set out in the Parable of the Talents, Matthew 25:14-30, although the parable itself applies to the time of Tribulation in the future.

Section 3 Verses 13-20
The contrariness of the unbelievers in Thessalonica

2:13
For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe.

For this cause also thank we God without ceasing- the apostle assumes that the Thessalonian believers also thanked God for the way they were enabled to receive the message the apostles brought to them. He shows he is confident as to the genuineness of their faith, for it was the reason they were being persecuted.

Because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men- note that what the apostles brought was the word of God. It is this that has the life-giving power that will deliver from the errors and lies of Satan. There would be many passing through Thessalonica bringing a word from men, advancing some religion or philosophy of human devising. In contrast to this, the apostles simply unfolded what the word of God states, and the Spirit used it to the conversion of many. This is still God’s way.

The apparent lack of response to the gospel in modern times should not tempt us to adopt other methods of reaching men. Perhaps the lack of response to the word of God is because evangelists are withholding it from men by minimising reference to it and, instead of preaching Christ, are taken up with persuading sinners. It is possible to get people to profess to believe in this way, but real converts are the product of the preaching of the word of God.

But as it is in truth, the word of God- so what the preachers brought was the word of God, for this is life-giving, when it is received and believed.

Which effectually worketh also in you that believe- when the truth of the word of God does its work in the heart and conscience, things are achieved for God. But if there is resistance to that word in some way, then it is the Spirit of God who is being resisted, and the blessing is missed. There is no work of God if there is no word of God.

Notice that the word of God is still working effectively in the hearts of these believers. The word they heard when they got saved is the word they continue to hear, and as they hear, they obey and practice. The Lord Jesus, when describing Himself as the Bread of Life, spoke of men eating decisively and deliberately as they came to Him for life, John 6:51. But He went on to say that those who eat initially will show their genuineness by eating continually, verse 54. This the Thessalonian believers had done and were doing, and as a result the word of God was productive in their lives, and this gave reason for the apostle to be thankful to God.

2:14
For ye, brethren, became followers of the churches of God which in Judaea are in Christ Jesus: for ye also have suffered like things of your own countrymen, even as they have of the Jews:

For ye, brethren, became followers of the churches of God which in Judaea are in Christ Jesus- the command of the Lord Jesus before He ascended was that the apostles should be “witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth”, Acts 1:8. The Acts of the Apostles is a record of how that command was carried out. In chapters 2-7 we find preaching done in Jerusalem. Then when Stephen was martyred, and persecution arose, “they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles”, Acts 8:1. It was important for the apostles to remain in Jerusalem until Samaritans were saved through the labours of Philip, so that Peter and John could go from Jerusalem to Samaria to lay hands on those Samaritans who had believed, In this way a link was established between the two places, which was important, given that “the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans” on a natural level, John 4:9.

The people of Judea had seen much of Jesus of Nazareth during His public ministry, until such times that He had to withdraw because of their hostility, John 11:7,8. Now, as a result of the preaching subsequent to His ascension, there are believers in Judaea who know Him as Christ Jesus, the risen, ascended and glorified man at God’s right hand. And more than that, they not only know Him as such, but as churches they are in Him, united by the Spirit to a man in the glory.

For ye also have suffered like things of your own countrymen, even as they have of the Jews- so the Jews in Judaea were hostile to Christians, as they had been hostile to Christ. The Jews thought Him to be a blasphemer, and hence hated Him. But those who had believed had done so because they were convinced that He was the Messiah.

The enmity against the Judean Christians was on the part of the Jews, whereas the Thessalonian believers were opposed by their own countrymen, meaning Gentiles. They were against the believers because they had left the worship of idols, and in so doing had condemned those who continued with them. The sad part was that, at least when Paul and his companions were in Thessalonica, it was the Jews who stirred up the Gentiles against them, Acts 17:5,13. This shows that the heart of man, whether of a Jew or a Gentile, is opposed to God and His Son, and is therefore opposed to those who believe as well.

2:15
Who both killed the Lord Jesus, and their own prophets, and have persecuted us; and they please not God, and are contrary to all men:

Who both killed the Lord Jesus, and their own prophets- in the parable of the vineyard, the servants were killed, and then the son, Matthew 21:33-46. Even though the prophets were from Israel, they were still rejected and in some cases killed, for the hatred of the truth over-rode the fact that they were brethren in Israel. The Lord Jesus challenged the rulers of His day to fill up the measure of their fathers, who had killed the prophets, Matthew 23:31,32. He said “I will send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them ye shall kill and crucify; and some of them ye will scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city”, verse 34. This is what had happened to Paul, for he was chased from Thessalonica to Berea, and then forced to leave and go to Athens, Acts 17:10,13-15.

And they please not God, and are contrary to all men- the Lord Jesus foretold that “the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service”, John 16:2. The apostle Paul himself was one of these before he was converted, as he could testify before Agrippa, Acts 26:9-11. By persecuting and killing preachers, unbelievers cut themselves off from opportunities for salvation.

2:16
Forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles that they might be saved, to fill up their sins alway: for the wrath is come upon them to the uttermost.

Forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles that they might be saved, to fill up their sins alway- this is the same spirit as animated Jonah, who was angry because God had sent him to a Gentile city, and he was afraid they would repent. It was when Paul told the crowd in the temple that the Lord had said to him, “Depart: for I will send thee far hence unto the Gentiles”, Acts 22:21, that they said, “Away with such a fellow from the earth: for it is not fit that he should live”, verse 22. By reacting like this they were fulfilling the words of the Lord Jesus when He challenged the rulers to “fill up the measure of their fathers”, Matthew 23:32.

For the wrath is come upon them to the uttermost- to crucify their Messiah and then to persecute to the death those who believed in Him is to reach the point where God can only pour out His wrath upon them. This He did to a certain extent in AD70 with the destruction of Jerusalem; this He has done through the centuries as the Jews have been persecuted; and this He will do finally in the Tribulation Period, when those who commit the sin of preferring Antichrist to Christ, will know His full wrath. As the Lord Jesus said when speaking of those times, “there shall be great distress in the land, and wrath upon this people”, Luke 21:23.

Just as Joseph’s brethren had to learn, (after their father Jacob had been put through great tribulation), that “his blood is required”, Genesis 42:22, so the nation of Israel must learn that they are responsible for what they did to Christ. He is coming with a vesture dipped in blood, Revelation 19:13, a reminder to the nation of what they did to Him. Joseph’s garment was dipped in blood by his brothers, and brought to Jacob to convince him that Joseph was dead, Genesis 37:31. When Christ comes again in glory, however, it will convince Israel that He is alive.

It is noticeable that it was when Timothy and Silas came back from Macedonia that Paul was pressed in spirit and testified to the Jews, as if the opposition of the Jews in Macedonia spurred him on. But when the Jews of Corinth “opposed themselves, and blasphemed”, Acts 18:6, Paul’s response was, “Your blood be upon your own heads; I am clean: from henceforth I will go unto the Gentiles”, verse 6. It is as if he is recalling what the Jews said to Pilate, “His blood be on us, and on our children”. Pilate on that occasion had hypocritically washed his hands, as if that could make him clean from the blame of condemning an innocent man, as he had just done, Matthew 27:24,25. But the apostle’s hands were clean, for the charges against him were false.

(c) Verses 17-20
The confidence of the apostle in the Thessalonians

2:17
But we, brethren, being taken from you for a short time in presence, not in heart, endeavoured the more abundantly to see your face with great desire.

But we, brethren, being taken from you for a short time in presence, not in heart- when absent from the Corinthians, the apostle said he was nonetheless with them in spirit. But the Thessalonians were especially dear to him so he speaks of being present with them in heart. He had been in Thessalonica for only a short while, but the spiritual progress the believers had made and their love for him was impressive. An indication of this is that he can write in 5:12 of those who are over them in the Lord, showing they had developed eldership qualities in a short time.

Endeavoured the more abundantly to see your face with great desire- Satan’s hindrances were too effective, as the next verse tells us. He longs to see them even though he knows that he will meet with renewed opposition from the Jews.

2:18
Wherefore we would have come unto you, even I Paul, once and again; but Satan hindered us.

Wherefore we would have come unto you, even I Paul, once and again; but Satan hindered us- we are not told the specific way in which the apostle was hindered from revisiting the Thessalonians. This general and unspecific reference is a warning to all believers that there is a great need to be aware that Satan has many strategies at his disposal, for he likes nothing better than to frustrate the work of God. We may have confidence in the fact that “greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world”, 1 John 4:4. The Holy Spirit, a Divine Person, is much more than a match for Satan. Nonetheless it is not always the will of God to override the devices of the Adversary.

Perhaps the fact that Paul was prevented from going back to Thessalonica was used of God so that the believers learnt to grow in the things of God by His help alone. They had an unction from the Holy One to enable them to do this, which every believer has as well, 1 John 2:20, 26-7. (Note that those words were written to infants in the family of God, just like the Thessalonians were). Certainly, the fact that Paul was prevented from going resulted in the writing of two epistles to the Thessalonians that have spoken to all the Lord’s people down through the years.

2:19
For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming?

For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? We are now given reasons why the apostle so much wanted to go to see the Thessalonians. First, they were his hope. This indicates that the apostle had high expectations of these believers, given the rapid progress they had already made. They were his joy because of this. And he looked forward to the future judgement seat of Christ, when there will be crowns for those who have won converts. There are several crowns in prospect for believers, and those crowns are victor’s crowns, meaning they are merited crowns, in contrast to the other sort of crown in the New Testament, the inherited crown. The merited crown was awarded to the commander of the army for winning the battle; to the suitor, for winning the heart of his lady; to the athlete for winning the race, and to the loyal citizen who won the approval of the townsfolk.

The crowns of this sort in the New Testament are as follows:

The crown for those who run the race of faith lawfully

“Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible”, 1 Corinthians 9:24,25.

The crown for the evangelist who wins converts

“Therefore, my brethren, dearly beloved and longed for, my joy and crown, so stand fast in the Lord, my dearly beloved”, Philippians 4:1.

The crown for the believer who enables converts to progress

“For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming?” 1 Thessalonians 2:19.

The crown for those who live as those who love His appearing

“I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them that love his appearing”, 2 Timothy 4:7,8.

The crown for those who overcome temptation

“Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him”, James 1:12.

The crown for being a faithful elder

“The elders which are among you I exhort…and when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away”, 1 Peter 5:1,4.

The crown for being faithful unto death

Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer…be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life”, Revelation 2:10.

Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming? When the Lord Jesus comes to the earth to reign, He will be accompanied by His church saints, and the holy angels, Colossians 3:4; Matthew 25:31. (This means that He must have come beforehand at the Rapture, or else we could not come with Him when He emerges from heaven). At this time the glory of Christ will be enhanced by the spiritual qualities and characteristics that His people manifest, for He shall come to be “glorified in his saints, and admired in all them that believe”, 2 Thessalonians 1:10.

2:20
For ye are our glory and joy.

For ye are our glory and joy- having thought of what they will mean to him in the future, when the Lord comes, he turns to think of what they meant to him in the present, hence the “are”. The fact that they would be their joy, verse 19, and they were presently their joy, strongly suggests that they will recognise these converts in the resurrection. If that is the case, there seems to be reason to believe that we shall recognise all believers in the resurrection, even those we have never met. After all, Peter, James and John seem to have recognised Moses and Elijah when they were together on the Mount of Transfiguration.

They were also their glory, for the true evangelist sees converts as a token of the genuineness of his ministry. The Lord Jesus could say of the apostles, “I am glorified in them”, John 17:10. For all their failings, the eleven apostles were the token of the way in which the Lord had carried out the will of His Father, and as such they contributed to His glory.

Special note on winning a crown
1 Corinthians 9:24-27

Self-control in service

1 Corinthians 9:24
Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.

Exhortation to determination.

Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? The apostle uses an illustration that the Corinthians would know well, for the Isthmian Games, which were similar to the Olympic Games, were held near Corinth. There were strict rules governing not only the actual races, but the preparation and training for them. This was because the Games were held in honour of the gods, and they did not wish to offend them. We may think of the runners as they begin, run, and finish. Those who come to the starting line do so with the intention of running, so it can be said that they all run. So there is no distinction between the runners at that point. At the finish, however, there is a very big difference, for only one receives the victor’s garland.

So run, that ye may obtain- what makes the difference between the runners, so that only one gets the prize? Simply the effort that is put in while the race is in progress. The apostle is urging the Corinthians to put every effort into the race set before them, and so run that the prize of the Judge’s “Well done!” may be theirs. Of course, the apostle is not suggesting that only one believer during the two thousand years of this age is going to receive a prize. He is simply contrasting running without maximum effort, and running with maximum effort.

1 Corinthians 9:25
And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.

Exhortation to moderation.

Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible- each of the Games had its own particular crown, or wreath, for the victor. But despite the variety, they had one thing in common, and that was that they would be made out of foliage that would soon wither. If athletes took so much time and effort to gain a fading wreath, how much more should believers strive for a crown that shall never fade, and which shall be to the praise, not of the gods, but of the true God of heaven. This is a great incentive to put lethargy and indifference behind us, and resolve to strive as never before for the honour of our God.

1 Corinthians 9:26
I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air:

Exhortation to avoid hesitation.

So fight I, not as one that beateth the air- having spoken of the event that took place on the track, what of that which took place in the ring, where two men were boxing? The lesson here is simply that to miss the target is to waste energy and lose the prize. The boxer must concentrate all his effort on landing a punch on his opponent. To wildly punch the air achieves nothing.

1 Corinthians 9:27
But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.

Lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway- he was wary of any way in which the body would get the better of him. The word castaway has not to do with shipwrecks and desert islands, but continues the metaphor of the Games. It was possible to pass the test as to one’s training and fitness regime, only to fail to meet the approval of the judges as to conduct during the race. This would mean certain disqualification. So the apostle is careful to persevere in keeping his body in subjection, so that he might win the prize at the end. Of course, keeping the body in subjection does not mean self-harm, but does mean that we should not give way to the sinful impulses the body is capable of expressing, for they will prevent fitness for the Christian contest.

Needless to say the apostle is not supposing that he could lose his salvation, because his eternal security does not depend upon him, but upon Christ. What does depend on him is the winning of the prize, and he will lose it, much-used preacher though he was, if he does not contend according to the rules of the Judge, Christ Himself. If an apostle was concerned lest this should happen to him, how much more should it concern the rest of us as believers. How embarrassing to herald the gospel, like the man at the Games calling the contestants to the starting line, and then be like an athlete who is disqualified at the end of the race!

1 CORINTHIANS 9

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SURVEY OF THE CHAPTER
The chapter consists of a defence by the apostle of his apostleship, and therefore of his authority. The word “power” in verses 4,5,6, 12 (twice), is the word authority. It seems there were those in the assembly at Corinth who were suggesting that his claim to be an apostle was suspect. They perhaps pointed to the fact that he had not been with the Lord Jesus during His public ministry on earth, as he had been converted after Christ had ascended to heaven. For this reason they were not prepared to act on what he wrote or spoke to them, nor to support him financially in his work.
There have been those during modern times who have also questioned the right of the apostle Paul to write what he did. Such should remember his words in 1 Corinthians 14:27, “If any man think himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord”. They should also remember that the apostle Peter, (whose apostleship was never disputed), gave Paul the right hand of fellowship, Galatians 2:9, and called him “our beloved brother Paul”, 2 Peter 3:15, even after he had been withstood by Paul on a matter of principle, Galatians 2:11. If Peter had no doubt as to the veracity of Paul’s claim to apostleship, the Corinthians should not either, and nor should we.
In verses 1-14 the apostle sets out the principles governing the support of those who evangelise and teach. Then he shows first, in verses 15-23, that he did not use those means of support in every situation, and second, in verses 24-27, this was because he was self-controlled as he ran his Christian race.

STRUCTURE OF THE CHAPTER

Section (a)	Verses 1-14	Support in service.
Section (b)	Verses 15-23	Selflessness in service.
Section (c)	Verses 24-27	Self-control in service.

THE WORDS OF THE BIBLE, THE CHRISTIAN SCRIPTURES, AS FOUND IN THE FIRST EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS CHAPTER 9, VERSES 1 TO 14:

9:1 Am I not an apostle? am I not free? have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord? are not ye my work in the Lord?

9:2 If I be not an apostle unto others, yet doubtless I am to you: for the seal of mine apostleship are ye in the Lord.

9:3 Mine answer to them that do examine me is this,

9:4 Have we not power to eat and to drink?

9:5 Have we not power to lead about a sister, a wife, as well as other apostles, and as the brethren of the Lord, and Cephas?

9:6 Or I only and Barnabas, have not we power to forbear working?

9:7 Who goeth a warfare any time at his own charges? who planteth a vineyard, and eateth not of the fruit thereof? or who feedeth a flock, and eateth not of the milk of the flock?

9:8 Say I these things as a man? or saith not the law the same also?

9:9 For it is written in the law of Moses, Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn. Doth God take care for oxen?

9:10 Or saith he it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, this is written: that he that ploweth should plow in hope; and that he that thresheth in hope should be partaker of his hope.

9:11 If we have sown unto you spiritual things, is it a great thing if we shall reap your carnal things?

9:12 If others be partakers of this power over you, are not we rather? Nevertheless we have not used this power; but suffer all things, lest we should hinder the gospel of Christ.

9:13 Do ye not know that they which minister about holy things live of the things of the temple? and they which wait at the altar are partakers with the altar?

9:14 Even so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel.

Section (a) Verses 1-14 Support in service.

As he confronts his detractors, Paul asks them four questions. The first has to do with his apostleship; the second with his liberty; the third with his privileges; the fourth with his labours.

9:1 Am I not an apostle? am I not free? have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord? are not ye my work in the Lord?

Am I not an apostle? The word apostle is made up of two Greek words, apo and stello. The first is a preposition meaning “away from”, in the sense, not of being away, but of moving away. The second is the verb to send. An apostle is therefore one who is sent away from a person. Implied in this are the two ideas of being approved by that person, and bearing his authority. He is not sent away in dismissal and disapproval, but with a commission to accomplish the will of the sender. Such was the apostle Paul, and the One who sent Him was Christ Himself. On the road to Damascus the Lord Jesus said to him, “But rise, and stand upon thy feet: for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness of these things that thou hast seen, and those things in the which I will appear unto thee; delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom I now send thee…” Acts 26:16,17. Some while later, when Paul was in the temple, the Lord had appeared in a vision to him and said, “Depart: for I will send thee far hence unto the Gentiles”, Acts 22:21. So there is abundant evidence for the fact that Paul was indeed sent from the Lord. As such, his authority to instruct, warn and rebuke was undoubted, being the authority of the One who had sent him.
Am I not free? This means that he was, as an apostle of Jesus Christ, free from the supposed authority of men, as they sought to criticise and curtail him in his service. As he wrote to the Galatians, “Paul, an apostle, (not of men, neither by man, but by Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who raised Him from the dead)”, Galatians 1:1. Even those who were apostles because they had been sent forth by Christ when He was upon earth were not able to add anything to him, Galatians 2:6, and in fact gave him the right hand of fellowship, Galatians 2:9. He was free from men of ill-intent, like some in the assembly at Corinth, and free from men of good-intent, like the other apostles. This is not to say he was independent, for he was an apostle of Jesus Christ, and was bound by His will.
Have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord? One of the signs of an apostle was that he must have been with the Lord down here, and also seen Him in resurrection. The words of Peter were, “Wherefore of these men which have companied with us all the time the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, beginning from the baptism of John, unto that same day that He was taken up from us, must one be ordained to be a witness with us of His resurrection”. So these were the qualifications to be one of the twelve apostles. Paul was not of the twelve, which is no doubt why he separates being an apostle from having seen the Lord, in this verse. He is not an apostle through having been with Christ down here and then seeing Him in resurrection, but he can testify to having seen Him in the glory of heaven, and this the twelve could not do. They saw the Lord disappearing into heaven, Paul saw Him as having arrived there. And this is his special witness, for he was entrusted with truth as to the vital connection between believers of this age and Christ in heaven. Ananias, the man sent to speak to Paul three days after his conversion, said to him, “The God of our fathers hath chosen thee, that thou shouldest know His will, and see that Just One, and shouldest hear the voice of His mouth”, Acts 22:14.
The nature of his apostleship fitted the task he was given to do. It was important for the twelve to have been with Christ when He was here, because they were initially going to testify to Israel, the people Christ had been amongst, and who had crucified Him. Paul, however, was sent to the Gentiles, and Christ had not been amongst them.
Are not ye my work in the Lord? Paul now puts the question of his authority in the context of his ministry at Corinth. How was it that instead of being pagan idolaters, as many of them had been, they were now the worshippers of the true God? It was because he had ministered among them that this was so, in the mercy of God. As he says in the second epistle, “Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves”, 2 Corinthians 13:5. This puts the onus on them. If they claimed to be true believers, then they would have to admit it was through Paul. And if it was through Paul, then he had authority as an apostle.

9:2 If I be not an apostle unto others, yet doubtless I am to you: for the seal of mine apostleship are ye in the Lord.

If I be not an apostle unto others, yet doubtless I am to you- even if others elsewhere doubted his apostleship, they at least should not do so.
For the seal of mine apostleship are ye in the Lord- not only were they the evidence of the success of his ministry in the gospel, but they were God’s seal of approval on his labours. They should not lightly regard such evidence of God’s working.

9:3 Mine answer to them that do examine me is this,

Mine answer to them that do examine me is this- it seems there were those who were so presumptuous as to bring the apostle up before the judgement bar of their opinion. The words “answer” and “examine” are both law-court words, so the Corinthians were serious in their accusation, and Paul is equally serious in his answer to them. Instead of protesting, and asserting his authority over them, the apostle goes along with the process so as to show he has nothing to hide. He does so by asking some questions of his own.

9:4 Have we not power to eat and to drink?

