1 Corinthians 3

Chap. III. Ver. 1—23. The Corinthians again reproved for their internal divisions and party spirit, and exhorted to ‘Christian union.—Co-operation in the cause of Christ implies a maturity of strength and wisdom; and the want of it, weakness both in grace and knowledge. The apostle illustrates this by two distinct similes. In the first, the church is compared to a garden, or rather a vineyard, in which ministers of different rank and talents, are employed to plant and water the young vines: Paul had planted, and Apollos watered; but he is anxious to impress upon their minds, that God alone had given, or could give, the increase. So it is in nature: planting and watering are the work of man; but rain, and air, and sunshine, come alone from God.

Nevertheless the labourer shall not go without his hire; for every man who works in God’s vineyard shall be rewarded “according to his own labour,” whatever that may be. God’s rewards, however, are not of merit, but of grace; they shall be apportioned to our labours, but in no case can we have any claim, but from his gracious promises. From this and similar passages, the late Mr. Fudler forcibly and ingeniously argues, a variety of rewards to God’s faithful labourers, in proportion to their exertions. And this, indeed, is none other doctrine than what is advanced in the parables of our Lord himself. (See (Matthew 19:28-29). (Luke 19:16-19, 24), &c.) and Fuller’s Essay on the Diversity of Future Rewards.

In the other similitude, the Christian church is compared to a temple, of which Christ is the great foundation stone, or rock, on which believers are individually laid, as living stones, till the whole forms one living temple.

Some of these stones were so highly embellished with Christian graces, that they might be compared to precious stones, or stones ornamented with the precious metals. Such were the materials which Paul and his coadjutors collected for this work; but others, in which he evidently alludes to the false teachers, his opponents, who, though they might adopt the same foundation, were far less choice in their materials, and collected “wood, hay, or stubble;” that is, materials of a far inferior kind. These represent professors of an unworthy character, who may be drawn into the church of Christ, by relaxing its discipline, or debasing its doctrines, so as to render them more palatable to corrupt nature: by these means a man’s congregation may be enlarged, and he may flatter himself with great success, and a rich reward; but there is a fire which will try his works; and the materials of which it is formed will not stand that fire, he may himself be saved by escaping (as it were) through the flames, but can expect no reward for collecting such unworthy materials to build up the church of God. An important question here arises—What may be intended by this fire?

The church of Rome explains it of the fire of purgatory, which they suppose to be kept burning from the time of the fall to the day of judgment; but of that fire we know nothing from the Scriptures; nor is it (according to their doctrine) to try our work, but our persons. Protestant commentators apply this generally to the day of judgment, and to the conflagration of the world: and that great day will certainly discover and destroy every species of hypocrisy, when many, it is to be feared, shall escape with difficulty, as through the flames of a burning habitation. There is another fire, however, even that of persecution, which we think comports better with the context, and with the apostle’s argument.

Converts hastily collected, and without a proper discrimination of character, will seldom stand this “fiery trial,” as St. Peter calls it, (1 Epis. iv. 12, 13,) but will be scattered by the tempest of persecution, like the leaves in autumn. The apostle again reminds the Corinthian believers, that they were the temple of God, and consecrated to his service; if any man, therefore, should defile or destroy that temple, he must expect from the indwelling Deity a punishment answerable to his offence. The destruction here referred to is defilement, which makes it unfit for the residence of a holy God, and therefore destroys it as a temple. The destruction here threatened to such men, is the loss of their labour and reward; notwithstanding which, if they possess integrity of heart, they themselves may be saved, as St.

Paul here states it, though with difficulty and loss. From what here follows, it should seem that the false teachers, above referred to, affected an extraordinary degree of learning and science, Pagan or Rabbinical; either of which, when not according with the simplicity of the Scriptures, would have a tendency to corrupt the church of God: for as the wisdom of God was foolishness with man, so is “the wisdom of this world foolishness with God.” Nor is there any occasion for Christians to contend relative to the talents or labours of their preachers, since by having an interest in Christ, they had an interest in the Divine Being himself, in all his servants, and in the whole creation.

That is, as he had before expressed himself in his Epistle to the Romans, “All things work together for their good;” and nothing can ever separate them from his love. ((Romans 8:38-39).) “Always supposing (says Dr. Watts) that the Christian maintains his character, and acts in his station becoming the dignity of his holy and heavenly calling.” “All things are ours”—the gift of God And purchas’d with our Saviour’s blood * While his good Spirit shows us how To use, and to enjoy them too.”— Watts.

