3 For G1063 ye are G2075 yet G2089 carnal: G4559 for G1063 whereas G3699 there is among G1722 you G5213 envying, G2205 and G2532 strife, G2054 and G2532 divisions, G1370 are ye G2075 not G3780 carnal, G4559 and G2532 walk G4043 as G2596 men? G444
For G1063 G3303 first of all, G4412 when ye G5216 come together G4905 in G1722 the church, G1577 I hear G191 that there be G5225 divisions G4978 among G1722 you; G5213 and G2532 I partly G3313 believe G4100 it. G5100
For G1063 I fear, G5399 lest, G3381 G4458 when I come, G2064 I shall G2147 not G3756 find G2147 you G5209 such as G3634 I would, G2309 and that I G2504 shall be found G2147 unto you G5213 such as G3634 ye would G2309 not: G3756 lest G3381 G4458 there be debates, G2054 envyings, G2205 wraths, G2372 strifes, G2052 backbitings, G2636 whisperings, G5587 swellings, G5450 tumults: G181
But G1161 if G1487 ye bite G1143 and G2532 devour G2719 one another, G240 take heed G991 that ye be G355 not G3361 consumed G355 one G240 of G5259 another. G240
From whence G4159 come wars G4171 and G2532 fightings G3163 among G1722 you? G5213 come they not G3756 hence, G1782 even of G1537 your G5216 lusts G2237 that war G4754 in G1722 your G5216 members? G3196 Ye lust, G1937 and G2532 have G2192 not: G3756 ye kill, G5407 and G2532 desire to have, G2206 and G2532 cannot G3756 G1410 obtain: G2013 ye fight G3164 and G2532 war, G4170 yet G1161 ye have G2192 not, G3756 because G1223 ye G5209 ask G154 not. G3361
But they like men H120 have transgressed H5674 the covenant: H1285 there have they dealt treacherously H898 against me.
For G1063 from within, G2081 out of G1537 the heart G2588 of men, G444 proceed G1607 evil G2556 thoughts, G1261 adulteries, G3430 fornications, G4202 murders, G5408 Thefts, G2829 covetousness, G4124 wickedness, G4189 deceit, G1388 lasciviousness, G766 an evil G4190 eye, G3788 blasphemy, G988 pride, G5243 foolishness: G877
Dare G5111 any G5100 of you, G5216 having G2192 a matter G4229 against G4314 another, G2087 go to law G2919 before G1909 the unjust, G94 and G2532 not G3780 before G1909 the saints? G40 Do ye G1492 not G3756 know G1492 that G3754 the saints G40 shall judge G2919 the world? G2889 and G2532 if G1487 the world G2889 shall be judged G2919 by G1722 you, G5213 are ye G2075 unworthy G370 to judge G2922 the smallest matters? G1646 Know ye G1492 not G3756 that G3754 we shall judge G2919 angels? G32 how much more G3386 G1065 things that pertain to this life? G982 If G1437 then G3303 G3767 ye have G2192 judgments G2922 of things pertaining to this life, G982 set G2523 them G5128 to judge who are least esteemed G1848 in G1722 the church. G1577 I speak G3004 to your G5213 shame. G4314 G1791 Is it so, G3779 that there G2076 is not G3756 a wise man G4680 among G1722 you? G5213 no, not G3761 one G1520 that G3739 shall be able G1410 to judge G1252 between G303 G3319 his G846 brethren? G80 But G235 brother G80 goeth to law G2919 with G3326 brother, G80 and G2532 that G5124 before G1909 the unbelievers. G571 Now G2235 therefore G3303 G3767 there is G2076 utterly G3654 a fault G2275 among G1722 you, G5213 because G3754 ye go G2192 to law G2917 one with G3326 another. G1438 Why G1302 do ye G91 not G3780 rather G3123 take wrong? G91 why G1302 do ye G650 not G3780 rather G3123 suffer yourselves to be defrauded? G650 Nay, G235 ye G5210 do wrong, G91 and G2532 defraud, G650 and G2532 that G5023 your brethren. G80
Now G1161 the works G2041 of the flesh G4561 are G2076 manifest, G5318 which G3748 are G2076 these; Adultery, G3430 fornication, G4202 uncleanness, G167 lasciviousness, G766 Idolatry, G1495 witchcraft, G5331 hatred, G2189 variance, G2054 emulations, G2205 wrath, G2372 strife, G2052 seditions, G1370 heresies, G139 Envyings, G5355 murders, G5408 drunkenness, G3178 revellings, G2970 and G2532 such G5125 like: G3664 of the which G3739 I tell G4302 you G5213 before, G4302 as G2531 I have G4277 also G2532 told you in time past, G4277 that G3754 they which do G4238 such things G5108 shall G2816 not G3756 inherit G2816 the kingdom G932 of God. G2316
Wherein G1722 G3739 in time past G4218 ye walked G4043 according to G2596 the course G165 of this G5127 world, G2889 according to G2596 the prince G758 of the power G1849 of the air, G109 the spirit G4151 that now G3568 worketh G1754 in G1722 the children G5207 of disobedience: G543 Among G1722 whom G3739 also G2532 we G2249 all G3956 had our conversation G390 in times past G4218 in G1722 the lusts G1939 of our G2257 flesh, G4561 fulfilling G4160 the desires G2307 of the flesh G4561 and G2532 of the mind; G1271 and G2532 were G2258 by nature G5449 the children G5043 of wrath, G3709 even G2532 as G5613 others. G3062