Have we not power to eat and to drink? In the previous verse it was “me”, being a question of apostleship, as well as other things. Here it is “we”, because he is associating Apollos with himself in these matters, even though Apollos was not an apostle. He did have a special connection with Corinth as an evangelist, however, as we see from 3:5,6. So it is as an evangelist that Paul claims the right to eat and drink at the expense of the believers. Those who engage in pioneer gospel work may expect that those who are converted under their ministry will give them the necessities of life as a mark of appreciation to the Lord for sending them. He will establish this principle from the Old Testament later in the chapter.

9:5 Have we not power to lead about a sister, a wife, as well as other apostles, and as the brethren of the Lord, and Cephas?

Have we not power to lead about a sister, a wife, as well as other apostles- here Paul claims the same right as others to bring his wife with him, as this verse suggests Peter and the other apostles did. They were to safeguard their wives by not leaving them, perhaps alone, in their house. This also protected the apostles from any suggestion of wrong-doing as they stayed in the houses of other believers. The world is ever watching, and all appearance of evil must be carefully avoided. Unbelievers are always ready to put the wrong construction on a situation where a preacher stays in a home when the husband is at work all day and the wife is in the house. A celebrated evangelist of the 20th century refused to stay at a hotel or ride in a car with anyone other than his wife or daughter, and this was very wise.
And as the brethren of the Lord- notice that the brethren of the Lord, (that is, the children of Joseph and Mary), are now prominent enough in Christian circles to be held up as an example. Their former stubbornness to believe has not prevented the believers from respecting them now they have been converted. Their former hostility to Christ is not held against them. Nor, for their part, has their former hostility given way to a grudging acceptance of Christ, but they are wholeheartedly committed to His cause.
And Cephas? This reminds us that Peter had a wife. We know this also from Mark 1:30 for mention is made of his wife’s mother. How strange that a large section of Christendom believes that their priests should be celibate, yet the one they claim as the first Pope was married!
Perhaps Cephas, or Peter, is mentioned last and separately because it is likely that it was the “Cephas-party” at Corinth, 1 Corinthians 1:12, who were the most antagonistic to Paul, probably being the Jewish element in the assembly.

9:6 Or I only and Barnabas, have not we power to forbear working?

Or I only and Barnabas, have not we power to forbear working? This would indicate that when the Holy Spirit said to the assembly at Antioch “Separate Me Barnabas and Saul”, Acts 13:2, it was not simply that they were separated to do a task for the Lord. They were also separated from the need to work secularly, in order that they might serve the Lord full-time. The apostle is very specific here, however, in saying that the permission to forbear working was only given to Barnabas and himself, “I only, and Barnabas”. He excludes the persons, including apostles, he has just cited as examples. Much of the financial resources of believers, at least in the Western world, are expended on payments to preachers who could very well earn a living whilst serving the Lord, and also on the construction and upkeep of elaborate buildings in which to meet. There is a great need to return to primitive Christianity, so that the finance that goes into such things is diverted into projects where there is real need. It is significant that the Lord said to those He had previously sent out to preach in Israel but who were now about to venture forth into the wider world, (and therefore we might think had more need of being supported by others), “‘When I sent you without purse, and scrip, and shoes, lacked ye anything?’ And they said, ‘Nothing’. Then said He unto them, ‘But now, he that hath a purse, let him take it, and likewise his scrip: and he that hath no sword, let him sell his garment and buy one'”, Luke 22:35,36. So there was a complete reversal of former instructions.

9:7 Who goeth a warfare any time at his own charges? who planteth a vineyard, and eateth not of the fruit thereof? or who feedeth a flock, and eateth not of the milk of the flock?

Who goeth a warfare any time at his own charges? We now have a series of questions which highlight the fact that the principle he is contending for is accepted in other departments of life. No conscript soldier is expected to finance himself, for he is risking his life as he fights on behalf of others. If they wish to be defended, they must pay his wages. So those who evangelise, seeking to make inroads into the territory of the enemy of souls, Satan himself, may justifiably expect to be financed in that activity.
Who planteth a vineyard, and eateth not of the fruit thereof? Those who take the trouble to use time, effort, and money to plant a vineyard are clearly within their rights to eat some of the resulting fruit. Those who “cultivate the vine”, meaning those who teach the saints, can expect some return for their labours.
Or who feedeth a flock, and eateth not of the milk of the flock? Those who act as pastors, and not only feed but tend and care for the flock of God, should not be out of pocket for their labours. The apostle elsewhere commands that the elders who rule well should be given double honour, 1 Timothy 5:17,18, where the word for honour includes the idea of financial support if necessary. This is not a go-ahead for the idea of paid pastors, but we should not avoid one principle for the sake of upholding another. The idea of eating the milk comes from the fact that the milk from sheep and goats was made into cheese. This, incidentally, is a much more healthy option than dairy produce from cows.

9:8 Say I these things as a man? or saith not the law the same also?

Say I these things as a man? or saith not the law the same also? Having drawn the conclusions any sensible person would about earthly life, Paul now supports his statements with the statutes of the Law of God. An illustration, moreover, which includes within it the three ideas of evangelist, teacher and pastor, for he will refer to the work of oxen, and these animals plough the ground, bring in the sheaves, and tread out the corn.

9:9 For it is written in the law of Moses, Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn. Doth God take care for oxen?

For it is written in the law of Moses, Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn- so mere animals were provided for in God’s law, for he has a great concern for all aspects of His creation. Not one sparrow falls to the ground without Him noticing, Matthew 10:29, a fact which those who kill birds and animals for “sport” would do well to take note of.
The procedure in the East was to spread the gathered sheaves of corn on the flat surface of the threshing-floor, and then drive an ox over it, either on its own, or dragging a heavy log behind it. The action of hooves and heavy object would gradually separate the husk from the grain, until it could be winnowed to remove the chaff. No farmer was to cover the mouth of his ox as it did this, but was to allow it to bend its head and take some of the corn it had trodden out.
This quotation is also found in 1 Timothy 5:18 in connection with the support of elders that rule well. There it is coupled with an allusion to the Lord’s words in Luke 10:9 about the labourer being worthy of his hire.
Doth God take care for oxen? The answer is, of course “Yes”, but the scripture means more than this, as the apostle now explains.

9:10 Or saith He it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, this is written: that he that plougheth should plough in hope; and that he that thresheth in hope should be partaker of his hope.

Or saith He it altogether for our sakes? The word altogether has the force of “certainly”. So God is taking care of oxen in His statute, but He is certainly also establishing a principle in the spiritual sphere.
For our sakes, no doubt, this is written- the idea of certainty is confirmed by the use of the phrase “no doubt”. The Old Testament requirement regarding the well-being of oxen may be lifted into the higher sphere of the service of God, and applied to those who serve in that higher sphere. This application of the Old Testament must be done with care and restraint, lest the truth of Scripture should be undermined.
That he that plougheth should plough in hope- evangelists are to “plough” the consciences and hearts of sinners, so that repentance is wrought in them, and they believe the gospel. As they do this, they should have the confidence that as a result of them labouring, some will believe, and in gratitude to those who preached Christ unto them, they will give them financial and other support. Their ploughing has resulted in a harvest, and they have a right to benefit from that harvest. In this way, pioneer evangelism is self-supporting, and does not divert funds which could more profitably be used elsewhere. It will also mean that those who have run unsent, and therefore are not the Lord’s messengers, since they have no converts, are not supported, and realise their mistake and seek the Lord’s guidance as to what He really wanted them to do.
And that he that thresheth in hope should be partaker of his hope- the ox that threshed the corn by treading it out should share the prospect of eating the corn with the ox that ploughed the field that yielded the corn. The hope of the one is the hope of the other. They both have an interest in the resulting harvest, and both have the right to have some of it. So the evangelist and the teacher are both entitled to be supported by those they minister to; in the case of evangelists, their converts, in the case of teachers, those who learn from them. The one who threshes partakes of the hope of the one who ploughs, for unless the latter does his work, the former has no-one to teach.

9:11 If we have sown unto you spiritual things, is it a great thing if we shall reap your carnal things?

If we have sown unto you spiritual things- the apostle puts the onus on the Corinthians again, and forces them to think about the answer. He and Barnabas had engaged in spiritual sowing, scattering the word of God in the hearts of the men of Corinth. A harvest of souls had resulted; this was a spiritual thing. They had continued to sow the truth of the Word of God in their hearts after they had been saved; this was another spiritual thing.
Is it a great thing if we shall reap your carnal things? Is it too great a burden for those who have been saved by their ministry, and nurtured by their teaching, to help and support them by the supply of the things of everyday life? The word carnal has no suggestion of sinfulness in this context, of course. It means the ordinary necessities of life.

9:12 If others be partakers of this power over you, are not we rather? Nevertheless we have not used this power; but suffer all things, lest we should hinder the gospel of Christ.

If others be partakers of this power over you, are not we rather? If other teachers came to them and they supported them, how much more claim had Paul and Barnabas over them, who had founded and fostered the assembly.
Nevertheless we have not used this power- despite having marshalled many arguments as to why the Corinthians should support them, the apostle now declares that he and Barnabas declined to accept help from them. He will say why they did this in the second epistle in the words, “But what I do, that I will do, that I may cut off occasion from them which desire occasion”, 2 Corinthians 11:12. In other words, he did not want those who opposed him to have occasion or reason to find fault with him on the ground that he preached for financial advantage.
But suffer all things, lest we should hinder the gospel of Christ- instead of claiming his right to support, the apostle put up cheerfully with his self-imposed lack of support from the Corinthians. He did not wish to put a road-block in the way of the progress of the gospel of Christ in their hearts. It is a mistake to think that the gospel is only for the unsaved. The epistle that is pre-eminently the one that defines the gospel is the Epistle to the Romans, written to believers. The epistle that defends the gospel in the Epistle to the Galatians, written to believers. There is constant need for believers to be exposed to the principles of the gospel, for it fits believers for everyday living on earth, as well as fitting sinners for heaven.

9:13 Do ye not know that they which minister about holy things live of the things of the temple? and they which wait at the altar are partakers with the altar?

Do ye not know that they which minister about holy things live of the things of the temple? They must surely have known this fact from the life of Israel recorded in the Old Testament. The Levites had provision made for them by God, so that they could give themselves wholly over to the service of God in the tabernacle and later the temple. This is why they were not allowed to have land, for they did not need it, being supported by the tithes of the rest of Israel.
And they which wait at the altar are partakers with the altar? The priests had a higher privilege still, for they were allowed to take some parts of the offerings that had been laid on the altar for God. These sacrifices were called the bread of God, Leviticus 21:6, but they also were the food of the priests.

9:14 Even so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel.

Even so hath the Lord ordained- the will of God in relation to the support of those who preach the gospel is of equal authority to the will of God in a past age regarding the support of the priests and Levites. It is important that the gospel is not hindered by lack of resources. Much more could be done in the way of evangelism if the Lord’s people spent less on themselves. The average wage of those in the Western world puts them in the top 10% of the world’s earners.
Note the elevated view the apostle has of evangelism, for he puts it in the same category as the ministry about the altar. This reminds us that those who preach the gospel are engaged in priestly activity; not, of course, as Levitical priests, but as Christian ones. The apostle described himself as serving God in the gospel of His Son, Romans 1:9, where the word for serve means to serve worshipfully. Preaching should be done with dignity and gravity, having the glory of God in view all the time.
That they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel- just as the priests in the tabernacle system were supported by the tithes and offerings of the people they ministered for, so evangelists should be supported by their converts, and also by those from whom they went out.

THE WORDS OF THE BIBLE, THE CHRISTIAN SCRIPTURES, AS FOUND IN THE FIRST EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS CHAPTER 9, VERSES 15-23:

9:15 But I have used none of these things: neither have I written these things, that it should be so done unto me: for it were better for me to die, than that any man should make my glorying void.

9:16 For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of: for necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel!

9:17 For if I do this thing willingly, I have a reward: but if against my will, a dispensation of the gospel is committed unto me.

9:18 What is my reward then? Verily that, when I preach the gospel, I may make the gospel of Christ without charge, that I abuse not my power in the gospel.

9:19 For though I be free from all men, yet have I made myself servant unto all, that I might gain the more.

9:20 And unto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to them that are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law;

9:21 To them that are without law, as without law, (being not without law to God, but under the law to Christ,) that I might gain them that are without law.

9:22 To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some.

9:23 And this I do for the gospel’s sake, that I might be partaker thereof with you.

Section (b) Verses 15-23 Selflessness in service.

But I have used none of these things- the apostle was completely disinterested in monetary gain. As he could say to the Ephesian elders, “I have coveted no man’s silver, or gold, or apparel”, Acts 20:33, (unlike Achan in Joshua 7:21). He could also say, “These hands have ministered to my necessities, and those that are with me”, verse 34. Far from taking from men, the apostle was energetic in giving to them, both in terms of spiritual good, and material. Christianity has gained the reputation, through the centuries, that it is concerned with getting gain. The only way that situation can be reversed is for true believers to redouble their efforts, and show to the world that Christianity is about giving, not receiving. There are many ways in which this could be done in the sad days in which we live, where so many of the Lord’s people are destitute through no fault of their own.
Neither have I written these things, that it should be so done unto me- he is not writing so that the situation may change. Rather, he is asserting that he has no interest in altering his position, for he is determined to continue supporting himself when necessary, and will not stand on his rights in this matter. He is certainly not soliciting funds from the Corinthians.
For it were better for me to die- the apostle would rather die, and therefore cease serving the Lord, than be accused of making a gain from Christian service. He saw clearly that if he did try to make a gain from it, then this would cancel out any good that might result from his labours. Notice that the apostle makes the time of his death the time when he ceases to serve the Lord. He does not envisage a period of retirement. His opportunities for service may be different in old age, but he intends to carry on to the end. Is this our attitude? Or are we planning to give up the Lord’s work in later years?
Than that any man should make my glorying void- note that in a limited sense the believer is allowed to glory, (meaning to boast), but only in those things that are detrimental to self. As far as our position as believers is concerned, we have nothing to boast of at all, as Romans 3:27 and Ephesians 2:9 clearly state.

9:16 For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of: for necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel!

For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of- the fact that he was entrusted with the glorious gospel did not mean he was himself glorious. The preacher must be lost sight of in the preaching, so that men see “no man, save Jesus only”, Matthew 17:8. Like John the Baptist, “He must increase and I must decrease” should be the watchword of those who preach, John 3:30.
For necessity is laid upon me- the apostle realised he was under an obligation to preach the gospel. As he wrote to the Romans, “I am debtor both to the Greeks, and to the Barbarians; both to the wise, and to the unwise. So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you who are at Rome also”, Romans 1:14,15. The work of Christ for him had put him under obligation, and he paid the debt of gratitude by preaching the gospel so as to promote Christ. All believers have this obligation. The Lord Jesus told His disciples, “So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, ‘We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do'”, Luke 17:10.
Not everyone is called to preach, but all are sent into the world to represent Christ in the place that rejected Him, as we learn from John 20:21, “As My Father hath sent Me, even so send I you”. This was not limited to apostles, for John tells us it was disciples that were gathered together in the upper room, verse 19.
Yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel! Paul realised that the question of whether he had discharged his obligations to Christ would come up at the Judgement Seat of Christ. If he had failed in this area, it would go ill with him, and instead of the Lord’s blessing on his labours, there would be a woe, and censure. He lived his life in the light of that Judgement Seat, and so should we.

9:17 For if I do this thing willingly, I have a reward: but if against my will, a dispensation of the gospel is committed unto me.

For if I do this thing willingly, I have a reward- he tells us what he considers adequate reward in the next verse.
But if against my will, a dispensation of the gospel is committed unto me- even if he was unwilling, he still had to take account of the fact that he had been entrusted with the affairs of another, and “it is required in stewards that a man be found faithful”, 1 Corinthians 4:2. The word dispensation has to do with the administration of the affairs of a household. Paul was given the task of overseeing the affairs of God’s household, and even if he had not been a willing steward, he could not escape his responsibilities.

9:18 What is my reward then? Verily that, when I preach the gospel, I may make the gospel of Christ without charge, that I abuse not my power in the gospel.

What is my reward then? Verily that, when I preach the gospel, I may make the gospel of Christ without charge- we might have expected him to say that his reward was at the Judgement Seat of Christ. It reveals much of the heart-attitude of the apostle to Christian things that the only reward he was looking for was to have the satisfaction of preaching only for the sake of Christ.
That I abuse not my power in the gospel- he has told us in verse 3 that he has power to eat and drink at the expense of the saints. He thought it an abuse of power to claim that right, if those to whom he ministered were hostile to him. The apostle would not demand his rights, for that is contrary to the spirit of Christ and the gospel.

9:19 For though I be free from all men, yet have I made myself servant unto all, that I might gain the more.

For though I be free from all men- he had so ordered his life and service that he was not under obligation to any person. He was free to speak the truth of God without having to consider whether he was upsetting his sponsors, for he had none.
Yet have I made myself servant unto all- having taking up a position of freedom, he did not use it to pursue his own agenda. He deliberately took the slave’s place, which is to serve the interests of others, with no consideration of personal comfort or ambition. He had learnt the lesson of Philippians 2:7, for Christ Jesus had stooped from the highest glory to become a servant; now that mind was in Paul.
That I might gain the more- he sought only the spiritual welfare of men, that he might gain them for Christ and His glory.

9:20 And unto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to them that are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law;

And unto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews- he now tells us what being a “servant unto all” involved for him. Even though he was born a Jew, when he was baptized he put on Christ. In that position there is neither Jew nor Greek, as Galatians 3:27,28 tells us. He had to become a Jew in attitude, so that he might win them for Christ. This shows that his renouncing of things that were gain for him in favour of Christ’s interests, Philippians 3:7, was not a mere gesture, but affected his whole life.
Paul had to withstand Peter and others because they were reverting back to living like Jews to placate the Judaising party, which said believers needed to keep the law. In that context Peter’s action was wrong, for it undermined the grace of the gospel. What Paul refers to here is the temporary adoption of Jewish modes of thought and practice in order to gain the hearing of the Jews, for he longed for their salvation.
It is also worth noting in this connection that there are many in Israel today who call themselves Messianic Jews, but who also wish to be known as believers in Christ. Whilst not suggesting that these people are not truly saved, they are certainly mistaken in trying to live as Jews and Christians at the same time, for the two positions are incompatible.
To them that are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law- as one crucified with Christ, Paul was no longer under the law as the rule of life. He did not live a lawless life, however, for he was “under law to Christ”, as he will say in the next verse, and the indwelling Spirit enabled him to fulfil the righteousness of the law, Romans 8:4. But he did not do this so as to merit eternal life, but because he had received that life as a gift. He was free of the demands of the law, but on certain occasions, in order not to offend the Jews who still thought themselves to be under law, he had performed various rituals of the law. We see this when he had Timothy circumcised, Acts 16:3; took a vow, Acts 18:18, and engaged in certain of the temple practices, Acts 21:18-26,. He was conscious that these things were no longer binding even on Jews, (they had never been binding on Gentiles), but in order to gain the ear of Jews, and not repulse them, he did this things in the exercise of Christian liberty.

9:21 To them that are without law, as without law, (being not without law to God, but under the law to Christ,) that I might gain them that are without law.

To them that are without law, as without law- the Gentiles had never been formally given the legal code of the Mosaic law, for it was a covenant between God and the nation of Israel, and constituted the terms on which they could be reckoned as His people. This is made clear in Exodus 24:8 and Deuteronomy 4;8. (Having understood that, we must also understand that God has written a sense of right and wrong into the consciences of all men, as Romans 2:12-15 makes clear). As a man who was neither Jew nor Gentile, because he was in Christ, and as one who was under grace not law, Romans 6:14, Paul was free to mix with those who had not the law of God as their rule of life, and who in that sense, were without the law. Note he does not say that he became lawless, because that has wicked connotations; he simply became like those who had not been formally given the law.
(being not without law to God, but under the law to Christ,) As a believer Paul had an enhanced sense of what God’s demands were, but he was not under the law so as to fulfil those demands, for the law supplied no power by which to keep those demands. In Christ there is power, however, for the Spirit enables the righteous requirement of God in the law to be fulfilled, not as a means of gaining eternal life, but as a suitable response to God’s grace. This is called the law of Christ, in Galatians 6:2, and consists of living as Christ did when down here, by the power of the indwelling Spirit of God, the same Spirit that filled the Lord Jesus, for He is called the Spirit of God’s Son, Galatians 4:6.
That I might gain them that are without law- Paul’s great delight was to so preach that men realised that the grace of God in Christ was enough to save them, and he never attempted to put Gentiles under law as a means of salvation.

9:22 To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some.

To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak- those who were weak in the faith were not dismissed by the apostle. He had learnt from Christ, who was patient with men, and even when they were slow to learn, persevered with them until they understood. The blind man who was healed of his blindness in stages is a figure for the disciples who were only gradually perceiving the teaching they were being given, Mark 8:22-26, and see also verse 18 of that chapter, where the Lord asks the disciples, “Having eyes, see ye not?”
I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some- literally the words could be rendered, “all these things to all men”. In other words, the apostle is carefully restricting the ways in which he became all things to men. He would not be anything and everything to men so as to gain them, but he would do and be what he specifies in these verses. Sadly, this statement has been twisted by some to mean that evangelists are free to use any means in order to win the lost. This is not the case, and the apostle makes it clear that we should do all to the glory of God, 1 Corinthians 10:31, which immediately excludes the use of anything that is sinful or doubtful. The evangelist has a very simple commission from God, “Preach the Word”, 2 Timothy 4:2. He may have every confidence that God will bless His word as He pleases.

9:23 And this I do for the gospel’s sake, that I might be partaker thereof with you.

And this I do for the gospel’s sake- there was no personal advantage for Paul in acting this way. In fact He was liable to be criticised for his policy, but he was only concerned for the gospel and its success in the hearts of men.
That I might be partaker thereof with you- he anticipates that the Corinthian believers will have a keen interest in the success of the gospel, and will share the apostle’s joy when souls are saved. The man who found his lost sheep gathered his neighbours together and said “Rejoice with me”, Luke 15:6. He wanted his neighbours to share his joy, and so did the apostle.