Chap. IV. Ver. 1—21. Ministers stewards of God’s house, and accountable to him for the employment of their talents.—Paul having assured the Corinthians, that among the “all things” which were theirs, himself and brethren must be reckoned; here directs them in what light they were to be considered, namely, as “the servants of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God:”

these they were to dispense, as they found them in the gospel, with the utmost fidelity and impartiality, seeing they must render an account to God, when they shall be called to appear before him. St. Paul then adds, that in naming his beloved brethren, Peter and Apollos only, instead of many others, that he wished his beloved Corinthians to compare their lives and labours with those of others, who had opposed him. They, indeed, had abounded in fair speeches, and boasted of their ministerial talents, not considering, whatever talents a possessed, they had nothing but what they had received; and studiously avoiding the pain and stigma of the cross, they lived in ease and affluence and honour, while he and his brethren were like those unhappy gladiators, who were brought into the theatre with no prospect short of certain death. To comprehend this allusion, we must understand that it refers to a custom among the Romans, of bringing forth those persons into the theatre, on the after part of the day, either to fight with each other, or with wild beasts, who were appointed to certain death, and had not that poor chance of escaping, which those brought forth in the morning had. Such kind of spectacles were so common in all the provinces, that it is no wonder we should find such an allusion here.” The terms “set forth,” or exhibited, and “a spectacle,” (Gr. theatron,) meaning a theatrical spectacle, have in this case a beautiful propriety; and men and angels are represented as the surrounding spectators.

See Doddridge. “We are fools,” he adds, “for Christ’s sake;” i.e. exhibited to the world as such: but “ye are wise in your Christian profession, and strong, and honourable;” that is, so esteemed by men. What is added, of hunger, thirst, and nakedness, was doubtless often literally true of the apostles, as well as of the ancient patriarchs. ((Hebrews 11:37).) Very strong is the expression afterwards used, when Paul speaks of himself and brethren as esteemed the filth of the world, and the offscouring of all things”—alluding to those wretches who were offered by the heathen as participial sacrifices to their gods, on which every reproach was heaped, even as the sins of Israel were laid upon the head of their expiatory sacrifices. In the close of this chapter, the apostle mentions his sending Timothy with this Epistle, and mentions his expectation of shortly coming himself, clothed with apostolic powers, that is, with the power of working miracles; and then would he call upon his boasting opponents to show the like authority; lest by persisting in their opposition, they should draw down upon themselves the like judgments that had befallen Ananias and Sapphira, Elymas the sorcerer, and others.

(See (Acts 5:5-10); xiii. 10, 11. (1 Timothy 1:20).) He wishes, however, to avoid this. The incestuous person is cause rather of shame unto them, than of rejoicing. (2 Jn. 10.) The Corinthians must not vex their brethren, in going to law with them; especially the ecclesiastical body.—By the severe reproof with which this chapter commences, it should seem to have been a common practice with the Corinthian Christians to appeal to the Pagan tribunals, on matters of complaint against each other, on the pretence that themselves were not qualified to judge each other. But the apostle spurns at this, under the idea that they shall be honoured to judge angels, and consequently be qualified thereto. What is meant, however, by saints judging angels and the world, is a matter of much controversy, and we can form but very inadequate ideas of that august scene till we behold it.

How far angels, perfect or fallen, may be made the subjects of a general judgment, is not for us to say; nor is it necessary for us to ascertain what part saints or apostles may sustain in this awful scene. It is enough for us to know that Christ will be the supreme Judge, and that the companions of his passion shall participate in all his glory. The advice which follows, rather to suffer wrong, in many cases, than to go to law, is the same that our Lord gave to his disciples, in (Matthew 5:39-42); and is, indeed, no less applicable to us in the present age, when immense sums are annually thrown away in unnecessary litigations, where the best that can be expected often is, that both parties will be losers; and when this happens, as it sometimes does, among professing Christians, it shows an equal deficiency of religion and of good sense: but it is to be feared that many now, as in St.

