1 CORINTHIANS 3:10-23 - WEEK 1 - A REASON FOR UNITY

WEEK 1 - A REASON FOR UNITY

Friday

1 CORINTHIANS 3:10-23

5 What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, as the Lord assigned to each. 6 I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. 7 So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. 8 He who plants and he who waters are one, and each will receive his wages according to his labor. 9 For we are God’s fellow workers. You are God’s field, God’s building.10 According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled [or wise] master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building upon it. Let each one take care how he builds upon it. 11 For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw— 13 each one’s work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. 14 If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. 15 If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire. 16 Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you? 17 If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him. For God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple.18 Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you thinks that he is wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise. 19 For the wisdom of this world is folly with God. For it is written, “He catches the wise in their craftiness,” 20 and again, “The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile.” 21 So let no one boast in men. For all things are yours, 22 whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future—all are yours, 23 and you are Christ’s, and Christ is God’s.

GOD’S BUILDING PROJECT

When other people make a difference in our lives, it is easy to get our focus in the wrong place. While it is good to be thankful for the people who God uses, it’s important to realize that everything good we receive ultimately comes from Him – and is for Him. We can benefit from the unique gifts and strengths of various other people, if we receive what they bring as coming from God, and use what we receive to honor Him. As we do this, we are built up into a community that brings God’s character into the world around us. He cares deeply about this building project, and expects us to approach it the same way.

QUESTIONS

Who are the leaders, family members and friends who pursued you and influenced you in your early days as a follower of Jesus?

According to this passage, how should you view them?

The “you” in verses 16 and 17 is plural, not singular. And the building being described in verses 10-15 is not an individual life, but the church (as the context in the preceding and following verses describes). Does this surprise you? What are the implications of this?

What’s one opportunity you have today to plant a seed or help someone else’s faith grow?

The end of this chapter says that “all things are yours... and you are Christ’s, and Christ is God’s.” Speak and/or write a prayer thanking God for the abundance of the gifts He has given us, and acknowledging that everything we have – and everything in creation – is His, and is for Him.

Robert Zima