THE WORDS OF THE BIBLE, THE CHRISTIAN SCRIPTURES, AS FOUND IN THE FIRST EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS CHAPTER 9, VERSES 24-27:

9:24 Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.

9:25 And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.

9:26 I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air:

9:27 But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.

Section (c) Verses 24-27 Self-control in service.

9:24 Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.

Exhortation to determination.

Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? The apostle uses an illustration that they will know well, for the Isthmian Games, which were similar to the Olympic Games, were held near Corinth. There were strict rules governing not only the actual races, but the preparation and training for them. This was because the Games were held in honour of the gods, and they did not wish to offend them. We may think of the runners as they begin, run, and finish. Those who come to the starting line do so with the intention of running, so it can be said that they all run. So there is no distinction between the runners at that point. At the finish, however, there is a very big difference, for only one receives the victor’s garland.
So run, that ye may obtain- what makes the difference between the runners, so that only one gets the prize? Simply the effort that is put in when the race is in progress. The apostle is urging the Corinthians to put every effort into the race set before them, and so run that the prize of the Judge’s “Well done!” may be theirs. Of course the apostle is not suggesting that only one believer during the two thousand years of this age is going to receive a prize. He is simply contrasting running without maximum effort, and running with maximum effort.

9:25 And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.

Exhortation to moderation.

And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things- not only were there strict rules at the Games to govern the actual activity in the stadium, but also governing the training beforehand. The participants had to satisfy the judges that they had taken their training seriously, and had controlled their diet and their life-style so as to put in a good performance when the time came, to the glory of the gods. The Corinthians are to see to it that they are temperate, controlling themselves, so that nothing interferes with their Christian striving. The word for striving is the Greek word from which we get the English word agony, such is the level of effort that is expected of Christians. To be temperate means to control oneself, not allowing anything of the world or the flesh to interrupt our training programme or our running.
Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible- each of the Games had its own particular crown, or wreath, for the victor. But despite the variety, they had one thing in common- they would be made out of foliage that would soon wither. If athletes took so much time and effort to gain a fading wreath, how much more should believers strive for a crown that shall never fade, and which shall be to the praise, not of the gods, but of the true God of heaven. This is a great incentive to put lethargy and indifference behind us, and resolve to strive as never before for the honour of our God.

9:26 I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air:

Exhortation to avoid hesitation.

I therefore so run, not as uncertainly- in verse 24 it was “ye”. In verse 25 it was “we”. Now in this verse it is “I”, showing that the apostle took his exhortations to others very seriously, and applied them to himself. The very worst thing a runner can do is hesitate. He must be focussed and consistent in his effort. To hesitate is to lose the prize.
So fight I, not as one that beateth the air- having spoken of the event that took place on the track, what of that which took place in the ring, where two men were boxing? The lesson here is simply that to miss the target is to waste energy and lose the prize. The boxer must concentrate all his effort on landing a punch on his opponent. To wildly punch the air achieves nothing.

9:27 But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.

But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection- whilst the metaphors of the contest and the boxing match are not to be taken literally, nevertheless the apostle does refer to his body here, being the seat of the sin principle, and the base from which the flesh operates as it tries to hinder progress and success in the Christian race. The fact that he did not avail himself of things he had a right to, as mentioned in the former part of the chapter, illustrates the way in which he was ruthless with himself. He is not appealing to the Corinthians to do something he was not prepared to do himself.
Lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway- he was wary of any way in which the body would get the better of him. The word castaway has not to do with shipwrecks and desert islands, but continues the metaphor of the Games. It was possible to pass the test as to one’s training and fitness regime, only to fail to meet the approval of the judges as to conduct during the race. This would mean certain disqualification. So the apostle is careful to persevere in keeping his body in subjection, so that he might win the prize at the end. Of course keeping the body in subjection does not mean self-harm, but does mean that we should not give way to the impulses the body is capable of expressing, for they will prevent fitness for the Christian contest.
Needless to say the apostle is not supposing that he could lose his salvation, because his eternal security does not depend upon him, but upon Christ. What does depend on him is the winning of the prize, and he will lose it, much-used preacher though he was, if he does not contend according to the rules of the Judge, Christ Himself. If an apostle was concerned lest this should happen to him, how much more should it concern the rest of believers. How embarrassing to herald the gospel, like the man at the Games calling the contestants to the starting line, and then be like an athlete who is disqualified at the end of the race!

If you have concerns about the security of true believers, and wonder whether a converted person can ever be lost, please click on “DOCTRINES OF SCRIPTURE: The eternal security of true believers”, (in the side menu), for help in this matter.

1 CORINTHIANS 3

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NOTES ON 1 CORINTHIANS CHAPTER 3

Survey of 1 Corinthians chapters 1-3:

Chapter 1	God’s wisdom in history, at Calvary, and in the testimony of the Corinthians.
Chapter 2	God’s wisdom in the ministry of the Paul in principle.
Chapter 3	God’s wisdom in the ministry of Paul in practice.

STRUCTURE OF THE CHAPTER

Verses 1-4	Growth in the truth of God.	The responsibility of believers. The need for maturity.
Verses 5-9	Growth in the tilled field.	The responsibility of evangelists and pastors. The need for productivity.
Verses 10-17	Growth of the temple.	The responsibility of teachers. The need for dignity and beauty.
Verses 18-20	Warning to teachers.
Verses 21-23	Warning to those taught.

THE WORDS OF THE BIBLE, THE CHRISTIAN SCRIPTURES, AS FOUND IN THE FIRST EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS CHAPTER 3, VERSES 1 TO 4

3:1 And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ.

3:2 I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.

3:3 For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?

3:4 For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal?

Verses 1-4 Growth in the truth of God; the responsibility of believers.

The need for maturity.

In verse 1 the carnality of the Corinthians hinders Paul.

In verse 2 the carnality of the Corinthians hinders progress.

In verses 3-4 the carnality of the Corinthians helps make parties.

3:1 And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ.

And I, brethren- this is the same as the beginning of chapter 2, but here from the standpoint of the reaction of the Corinthians to his ministry, whereas in chapter 2 it was the responsibility of Paul in his ministry. In chapter 2 God was enabling Paul; here the Corinthians are disabling him. In chapter 2 the “I” is one who has turned from worldly wisdom; in this chapter, the “I” is the one who has wisdom from God. Could not speak unto you as unto spiritual- the condition of heart of those spoken to can have a profound effect on the ministry that is given, and the one who gives it. The end of chapter 2 has spoken of the natural man, the unbeliever, (even though cultured), in contrast to the spiritual man, the believer in his ideal state. A spiritual person is one who walks, (conducts his life), in harmony with the indwelling Spirit of God. He will love the wisdom of God and seek to live his life in accord with it. But as unto carnal- we are not always, if ever, in an ideal state, and this means carnality, conformity to the flesh that dwells within. The cure for carnality is the doctrine of the epistle to the Romans, especially chapters 6 and 8. Even as unto babes in Christ-their carnality had led to immaturity. Normally, babes in Christ are those who are newly-saved, and who have therefore not advanced very far in the truth of God. This does not mean they are carnal, for they may be spiritual, even though on the Christian pathway but a short while. The Corinthians, however, were babes even though believers for several years in some cases, (the epistle is being written about five years after Paul went to evangelise Corinth). They had not progressed as they should. So not all babes are carnal, but all carnal believers are immature, no matter how long they have been saved, for growth in spiritual things is not guaranteed by the passing of the years. The apostle is content to call these people his brethren, and to describe them as “in Christ”, even though they were carnal. He had not written them off as if they had passed the point of no return. Those who are in Christ are safe for eternity, but they have a responsibility to respond to God in a spiritual way.

3:2 I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.

I have fed you with milk, and not with meat- being immature, they were not able to take in the deeper truths that he would have liked to have imparted to them. Sadly, the Corinthians seemed not to worry about this, but they should have been very concerned, for their immaturity reflected badly upon their Saviour. This is not the same figure of speech as Peter uses in 1 Peter 2. There, he exhorts the believers, however spiritual, to desire the sincere milk of the word as babies desire milk from their mothers. The Jewish rabbis called their pupils “sucklings”. For hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able- they had not made any progress when the apostle was with them after they were saved, nor had they made any when he was away from them. If we ask how he knows they are immature, then the next verse will tell us.

3:3 For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?

For ye are yet carnal- they were carnal before; they were carnal still, for they had made no progress in the things of God. It is said of Samuel that his mother brought him a new coat every year, 1 Samuel 2:19, the reason being, of course, that he had outgrown the old one. The Corinthians were still in baby clothes. For whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions- what started out as envious glances towards other believers developed into strife with them, and that led to divisions within the assembly. They were still meeting together physically, but they were not together spiritually, but were in conflict with one another. This is a sure sign of carnality. Are ye not carnal, and walk as men? Not only were they carnal in their attitude to one another, but they were imitating the attitudes of the men of the world. In particular, those who gathered round their favourite philosopher and made him into a party leader. To walk as men is not a sign of spiritual maturity, but of carnality.

3:4 For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal?

For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal? In order not to make it look as if he was criticising Peter in some way, the apostle uses only himself and Apollos as he condemns the party-spirit of the Corinthians. He is just as much against those who wish to make him a leader, as he is against those who want to elevate Peter; he is in no way acting out of envy, unlike the Corinthians.

THE WORDS OF THE BIBLE, THE CHRISTIAN SCRIPTURES, AS FOUND IN THE FIRST EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS CHAPTER 3, VERSES 5 TO 9

3:5 Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man?

3:6 I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.

3:7 So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase.

3:8 Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour.

3:9 For we are labourers together with God: ye are God’s husbandry, ye are God’s building.

Verses 5-9 Growth in the tilled field; the responsibility of evangelists and pastors.

The need for productivity.

3:5 Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man?

Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos- does the foregoing mean that Paul and Apollos may be discounted, and their ministry not valued? By no means, as the apostle goes on to show. But ministers by whom ye believed- they had been used in the gospel, and the Corinthians had believed through their ministry; but that did not mean they were anything more than ministers, or servants. For practical reasons it is best if preachers are on a platform, so that their voice may carry better, but that does not make them higher spiritually. The One they serve became a servant, and was content to minister, and did not demand to be ministered unto. We should value those who devote their energies to serving the Lord in a public way, (always remembering that this is but a small part of the work of the Lord), but they should not be idolised and made leaders of a party. Even as the Lord gave to every man? A realisation that a man is only a minister by Christ’s grace and enabling, that he has nothing of himself to contribute, will safe-guard us from making too much of those who preach. It was also prevent them from making too much of themselves.

3:6 I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.

I have planted- the apostle deliberately uses the humble illustration of the farmer, so that all the credit may be given to God. As an evangelist as well as an apostle, Paul went to Corinth and saw many souls saved. They were plants that, in fact, his heavenly Father had planted, Matthew 15:13, but he is credited with this, under God. Apollos watered- as we learn from Acts 18:24,28, Apollos was mighty in the Scriptures, and could nurture and encourage those who were newly-saved. Of course Paul was able to do this too, but he is emphasising their combined and united efforts in the gospel. Whether we consider the water as being the Word of God, or the Spirit of God’s influence in the believer’s hearts, the end result was pleasing to God. But God gave the increase- the sense is that all the time Paul and Apollos were planting and watering, God was simultaneously giving the increase. This is vital in the natural world, and it is God who ensures it; it is vital in the spiritual world too. We may safely leave our God to give the increase in terms of productive growth, to His own glory.

3:7 So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase.

So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase- just as in the natural world the farmer is totally dependant on God to provide the means whereby growth can take place, so it is in the spiritual world. The farmer is nothing in this regard; God is everything. In Eden the Lord God planted, and made to grow, Genesis 2:8,9.

3:8 Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour.

Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one- they have one aim in their activity, even though they have separate tasks to do. They do not set themselves up in opposition to one another, for that would defeat their object of producing a harvest. And every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour- even though they are one in aim, they are not one in reward, for it is “his own” reward that will be given. The Lord of the harvest will assess each worker’s effort individually. It was not for the Corinthians to prejudge the result of this assessment by the Lord, and decide that, say, Paul was deserving of honour, for they were not in a position to do this. Paul will return to this subject in the next chapter. The word for “labour” here has to do with the energy that is put in to the work; in verse 13 the emphasis will be on the results produced by the work.

3:9 For we are labourers together with God: ye are God’s husbandry, ye are God’s building.

For we are labourers together with God- Paul and Apollos saw themselves as labourers together; they might be doing different tasks, but they were working in the same field, and for the same Owner, God Himself. It was not that they were equals to God as He, and they, all worked, but that they worked together doing God’s work. They were sympathetic to, and co-operating in, His work. Ye are God’s husbandry- the cultivated field they worked in was the local assembly at Corinth. But even though they were the workers, it was God’s field; He took overall responsibility, and to Him was all the glory when something spiritually worthwhile was produced. Ye are God’s building- at this point the illustration changes from a tilled field to a temple, for that will involve the participation of the Corinthians themselves, as we now see. In God’s field the final responsibility is God’s, whereas what the temple looks like at the finish is up to the Corinthians, and they will be judged accordingly. We should note that the word for temple used here is the one that refers to the inner temple, excluding the outer courts. These latter were for men, whereas the inner shrine was for God. It is a solemn thing to remember that the state of an assembly is dependant on the attitudes and activities of those comprising it.

THE WORDS OF THE BIBLE, THE CHRISTIAN SCRIPTURES, AS FOUND IN THE FIRST EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS CHAPTER 3, VERSES 10 TO 17

3:10 According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon.

3:11 For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

3:12 Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble;

3:13 Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is.

3:14 If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.

3:15 If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.

3:16 Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?

3:17 If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.

Verses 10-17 Growth of the temple; the responsibility of teachers.

The need for dignity and beauty.

According to the grace of God which is given unto me- Paul was not only conscious of the grace or free-favour of God towards him in salvation initially, and salvation constantly; he was also conscious of the need for Divine enabling in the matter of serving God. An example of this is seen in Ephesians3:7,8, where he says, “…I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of His power. Unto me, who am the least of all saints is this grace given…” As soon as we seek to work in our own strength, or for our own ends, we cease to do God’s work. As a wise master-builder- the word is “archi-teknon”, or chief technician. Nowadays, architects only venture forth from their office to ensure the plans are being followed on the building site. In Paul’s case, he was aware of the plans, but was also on the building site labouring. He was a wise architect, for he was guided by the wisdom that God had entrusted to him. Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, (just as Paul was learned in the wisdom of the Greeks and the Jews), but he did not employ the wisdom of Egypt in the making of the tabernacle. Bezaleel and Aholiab were anointed with the Spirit of God to carry out that work, and they did it in accordance with the pattern that Moses had been given in mount Sinai- he did not draw up the plans, nor did he modify God’s plans. I have laid the foundation- the doctrinal foundation of the assembly at Corinth was laid by the apostle as he preached and taught Jesus Christ. Just as Christ Himself builds the church on the bedrock of who He is, and living stones are built up on Him personally, so the local assembly is built up of living stones; but the point here is the adornment of those stones, as we shall see. And another buildeth thereon- the apostle moved on, for he was sent “far hence”, and was an apostle of the Gentiles, not remaining long in any spot. He did not settle down in a place, but established the believers in the faith so that they could continue in testimony in his absence. He did stay long enough to make sure the believers were sure of the faith, but not so long as to make them dependant on him. So the building up of the assembly in the faith was left in the hands of the local believers. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon- Paul is clearly concerned lest the Corinthians should adopt the wisdom of the world in this building process, as they had in other areas of their lives. He proceeds to give guidance to them so that they may build to the glory of God.

3:11 For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid- the Corinthians have not to start from the very beginning; they simply are to finish what the apostle began. There is only one option when it comes to the foundation of a local company of Christians, and that is that it must be built on Christ. No doctrine, however important, should be made the foundation; no person, however godly, should be used as the foundation. God insists, (for it is His church), that it be founded on His Son, and His Son alone. This easily-understood and vital truth would make decisions about where and how Christians should meet together very simple. We have only to ask what is the basis of a company calling itself a church. If the answer includes anything of man’s ideas, then it is to be rejected. Which is Jesus Christ- the Corinthians are left in no doubt on this matter. Some of them were making much of Paul; some much of Apollos; some much of Peter. Some were even making out they were super-spiritual and were the Christ-party, implying the others were not. All this is overthrown by the simple truth that the foundation is Jesus Christ, and all subsequent activity must be suited to Him. Making leaders out of men, even apostles, was badly wrong.

3:12 Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble;

The apostle uses the expression “if any man” or “if any man’s” five times in the next few verses:

Verse 12	If any man build…	The choice of materials to use.
Verse 14	If any man’s work abide…	The continuance of materials used.
Verse 15	If any man’s work be burned…	The consuming of materials used.
Verse 17	If any man defile the temple…	The contamination of other’s materials.
Verse 18	If any man seemeth to be wise…	The consideration of what materials to use.

Now if any man build upon this foundation- so the subsequent building on the foundation at Corinth is entrusted to the believers themselves. More particularly, to the teachers amongst them. If any one of them seeks to do some building, he should be aware that there are two different sorts of building material available. We must remember that this building is a temple, as verse 16 will tell us. This helps us to understand the illustration the apostle is using here, for Solomon built a magnificent temple of massive hewn stone, and then adorned that structure. Now it is true that he used wood to clad the stone walls and floor, but that had a disadvantage, in that fire could destroy the walls, as it fact it did when Nebuchadnezzar came to take the people captive. “He burnt the house of God” is the sad story in 2 Chronicles36:19. Having built the main structure, Solomon then plastered the walls with silver, and then with gold, on the inside, and garnished the house with precious stones on the outside. We read of this in 1 Kings 6:21, (gold); 1 Chronicles 29:4, (silver), and 2 Chronicles3:6, (precious stones). Gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble- the apostle does not state which materials should be used, but leaves the Corinthians to use God-given wisdom to decide. They are helped by two things. First, that the foundation is Jesus Christ, so anything built up on Him must be worthy of Him. Second, that there is going to be a fire, verse 13, that shall try or test the work done. Clearly, the materials used must be able to stand the test of the fire or else they will be burned up. This makes the decision as to what materials to use very simple; whatever is signified by gold silver or precious stones, is suitable; the rest is unsuitable.

We may make certain contrasts between these materials, as follows:

Gold, silver, precious stones	Wood, hay, stubble
Hidden in the earth by God	Visible to man and grown by man.
Difficult to find and bring to light	Easy to find and obtain.
Not natural growth	Natural growth
Valuable	Wood and hay moderately valuable, stubble almost worthless.
Rare	Common.
Compact	Bulky.
Pass the test of fire	Fail the test of fire.

The Corinthians would be familiar with the effects of fire, because a great fire had swept through the city on one occasion. The mansions of the rich were left undamaged, but the wooden, thatched shacks of the poor were burnt to the ground.

Considering each of these materials in turn:

Gold- this would remind us of the Deity of Christ. Believers need to be built up in this truth to the glory of God. In the previous chapter the apostle has referred to Christ as the Lord of Glory, 2:8. As we dwell upon the glories of Christ we shall be spiritually enhanced.

Silver- the redemptive work of Christ. The truth regarding the character of the work of Christ should be constantly set forth in the assembly, so that the principles involved in it mould and fashion the thinking of the believers. Chapter 1 has told us He is made unto us wisdom, 1:20.

Precious stones- these would speak of the moral beauties of Christ as He displayed perfect manhood in this ugly world. The psalmist desired that “the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us”, and we should desire that the features of Christ should mark us. Each precious stone is produced in a different environment. Subjected to the pressures and heat below the earth’s surface, each jewel is testimony to a different experience. Christ was tempted in all points, and as we imitate Him in His resistance to temptation, we shall be formed into His precious likeness.

Wood-this can be beautiful, as Solomon showed when he used cypress and fir to line the walls of the temple. It has one fatal flaw, however, which in the context here renders it unsuitable, and that is its lack of resistance to fire.

Hay-this can be useful in other contexts, for cattle need hay to flourish. Here, however, it is of no use at all. “All flesh is as grass”, 1 Peter 1:24, and that which is of man has no place in the local assembly, for it is withering and fading, whereas the Word of the Lord endures. We gather in the name of the one who is “fairer than the children of men”, Psalm 45:2, so it inappropriate to incorporate the failing schemes of men into that structure.

Stubble-this is virtually valueless. It can look attractive when the sun shines on it, but it is false gold, and is easily destroyed by fire.

Wood, hay, and stubble represent that which the wisdom of the world produces. They are the result of thinking as the world thinks. There are many ways in which the thoughts of the world can be used in the assembly, such as: the sidelining of the Bible in subtle ways; criticism of the Bible by constant reference to “alternative renderings” and “better manuscripts”; the introduction of entertainment of various sorts; the attempt to attract people by using sport; the failure to mention serious matters such as sin and the Lake of Fire, and the need for repentance; the blurring of the distinction between saint and sinner by the unwise use of the personal pronoun “we”; the dilution of the gospel into mere “following Jesus”, or “having Jesus as your friend”; all these things give character to the testimony of the assembly, and, over time, will change the assembly into a man-centred social club. Such a company is built using wood hay and stubble.

The use of gold, silver, precious stones, however, will result in an assembly that is Christ-centred; where the truth of God’s word in its entirety is believed and proclaimed; where true believers function together to God’s glory, and the moral features of Christ are in evidence. It will be a place of dignity and beauty, where the things of God are taken seriously, and where unbelievers will be constrained to say “God is in you of a truth”, 1 Corinthians 14:24,25. Only by building with the wisdom God gives in Christ can this be achieved.

3:13 Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is.

Every man’s work shall be made manifest- whatever men may think of a person’s activity, the supreme test is yet to come, when all activity shall be assessed by the Lord Himself. He presented Himself to the assembly in Thyatira as one who “hath His eyes like unto a flame of fire”, Revelation 2:18. And He shall scrutinise all that believers claim to have done in His name, and test every activity. After the tabernacle had been made, all the parts were assembled together, “And Moses did look upon all the work, and, behold, they had done it as the Lord commanded, even so had they done it: and Moses blessed them”, Exodus39:43. So shall it be at the judgement seat of Christ, for He shall examine everything with His penetrating gaze. It would be a blessed thing to hear His word of approval.