Paul’s time, go to law, not so much to procure justice for themselves, as to defraud their brethren: these, however, are classed by the apostle with the vilest of mankind. “Such (he adds) were some of you;” but he now hopes better things of them: “Ye are washed, ye are sanctified, ye are justified.” These are the saints of which he speaks, (verse 2,) who shall judge the world, and even angels; and yet these are the men whom the world despise and ridicule: but, despised as they may be, the Lord Almighty says, they are “the excellent in whom all his delight is” ((Psalms 16:3).) In verse 12, the apostle adverts to another subject, and one certainly of no small interest. “All things (says he) are lawful unto me;” that is, all things that are lawful to others are so to me; and he then instances, in two particulars: 1.

In respect of meats—a variety and choice of food was as lawful to him as to others; and, 2. With respect to living with the other sex, as he says in (1 Corinthians 9:5), “Have we not power (or right) to lead about a sister, a wife, as well as other apostles?” Certainly he had; but he denied himself all the indulgences of the table and a married life, because they were inconsistent with that laborious course to which he had devoted himself, for the extensive propagation of the gospel. “All things,” in both these respects, were as lawful to him as to others; but they were “not expedient;” i.e. they did not accord with his plans of devotedness to Christ, as an apostle. “Meats for the belly, and the belly for meats,”

says he; but these are all earthly things, and “God shall destroy both it and them” in the course of nature, though the body shall be raised again at the last day. But in the latter part of the verse he does not say, “The body is for fornication,” &c. but, on the contrary, “The body is not for fornication, but for the Lord.” Adverting, then, to the original law on which marriage is founded, ((Genesis 2:24),) he says, “Know ye not that your bodies are members of Christ? shall I then (adds he) take the members of Christ, and make them the members of a harlot? God forbid.” This brings the subject home, then, to the case of the incestuous Corinthian, (see (1 Corinthians 5:1),) who, supposing him to be what he professed to be, had, in his own person, united a member of Christ with an incestuous harlot.

He then concludes this part of the subject with an important precept—“Flee fornication;” that is, not only avoid it, but flee from it, as from the face of a serpent, or the approach of an overwhelming deluge. As Solomon says, emphatically, of the “path of the wicked” generally—“Avoid it; pass not by it; turn from it, (Marg. keep aloof of it,) and pass away:” and this precept is enforced by two arguments: 1. Your bodies are the temples of the Holy Ghost, and to defile them with a harlot is sacrilege—than which no crime was held in greater abhorrence by the heathen. 2. “You are bought with a price; namely, that of the precious blood of Christ; your body and spirit are therefore both God’s, and ought to be consecrated to his service.

Notes on the verses

Some of the former seem to have acted from wilful malice, ((Matthew 12:24-32), (John 15:22-24);) but the greater part, probably, acted through ignorance. ((Acts 3:17); xiii. 27.) Ver. 9. Eye hath not seen.—This passage is not taken from the LXX. nor is an exact translation of the Hebrew; but it gives the general sense.—B. Ver. 14. The natural man.—Doddridge and Macknight, “The animal man;” but the same term is rendered sensual, (James 3:10). Jude ver. 19. The exact idea of the apostle appears to us to be, that of a man governed merely by animal passions and instincts. Ver. 15. He that is spiritual judgeth.—The spiritual man understands the twofold state of human nature, before and after conversion; but the natural or carnal man can understand neither.

Chap. III. Ver. 1. As unto carnal.—Not absolutely so, but in great measure: weak in the faith, and “babes in Christ.” See (Romans 7:14). Ver. 2. With milk—That is, with the simplest truths of Christianity, not with deeper mysteries. Ver. 8. Divisions.—Doddridge, “factions.” A different word from chap. i. 10. Ver. 8. ‘Are one’—i.e. equal; of the same rank; or, as he explains it in the next verse, fellow-labourers. Ver. 9. Labourers together with God.—Doddridge, “Fellow-labourers of God”—that is, “belonging to him.”—Macknight. Ver. 10. As wise master-builder—i.e. as a judicious architect. Ver. 15. So as by fire.—Doddridge and Macknight, “So as through the (or a) fire.” Compare (Psalms 66:12). (Amos 4:4). (Zechariah 3:2). Jude ver. 23. Ver. 17. Defile…. destroy.—The same words in the original. Ver. 21. Let no man glory in men.—Compare (1 Corinthians 1:31).