That ye G5209 put off G659 concerning G2596 the former G4387 conversation G391 the old G3820 man, G444 which G3588 is corrupt G5351 according G2596 to the deceitful G539 lusts; G1939 And G1161 be renewed G365 in the spirit G4151 of your G5216 mind; G3563 And G2532 that ye put on G1746 the new G2537 man, G444 which G3588 after G2596 God G2316 is created G2936 in G1722 righteousness G1343 and G2532 true G225 holiness. G3742
For G1063 we ourselves G2249 also G2532 were G2258 sometimes G4218 foolish, G453 disobedient, G545 deceived, G4105 serving G1398 divers G4164 lusts G1939 and G2532 pleasures, G2237 living G1236 in G1722 malice G2549 and G2532 envy, G5355 hateful, G4767 and hating G3404 one another. G240
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on 1 Corinthians 3
Commentary on 1 Corinthians 3 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 3
In this chapter the apostle,
1Cr 3:1-4
Here,
1Cr 3:5-10
Here the apostle instructs them how to cure this humour, and rectify what was amiss among them upon this head,
1Cr 3:11-15
Here the apostle informs us what foundation he had laid at the bottom of all his labours among them-even Jesus Christ, the chief corner-stone, Eph. 2:20. Upon this foundation all the faithful ministers of Christ build. Upon this rock all the Christians found their hopes. Those that build their hopes of heaven on any other foundation build upon the sand. Other foundation can no man lay besides what is laid-even Jesus Christ. Note, The doctrine of our Saviour and his mediation is the principal doctrine of Christianity. It lies at the bottom, and is the foundation, of all the rest. Leave out this, and you lay waste all our comforts, and leave no foundation for our hopes as sinners. It is in Christ only that God is reconciling a sinful world to himself, 2 Co. 5:19. But of those that hold the foundation, and embrace the general doctrine of Christ's being the mediator between God and man, there are two sorts:-
1Cr 3:16-17
Here the apostle resumes his argument and exhortation, founding it on his former allusion, You are God's building, v. 9, and here, Know you not that you are the temple of God, and the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile (corrupt and destroy) the temple of God, him shall God destroy (the same word is in the original in both clauses); for the temple of God is holy, which temple you are. It looks from other parts of the epistle, where the apostle argues to the very same purport (see ch. 6:13-20), as if the false teachers among the Corinthians were not only loose livers, but taught licentious doctrines, and what was particularly fitted to the taste of this lewd city, on the head of fornication. Such doctrine was not to be reckoned among hay and stubble, which would be consumed while the person who laid them on the foundation escaped the burning; for it tended to corrupt, to pollute, and destroy the church, which was a building erected for God, and consecrated to him, and therefore should be kept pure and holy. Those who spread principles of this sort would provoke God to destroy them. Note, Those who spread loose principles, that have a direct tendency to pollute the church of God, and render it unholy and unclean, are likely to bring destruction on themselves. It may be understood also as an argument against their discord and factious strifes, division being the way to destruction. But what I have been mentioning seems to be the proper meaning of the passage: Know you not that you are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? It may be understood of the church of Corinth collectively, or of every single believer among them; Christian churches are temples of God. He dwells among them by his Holy Spirit. They are built together for a habitation of God through the Spirit, Eph. 2:22. Every Christian is a living temple of the living God. God dwelt in the Jewish temple, took possession of it, and resided in it, by that glorious cloud that was the token of his presence with that people. So Christ by his Spirit dwells in all true believers. The temple was devoted and consecrated to God, and set apart from every common to a holy use, to the immediate service of God. So all Christians are separated from common uses, and set apart for God and his service. They are sacred to him-a very good argument this against all fleshly lusts, and all doctrines that give countenance to them. If we are the temples of God, we must do nothing that shall alienate ourselves from him, or corrupt and pollute ourselves, and thereby unfit ourselves for his use; and we must hearken to no doctrine nor doctor that would seduce us to any such practices. Note, Christians are holy by profession, and should be pure and clean both in heart and conversation. We should heartily abhor, and carefully avoid, what will defile God's temple, and prostitute what ought to be sacred to him.