It might be well at this point to notice the different judgements that the Lord Jesus will engage in:

FOUR JUDGEMENT DAYS

1. JUDGEMENT DAY FOR CHRIST AT CALVARY

Several things happened at Calvary in relation to our sins.

One, He became the propitiation for our sins, giving God the answer His righteousness demanded because of them, 1 John 2:2. This is the basis of everything else.

Two, He put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself, thus enabling the universe to be completely rid of sin at the end of time, Hebrews 9:26.

Three, He bore our sins in His own body on the tree, 1 Peter 2:24, and thereby took responsibility for them on our behalf.

Four, He gave His life a ransom for many, Mark 10:45, so that those who believe may be freed from the bondage of sin.

Five, He died as an act of righteousness, Romans 5:18, (margin), to enable the entail of the sin of Adam to be removed from those who believe.

Six, He was made sin, so that those who believe may be made the righteousness of God in Him, 2 Corinthians 5:21.

Seven, He was wounded for our transgression, Isaiah 53:5, so that those transgressions might be forgiven.

Eight, He was crucified, so that our former selves might be cancelled out, Romans 6:6.

2. THE DAY OF JESUS CHRIST: THE BEMA IN HEAVEN: 2 Corinthians 5:10, etc.

We should remember that all judgement has been committed to Christ, and this for two reasons. First, because He is the Son of God, and has been entrusted with the task of acting for His Father in this, as in all other matters, John3:35; 5:22,23. Second, because He is Son of Man, John 5:27, and has been in the world so that men might respond to Him. As Son of Man He is in control of all things on earth, being the Last Adam.

There are two words for judgement-seat in Scripture. There is the word “bema”, which is the equivalent to the seat of an umpire. Then there is the word “thronos”, which is the equivalent to the seat of a law-court judge. The believer will never stand before Christ as judge of sins, because He undertook to deal with our sins for us at Calvary, so that we might not be held accountable for them. So whilst the Bema is Christ’s judgement-seat, it is not a judicial process that will be conducted there, although the works of His people will be assessed for their goodness or badness, and each shall receive for what has been done. From 1 Corinthians 4:5 we learn that the bema will take place immediately after the rapture of the saints. The apostle writes, “judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come”.

The following points may be made about the judgement of the Bema.

1. Since we shall have changed bodies the instant Christ comes, we shall stand before the judgement seat in resurrection bodies, 1 Corinthians 15:51-53. We shall therefore agree with the assessment He will give, since all sin, which clouds our judgement now, will be gone from us.

2. He will “bring to light the hidden things of darkness”, 1 Corinthians 4:5, those things that are not suitable for the light of His presence. He will “make manifest the counsels of the hearts”, so He will judge motive as well as deed.

3. He will assess the quality of what we built into the local assembly, so see whether it comes into the character of gold, silver, precious stones, or wood, hay, stubble.

4. He will assess our lives in relation to one another, to see whether we have been biased, or inconsiderate, Romans 14:10-13.

5. He will do what no law-court judge can do, namely give rewards to those who merit them.

6. The personal session we have with Christ will not be a casual affair, for it is God’s will that all shall bow to His Son as they shall bow to Him, and this believers will do at the bema, Romans 14:11.

7. He will assess how we have used the gift he gave us, and whether we have manifested Him by its use, 1 Corinthians 1:8.

3. JUDGEMENT OF THE LIVING NATIONS ON EARTH: Matthew 25:31-46.

All those who have survived the judgements of the future tribulation period will be judged as to whether they are fit to enter the kingdom of Christ about to be set up on earth. The test will be their attitude to the Jewish remnant, His brethren, during the time of trial that they have experienced. Since “he that doeth righteouness is righteous”, 1 John3:7, (and not the other way round- it is the righteous nature that produces the righteous works, not the righteous works that merit being granted a righteous nature), their dealings with the Jews in that day will be the indicator as to whether they have faith or not. To visit, feed, clothe the Jews of that day will be a dangerous thing to do, and will distinguish those who truly believe from the rest. This judgement is often confused in religious circles with the Great White Throne judgement. This is because in christendom generally there is not a right grasp of future events. As a result, many are led astray into thinking that their entrance into heaven is to be decided by whether they have done good works or not. But this idea is directly contradicted by Ephesians 2:9, which definitely states that salvation is “not of works, lest any man should boast”.

4. GREAT WHITE THRONE JUDGEMENT IN SPACE: Revelation 20:11-15.

After the 1000 years reign of Christ, at the very end of time, all the unsaved dead shall be raised from the dead in what the Lord Jesus called “the resurrection of damnation”, John 5:29. No believer will be judged on this great day, for their judgement took place at Calvary. All that they were was judged in the person of Christ, and they rejoice in the words of the Saviour Himself when He said, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that heareth My word, and believeth on Him that sent Me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life”, John 5:24. Words could not be clearer, that true believers do not come into condemnation. The word used for judgement here means the process by which a sentence is assessed, so not even that process will be undergone by the believer, let alone the passing of a sentence. Such is the full clearance from guilt that the death of Christ has obtained for the believer.

For unbelievers it is otherwise, and every sin shall receive its due recompence in a judgement that shall be for all eternity. God keeps a record of the works of men, and nothing is hidden from Him. He will apportion wrath according to the nature of the sins committed, and that wrath will be eternal. Should you be reading these lines as an unbeliever, then take the wise course, and flee from the wrath to come, seeking refuge in Christ, the only Saviour. Have personal dealings with Him in repentance and faith whilst you have opportunity on earth, lest He have dealings with you as your judge in eternity.

For the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire- the assessment of what a person’s work has been like will take place in the day of the bema, but the revelation of it will be when Christ comes to earth, for “He shall come to be glorified in His saints, and admired in all them that believe”, 2 Thessalonians 1:10. That which they have been and done for Him will have stood the test of the fire at the Bema, and will also stand the test of the flaming fire with which He shall come to earth, 2 Thessalonians 1:8. The works of men shall not stand that test, but the believer will be unscathed. Moreover, that which they have done for Him in their lives will be to His glory in that day, and will be a cause for admiration. The apostle Peter spoke of the same thing in a different context, when he envisaged the result of the trial of our faith being to the praise, honour and glory of the Lord Jesus when He is revealed to earth, 1 Peter 1:7. And the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is- Note it is the quality, (what sort it is), not the quantity that is in view. Gold, silver, precious stones are very compact, whereas wood, hay, and stubble are bulky. But it is the fire that shall try, not a measuring line, so it is what endures the scrutiny of the fire of Christ’s eyes that shall remain.

3:14 If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.

If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon- the great aim for us should be to build with materials that will abide, or survive, the fire. The apostle reminds us again that the building should be done on the foundation. Indeed, only materials built there shall receive a reward. He shall receive a reward- this reward will be in direct connection with the quality of the work done. There will not be a standard reward received by everyone, for it will be reward or hire, meaning payment by results. The apostle does not specify what the reward is to be, but we may be sure that it will glorify Him who gives it, as we may deduce from 1 Peter 1:7.

3:15 If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.

If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss- note it is the work that is burned, not the person, although the person does pass through the fire, as the end of the verse will say. The loss he will suffer, (so it is something that will be felt keenly in that day), will be loss of reward, because there was no gold, silver, precious stones; loss of the reward there might have been if time had not been taken up in building with wood, hay, and stubble; loss of satisfaction in having pleased the Lord. These are solemn things, and the loss sustained cannot be reversed, for the time for building is now. But he himself shall be saved- the person’s salvation is unaffected by this process. After all, only believers will be at the bema anyway, so there is no loss of salvation- that can never happen, in time or eternity. The fire will save this believer from the embarrassment of being eternally associated with materials that are unworthy of Christ. It that sense it will be a great relief, but still the loss of reward will be permanent and regrettable. We should be thankful for prior warning of these things so that we may adjust our activity as necessary. Our God is able to “restore the years the locusts have eaten”, Joel 2:25, and give us opportunity to make up for lost time, if we are exercised in the matter. Yet so as by fire- the “saved” is tempered by the “yet”, for although the salvation is known, nevertheless it is only after the fire has done its purging work, and the offensive material removed. The apostle is pointing out that this is not the ideal scenario, for it would be much better to only have gold, silver and precious stones to carry through the fire.

Needless to say, the notion of an imagined intermediate stage of existence called purgatory, is without foundation in Scripture. Sadly the doctrine has been used to blackmail and coerce men and women down through the years, causing endless heartache, as well as filling the coffers of the Catholic church. The doctrine of purgatory can only be supported by the use of the Apocrypha, (uninspired writings wrongly included in some versions of the Bible), hence the fondness of the Catholic system for those writings.

3:16 Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?

Know ye not that ye are the temple of God- the local assembly is a very specific sort of building, for it is a temple. A temple is a building that befits God, whose being is august and majestic. Formerly, as heathens, the Corinthians worshipped in a temple; now they are a temple, fitted for the presence of God. The word for temple is “inner temple”, the very dwelling-place of God, and not the range of buildings encircling the temple. The idea is of sanctity and dignity. How a building like that is possible is told us in the next phrase. And that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? in 6:19 it is the individual believer’s body which is the temple of the Holy Spirit, whereas here it is the local assembly. This cautions us greatly, for we are given the opportunity of building that which is the dwelling-place of a Divine Person, just as really and truly as Solomon built a temple for God to dwell in. How careful we should be in what we contribute to such a building. All materials used must be in harmony with the character of the Spirit in all His holiness. We dare not associate with a Divine person that which is of the world in any way, for it was the world that crucified a Divine person, even God’s Son; materials from such a source are clearly not suitable.

3:17 If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.

If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy- such is the value of this temple to God that He is jealous for its integrity and purity. The words defile and corrupt have the same root meaning. “If any man destroy the temple of God, him shall God destroy”. To destroy is to deprive of well-being. In this case, it could be to destroy by building with the wrong materials, which in itself is to be avoided, but which will also spoil the efforts of those who have sought to build with the right materials in the past. The destruction of the person mentioned here has nothing to do with loss of salvation. It is the depriving of a reward that might have been had; this means that for all eternity the person concerned is less glorifying to God than he might have been, which is a very serious thing. In faithfulness and fairness to those who have built rightly, this punishment must and will be inflicted. For the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are-again the apostle emphasises the dignity of the local assembly, and the fact that is set apart by His presence from everything else. To be given the task of contributing to such a building is an immense privilege.

THE WORDS OF THE BIBLE, THE CHRISTIAN SCRIPTURES, AS FOUND IN THE FIRST EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS CHAPTER 3, VERSES 18 TO 20

3:18 Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise.

3:19 For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness.

3:20 And again, The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain.

Verses 18-20 Warning to teachers.

3:18 Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise.

Let no man deceive himself- we deceive ourselves when we allow our hearts, (which are naturally deceitful, Jeremiah 17:9), to lead us into wrong practice. If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world- a believer who is wise in this world’s reckoning is only seemingly wise, he is not really wise. His heart has deceived him. Let him become a fool, that he may be wise- such a person should renounce the thinking of the world, and embrace the wisdom of God. This will mean the world thinks him to be a fool, but he will be wise according to God, which is the only thing that matters.

3:19 For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness.

For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God- not only is the wisdom of God foolishness to the world, but the reverse is the case. God has shown up the world in its foolishness by the ways detailed in chapter 1. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness- this is a quotation from Job 5:13. Job is one of the Wisdom Books of the Old Testament, and also one of the oldest. The truth that God would deal with the wise of this world was known in old time, how much more so should it be known now, with Christ having been crucified by the so-called wise of this world. God will surprise the wise of this world in the Judgement Day, when He shows their so-called wisdom to be nothing more than the craftiness that Satan instilled into the mind of Eve in the beginning, and into the minds of the men of the world ever since. They are immersed in this wisdom, and God will find them there at last, much to their astonishment and shame. There is a warning to us here also. We may avoid being surprised by Christ at the bema, when He will expose the way some believers have used the world’s wisdom to build in the assembly. If we take note of the apostle’s warning here, we shall be found to have built using Divine wisdom.

3:20 And again, The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain.

And again, The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain- this is a quotation from Psalm 94:11, again from the Wisdom Books. Not only are the thoughts of the wise foolish as far as God is concerned, but also vain; that is, devoid of results. And it is results that God is looking for in connection with the local assembly. Wood, hay, and stubble are vain materials, being the product of minds empty of the wisdom of God. The fact that the thoughts of the wise of this world are known by God should encourage us to recognise the world’s wisdom for what it is, seeing that Christ Jesus has been made the wisdom of God unto us, 1:30.

THE WORDS OF THE BIBLE, THE CHRISTIAN SCRIPTURES, AS FOUND IN THE FIRST EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS CHAPTER 3, VERSES 21 TO 23

3:21 Therefore let no man glory in men. For all things are your’s;

3:22 Whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are your’s;

3:23 And ye are Christ’s; and Christ is God’s.

Verses 21-23 Warning to those taught.

3:21 Therefore let no man glory in men. For all things are your’s;

Therefore let no man glory in men- the apostle here returns to the theme that has concerned him since the beginning of the epistle, that of the exaltation of men, including himself. It was a sign that the Corinthians had been influenced by the philosophy of nearby Athens, with its segregation into parties surrounding a favourite teacher. For all things are your’s- they have not to choose which particular part of Christian privilege they may have a share in, for all of it is for all the people of God.

3:22 Whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are your’s;

Whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas- far from elevating one apostle above another, they should avail themselves of all that each one has to offer by way of truth from Christ. Or the world- we are free to use the world, but not to abuse it, 1 Corinthians 7:31. We use the world when we build meeting halls, drive to them in our car, read the Bible printed on the presses of unbelievers, take advantage of the freedom that the laws of the land give us. We may use the world in this physical sense, but we dare not embrace its values and twisted thinking. Or life- God does not take His people to heaven the moment they believe, even though they are fit to go there at that point. We are given opportunity to live for Him; let us see to it that we say with the apostle “For to me to live is Christ”, Philippians 1:21. If we really want to live for Him we shall do what the apostle did, put heart and soul into building for God in the assembly. Or death- the apostle lived in the expectation that the Lord Jesus could come in his lifetime, so that when he writes about that event in 1 Thessalonians 4:15 he says “we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord”. He was a realist, however, and appreciated it might not be that way. In which case he would know the experience of death. When he wrote about the Christian’s death, however, he always used gentle figures of speech. He wrote of being poured out as a drink offering, 2 Timothy 4:6; of being planted like a seed, 1 Corinthians 15:42-44; of going to sleep, (a reference to the body and not the soul), 1 Thessalonians 4:13; and the apostle Peter spoke of his death as the taking down of the tent of his body, in order that he might move on to eternity in his final exodus out of this world, 2 Peter 1:14, 15. The Lord Jesus said that “he that liveth and believeth in Me shall never die”, John 11:26, for such is the force of eternal life that all lesser powers, even of death, are overwhelmed by it.

We learn therefore that death is transformed by Christ into a means of blessing, not just because it ushers into eternal bliss, but also because it has a cautionary effect upon us. We need to learn that there is, literally, a deadline, and this should motivate us to live for Christ’s interests while we have the opportunity. It is said of Enoch that “beforehis translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God”, Hebrews 11:5.

Or things present- as we meet together regularly we are constantly presented with opportunities to build something into our fellow-believers. Even when we talk together after the meeting we should strive to encourage one another in the things of God. It is sad when the topic of conversation of believers after the meeting is more akin to the conversation of those in the world. The apostle exhorted the Ephesian believers with the words, “See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise. Redeeming the time, for the days are evil”, Ephesians 4:15,16. We redeem the time when at the beginning of the day we take the hours of the day down to the marketplace, and sell them to the highest bidder. Our God is always the highest bidder; what folly to sell those hours to the world at a low price! Or things to come; all are your’s- we know from Romans 8:28 that “all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose”. The reason we know this is given in the next verse, where we learn that the sovereign purpose of God will ensure His people are brought safe home to glory. Eternal things are ours, therefore, but what of the everyday things of life that are yet to come? Are they ours also? Indeed they are, for they will present opportunities to use for Christ’s glory. It is good to have goals in life, and not wander aimlessly; the ambition of the apostle was expressed in 2 Corinthians 5:9 when he wrote, “we labour…that we may be accepted of Him”. The words “we labour” could be translated “are ambitious”, and the word “accepted” could be translated “well-pleasing”.

3:23 And ye are Christ’s; and Christ is God’s.

And ye are Christ’s- every true believer belongs to Christ by the double right of creation and redemption. He calls us His sheep, John 10:3; His disciples, John 15:8; His friends, John 15:14; His brethren, John 20:17. Perhaps these relationships are summed up in the expression “His own”, John 13:1. Since these things are so, there should be a grateful response in our hearts to His love towards us, and we should strive to glorify Him whilst we have time and opportunity down here upon the earth. And Christ is God’s- this is the ultimate encouragement, to think that the one who died and rose again for us is acknowledged as being God’s own dear Son! Moreover, He is acknowledged as Christ in a fresh way by His ascension back to heaven. Peter’s words on the Day of Pentecost were, “God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ”, Acts 2:36. He was Lord and Christ before, but now those titles have gained new meaning now that He is ascended to heaven. All power in heaven and in earth has been givento Him as a Risen Man, so He is Lord in a fresh sense, and He has become Head of the church as Christ, Ephesians 5:23, with all that guarantees.

Strengthened and encouraged by the precious possessions Paul has enumerated, we should be responsive to Divine grace, and active in the promotion of that which is of God in the locality, namely, the local assembly. May the Lord help us in this, to His glory.

1 CORINTHIANS CHAPTER 1

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INTRODUCTION

The Old Testament was divided into three sections, the law, the psalms and the prophets. The Lord Jesus sanctioned that division in Luke 24:44. He effectively divided the New Testament also into three sections as He spoke to His own in the upper room. He explained that the Holy Spirit would bring all things to their remembrance, John 14:26. This would involve His earthly ministry as recorded in the four gospels. He also spoke of the Spirit leading them into all the truth, 16:13, which would be the epistles. Then that same Holy Spirit would tell them things to come, verse 13 again, which would include not only the Book of Revelation, but also other scriptures, for there are prophetic passages in the epistles.

It is appropriate that the epistles to the Romans and the Corinthians should stand at the beginning of the more doctrinal section of the New Testament, for they are foundational in character. The epistle to the Romans defines the gospel, and establishes the believer in the truth of his righteous standing before God, whereas the epistle to the Corinthians is collective. It is not God’s purpose that His people should live their lives in isolation, except in unusual circumstances, such as pioneering the gospel in remote regions. Christianity is essentially collective in character. The figures of speech that are used to describe the church make this clear. A temple must have many stones; a flock must have many sheep; a vine must have many branches; a body must have many limbs and organs. Sheep, branches and limbs must be together. It is not enough for them to be many, they must also be together.

God has set down clearly how believers should relate to one another, and we do well to take note, so that we may be in line with His will. Those who believed the gospel on the Day of Pentecost and after, “continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers”, Acts 2:42. The word “apostles'” relates to both doctrine and fellowship in that verse, so the believers only believed what the apostles believed and taught, and they only had fellowship in what the apostles were involved in. This made their lives very simple, and it would make ours simple, too, if we followed their example, and continued steadfastly in it. Part of the apostolic doctrine is found in the Epistle to the Corinthians, so let us turn our attention to it, that we may learn its lessons, and follow its instructions, to God’s glory. He is looking for obedience from His people; what Romans 1:5 calls “obedience to the faith”.

SUMMARY OF THE EPISTLE

The First Epistle to the Corinthians may be looked at as the response to communications sent to the apostle from various sources.

In chapters 1-4 he responds to a message from the household of Chloe regarding the disunity of the assembly at Corinth. This the apostle deals with by getting to the heart of the problem, which was the harmful influence the world’s way of thinking was having upon them.

In chapters 5-7 he deals with a matter which, sadly, was commonly reported about them, even their tolerance of moral evil in the company. He shows how they should deal with it in chapter 5, then how they should not deal with it, in chapter 6. They should deal with the matter within the assembly, and not resort to the law-courts of the world. In chapter 7 he gives guidance on the subject of marriage which, if followed, would prevent the immorality they were tolerating. Chapter 7 forms a bridge between two sections, for it follows on from chapters 5 and 6, but also begins the remaining section of the epistle in which the apostle answers questions the Corinthians had asked him. Each answer is prefaced by the words, “Now concerning”, or “as concerning”, or “as touching”.

Chapter 7:1 “Now concerning the things whereof ye wrote unto me: it is good for a man not to touch a woman”.

Chapter 7:25 “Now concerning virgins”.

Chapter 8:1 “Now as touching things offered to idols”.

Chapter 12:1 “Now concerning spiritual gifts”.

Chapter 16:1 “Now concerning the collection for the saints.

Chapter 16:12 “Now as touching our brother Apollos”.

STRUCTURE OF CHAPTER 1

(a) Verses 1-3 Introduction and greeting.

(b) Verses 4-9 Expression of thanks for God’s provision for the assembly.

(d) Verses 11-16 Exposure of disunity.

(e) Verses 17,18 The wisdom of words is damaging.

(f) Verses 19,20 The wisdom of the wise of this world is destroyed.

(g) Verses 21-29 The wisdom of God is demonstrated.

(h) Verses 30,31 The wisdom of God directs all the glory to Himself.

THE WORDS OF THE BIBLE, THE CHRISTIAN SCRIPTURES, AS FOUND IN THE FIRST EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS CHAPTER 1, VERSES 1 TO 3

1:1 Paul called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother,

1:2 Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both their’s and our’s:

1:3 Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

(a) Verses 1-3 Introduction and greeting.

1:1 Paul called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother,

Paul called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ- an apostle is one sent forth from another, with the full authority of that person, and with the resources he makes available. We notice how the apostle emphasises his apostleship here, for there were some at Corinth who were disputing whether he was a fully-fledged apostle. They possibly had in mind that he had not been with the Lord Jesus during His earthly ministry, and therefore was not one of The Twelve. This is the point, however, for Paul’s apostleship was from a risen and ascended Christ, and it was such a Person that Paul was commissioned to represent, preach, and teach. In the Second Epistle to the Corinthians Paul asserts the validity of his apostleship, for the signs of an apostle were evident in his ministry, 2 Corinthians 12;12. He also makes clear to the Galatians that those who had been with the Lord Jesus during His earthly ministry, (those who “seemed to be somewhat”), had nothing to add to him by way of authority or truth, Galatians 2:6.

There are not lacking today those who reject the authority of the writings of the apostle Paul. Such should remember the fact that he was sent out by the Lord Jesus personally, Acts 26:15-18, and his writings are the commandments of the Lord, 1 Corinthians 14:6. The apostle Peter recognised them as scripture, and on the same level of authority as the “other scriptures”, meaning the rest of the Word of God, 2 Peter 3:16.

Through the will of God- having been called to be an apostle through the determinative, and therefore settled, will of God, he was resolved to remain within the confines of that will. His apostleship, far from being of man, (self-appointed, or of a man-made order), or through man, (appointed in a secondary way by the other apostles), was from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, Galatians 1:1. He was “not a whit behind the very chiefest of the apostles”, 2 Corinthians 11:5, for he had done what they had not done, namely, seen the Lord Jesus in resurrection glory in heaven.

If we have a desire to conform to the will of God, we shall be guided by the word of God, for that is the only source of infallible guidance. The apostle shows in Romans 12:1-2 that those who present their bodies a living sacrifice to God in worshipful devotion; who strive not to be conformed to this world; who are constantly transformed as their minds are occupied with the new things Christ has introduced, will find that they will prove what the will of God is. They will not zig-zag through this world trying to find the will of God by trial and error, but will know beforehand what it is. As Abraham’s servant said, “I being in the way, the Lord led me”, Genesis 24:27. Having set out on a course of obedience to Abraham’s instructions, and being dependant upon God, he accomplished his mission successfully. So we, knowing through the doctrine of Scripture what the will of God is for us in principle, shall be enabled to work it out in practice, to His glory.

One of the features, therefore, which marks those who are in assembly fellowship is a desire to hear the word of God. This cannot be done unless there is a willingness to bow to the authority of the apostles, who spoke, and wrote, as those who had been called of the Lord to teach His people. As such, they moved within the confines of the will of God. It is not proper for the will of man to set aside apostolic authority, for that involves challenging God’s sovereign will. We do well to remember the language of the apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 14:37, “If any man think himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord”. See also 1 John 4:6, where “us” means the apostles, and 2 Peter 3:1,2.

The very fact that apostles were amongst the Lord’s people at all was evidence that Christ had ascended up on high, had triumphed over the forces of evil, and, having received gifts from His Father, had bestowed them, like the trophies of a great victory, on His people. See Ephesians 4:8-11. To despise, or simply to ignore, the teaching of the apostles, is to regard lightly the magnitude of the triumph of Christ.

The apostles were responsible for laying the doctrinal foundation of the assembly, Ephesians 2:20. To heed their doctrine is vital, to ignore it is fatal. We can go astray in two directions in this matter of doctrine. We can look to the past, and embrace the traditions of men. The Lord Jesus was surrounded in His day by those who taught for commandments the doctrines of men, and He condemned them with the words- “Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition”, Mark 7:9.

Alternatively, we can look to the present, and embrace the trends amongst men. This too is contrary to the will of God, for He has said through the apostle John, “Let that therefore abide in you which ye have heard from the beginning.” 1 John 2:24. The only safe course is to continue steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine, Acts 2:42.

The fact that we are constantly exhorted to heed, and practise, the teaching of the Scriptures, is clear indication that truth may be known. Rather than look to man’s tradition and trends, we should look into God’s truth. It is not the preserve of the few to understand it, but is presented to all believers for their recognition and obedience, 2 Peter 3:2. Nor is it vague in its meaning, but is written in terms which all believers may grasp, if dependant upon the Spirit of God, John 7:17, 1 John 2:27.

Doctrine is not to be accepted or rejected according to the whim of the individual. Apostolic doctrine comes from God, who is the source of all absolute values, and as such is to be accepted without reserve. The modern notion that nothing is settled, and that truth lies in the opinion of the individual, is foreign to the Scriptures.

And Sosthenes our brother- notice that although the epistle comes from Paul alone, (for in verse 4 he says “I thank my God”), nonetheless he associates Sosthenes with himself in his greeting. Now since there is no explanation as to who Sosthenes is, and he is mentioned as if the Corinthians would know who he is, we may perhaps be justified in thinking that he is the man mentioned by Luke as being at one time the chief ruler of the synagogue at Corinth, Acts 18:17. When Paul went to Corith and preached in the synagogue, Crispus the chief ruler of the synagogue was converted, Acts 18:8. It seems as though Sosthenes had been appointed in his place, (thus showing that Crispus immediately left the synagogue and joined himself to Paul, who was teaching in a house next door to the synagogue), and then himself got saved. Subsequently he was ill treated by the Greeks in the city. We see two things here, at least. First, Crispus immediately distanced himself from the synagogue, realising that the coming of Christ had rendered such Old Testament institutions obsolete. Second, Sosthenes made a stand for Christ and was persecuted for it, for “all who will live godly in this world shall suffer persecution”, 2 Timothy 3:12.

Despite being a former chief ruler, (assuming the above to be correct), Sosthenes is simply described here as being “our brother”, showing that the Corinthians knew him as such. In fact, the phrase is even more definite, for “our” is in italics, and the literal rendering would be “the brother”. That is, “the one you Corinthians know of as a brother, and who has relinquished any title the Jewish synagogue may have conferred upon him”. Now that he is in assembly fellowship, he has come into the new brotherhood, those whom the Lord Jesus Himself is not ashamed to call His brethren, Hebrews 2:11.

This is not to say that an assembly should be without those who guide and direct, (the apostle will write later on about the gift of governments, 12:28), but that must be done by the power of the Spirit. A man is not qualified to lead in the assembly simply because he has, or had, some leadership role among men.

Unto the church of God which is at Corinth- the letter is addressed to a company of believers, described as the church of God which is at Corinth. We know from other scriptures that there was at least one heathen temple in Corinth, and probably more, but this was of Satan. There was at least one synagogue, but this was of the Jews. Only of this company of believers can it be said that it is of God. This means it is important, as everything that is of God must be. It is important to God, for He gave His Son that the church at Corinth might be His. This is true of every genuine church.

The word church is much abused in our day. Some still insist on using the word of a physical building; others use it in a vague way such as in the expression “Church of England”. The use of the word here, however, is very specific.

We must first of all establish what is meant by a church. The only valid way of doing this is to take note of the meaning of the word translated “church”, and also the way it is used in the New Testament.

The Greek word rendered church is made up of two parts, the first meaning “out of”, the second meaning “a calling”. The two together indicate a called out company of people, separated from men in general and called together for specific purposes.

The word is used in four main senses in the New Testament, but not always in connection with Christians. A brief look, however, at the way the word is used in other senses will help us to see why the Holy Spirit took it up to use in relation to believers.

The word is used in the following ways:-

1. By Stephen, Acts 7:38, of the nation of Israel when they were in the wilderness.

2. By the town-clerk of Ephesus, Acts19:39, of a company of unbelievers.

3. By the Lord Jesus and His apostles of all the Christians of this present age, Matthew 16:18, Colossians 1:18.

4. By the Lord Jesus and His apostles of the Christians who meet together in a particular locality, Matthew 18:17, 1 Corinthians 1:2.

The first two uses of the word will help us to understand the last use, which is our present subject. A reading of the passages mentioned above will clearly show that the word church is never used of a material building. It is also clear from 1 Corinthians 5:2,13 that it is possible to be a true believer, and therefore in the church which is Christ’s body, and yet not be in a local church, either because one has been put away from it, or has never joined.

Stephen uses the word church of the nation of Israel because they were a called-out company. They had been redeemed by the blood of the Passover lamb, as described in Exodus 12; “baptised” in the Red Sea, Exodus 14:21,22; 1 Corinthians 10:1,2; and brought to the foot of Mount Sinai to listen to God’s word, Exodus 19:17, 20:1. As such they give to us an illustration of those in this age who have been called out of the world by the gospel; redeemed by the blood of Christ, the Lamb of God; baptised in water to signify, amongst other things, allegiance to Him; and gathered together as a church in a locality to bow to the authority of the word of God. This illustration should not be pressed too far, however, or else we shall arrive at the unscriptural notion that since infants crossed the Red Sea, then infant baptism is in order. The Scriptures are crystal clear that this is not the case.

The town clerk of Ephesus used the word in its secular sense in Acts 19:39, when he spoke of a “lawful assembly”. The townsfolk would understand that he meant by this a gathering of those possessing civic rights in a free Greek city, who were called together for the carrying out of public affairs. Strangers, and those deprived of citizenship, could not be part of this called out company.’

When we put these two uses of the word together, and apply them to a local church, we can say it has the following characteristics:

1. Only believers. It is composed only of those who have responded to the call of God in the gospel, and have been redeemed with the precious blood of Christ, just as a civic assembly did not include strangers.

2. Only those sound in doctrine and morals. It is composed only of those who have not forfeited their rights because of moral or doctrinal evil, just as a civic assembly did not consist of those who had been deprived of the rights of citizenship through misconduct.

3. Only those baptized. It is composed only of those who have been baptized by immersion in water after they were saved, just as all the people of Israel went through the Red Sea to get to the wilderness.

4. Only those subject to God’s Word. It is composed only of those who are prepared to submit to the authority of the Word of God, just as Israel gathered at the foot of Mount Sinai to hear God speaking to them, and then said “all that the Lord hath spoken we will do”, Exodus 19:8. Moses called that day “The day of the assembly”, Deuteronomy 9:10.

5. Only those who have joined. It is composed only of those who have been exercised in heart to join, just as the Israelites had been exercised in heart to sprinkle the blood, cross the sea, and gather at Sinai. When Paul went to Jerusalem, he “assayed to join himself to the disciples”, Acts 9:26. The word for join means to cement, or glue, and therefore indicates an act of commitment, not the start of a casual relationship.

Only the church of God at Corinth was addressed in exactly the way we find here. This would emphasise the basic nature of the epistle, in which first principles are being set out.

It is worth noting that the English word “church” is not derived from the Greek word “eklesia”, but is from the word “kuriakos”, meaning “belonging to the Lord”. Hence it is preferable to use the word assembly when speaking of that which in our Authorised Version is translated church.

We have already briefly considered the ideas behind the word translated here as church. We must now notice, however, the words “of God”. The company of Christians which met in corrupt Corinth belonged to God. How solemn, and yet how encouraging, to remember that the reason an assembly belongs to God is because He has purchased it by “His own blood”, that is, by means of the sacrifice of Christ, Acts 20:28.

The assembly in Corinth could be described in 1 Corinthians 3:9 as His husbandry. They were His cultivated plot, a paradise in the midst of a barren desert. What a privilege it was to be part of such a company, and to have the opportunity to give pleasure to the heart of God, just as a beautiful garden delights the one who tends it and cares for it. We must never lose sight of the fact that the primary purpose of an assembly is to gratify God’s heart. Important as gospel work is, the assembly should not be thought of merely as a gospel mission.

So an assembly exists to give pleasure to its owner. Those who have the immense privilege of forming part of such a company will do their utmost to see that the maximum amount of pleasure is given to God through their efforts. They will also do their utmost to exclude any activity which causes Him displeasure, as indicated in His word.

The fact that an assembly belongs to God also indicates that it is of first importance to Him. Those who long to be in harmony with God’s mind will see to it that the assembly to which they belong is of first importance to them as well, and that the interests of self do not override the vital necessity of being committed wholeheartedly to God’s interests. The pace of life in the world of today makes it necessary as perhaps never before to strive to ensure that spiritual and eternal things have first place in our lives.

To them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints-the word saint is one of those that the Holy Spirit has extracted from its secular use, and lifted to a higher plane. The word saint originally meant “one dedicated to the gods”, one who was devoted to furthering the interests of the idol-system that flourished all around in the pagan world. Now the word means one who is dedicated to the True God, passionate about furthering His interests in the world. It is a word, moreover, that applies to all believers, for the apostle does not divide up the assembly at Corinth into saints and non-saints, but classes every believer in the assembly as a saint. And this is the situation with all believers; they are not called to become saints, as if it is a gradual process, but are saints by Divine calling, and as such should perfect holiness in the fear of God, 2 Corinthians 7:1.

The unbeliever uses the word saint either of someone who has been given that title by the religious establishment, or of someone who stands out from others because of his goodness. The proper use of the word saint is the Scriptural one, which is of those who, having been “sanctified in Christ Jesus”, are called to a life of holiness. To be a saint, to be sanctified, to be holy, to be set apart, are identical terms. When God calls men by the gospel, and they repent and believe, He sets them apart from their former associations and conduct. No longer does He reckon them to be in Adam, but in Christ Jesus, the One who is risen, glorified, and set apart at God’s right hand in heaven. By the call of God, then, they are saints, and His separating call gives character to the rest of their lives.

We must remember that to be a saint, one of God’s separated ones, is a positive thing. After all, holiness is one of God’s attributes. Since He is unchanging, He has always been holy, and therefore was holy before there was anything evil. It follows that holiness is not simply separation from evil, but wholehearted commitment to things that are in harmony with God’s holy character.

Sadly, the Corinthian believers had forgotten this, which is no doubt why the apostle reminds them of sanctification so early in his epistle. He goes on to deal with their lack of holiness in three main areas:

1. Lack of holiness as to the soul, chapters 1-4, where he warns against the world’s wisdom.

2. Lack of holiness as to the body, chapters 5-7, where he warns against the world’s wickedness.

3. Lack of holiness as to the spirit, chapters 8-11, where he warns against the world’s worship.

The apostle shows in 1 Corinthians 1:17-31 that the cross of Christ is the means by which men are brought into right relationship with Himself. They cannot reason their way to a knowledge of Himself by using the wisdom of the world. The princes of this world, those well-versed in its way of thinking, were so ignorant of who Christ really was that they crucified Him! 1 Corinthians 2:8. Only by receiving the wisdom of God revealed in His word, (the theme of chapter 2), can believers be right and holy in their thinking. There is no room in God’s assembly for those who hold and teach doctrine which has its origin in the mind of man, see 1 Corinthians 3:17-20.

The word “corinthian” is found in our dictionaries today, and means an immoral person. The conduct of those around them had influenced the believers at Corinth, hence the apostle had to instruct them in chapters 5-7 as to separation in this area of life too. Just as those who hold wrong doctrine are to be excluded from the assembly, so also, those who are guilty of immoral conduct are to be expelled, for “Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump? 1 Corinthians 5:6. It is imperative that those who apply for assembly fellowship take this into account.

All around in Corinth were idol temples, whose devotees offered their sacrifices to demons. The mighty power of God in the gospel had delivered many Corinthians from this, however, and now they were separated to a life of devotion to God. This devotion would express itself in many ways during the week, but as a matter of priority they would meet together on the first day of the week to partake of the Lord’s Supper together, in accordance with His own command. With the loaf and the cup before them, they would remember the Lord Jesus, who had given Himself that they might be brought into relationship with God. As they contemplated the preciousness of His person, they would be moved to “worship God in the Spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh”, Philippians 3:3.

The apostle can describe these saints as those who call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. This was one of their leading features. Conscious of their need, they find resources to supply that need in one whose concern is for their good. Another reason why the Lordship of Christ is emphasised is because, although they called on the name of the Lord, they were inconsistent in that they were guilty of making men into party leaders, whereas Christ had forewarned them to not call anyone Master, or Leader, “for one is your Master (Leader), even Christ”, Matthew 23:10.

With all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both their’s and our’s- believers can be described as those that call upon the name of the Lord Jesus Christ because that is one of their characteristic and leading features. This feature is true of all believers in every place. All who call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord are called to sainthood with a Divine calling. This being the case, they should not put their trust in men, as some were doing by forming parties around prominent teachers. Part of their duty as saints or separated ones, was to distance themselves from party-spirit.

All believers know from God’s word that an appeal on the ground of the name of Jesus Christ our Lord will receive a response that takes account of who He is, John 16:23,24. This is because the Father delights to respond to the mention of the name of His Son. The very fact that they are saved at all is due to the fact that they called upon His name, for “whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved”, Romans 10:13. Resting their hope of salvation on Him alone, they were certainly not disappointed, for “the same Lord over all is rich unto all them that call upon Him.” Romans 10:12.

This initial calling upon His name for salvation is followed by a reliance on his name as the gathering-centre of his people. In Matthew 18:20 the Lord Jesus had promised that “where two or three are gathered together in My name, there am I in the midst of them”.

Three matters call for attention in this verse:

1. If He is present at every gathering of this character taking place in any part of the world, The Lord Jesus must be omnipresent, and therefore this promise is founded on His Deity. Those who gather in His name do so because they believe that the Lord Jesus is equal with God.

2. The word “are” is not part of the verb “gather together”. This means that the two or three in question “are” in a particular place because of a particular reason. That reason being that they have deliberately gathered together in His name. Just because two or three Christians are in the same place does not mean that the Lord Jesus is present in the way spoken of here.

3. The preposition translated “in”, is the word “eis”, which is not a static word, but rather indicates progress towards a goal. In this context its use means that those who gather together in the name of the Lord Jesus fully intend that He be central to all that they do when together. The honour of His name is their goal as they meet. The names of men, however saintly, or of doctrines, however important, can never be a substitute for the name of the Lord Jesus.

Whilst preparing His disciples for His going away from them back to heaven, the Lord had said “Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in My name, He will give it you” John 16:23. As an assembly gathers together for collective prayer, therefore, they have the assurance that to pray to God in the name of the Lord Jesus is to receive a response. This does not simply mean that they mention His name at the end of their prayers, but that all they ask for should be in harmony with the character of the One who bears that name. It also means that the dignity of His name will regulate them as they come together. They will gladly obey the clear instructions of the Scriptures that it is the male members of the assembly who should lead audibly in prayer, and the female members who should fulfil their very positive and vital role by remaining silent and dressing in a becoming way, 1 Timothy 2.

When Abraham reached the land of Canaan, “The Lord appeared unto Abram…and there builded he an altar unto the Lord, who appeared unto him”, and again, “He builded an altar unto the Lord, and called upon the name of the Lord”, Genesis 12:7,8. Like Abraham before the Lord appeared unto him, many of the Corinthians had formerly worshipped idols, but now they had “turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God” 1 Thessalonians 1:9. Met together with others of like mind, they sought to glorify God as they found Him revealed to them in His Son. “By Him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to His name. But to do good and to communicate forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased”. Hebrews 13:15,16. It is good to be intelligent when addressing God. Abraham called upon God in line with the way He had revealed Himself, in that case as Lord. We have the immense privilege of addressing God as Abba, Father, and we should avail ourselves of that great privilege, and not take a lower ground.

The second half of the quotation given above reminds us that a vital part of the worship of God’s people is the giving of their material possessions to support His interests. Unless the tithes are brought into the storehouse, the windows of heaven will not be opened to pour out a blessing, Malachi 3:10. It is significant and challenging that three things are especially associated with the first day of the week- the resurrection of Christ, John 20:1, the breaking of bread, Acts 20:7, and the collection for the saints, 1 Corinthians 16:1-3.

1:3 Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

It is often pointed out that when the apostle greeted the believers in this way, he was using the two words that Jews and Gentiles would use when they met. A Greek would greet his fellow-Greek with “Charis!”, the Greek word for grace, and a Jew would greet his fellow-Jew with “Shalom!”, the Hebrew for peace. As unbelievers greet one another, however, they are only expressing a kind wish; they have no power to bring the wish to pass. With the apostle, though, the greeting was no mere pious wish, but a prayer for their spiritual blessing. In accordance with the meaning of the word “assembly” both Jews and Greeks had been called out by the gospel from their respective environments, and had come to know the wonder of God’s grace. This grace, however, is ongoing, so the apostle does not have to hope that it be continued, but he does hope that the grace or unmerited favour of God may be enjoyed by them. It is possible to begin to forget that everything worthwhile we have as believers comes to us as a result of the rich grace of God. We should revel in this favour, and this the apostle desires the Corinthians should do.

The same is true of peace. Having been brought into peace with God, (after having been at war with Him as sinners), which peace is constant, the apostle desires that believers be in the good of it. So the unbeliever wants grace and peace for his fellow in the future, whereas the apostle knows his fellow-believers already have it, but wants them to enjoy what they have.

It is to a church or assembly as constituted by God that the apostle sends this greeting, so the emphasis is on collective appreciation. It is a good thing when believers advance together in the things of God, having the same desires and aspirations. See Philippians 2:3:16. Sadly, there was a lack of grace and peace at Corinth, so the apostle seeks that they might be more in evidence. The more they appreciated God’s favour to them, and the peace He had made, the more harmony there would be amongst them, for instead of thinking about themselves, they would think on spiritual things.

The fact that these blessings come equally from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ is a testimony to His equality with the Father. In the ways of God the Lord Jesus is entrusted with administering everything in the house of God, for He is Son over the house, and so it is through Him that these blessings come. That God is our Father is one of the distinctive truths of Christianity, for saints of Old Testament days did not know God in this intimate way. The great privilege of being the children and sons of God is a result of the coming of the Son of God Himself, and the subsequent sending into our hearts of the Spirit of His Son, Galatians 4:6; Romans 8:9.

THE WORDS OF THE BIBLE, THE CHRISTIAN SCRIPTURES, AS FOUND IN THE FIRST EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS CHAPTER 1, VERSES 4 TO 9

1:4 I thank my God always on your behalf, for the grace of God which is given you by Jesus Christ;

1:5 That in every thing ye are enriched by Him, in all utterance, and in all knowledge;

1:6 Even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you:

1:7 So that ye come behind in no gift; waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ:

1:8 Who shall also confirm you unto the end, that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.

1:9 God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of His Son Jesus Christ our Lord.