1Cr 3:18-20
Here he prescribes humility, and a modest opinion of themselves, for the remedy of the irregularities in the church of Corinth, the divisions and contests among them: "Let no man deceive himself, v. 18. Do not be led away from the truth and simplicity of the gospel by pretenders to science and eloquence, by a show of deep learning, or a flourish of words, by rabbis, orators, or philosophers.' Note, We are in great danger of deceiving ourselves when we have too high an opinion of human wisdom and arts; plain and pure Christianity will be likely to be despised by those who can suit their doctrines to the corrupt taste of their hearers, and set them off with fine language, or support them with a show of deep and strong reasoning. But he who seems to be wise must become a fool that he may be wise. He must be sensible of his own ignorance, and lament it; he must distrust his own understanding, and not lean on it. To have a high opinion of our wisdom is but to flatter ourselves, and self-flattery is the very next step to self-deceit. The way to true wisdom is to sink our opinion of our own to a due level, and be willing to be taught of God. He must become a fool who would be truly and thoroughly wise. The person who resigns his own understanding, that he may follow the instruction of God, is in the way to true and everlasting wisdom. The meek will he guide in judgment, the meek will he teach his way, Ps. 25:9. He that has a low opinion of his own knowledge and powers will submit to better information; such a person may be informed and improved by revelation: but the proud man, conceited of his own wisdom and understanding, will undertake to correct even divine wisdom itself, and prefer his own shallow reasonings to the revelations of infallible truth and wisdom. Note, We must abase ourselves before God if we would be either truly wise or good: For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God, v. 19. The wisdom which worldly men esteem (policy, philosophy, oratory) is foolishness with God. It is so in a way of comparison with his wisdom. He chargeth his angels with folly (Job 4:18), and much more the wisest among the children of men. His understanding is infinite, Ps. 147:5. There can be no more comparison between his wisdom and ours than between his power and being and ours. There is no common measure by which to compare finite and infinite. And much more is the wisdom of man foolishness with God when set in competition with his. How justly does he despise, how easily can he baffle and confound it! He taketh the wise in their own craftiness (Job 5:13), he catches them in their own nets, and entangles them in their own snares: he turns their most studies, plausible, and promising schemes against themselves, and ruins them by their own contrivance. Nay, He knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain (v. 20), that they are vanity, Ps. 94:11. Note, God has a perfect knowledge of the thoughts of men, the deepest thoughts of the wisest men, their most secret counsels and purposes: nothing is hidden from him, but all things are naked and bare before him, Heb. 4:13. And he knows them to be vanity. The thoughts of the wisest men in the world have a great mixture of vanity, of weakness and folly, in them; and before God their wisest and best thoughts are very vanity, compared, I mean, with his thoughts of things. And should not all this teach us modesty, diffidence in ourselves, and a deference to the wisdom of God, make us thankful for his revelations, and willing to be taught of God, and not be led away by specious pretences to human wisdom and skill, from the simplicity of Christ, or a regard to his heavenly doctrine? Note, He who would be wise indeed must learn of God, and not set his own wisdom up in competition with God's.
1Cr 3:21-23
Here the apostle founds an exhortation against over-valuing their teachers on what he had just said, and on the consideration that they had an equal interest in all their ministers: Therefore let no man glory in men (v. 21)-forget that their ministers are men, or pay that deference to them that is due only to God, set them at the head of parties, have them in immoderate esteem and admiration, and servilely and implicitly follow their directions and submit to their dictates, and especially in contradiction to God and the truths taught by his Holy Spirit. Mankind are very apt to make the mercies of God cross their intentions. The ministry is a very useful and very gracious institution, and faithful ministers are a great blessing to any people; yet the folly and weakness of people may do much mischief by what is in itself a blessing. They may fall into factions, side with particular ministers, and set them at their head, glory in their leaders, and be carried by them they know not whither. The only way to avoid this mischief is to have a modest opinion of ourselves, a due sense of the common weakness of human understanding, and an entire deference to the wisdom of God speaking in his word. Ministers are not to be set up in competition with one another. All faithful ministers are serving one Lord and pursuing one purpose. They were appointed of Christ, for the common benefit of the church: "Paul, and Apollos, and Cephas, are all yours. One is not to be set up against another, but all are to be valued and used for your own spiritual benefit.' Upon this occasion also he gives in an inventory of the church's possessions, the spiritual riches of a true believer: "All is yours-ministers of all ranks, ordinary and extraordinary. Nay the world itself is yours.' Not that saints are proprietors of the world, but it stands for their sake, they have as much of it as Infinite Wisdom sees to be fit for them, and they have all they have with the divine blessing. "Life is yours, that you may have season and opportunity to prepare for the life of heaven; and death is yours, that you may go to the possession of it. It is the kind messenger that will fetch you to your Father's house. Things present are yours, for your support on the road; things to come are yours, to enrich and regale you for ever at your journey's end.' Note, If we belong to Christ, and are true to him, all good belongs to us, and is sure to us. All is ours, time and eternity, earth and heaven, life and death. We shall want no good thing, Ps. 84:11. But it must be remembered, at the same time, that we are Christ's, the subjects of his kingdom, his property. He is Lord over us, and we must own his dominion, and cheerfully submit to his command and yield themselves to his pleasure, if we would have all things minister to our advantage. All things are ours, upon no other ground than our being Christ's. Out of him we are without just title or claim to any thing that is good. Note, Those that would be safe for time, and happy to eternity, must be Christ's. And Christ is God's. He is the Christ of God, anointed of God, and commissioned by him, to bear the office of a Mediator, and to act therein for the purposes of his glory. Note, All things are the believer's, that Christ might have honour in his great undertaking, and God in all might have the glory. God in Christ reconciling a sinful world to himself, and shedding abroad the riches of his grace on a reconciled world, is the sum and substance of the gospel.