(b) Verses 4-9 Expression of thanks for God’s provision for the assembly.

1:4 I thank my God always on your behalf, for the grace of God which is given you by Jesus Christ;

We should not think that “on your behalf” means that the Corinthians were not able to thank God for themselves, but had to leave that to the apostle, for every true believer has access to the Father through the Lord Jesus in the power of the Holy Spirit. Rather, the idea is of thanking God concerning them. The apostle, as he considered the way God had blessed the assembly, was constrained to lift up his heart in thanksgiving to God. We might well follow his example of thankfulness. We live in a world that is “unthankful and unholy”, but this should not be the hallmark of the people of God.

The special subject of the thanksgiving of the apostle is the grace that had been given to them by Jesus Christ. Thinking of grace as unmerited favour, we learn that since they had been saved and brought into assembly fellowship, God had bestowed on them rich blessings, and all because of their association with Jesus Christ, for all God’s benefits are channelled through Him.

1:5 That in every thing ye are enriched by Him, in all utterance, and in all knowledge

Notice that Paul does not highlight the gifts that they were highlighting. He does not mention tongues-speaking. This is all the more marked because it was legitimate at that time to teach the word of God and give words of wisdom by use of the gift of tongues. He commends them for their making known of the truth of God, and for their knowledge of it, and sees in that activity evidence that God has enriched them. They might be poor naturally, but they were rich spiritually. The question on the mind of the apostle was as to how they were using those riches.

The particular benefit the apostle has in mind is the bestowal of gifts. As he will say in verse 7, they came behind in no gift. Every true believer has one or more Divinely-given gifts. The apostle makes this clear in 1 Corinthians 12:6,7. “And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal”. By the expression “worketh all in all” the apostle indicates that the sum total of the things God desires to accomplish through the gifts given to His people is achieved when all the gifts are used aright by those who possess them. By the expression “to profit withal” the apostle means the profit of all in the company. So in verse 6 he is concerned about God’s purpose, and in verse 7 he is concerned about the profit of the believers. Clearly the matter of the exercise of gift must be important if the purpose of God and the profit of believers is involved.

Only in the context of assembly gatherings can the expression “to every man” in 1 Cor.12:7 be practised. In the systems and arrangements of men, the majority of gifts are assumed to reside in one man, together with special authority to administer the bread and wine of the Lord’s Supper. This is completely foreign to the word of God. The apostle uses the human body as an illustration as he writes in 1 Corinthians 12:12-27, and shows how ridiculous it would be if all the abilities of the human body were concentrated in one member. “If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling?” With these things in mind, let us briefly notice what the apostle says about gifts in 1 Corinthians 1:4-8.

Not only does God grant His salvation in grace to those who believe, but He continues to act in grace in the giving of spiritual gifts. Grace, by definition, is unmerited favour, so these gifts are not to be confused with any natural talent that may be possessed already. Nor are they given as a result of growth in spirituality, for then they would be merited-gifts and not grace-gifts.

Note the expressions in verse 5, “in everything”, “all utterance”, “all knowledge”, and also in verse 7, “come behind in no gift”. If there are companies where there seems to be a shortage of gifts, then the fault must lie with men and not God. Perhaps there are believers living near the gathering-place of the assembly, who travel to meet elsewhere. Or maybe there is a failure on the part of those in that assembly to stir up the gift of God which is in them, a possibility the apostle even warned Timothy about, 2 Timothy 1:6.

There are three passages where the subject of gifts is dealt with, 1 Corinthians 12, Romans 12, and Ephesians 4. In the latter passage the gifts are the men themselves who have gift. The Lord Jesus has ascended up to the very highest place in heaven, and it is from that position of power and authority that He has given gifts. These gifts are apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers. The purpose of these gifts is that all the members of the body of Christ, (the sum total of believers of this present age), may progress towards conformity to the moral glory of Christ, in unity with one another, Ephesians 4:12-15. The emphasis here is on the progress of the whole body of believers, not the fact that each believer has a gift.

In Romans 12:6-8 the gifts enable certain actions to be performed, as follows: prophecy; ministry; teaching; exhortation; giving; ruling, showing mercy. Those who have presented their bodies a living sacrifice, who have determined not to be conformed to the world, and who are being constantly transformed by the renewing of their mind, are in a position to exercise these gifts for the furtherance of the spiritual welfare of the saints.

In 1 Corinthians 12:8-10 the list of gifts is as follows: The word of wisdom; the word of knowledge; faith; gifts of healing; working of miracles; prophecy; discerning of spirits; diverse kinds of tongues, and the interpretation of tongues. Now all these gifts have been withdrawn, for there is no need for them now. The completed canon of Scripture supplies us with wisdom and knowledge. The sign the gift of tongues, for instance, represents has made its point, and the need is gone.

Those who claim to have this gift today must show several things. First, that what they have is what believers had at the beginning. Second, that the restoration of the gift is to be expected, (for it is a historical fact that it ceased). Third, that there is a need for the gift. Fourth, that the result of the exercise of the gift is the exaltation of Christ as Lord.

It is very obvious that modern charismatics cannot give satisfactory responses to any of these four points. Until they do, believers would be well advised to distance themselves from the whole movement, including the Alpha Course.

If, as is suggested, these gifts have been withdrawn, it might be asked why they are listed here. Three reasons may be given. First, since they were in use when the epistle was written, it was appropriate to mention them as examples of spiritual gifts. Second, one of them at least, the gift of tongues, was being over-emphasised at Corinth, and the apostle needs to correct this in chapter 14. Third,now that these have been withdrawn, and also now that there are those who claim to possess them, we need a standard by which to assess the genuineness or otherwise of modern claims.

We should ask the following questions of those who claim to possess these gifts today. Why is there a manifestation of this gift now, when centuries passed without it being manifest? What Scripture leads us to believe that the gift would be restored? The gift of tongues was given to further the edification of the saints, see 14:1-19. Can modern tongues pass this test? Is anything intelligible uttered? If it is, does it add to the Word of God, or confirm it? If the former, then it comes under the curse of Revelation 22:18. If the latter, it is unnecessary, for the word of God was completed centuries ago, so that Jude could write about the faith that had been once for all delivered to the saints. There was nothing more to add, for the Spirit had led the New Testament writers into all the truth, as the Lord Jesus had promised He would, John 16:13.

Charismatics seek to evade these searching questions by asserting that they speak with the tongues of angels, and therefore we should not expect to understand them. We should notice, however, that in 1 Corinthians 13:1 the apostle refers to the tongues of men and angels, not the tongues of men orangels. In other words, when angels speak to men, they do so in the language of the men addressed. There is not a choice between angel-tongues and men-tongues. Even if angels do speak a different language in heaven, they do so to be understood in heaven. The purpose of tongues spoken on earth is to be understood on earth. It should be noticed, however, that Isaiah seems to have had no difficulty in understanding what the seraphim said in Isaiah 6:3, nor John in the Book of the Revelation.

We are entitled to enquire whether this gift is exercised according to the principles laid down by the apostles. Are the sisters silent in the gatherings? Have they covered heads and long hair? Are the proceedings conducted in an orderly and dignified way? If the answer to these questions is in the negative, then we may safely conclude that the gift is spurious. It is important to remember that humans are capable of deceiving themselves, and of being deceived. We should also notice that the gifts, including tongues, were not imparted to all. The language of the apostle is clear- “to one…to another”. His question at the end of the chapter is to the same effect, “Do all speak with tongues?” Clearly the answer is that all did not speak with tongues. The idea, then, that the gift should be sought, and that it is an indication that the Spirit dwells within, is false.

The fact that not every believer in those days should have expected to possess the gift of tongues is seen in verse 11, for the gifts are divided severally according to the will of the Spirit. So it is not His will to impart each gift to every believer. The gifts are distributed (“dividing”) to separate individuals, (“severally”). We would do well to ponder this point, and assess our attitude to this truth.

It is good to be clear in our minds that the gift of tongues is not for today. It is equally good to be clear that the Spirit does still distribute to each believer those gifts that are for today. Which should prompt us to ask ourselves whether the gift which has been given is being used. Remember God works in each member of the assembly for the profit of all- any lack of exercise of gift on the part of one, therefore, means that there is less profit for all. Since a gift is a spiritual thing, it should have precedence over natural things. We should not let self and the world stand in the way of the use of gift. The world is increasingly saying, in the language of the king of Sodom to Abraham, “Give me the persons, and take the goods to thyself”. In everyday terms this is the same as saying “Give me your time and energy, and I will give you a large salary”. Abraham was strengthened to resist that temptation, and so should we be, resolutely determining to put the interests of God and His assembly first in both our thoughts and actions. This will undoubtedly involve sacrifices as matters of lesser importance are let go, and the primary purpose in the life of the believer is concentrated upon.

In 1 Corinthians 12:28-30 the apostle lists gifts in their order of importance, for he uses the words “first…secondarily…thirdly”, and thus adjusts the thinking of the Corinthians, who were giving prominence to those gifts he lists last. Included in this list, being appropriate for an assembly epistle, are the two gifts of helps and governments.

Putting these scriptures together, and omitting gifts that no longer exist, we have the following:

Believers as gifts: evangelists; pastors and teachers.

Gifts that believers have: teaching; ministry; exhortation; giving; ruling; showing mercy; helps, and governments. Possibly the ruling and the government are the same, in which case there are seven gifts available to believers.

The question is sometimes asked, “How may I know what my gift is?” We may answer this question by remembering that the apostle uses the figure of a human body to illustrate the doctrine he is setting out. Just as the individual members of our bodies have abilities, so individual believers have gifts or abilities also. Some members of our body have more than one gift or ability, but they are all there to make a contribution.

First, our organs and limbs have been put in place by God “as it hath pleased Him”, 1 Corinthians 12:18, and they function as they do because of this. Some gifts bring with them a certain amount of prominence, such as teaching or exhortation. So it is with spiritual gifts. They are given to individual believers in accordance with the particular function they have to perform. For example, the gift of ruling or will not be given to a sister, for that is not within her range of activity in the assembly.

Second, they show their ability by functioning efficiently. Believers manifest that they have a particular gift when it is obvious that they have the appropriate spiritual ability to work out that gift. It will be equally obvious if they are unfitted for a particular work.

Third, they do so because the life principle in the body gives them energy to operate. Spiritual gifts are the manifestation of the indwelling Spirit of God, 1 Corinthians 12:7, the life-principle in the body of Christ. So He is the source of them, and He is the power by which they function. No amount of natural ability can compensate for a lack of spiritual gift.

A believer therefore may know his or her gift by being in harmony with the Spirit who gave the gift, by having a Spirit-led desire to exercise a particular gift, and by using that gift in a manner honouring to the Lord and helpful to the saints.

Those in a place of responsibility as elders in the assembly should be alert to the first signs of a gift being exercised, and should encourage this in every way possible. They should also step in when it is obvious that a believer is trying to exercise a gift he or she does not have. The assembly should not be wearied with those who are acting out of place. Such persons do indeed have a gift, so they should be helped to find it.

The elders should also ensure that teaching is regularly given on the subject, so that all in the assembly are aware of this aspect of assembly life. There is something for all in the assembly to do for the profit of all. There is no such person as a believer without a gift, for gifts are one way the Spirit of God manifests Himself, and all believers have the Spirit within. To neglect a gift is to quench the Spirit, 1 Thessalonians 5:19, and to deprive the saints of the contribution that should be made.

1:6 Even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you:

By means of the gifts given, especially those which involved utterance and knowledge, the truth concerning Christ that is received by faith for salvation initially, is constantly confirmed and reinforced to His glory. There is an ongoing need for the truth to be taught, and the appropriate gifts are given to ensure this happens. The apostles were careful to confirm the souls of those who believed, for the world represents an antagonistic force, and new believers, and, for that matter, older believers too, need constant exposure to apostolic doctrine. The unsearchable riches of Christ are not all learnt the night we get saved, but are entered into as we “follow on to know the Lord”, Hosea 6:3.

1:7 so that ye come behind in no gift, waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

In this verse the apostle uses the word for coming which means an unveiling. While they wait for the Lord to reveal Himself at His coming, believers are to use their particular gift so that Christ is revealed in the locality by the testimony of the assembly.

At the present time the local assembly is charged with manifesting Christ in the district where they are. Just as a man’s body expresses him to others, so the apostle declares to the assembly at Corinth, (and, by extension, any Divinely-constituted assembly), “ye are (the) body of Christ, and members in particular”, 1 Corinthians 12:27. They were to reveal Him during the time of His absence, all the while waiting for Him to reveal Himself. One of the primary ways of doing this is through the exercise of gift, just as a man expresses what is in his mind by what he is able to do by means of his physical body.

1:8 Who shall also confirm you unto the end, that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.

The use, mis-use or non-use of gift will be reviewed in the day when the Lord Jesus reviews the activities of His people. This is called “the day of our Lord Jesus Christ” because it is the time when His view of things is the only one. The word for “blameless” means “Not blamed when called in to face a charge”. We have been given a gift for a purpose, and it should be our earnest desire to fulfil that purpose. When called into the presence of the Head of the church to give account to Him for the way we have used the gifts He has given, we would surely not want to have a charge of neglect or mis-use of gift made against us, but rather to receive commendation for the use of gift in a God-honouring way. See 1 Corinthians 3:13-15.

1:9 God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of His Son Jesus Christ our Lord.

Fellowship is enjoyed by those who share with one another the things which they have in common. As individuals, believers are able to have fellowship “with” the Father and “with” His Son Jesus Christ”, 1 John 1:3. The fellowship mentioned in this passage, however, is said to be the fellowship “of” His Son. This means that the Corinthian believers were called to share in the things that God’s Son was involved with. Of course, such a fellowship would be of the highest dignity, a fact that may be learned from the way the apostle describes it, using the full title “His Son Jesus Christ our Lord”. In fact the fellowship can be said to be defined by this title, being everything that such a glorious person can righteously associate Himself with. The Corinthians had been called by God to fellowship of such a character. As an assembly, they had been put into the position where they could freely share together in all the things of Christ. Only a Divinely-constituted assembly is in such a position.

Sadly, the Corinthians were failing to appreciate the blessedness of allowing the name of Christ to govern their fellowship. They had begun to divide into parties, and thus earn the rebuke of the apostle for their contentions and divisions. Division and strife are the very opposite of fellowship. Sadly, today, those who profess the Name of Christ are divided into a multitude of sects, but the existence of an assembly in a locality is a protest against that situation.

The Corinthians were slow to separate completely from the idolatry that they had been involved in before they were saved. The apostle reminds them, therefore, of three sorts of fellowship in 1 Corinthians 10:14-22, all expressed by the act of eating and drinking.

1. There was the fellowship known by the Israelite as he brought his offering to the altar, and then feasted upon his portion of the sacrifice, and thus had a share in the things that God had ordained. This would rebuke the Corinthians for their divisions, for the altar in Israel was the focal point of their religious life, just as the Lord Jesus, and no other person or thing, was the centre of Christian life.

2. There was the fellowship known by the idol-worshipper, as he brought his gift to the pagan temple. His fellowship was with the demon forces behind the idol, and he expressed this fellowship by sharing the food which he had offered to the idol. This would rebuke the Corinthians for their connections with idolatry, as the apostle exposed the very heart of idol-worship as being homage to demons.

3. Then there was the fellowship of the Christian assembly. As they drank the cup of wine of the Lord’s Supper, they thereby declared their participation in all the blessing that His shed blood had procured, for the cup is described as the cup of blessing. As they all took and broke the one loaf, they signified that they were sharing in common with one another, as a united company, all the blessings Christ’s blood had secured. The one loaf of which they all partook, was symbolic of their unity as the local representation of the body of Christ.

It is illogical for those who drink of the cup at the Lord’s Supper, and thus signify their involvement in all that the blood of Christ secures, to live the rest of the week in practical denial of this by sharing in worldly things. It is likewise illogical for those who break bread in an assembly, and thereby signify their wholehearted involvement in the things of the assembly, to have fellowship in non-assembly, and therefore non-Scriptural associations, however noble their cause and well-meaning their members.

So the believers in a Scriptural assembly have the immense privilege of sharing with God’s Son the things that can be associated with his name in all its dignity. As they come together to remember the Lord Jesus, they also signify their common delight in the blessings His blood has secured, and their oneness with one another. They pledge themselves by these acts to separate from that which gives the worldling pleasure, and all associations which are of man’s devising.

It may be thought that it is not possible today to practise the things that are commanded us by the apostle in 1 Corinthians 1:1-9. This is not the case, however, for “God is faithful”. He who calls into assembly fellowship is faithful to those thus called. He will not desert them or let them down, but will always provide the spiritual resources necessary to continue steadfastly in Divine things. The only question is whether those who are thus called will be faithful to Him in return, as they respond to the God who in grace gives them the immense privilege of involvement with the fellowship of His Son Jesus Christ our Lord.

THE WORDS OF THE BIBLE, THE CHRISTIAN SCRIPTURES, AS FOUND IN THE FIRST EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS CHAPTER 1, VERSES 10 TO 16

1:10 Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.

1:11 For it hath been declared unto me of you, my brethren, by them which are of the house of Chloe, that there are contentions among you.

1:12 Now this I say, that every one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ.

1:13 Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized in the name of Paul?

1:14 I thank God that I baptized none of you, but Crispus and Gaius;

1:15 Lest any should say that I had baptized in mine own name.

1:16 And I baptized also the household of Stephanas: besides, I know not whether I baptized any other.

(c) Verse 10 Exhortation to unity.

Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ- the apostle bases his appeal for unity on the full name of the Lord Jesus. He is “our” Lord Jesus Christ, the common possession of all believers, apostles included. He is not for the few to monopolise, but for all to recognise. He is “Lord”, so we all need to bow to His authority, as expressed in the Scriptures. He is “Jesus”, the man who lived, died, and rose again for us, so that our affections might be towards Him as we realise how indebted we are to Him. He is “Christ”, the man approved of God, and as such should be our role-model in all things. There is no stronger appeal than one based on the full name of the Lord Jesus Christ.

That ye all speak the same thing- Paul will soon quote what they were saying, and they were expressing totally different and opposing things, for one was saying “I of Paul”, and another “I of Apollos” and so on. These words were expressions of disunity and party-spirit.

And that there be no divisions among you- note the “and”, for it is not “speak…but”. In other words, absence of division and speaking the same thing are both required, for a person may conform by saying orthodox things, but there may still be party-spirit in the heart.

But that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgement- this is the ideal situation Paul is setting before the Corinthians. What is said and done is governed by what we think and decide. The apostle is getting to the heart of the problem here, which was the way the Corinthian believers were thinking. This is why he has much to say in these early chapters about the wisdom of the world and the wisdom of God. Only by embracing the wisdom which is of God can unity be achieved. That wisdom is found in the inspired writings of the Bible, and is the standard by which all things are to judged.

(d) Verses 11-16 Exposure of disunity.

1:11 For it hath been declared unto me of you, my brethren, by them which are of the house of Chloe, that there are contentions among you.

For it hath been declared unto me of you, my brethren, by them which are of the house of Chloe- there are two matters that are brought out side by side in Leviticus 19. Verse 16 reads, “Thou shalt not go up and down as a tale-bearer among thy people: neither shalt thou stand against the blood of thy brother: I am the Lord”. Here is an injunction against spreading gossip amongst the Lord’s people. Whilst Christians are not under the law as a means to gain righteousness, nevertheless the righteous requirements of the law are binding upon them as Romans 8:4 indicates. Leviticus 19:17 reads, “Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart: thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbour, and not suffer sin upon him”. In other words, out of a spirit of love and concern, sometimes a believer needs to rebuke another believer, so that the wrong he is guilty of may be put right. And this is how the household of Chloe were acting. If they had been spreading gossip the apostle would have rebuked them. As it was, they were bringing the Corinthian situation before the apostle as the best one to deal with it.

That there are contentions among you- the Corinthian believers were showing a grave lack of love towards one another, and this had developed into open conflict and dispute. Such a situation was dishonouring to the name of the Lord Jesus, and needed to be dealt with quickly, and this the apostle seeks to do.

1:12 Now this I say, that every one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ.

Now this I say- the apostle has listened to the report form the household of Chloe, and has satisfied himself that it is true. He now relates the situation at Corinth in his own words, so there might be no doubt as to the seriousness of the problem.

That every one of you saith- the attitude that needs to be dealt with is so general that all of them can be said to be involved.

I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ-perhaps the converts of Paul would try to make him into a party-leader in gratitude for his work amongst them; perhaps some would be impressed with the eloquence of Apollos, (Acts 18:24), and would favour him; others would be impressed by the energy and vigour of Cephas, (Peter), and would especially favour him, not only for that reason, but also because he had been with the Lord on earth as Paul and Apollos had not; others were claiming a special relationship with Christ, and took the super-spiritual position of claiming to be “The Christ-party”. All such divisions are directly contrary to the spirit of Christianity. The Corinthians had been called into the fellowship of God’s Son, not the fellowship of Paul and the others.

1:13 Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized in the name of Paul?

Is Christ divided? This is the first of three searching questions, which, when answered correctly, will go a long way adjust the attitude of the Corinthian believers. The three teachers mentioned in verse 12 each had their special ministry. Paul would emphasise the crucifixion of Christ and His subsequent ascent to heavenly glory. Apollos was versed in the Old Testament, as we see from Acts 18:24-28, and would show how Christ was the fulfilment of the prophecies of old time. Peter had been with the Lord on earth, and could testify first-hand of His ministry. Some believers would be attracted to Paul’s emphasis; some to Apollos’; some to Peter’s, and the temptation would be to only listen to a favourite theme, and hence gather around the one who expounded it. The fact is all the truth of God is for all the people of God, and Paul, Apollos and Peter would not have condoned such behaviour on the part of the Corinthians. Christ is not to be divided into “Fulfiller of prophecy”, “Example on Earth”, and “Crucified and Glorified One”. He is one whole Christ, and we need to be taken up with every aspect of His person.

Was Paul crucified for you? The answer to this question is staggeringly simple; how could the Corinthians have missed this point? Notice that Paul does not bring Apollos or Cephas into the argument. He is content to use himself as an argument, debasing himself in favour of Christ. He will use Apollos with himself in his argument in 4:6, but not here. By His crucifixion the Lord Jesus has forever secured the heart’s affections of His people; to adopt a name other than His is ingratitude indeed.

Or were ye baptized in the name of Paul?When they were baptised, the Corinthians were baptised into Jesus Christ, Romans 6:3, committing themselves to a life of loyalty and devotion to Him alone. Their current position was a denial of this.

1:14,15 I thank God that I baptized none of you, but Crispus and Gaius; lest any should say that I had baptized in mine own name.

Paul here indicates his complete disinterest in forming a party under his name. John the Baptist had been sent to baptise, and those who received his preaching were known as John’s disciples. When Paul met some of these at Ephesus, he was able to tell them of the Lord Jesus, and they were then baptised in the name of Christ Jesus, Acts 19:5.

Perhaps he personally baptised Crispus because he had been the chief ruler of the synagogue in Corinth, and the other believers might be slow to be convinced of his genuineness. To foster unity the apostle may have personally done the baptising to show his confidence in the genuineness of Crispus’ conversion.

1:16 And I baptized also the household of Stephanas: besides, I know not whether I baptised any other.

It is clear from the wording here that the apostle is genuinely struggling to remember who, if any, he baptised at Corinth. The apostle was engaged in “labours more abundant”, 2 Corinthians 11:23, and would have no time to write a daily journal. He describes the household of Stephanas as the “firstfruits of Achaia”, 16:15, (Corinth being the capital of that district), so perhaps they were the first ones baptised, and who subsequently did the baptising of other converts.

The remainder of the chapter shows how that the disunity of the Corinthian assembly was the direct result of embracing the thought-forms and opinions of the world. As a result, they began to act like the men of the world, who assembled themselves as parties around the philosopher of their choice.

THE WORDS OF THE BIBLE, THE CHRISTIAN SCRIPTURES, AS FOUND IN THE FIRST EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS CHAPTER 1, VERSES 17 TO 20

1:17 For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect.

1:18 For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.

1:19 For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.

1:20 Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?

(e) Verses 17,18 The wisdom of words is damaging.

1:17 For Christ sent me not to baptise, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect.

For Christ sent me not to baptise, but to preach the gospel- this is not to say that the apostle was careless about baptising converts, for it is clear that he was not. We read that when he preached in Corinth, “many of the Corinthians hearing, believed, and were baptised”, Acts 18:8. He wrote to the Romans explaining the doctrine of baptism, Romans 6; he wrote to the Galatians that when they were baptised they had put on Christ, Galatians 3:27; and he showed the Colossians that baptism had taken them out from the sphere where philosophy was relevant, and brought them into association with a risen Christ, Colossians 2:12. Baptism is the practical setting forth of the truth of the gospel, so the two cannot be at variance. What the apostle means is that he not only avoided baptising people himself, for the reason we have noted in verses 14-16, but his commission from the Lord was to evangelise, and leave the baptism of the converts to others. A believer does not have to have special gift to baptise, so any genuine brother may baptise a new convert.

Not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect- by his upbringing and education the apostle would have been well-able to speak eloquently, and use the reasoning techniques of the philosophers. He refused to do this, however, since it would rob the gospel of its power, which lay in its appeal for faith, not mental ability. How serious a matter it is to cancel out the work of the cross! Yet it is so easily done if the preaching of the gospel is adulterated by man’s thinking in some way. It is so tempting, especially in these days when response to the gospel, at least in the Western World, is rare, to try to present a message which in some way appeals to the natural man. This destroys the gospel, and we should return to faith in the means God has chosen, and not adopt ideas of our own. Israel were forbidden to lift up a cutting tool on the stones they were intending to make into an altar. If they did so, they would pollute the altar, said God, Exodus 20:25,26. So we, if we lift up the tool of man upon the altar-work of Calvary, we have in practice polluted it, and God cannot use what we do for His glory.

1:18 For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.

For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness- the apostle now gives two reasons why the wisdom of the wise, when used to preach the gospel, is damaging. First, because the preaching of the cross is foolishness to men, so that shows it is completely different to anything they have thought up. While they hold on to their way of thinking they are perishing, so it is counter-productive to mix a way of thinking that lets a man perish, with a way of thinking that saves him. No mere man has yet devised a system of thought which removes the effects of the fall, and brings into true blessing.

But unto us which are saved it is the power of God- this is the second reason why it is foolish to use the wisdom of the world to preach the gospel by. It will not be the channel of God’s power, but will only pander to the pride of man, for he will think he has acquired some merit by understanding it. Just as those who dismiss the gospel as foolishness are perishing, so those who receive the gospel are being saved. The verbs “perish” and “are saved” are in the same tense, and indicate a current situation. The philosophies of men bring them into increasing ruin and loss of well-being, whilst the reverse is the case for the believer- he is constantly saved and preserved by the truth of the gospel.

(f) Verses 19,20 The wisdom of the wise of this world is destroyed by God.

1:19 For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.

For it is written- there follows a quotation from Isaiah 29:14. The previous verse to the one quoted here was used by the Lord Jesus to show the hypocrisy of the leaders of the nation of Israel, Matthew 15:7-9, so we know that the Jewish rulers are in view.

Wisdom may be defined as “Insight into the true nature of things”. The philosophers of the world were earnestly seeking after this insight, but had never succeeded in finding it. God steps in with the disclosure of His wisdom, but not before He has shown that the wisdom of the world is, in effect, foolishness.

I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent- the wise men of Israel, the chief priests, scribes, and elders of the people, are warned by Isaiah that God will destroy their supposed wisdom, the traditions which they had accumulated over many centuries, and by which they had made the doctrines of men more important than the word of God. He would also bring to nothing, or show to be useless, the understanding which they claimed to have of God and His ways. The way this would happen is that they, the princes of this world, would crucify the Lord of glory because they were ignorant about Him, 1 Corinthians 2:7.

1:20 Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?

God has effectively destroyed the wisdom of this world by the cross, and the apostle adapts another passage from Isaiah to point this out. God said through Isaiah, “Thine heart shall meditate terror. Where is the scribe? Where is the receiver? Where is he that counted the towers? Thou shalt not see a fierce people, a people of a deeper speech than thou canst perceive; of a stammering tongue, that thou canst not understand”, Isaiah 33:18,19. Verse 19 shows that it is foreign armies that are in view, yet God’s promise to His people was that they would not see them as invaders of the land, and verse 18 assures them that they would be calm in the face of terror. As a result, God can ask in triumph the three questions Isaiah lists. Where is the scribe, plotting the line of attack on his map, and writing out the plan of battle? Where is the receiver, or weigher, ready to assess the spoils of victory and weigh them out to those deserving of reward after the battle? Where is the scout who secretly entered the land to assess the vulnerable points and the strong points, counting the watchtowers to see how well-guarded the land was? Such were Isaiah’s words. Paul adapts them, (with the authority of the same inspiring Spirit who guided Isaiah to write), and asks:

Where is the wise?- the man who plans his life according to man’s wisdom, and seeks to win life’s battles thereby?

Where is the scribe?- the one ready to record the triumphs of a life lived according to man’s thinking?

Where is the disputer of this world?- who like the counter of towers, was confident that he was able to succeed against all opposing forces? They are nowhere to be seen, not only because a life lived according to worldly wisdom is the life of a person who is perishing, but also because by the cross God has shown the wise of this world to be weak and ineffective.

THE WORDS OF THE BIBLE, THE CHRISTIAN SCRIPTURES, AS FOUND IN THE FIRST EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS CHAPTER 1, VERSES 21 TO 31

1:21 For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.

1:22 For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom:

1:23 But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness;

1:24 But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.

1:25 Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

1:26 For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called:

1:27 But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;

1:28 And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are:

1:29 That no flesh should glory in His presence.

1:30 But of Him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:

1:31 That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.

(g) Verses 21-29 The wisdom of God has been demonstrated.

(i) Verse 21(a) In the history of Old Testament times.

(ii) Verses 21(b) to 25 In the Calvary-work of Christ.

(iii) Verses 26 to 29 In the testimony of believers.

1:21 For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.

(i) The wisdom of God has been demonstrated in the history of Old Testament times.

For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God- the nations were allowed to go their own ways, to show to them that by their own religious thought they could not attain to the knowledge of God. As Paul said to the philosophers of Athens, “God…hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation; that they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after Him, and find Him, though He be not far from every one of us”, Acts 17:26,27. It was an exhibition of the wisdom of God that this happened, so that man might realise the bankruptcy of his thinking, and seek the Lord through the nation of Israel, set by God in the midst of the earth to preserve the knowledge of Himself. That they did not do this is shown by the inscription Paul based his address on, “To the Unknown God”. They had a vague notion that there was another God somewhere, and lest they offend Him, they adopted that inscription as an insurance policy. Paul was able to declare unto them the God they so feebly knew. It is vain for man to continue his search for God apart from the revelation God has given of Himself in the Person of His Son, which revelation is full and final.

(ii) The wisdom of God has been demonstrated in the Calvary-work of Christ.

It pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe- having given many centuries of opportunity to men to find Him by themselves, God now presents to men by the preaching of the gospel the way to find true wisdom. This method does not appeal to the wise of this world, so they label it foolishness. Yet despite what men say about the gospel, they cannot dispute that it rescues men from a foolish life-style, and imparts to them knowledge that they could not have gained in the schools of men. This wisdom is not available only to those who are intellectually inclined, because it does not depend for its reception on intelligence, but faith.

That is not to say it is not reasonable and logical to believe the gospel, for it is, but is does mean that the world-view of men must be abandoned, and the thoughts presented in the gospel must be embraced by faith.

Nor does it mean that those who preach the gospel should be haphazard in their speaking, and not present truths in the most understandable way possible, by God’s enabling. The last chapter of Ecclesiastes gives us the plan of action of the writer of the book. “And moreover, because the preacher was wise, he still taught the people knowledge; Yea, he gave good heed, and sought out, and set in order many proverbs. The preacher sought to find out acceptable words: and that which was upright, even words of truth”, Ecclesiastes 12:9,10.

In verse 18 believers are saved constantly, whereas here they are saved decisively. There is no discrepancy, however, for there is initial salvation from sin and its consequences, which salvation is once and for all, with no recall of that salvation by God, and without help from the wisdom of the wise of this world either. There is also ongoing salvation from the pitfalls of the pilgrim pathway, which in the context here mean the dangers presented by the world’s way of thinking and acting.

1:22 For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom:

For the Jews require a sign- even though Christ has died and risen again, they were still asking for evidence that He was the Messiah. After three and a half years of sign-miracles, they had still asked the Lord Jesus for a sign from heaven. His response was, “An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas: for as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth”, Matthew 12:39,40. The nation of Israel had ample opportunity to test the claims of those who witnessed to the resurrection of Christ; but their minds were hardened, and biased against the truth.

And the Greeks seek after wisdom- the Greek world constantly sought insight into the true nature of things. They were waiting for the conclusive argument, the line of reasoning that would at last enlighten them. Their quest in Old Testament times was often sincere, but now that Christ crucified is preached they have no excuse for continuing the search for wisdom on their own.

1:23 But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumbling-block, and unto the Greeks foolishness;

But we preach Christ crucified- undeterred by the demands of men of intellect, and unembarrassed by the subject he made known, Paul asserts that he and his fellow evangelists preached. They did not debate, rationalise, or argue, but simply made an announcement of facts. He also asserts that they preached Christ, or the Messiah. Despite knowing what the consensus in Israel about Jesus of Nazareth’s claim to Messiahship was, Paul insisted on preaching Him. He further states that in their preaching they emphasised that this Christ was the one who was crucified, and will always be known for that. They did not preach Jesus the teacher, Jesus the miracle worker, Jesus the fine example, although He was all these things. Paul was convinced that the only sort of Christ that God would have preached is Christ crucified.

Unto the Jews a stumbling-block- the idea that a man crucified in shame and disgrace between two thieves on a Roman cross, was worthy to be welcomed as their Messiah, was not something that Jews generally were prepared to accept. But then the majority of Jews were not saved, for they were clinging to the wisdom of the elders, and refusing the wisdom of God.

As we have said, wisdom is insight into the true nature of things. At the cross the character of God, who is the fount of all wisdom, was made known fully. Do we wish to know righteousness, then we see the way God dealt with sin at Calvary. Or love, then we see His love fully expressed in that He did not spare His own Son the horrors of that experience. Or justice, where He poured out His anger against sin upon His own Son. “God is light” and “God is love”, and every ray of glory that shines in His person, as summed up in those two expressions, is seen in full display at Calvary.

And unto the Greeks foolishness- the Greeks were looking for the Ideal Man, and to them such a man would not succumb, but would succeed. People crucified on a cross had succumbed, in their view. They looked for a man who was a victor, not a victim. Crucified people had not been victorious, but they had become victims of circumstance. To them, in a word, crucifixion was a tragedy, not a triumph, and crucified people had no claim on their attention.

Despite this prevailing attitude of both Jew and Gentile, Paul and his fellow-workers persisted in preaching Christ crucified, and there is no reason why their present-day counterparts should not do the same.

1:24 But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.

But unto them which are called- these are they who respond in faith to the message preached. It is by the gospel that God calls men. He does not invite them to participate in a discussion, but to accept His Son as Saviour and Lord.

Both Jews and Greeks- despite the fact that the majority of Jew and Gentile reject the gospel, it is still undeniably true that many have believed and been saved. Despite their different attitudes before, due to culture and background, they have come the same way, and turned to God because of the work of His Son. God has only one gospel.

Christ the power of God- the power of God to destroy the wisdom of the wise, verses 19 and 20, and to save those who believe, verse 18, is vested in Christ, the one men crucified.

1:25 Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men- the word “because” tells us that we are now to be given reasons for the statement that Christ is the wisdom and power of God as far as those who are called are concerned. We could look at the statements in this verse in two ways. Either the apostle is exaggerating for the sake of effect, and is showing that even if there were such things as foolishness and weakness with God, then, because He is God, they would be much more wise and powerful than the wisdom and power of men. Or, alternatively, when he writes of the foolishness of God, He is referring to the gospel which men call foolish, because it proclaims salvation through a crucified man. This “foolish” gospel is indeed wiser than men, for it saves, whereas those who believe the wisdom of the wise of this world are perishing.

And the weakness of God is stronger than men- the proclamation of a crucified man as Saviour is nonsense to the unbeliever. In the language of the onlookers at Calvary, “He saved others, Himself He cannot save”, Matthew 27:41. It was the chief priests, scribes, and elders who mocked the Saviour thus; in other words, the religious princes of this world, who crucified the Lord of Glory because they were ignorant of Divine wisdom, 1 Corinthians 2:7.

Of course it goes without saying that there are no such things as foolishness and weakness with God in actual fact, and the apostle would never suggest there are. God is Almighty, and All-wise.

(iii) The wisdom of God has been demonstrated in the testimony of believers.

1:26 For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called:

For ye see your calling, brethren- having thought of the history of the world, and the events at Calvary, the apostle now directs the thoughts of the Corinthians to their own situation. Their calling is their experience of the calling of God through the gospel.

How that not many wise men after the flesh- as Paul approached the city of Corinth God encouraged him with the thought that He had many people in that city, Acts 18:11. Yet here we read of not many. So the majority of the “many” that God had in His mind, were not the elite of the city, but the lower classes. God is no respecter of persons, so it is not that God did not offer the gospel to the upper classes so energetically as He did to the lower classes. It was simply that the latter were more responsive. The reason they were more responsive was that they had not embraced the thinking of the philosophers, and were more ready to believe the gospel as it came to them.

How that not many wise men after the flesh- these are they who had been educated in the philosophies of men, and felt that they qualified for the title “wise”. Paul discounts this, however, for they are only wise after the flesh, that is, wise as men think and speak, not wise according to God.

Not many mighty- men of influence in some way, whether politically, financially, or religiously. Because of their education, these too would embrace the wisdom of the world. Thinking themselves to be powerful and wise, they saw no need for Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.

Not many noble, are called- these would be the well-bred, high-born classes, who had the “benefit” of the accumulated wisdom handed down from their ancestors. These were too self-sufficient and grand to follow the despised Nazarene, especially since His life ended with crucifixion.

These are described as those not called, but not because the gospel was not for them, but because they judged that they were not for the gospel. No fault attaches to God, who desires that all men be saved, 1 Timothy 2:4.

1:27 But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;

But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise- the choice of God involves the response of men to the gospel, as well as His predestining counsels. 2 Thessalonians 2:13 reads, “But we are bound to give thanks always to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth“. If by “chosen the foolish things” Paul meant “chosen only the foolish things”, then we might be justified in thinking simply of God’s eternal purpose electing only foolish people. But it is evident that some of the wise in this world have been converted to God. Paul himself is an example. So it is not an absolute statement of intention only to call foolish people, but a statement that takes account of the situation as it is. God has chosen foolish people, so that His own wisdom may be glorified, and the ineffectiveness of this world’s wisdom might become more apparent. In this way He confounds or embarrasses the wise, for their inability to live a saved life becomes all the more evident as it is contrasted with the life of those God has saved.

And God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty- those who had no influence on affairs in Corinth or the wider world, were ready to accept the truth of the gospel. Those who were influential were too proud to follow the despised Nazarene. Whatever their human power and influence, however, they had no power to live a life pleasing to God, whereas those of little account in the world were able to do this.

1:28 And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are:

And base things of the world- they were base, of low-birth, possessing none of the advantages of nobility, and having all the disadvantages of being low-born.

And things which are despised, hath God chosen- because they were uneducated and poor, they would be looked down upon by the upper classes of society.

And things which are not, to bring to nought things that are-of course Paul does not mean these people did not exist, but rather that they might just as well not have existed as far as the elite were concerned. It is such people that God uses to reduce those who seem to be big and powerful to their proper level.

1:29 That no flesh should glory in His presence.

That no flesh should glory in His presence- God is working for His own glory, and He knows that the wise and powerful of this world will find it difficult to leave their attitudes behind them when they get saved. This is why God delights to save the nobodies of this world, so that His glory might be displayed in that sinners of the lowest sort are in His presence for all eternity.

(f) Verses 30-31 The wisdom of God directs all the glory to Himself.

1:30 But of Him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:

But of Him- the Corinthian believers were what they were solely because of God’s working. They were the result of God putting forth His power through the preaching of the cross. There was nothing out of themselves or other men that had brought them to their current position.

Are ye- before they were nothing and nobody, now they are something and somebody. How that can be said is told us in the next words.

In Christ Jesus- He is not only the crucified man, but also the risen, ascended and glorified man. As such He is able to bring to the highest place of honour in association with Himself. Paul explains to the Ephesians that believers are seated in heavenly places in Christ Jesus, Ephesians 2:6. God has lifted beggars from the dunghill, and set them among princes, 1 Samuel 2:8. The wise of this world were not prepared to go as far as the cross, and ally themselves to the crucified Christ. They thereby forfeit the right to have association with Him in His highest glory.

Who of God is made unto us wisdom- the order of words in the original is “who was made to us wisdom from God”. The wisdom that comes from God is made good to us by Christ Jesus. Only through Him and His death can we know God, and have insight into the true nature of things. The world may grope after God in the dark, but they do so because they have rejected the light that Christ brings.

And righteousness- because we now know God, we know also how to live a life that is in harmony with His character. We need wisdom for that, and this comes from Christ. Paul will later write that Christ was made sin for us, so that we might be made, or become in practice, the righteousness of God in Him, 2 Corinthians 5:21. The life of the believer should be marked by practical righteousness, the expression of the righteous nature imparted by God.

And sanctification- the apostle has already described the Corinthian believers as saints by divine calling, verse 2, and this repeats that thought. In the midst of the squalid conditions prevailing in Corinth, the believers there were able to maintain a separate lifestyle, in the measure in which they availed themselves of Divine wisdom in Christ.

And redemption- not only were they able to live righteous and holy lives, but they were also able to enjoy the liberty that Christ’s death brings to the believer. As the Lord Jesus said, “If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed”, John 8:36. He also said, “and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free”, John 8:32. So not only are believers righteous and holy by God’s reckoning, they are redeemed also. But each of these three things is to be worked out in practice. It is the truth that makes free, the truth of God’s word, the perfect wisdom. If we direct our lives by its instruction, we shall be made free from all that brings into bondage, whatever form that bondage takes.

1:31 That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.

That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord- the apostle closes this section of his argument with a quotation from the prophet Jeremiah. The context reads as follows- “Thus saith the Lord, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches: But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth Me, that I am the Lord which exercise loving kindness, judgement, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the Lord”, Jeremiah 9:23,24. Clearly the apostle has had this passage in the back of his mind as he penned verses 26-29, for the same classes of men he speaks of, Jeremiah speaks of too. A reading of the early verses of Jeremiah 9 will show that the people of Israel in Jeremiah’s day were no different to the men of Corinth in Paul’s day. They were alike guilty of treachery, lies, and immorality. The answer to this problem was not the wise man glorying in his supposed wisdom, and his ability to remedy the situation; nor the mighty man glorying in his might, thinking that by his influence he could effect change; nor the rich man priding himself on his success, and seeking to pump money into the situation to make it better. None of these solutions is the right one. Only by glorying in the Lord, and trusting in His wisdom, His power, and His rich grace, can the situation be remedied. Notice that in Jeremiah 9 the Lord speaks of Himself as to His activity, for He exercises loving kindness, judgement, and righteousness; so should those who believe be exercised. And in the measure in which the Corinthians, and ourselves, imitate God’s ways, we shall live lives that are glorifying to the Lord, for they will be a reflection of His character.

HEBREWS 3

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HEBREWS 3

Survey of the chapter
Chapter 3 continues the theme begun in chapter 2. There the manhood of Christ is emphasised, and the seven-fold way in which He ministers to His people’s needs. He sanctifies His people, separating them from Adam’s world, and sets them on the path of faith, a path sure to end in glory. It is beset by difficulties, however, so He acts as a faithful and merciful high priest, and thus enables His people to reach their destination.
To further show His fitness for this task, the writer contrasts Him with Moses, who was responsible for leading the children of Israel through the desert until they reached Canaan. Under Moses, however, many of the people fell when they were tried and tested by the wilderness journey. We, however, have a greater than Moses to help us, and so are encouraged as we press on to heaven.
The verses from 3:7 to 4:13 are based on the words of Psalm 95:7-11, in which the psalmist details the failure of the nation of Israel to listen to God’s voice while they were crossing the wilderness towards Canaan. So it was that some forfeited their right to the land, and died in the wilderness. Hebrews 3:7-19 concentrates on those who refused to enter into the land, whereas Hebrews 4:1-11 speaks of those who do enter into God’s rest.

Structure of the chapter

(a)	Verses 1-5	Considering the apostle and high priest of our profession Christ Jesus
(b)	Verses 6-13	Obeying the voice of the Son over God’s house
(c)	Verses 14-19	Becoming partakers of Christ

THE WORDS OF THE BIBLE, THE CHRISTIAN SCRIPTURES, AS FOUND IN THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS CHAPTER 3, VERSES 1 TO 6:

3:1 Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus;

3:2 Who was faithful to him that appointed him, as also Moses was faithful in all his house.

3:3 For this man was counted worthy of more glory than Moses, inasmuch as he who hath builded the house hath more honour than the house.

3:4 For every house is builded by some man; but he that built all things is God.

3:5 And Moses verily was faithful in all his house, as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken after;

(a) Verses 1-5
Considering the apostle and high priest of our profession, Christ Jesus

3:1
Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the apostle and high priest of our profession, Christ Jesus;

Wherefore- this is the translation of a word which is not found in any epistle known to be from Paul. It means “for which reason”. Chapter 2:18 has described our high priest as able to succour those that are tempted, so for this reason we should do what we are exhorted in the words following.
Holy brethren- believers have been made the brethren of Christ, 2:12, and He has sanctified them, 2:11, separating them from their former links with Adam, so they can be described as holy brethren.
Partakers of the heavenly calling- as Hebrews they had been called to an earthly inheritance. They have now exchanged this for a heavenly one, for their High Priest is at the right hand of God, not on David’s throne on earth. The word “partakers” is the same as “fellows” in 1:9, and the word “partakers” of 3:14, 6:4, 12:8. It is used in Luke 5:7 of those who were partners in a fishing business. It denotes those who are sharers together in a common interest, in this case the heavenly things to which believers are called.
Consider the apostle and high priest of our profession- when Israel were about to begin their journey across the desert, they were led by Moses and Aaron, who had met and kissed on Mount Horeb, where later the law would be given, Exodus 4:27. There is bonded together in these two men the twin ideas of one who represents God’s interests to the people, and who comes out from God’s presence to declare God’s mind, and another who represents the people’s interests in the presence of God, and who comes out from the presence of the people to be before God. Moses was the apostle-like figure, coming out from and sent by God, whereas Aaron was the priest, going in to God from the people and for their interests. The Jews used the word apostle of those sent by the High Priest to collect the temple tribute from Jews in foreign lands. Compare Matthew 21:34.
What was divided between Moses and Aaron is combined to perfection in Christ, who is superior to Moses in 3:2-6, and superior to Aaron in 4:14-5:3. Moses and Aaron both failed, as is seen in the fact that neither of them entered the land of promise. Christ did not fail, and is entered in to heaven, 4:14.
The word profession has the idea of saying the same thing. In this context, it means to be in agreement with God when He tells of the glories and offices of His Son. He is apostle and high priest in order to make our profession a possibility, and to make the things spoken of in that profession a reality.
Christ Jesus- the title Christ, or Messiah, can justly be connected with the personal name of Jesus. This combined title is not found in the Gospels, so is a name reserved for Christ as one who, having been here, has become Christ or “anointed one” in a new way. As Peter said on the day of Pentecost, “God hath made that same Jesus…Lord and Christ”, Acts 2:36. He was Lord and Christ before, but is now to be thought of as having these titles in a new way. He has become Christ in a heavenly sense, for He is God’s approved man who fits His people for heaven.

3:2
Who was faithful to him that appointed him, as also Moses was faithful in all his house.

Who was faithful to him that appointed him- the faithfulness of Christ is emphasised here, as His mercy is to the fore in 4:14-16. To appoint means literally to make, but clearly has the idea of installing into an office, and therefore making Him something officially. He was appointed as apostle in eternity, as He Himself indicated, for he described Himself as “Him, whom the Father hath sanctified and sent into the world”, John 10:36. And again, “As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world”, John 17:18. He was appointed as high priest in ascension, 5:4,10; 7:21,28. The word is used in Mark 3:14, where disciples were made, or appointed, apostles. It is appropriate that He should be appointed apostle as He begins His journey, and appointed high priest as He ends it.
The phrase is literally “being faithful”, so does not confine itself to the past, as “was” might suggest. He was faithful as apostle when here, He is faithful as high priest up in heaven.
As also Moses was faithful in all his house- the latter words are a quotation from Numbers 12:7. The context of that passage is relevant. Numbers 11 records the appointment of the 70 men designated by God to assist Moses in his task of leading the people. This might have seemed to Aaron and Miriam a sign that God saw weakness in Moses, and this raised a doubt in their minds as to his competence. They spoke against him in regard to the Ethiopian wife he had taken, perhaps suggesting that this showed lack of right judgement on his part. They might have thought, “If he cannot order the affairs of his own house aright, how can he administer the house of God?” “Hath the Lord spoken only by Moses, hath he not spoken also by us?”, they ask. He had indeed used Aaron as Moses’ spokesman in Pharoah’s palace, and Miriam had sung on the banks of the Red Sea to the praise of God, but still it was Moses who was to take the lead role in the affairs of the nation.
God moves to defend Moses’ reputation with the words quoted here, emphasising his faithfulness, for a faithful man is a reliable man; one to whom God can entrust His word, and such was Moses. Aaron had failed at Sinai and also on the day of the consecration of the priests.
God refers to “mine house”, in Numbers 12:7, so this fixes the meaning here as being God’s house, not Moses’ house.
We should remember that a person’s house is not necessarily the building he lives in. It can mean his family, as in the expression “House of Jacob”. The Hebrew word for son is “ben”, but this is connected with the word for build. In Bible times, sons were what a man’s house was built with. By speaking of Moses as a servant in His house God is indicating that the believers in Israel were His houshold, and Moses was a servant in that household.

3:3
For this man was counted worthy of more glory than Moses, inasmuch as he who hath builded the house hath more honour than the house.

For this man was counted worthy of more glory than Moses- the word “for” takes us back to the idea of considering Christ. He is worthy of more glory even than Moses was as the respected leader of Israel. It would take a very convincing argument to make the Hebrews stop owning allegiance to Moses, but the writer has more than one arguments to advance. The word “more” is an adjective, so the idea is of greater, better, fuller glory. This is why the Hebrews needed to turn from considering Moses as their leader, and consider Christ Jesus.
Inasmuch as he who hath builded the house hath more honour than the house- the writer now uses a physical illustration to bring out a truth in the spiritual realm. He will speak of a material house and its builder, and then apply the lesson to Moses in relation to God’s spiritual house. The general principle is that the builder of any material house displays access to resources, intelligence, and skill, something that obviously cannot be said of the house itself. The same is true in the spiritual realm, for Moses functioned in God’s house, and was therefore part of it, and therefore the builder of that house is superior to him.

3:4
For every house is builded by some man; but he that built all things is God.

For every house is builded by some man; but he that built all things is God- this is the reason why Christ is worthy of more glory than Moses. Every physical house is built by man. The word for build emphasises the preparation and establishment of the house. But the man only uses the materials that have already been prepared by God when He built the world.
There might be a glance here at the building of the tabernacle, superinteded as it was by Moses. Later on in the history of Israel the tabernacle was called the house of God, see Matthew 12:4. The idea that Christ built the tabernacle might seem strange to us, but it is clear that the materials that Moses used to actually make the tabernacle were put in place by Christ, for He is the one who made the earth and its fulness. As John 1:3 puts it, “All things were made by Him, and without Him was not anything made that was made”. He it was who placed the gold, silver, brass, and precious stones in the earth, and caused the shittim trees and the flax to grow, so that materials were available for Moses and his helpers to use. It is true that the tabernacle was built by Moses, and so, like every house on earth, has been built by man, but beyond that Christ supplied the materials, and is therefore worthy of more honour. So the reason He is worthy of a greater glory than Moses is found in His Deity.

3:5
And Moses verily was faithful in all his house, as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken after;

And Moses verily was faithful in all his house, as a servant- this word may be translated as “confidential servant”, which fits in with Numbers 12:8, where God speaks of the way in which He spoke face to face with Moses, in a way which He did not speak to other prophets. Having heard the voice of God, Moses was faithful in his acting upon that word from God.
It is interesting to notice that the word for servant, “therapon”, is one which gives us the English words “therapeutic”, and “therapy”. In Numbers 12:13 Moses appeals to God about Miriam with the words “Heal her now, I beseech thee”. As mediator, he was indirectly responsible for the healing of his sister. All Aaron could do was appeal to Moses, verses 11,12; Moses, on the other hand, appealed to God.
For a testimony of those things which were to be spoken after- Miriam and Aaron made two criticisms of Moses. First, that he had married an Ethiopian woman, which they may have thought showed a failure in judgement. If he cannot order his own house aright, how can he order God house?
Their second criticism was about their ministry in Israel. They asked, “Hath the Lord indeed spoken only by Moses? Hath he not spoken by us? Numbers 12:2. The Lord does not respond to the first objection, but to the second He says, “Hear now my words: If there be a prophet among you, I the Lord will make myself known unto him in a vision, and will speak unto him in a dream. My servant Moses is not so, who is faithful in all mine house. With him will I speak mouth to mouth, even apparently, and not in dark speeches; and the similitude of the Lord shall he behold: wherefore then were ye not afraid to speak against my servant Moses? And the anger of the Lord was kindled against them”, verses 8,9.
So the commendation of the faithfulness of Moses comes in the context of his office as a prophet. Aaron was a prophet too, Exodus 7:1, and Miriam was a prophetess, Exodus 15:20, but the Lord makes it clear that the standing of Moses was greater, for He spoke with him directly. We read of Moses meeting with God at the mercy seat, and God spoke to him from between the cherubim, Exodus 25:22. So “testimony of those things which were to be spoken after” refers to the ongoing communication of the mind of God to Moses. Despite the objections of his brother and sister, God would continue to speak in testimony to him after that point. We shall see the reason for the emphasis on speaking when we reach verse 7, and we are exhorted to hear the voice of the Son of God.

THE WORDS OF THE BIBLE, THE CHRISTIAN SCRIPTURES, AS FOUND IN THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS CHAPTER 3, VERSES 6 TO 11:

3:6 But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end.

3:7 Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith, To day if ye will hear his voice,

3:8 Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness:

3:9 When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my works forty years.

3:10 Wherefore I was grieved with that generation, and said, They do alway err in their heart; and they have not known my ways.

3:11 So I sware in my wrath, They shall not enter into my rest.)

(b) Verses 6-13
Obeying the voice of the Son over God’s house.

3:6
But Christ as a Son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end.

But Christ as a Son over his own house- we have a great priest over the house of God, according to 10:21. The idea of being faithful is to be understood from the context. Moses was faithful as a servant…but Christ (was faithful) as a Son.
Whose house are we- just as the House of Israel was built up by Jacob’s descendants, (each one being a “stone” in the building), so the house of God consists of those in the family of God. In Moses’ day this was made up of the believers in Israel, whereas now it is believers in the church, who are “of the household of God”, Ephesians 2:19. This household is the place where the Father’s will is done, and in which God’s firstborn Son is delegated the task of administering. Hence the importance of hearing and obeying the voice of the Son, verse 7.
If we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end- the problem with Israel was that they did not persevere in the hearing and obeying of the voice of God. They were not firm to the end, so they murmured instead of rejoicing, and instead of maintaining confidence in God, that He would bring them into the land, were disbelieving. By holding fast the readers of this epistle would show themselves true believers, and therefore in the house.

3:7
Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith, To day if ye will hear his voice,

Wherefore- on the basis of the foregoing truths, we are now exhorted to prove that we are genuinely part of the house. There follows a parenthesis from 3:7-11 in which part of Psalm 95 is quoted, and a summary of the behaviour of Israel in the wilderness is given to us by the Spirit of God. This the writer to the Hebrews uses, extracting different phrases from it to challenge his readers. The whole passage from 3:7-4:13 forms his second warning in the epistle. Having drawn lessons from the giving of the law at Sinai in 2:1-4, he now proceeds to warn them using the subsequent wilderness experience of Israel.
(as the Holy Ghost saith- so the Holy Spirit is speaking in the present, (saith), in words that were written centuries before by the psalmist. There now comes a quotation from Psalm 95. In Hebrews chapter 3 the emphasis is on the middle of the quotation, whereas in chapter 4 the main point is the beginning and ending of the quote. The word “today” is referred to seven times.
To day if ye will hear his voice- despite having been written by a man, they were the words of the Holy Spirit of God. As such they have great relevance. The expression used for Holy Spirit is literally “the Spirit, the Holy”, indicating and emphasising His separateness from anything wrong or corrupt. He may safely be listened to.
Note, too, that the Holy Spirit is exhorting that we listen to the voice of the Son. One Divine Person is supporting the ministry of another, as happens again in 10:15. Note the importance of hearing the voice today, and not delaying obedience. We are to hear the voice each day, and honestly assess our response to it.
Psalm 95:7 spoke of Israel as the flock of God’s pasture, and the Lord Jesus, the good shepherd, emphasised the importance of hearing His voice, John 10:27. To ignore the voice of the shepherd might mean we get into danger, or stray.
In Numbers 14:22, after Israel had refused to go into the land, the Lord accused them of not having hearkened to His voice. So the Hebrews to whom the epistle was written could not only fail to hear the voice of the psalm, but also ignore the voice of the Spirit and the voice of the Son.

3:8
Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness:

Harden not your hearts- it is entirely possible to hear the voice, but not have hearts responsive to what is said. Sadly this was the case with the majority in Israel, in incidents now to be referred to.
As in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness- the meaning of the place-name Meribah, (where, at the beginning of the wilderness journey, the people murmured against God and His goodness), is strife, or provocation, and the other name given to the place by Moses was Massah, which means temptation, Exodus 17:7. So the failure and sin of the people is recorded for all to know and learn by. Long after the event, the psalmist recalled it for our instruction.

3:9
When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my works forty years.

When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my works forty years- what happened at the beginning of the wilderness journey happened at the end, forty years later in Numbers 20. (See verse 1 of that chapter, where “the first month” means the first month of the fortieth year). Again it is a matter of water from the rock, and again the place is named Meribah by Moses. When placed under trial and testing, instead of being cast upon God, and availing themselves of the ministry of their high priest, they tempted God by suggesting that He was not able to deal with the situation. Nonetheless, God still allowed them to see His great works for forty years, in the provision of the manna and quails, and their preservation from harm.

3:10
Wherefore I was grieved with that generation, and said, They do alway err in their heart; and they have not known my ways.

Wherefore I was grieved with that generation- God is always grieved when His word is disobeyed, because that is the same as saying He is a liar. This is how the apostle John saw it, for he wrote, “he that believeth not God hath made Him a liar”, 1 John 5:10.
And said, They do alway err in their heart- it is no surprise to learn that those who fail to listen to God go astray. The word for err is “planos”, the lights in the sky that sailors plot their course by at their peril, for they are planets, and wander across the night sky. The psalmist said that Israel “wandered in the wilderness in a solitary way”. Instead of taken the straight way under God’s direction, they were condemned to wander aimlessly for thirty-eight years. The erring of their heart was mirrored in the wandering of their feet. Stephen tells us that “in their hearts they turned back into Egypt”, Acts 7:39; and he is referring to the incident at the foot of Sinai, just a month after crossing the Red Sea. See verse 17 below, where God was grieved, not just for thirty-eight years, but forty.
And they have not known my ways- preferring their own way, God’s way was unknown to them, for only those responsive to the word of God shall know the way.

3:11
So I sware in my wrath, They shall not enter into my rest.)

So I sware in my wrath- this is the psalmist’s comment on the passage in Numbers 14:27-39 where God says, “As truly as I live, saith the Lord…your carcases shall fall in this wilderness”. Because God cannot swear by anything higher than Himself, (for there is nothing higher), He swears by Himself, for He, as God, is His own point of reference, Hebrews 6:13. We shall see in chapter 4 that these words may be rendered slightly differently, so that God, even when He is in the midst of displaying wrath He still remembers mercy, Habakkuk 3;2.
They shall not enter into my rest- the Canaan-rest God had prepared for His people could not be entered in a state of unbelief and disobedience. This is the way the words apply to that portion of the nation which were disobedient to the word of God.

THE WORDS OF THE BIBLE, THE CHRISTIAN SCRIPTURES, AS FOUND IN THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS CHAPTER 3, VERSES 12 TO 19:

3:12 Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.

3:13 But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.

3:14 For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end;

3:15 While it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation.

3:16 For some, when they had heard, did provoke: howbeit not all that came out of Egypt by Moses.

3:17 But with whom was he grieved forty years? was it not with them that had sinned, whose carcases fell in the wilderness?

3:18 And to whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest, but to them that believed not?

3:19 So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.

3:12
Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.

Take heed, brethren- the quotation from Psalm 95 ends in verse 12, and the line of thought is now resumed from verse 6. We should not assume that by calling them brethren he is reckoning them to all be believers. The common mode of address in the synagogue was “Men brethren”, the common interest in God’s dealings with Israel being that which made them into a brotherhood, see Acts 7;2; 13:26,38; 22:1.
Lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief- a heart of unbelief is always evil, which word means “causing grief or pain”. Hence God speaks of being grieved forty years by their manifest unbelief. Any one of the nation could be in danger of this; simply being of Israel did not make them immune. It was one of the twelve apostles that betrayed Christ, and thereby showed himself to be an apostate.
In departing from the living God- the word for departing here means to apostatise, to deliberately go away from the stand one has taken with regard to the truth. In the parable of the sower, those whose hearts were like the rocky ground, where the seed could not take deep root, “for a while believe, but in time of temptation fall away”, Luke 8:13. So there is such a thing as temporary faith, where a form of belief is exercised, but which does not take serious note of the consequences. The apostle Paul calls this believing in vain, 1 Corinthians 15:2.
Those who departed from the living God were those who did not share the life of God, which is eternal life. No wonder we read their carcases fell in the wilderness, for they were dead while they lived, (for men’s bodies are normally only called carcases after they have died).

3:13
But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.

But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day- daily exhortation is encouraged by the fact that every day is an opportunity to hear the word of God, for the Son constantly brings it to us. It was those who spoke often to one another in Malachi’s day who were precious to the Lord, Malachi 3:16,17.
Lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin- sin committed because the word of God is not obeyed, will result in a hardening of the heart. Sin has the ability to deceive us into thinking that it knows the best policy. We see this in the fact that many in Israel preferred Egypt to Canaan.

3:14
For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast unto the end;

For we are made partakers of Christ- literally “we have become companions of Christ”, so the deed is done. The word partaker is translated “fellows” in 1:9, and partakers in verses 1 and 14 of this chapter. The idea is of those who have a close association with another, so that they share in his affairs. This is a high position to be in, but high privileges bring great responsibilities.
If we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast unto the end- the beginning of the confidence in Christ is the initial, fervent faith in Him they showed at conversion. A continuance in that attitude is a sure sign of genuineness, and is the opposite of the “departing” of verse 12. It is not a question of continuing so as to be saved, but continuing because we are saved.

3:15
While it is said, To day if ye will hear His voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation.
3:16
For some, when they had heard, did provoke: howbeit not all that came out of Egypt by Moses.

While it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice- having spoken of the whole of the pilgrim journey from initial faith to the end of the journey, the writer now reminds us that we must respond to Christ on a day to day basis. We cannot maintain our walk as companions with Christ if we neglect His word day after day.
Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation- the psalmist had mentioned provocation because it was the name given to the place in the wilderness where the people murmured against God and Moses, and He provided them water, Exodus 17:7; Numbers 20:13. See notes on verse 9.
For some, when they had heard, did provoke: howbeit not all that came out of Egypt by Moses- so the nation is divided into those who provoke God by their unbelief and murmuring, and those who respond to His word. Those under twenty years old when they came out of Egypt, (for that was the minimum age to be included in the census, Numbers 1:3), were spared. See Numbers 26:63-65.

3:17
But with whom was he grieved forty years? was it not with them that had sinned, whose carcases fell in the wilderness?

But with whom was he grieved forty years? The attitude of heart at the beginning, at Massah, was found at the end, again at Massah; they were unchanged, despite having seen God’s providential and sustaining works for forty years.
Was it not with them that had sinned, whose carcases fell in the wilderness? So God was justified for banning them from the land, for they showed themselves to be sinners for forty long years. As those who were spiritually dead, it was as if they were dead while they lived, hence their bodies are called carcases before they were put in the grave. This is why there needed to be the provision in Numbers 19, (Numbers is the wilderness book), if a bone or a grave were touched, for the wilderness became a graveyard.

3:18
And to whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest, but to them that believed not?
3:19
So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.

Only two men over the age of fifty-eight entered the land of promise, Caleb and Joshua, the two faithful spies. Despite the evidence of the fruitfulness of the land, and despite the encouragements Caleb and Joshua gave to the people as they preached the gospel of good things ahead, 4:2, the people were marked by unbelief. This unbelief takes the form of disobedience, such is the word used, so we are back yet again to the question of obeying the word of God as it comes to us. Thus ends a sad section where the emphasis has been on those who did not enter in. Chapter 4 will concentrate more on those who did, and the reasons why they did.

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NOTES ON 1 CORINTHIANS CHAPTER 3

FOUR JUDGEMENT DAYS

1 CORINTHIANS CHAPTER 1

HEBREWS 3