We’ve all given the Bible a double-take. Maybe for you, it was when you were breezing through a passage in the gospel and had to stop and re-read a section a few times wondering, “Did Jesus really say that?” Or maybe you had to scan back through a passage in Leviticus because it made no sense to you.
The Bible has sticky sections. And, while it’s tempting to skim over those passages, it’s better for us, in the long run, to wrestle with the difficult questions instead of brushing them aside.
We’re going to see that 1 Corinthians has a lot of sticky sections. Sometimes we’ll pause from our study to investigate what they mean, and sometimes not. Today we’re going to look at two parts of chapter 3 that we often misunderstand or don’t understand at all.
Grab your Bible and open up to 1 Corinthians 3:10-17
10Because of God’s grace to me, I have laid the foundation like an expert builder. Now others are building on it. But whoever is building on this foundation must be very careful. 11For no one can lay any foundation other than the one we already have—Jesus Christ. 12Anyone who builds on that foundation may use a variety of materials—gold, silver, jewels, wood, hay, or straw. 13But on the judgment day, fire will reveal what kind of work each builder has done. The fire will show if a person’s work has any value. 14If the work survives, that builder will receive a reward. 15But if the work is burned up, the builder will suffer great loss. The builder will be saved, but like someone barely escaping through a wall of flames. 16Don’t you realize that all of you together are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God lives in you? 17God will destroy anyone who destroys this temple. For God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple.
What specific kind of “work” is Paul talking about in verses 12–15?
Who’s Paul talking about in verses 16–17?
Now, a lot of times we read verses 12–15 as applying to every believer and start freaking out. Will we barely make it through the fire? But that’s not really what Paul’s getting at.
He’s focused on church leaders—those who help God’s people grow. In verses 5–9, Paul explains that, while church leaders play an important role, God’s the one who brings the growth to the church.
So if you’re a leader in your church, take this passage seriously. But if not, don’t stress about what will or won’t make it through the fire. That’s not your concern.
That brings us to the next set of verses. We often read verses 16–17 as being about us as individuals. But they aren’t. The Greek pronouns in these verses are plural, meaning Paul’s talking about all Christians. We, collectively, make up God’s temple. What Paul’s saying here is a big deal. God’s presence isn’t confined to a single place or a single person. He’s with all of us—all of his people. We’re a part of something bigger than ourselves.
So how should that truth change how we live?
Spend some time thinking about your local church. How likely are you to sacrifice time to serve people from your church?
And then take a moment to think about your day. What could you do to remind someone in RP that they’re not alone—maybe through a phone call, a meal, or a note? (And if you eat together, don’t forget to post a selfie with #rp102tables 🙂
Text your response to the above prompting questions to your group and/or share it as a comment below
I think in today’s world everyone thinks they are on their own or that the only way to get through life is going alone and grinding it out. But God gave us community and he left us be apart of the body and the body can’t function without everything. This just shows that life shouldn’t be done alone and that we need to do life with others if we want our life on earth to be more bearable. I think some things that can be done to let someone you are there for them as a brother or sister in Christ is setting up days to talk, get lunch, or even sometimes doing something unexpected for them. This shows that they are on your mind and you are thinking of them.
I try to serve people at my church as much as possible. I try not to look at it necessarily as a sacrifice because I think sometimes we can become disheartened when we feel that the people we serve do not appreciate our sacrifice. I’ve always tried to instead focus on the gratitude of being able to serve others because Christ served us first. Even then, when our service is overlooked or not acknowledged, it can be difficult to continue serving but I know that Christ’s sacrifice was definitely overlooked by many so I am always motivated by Jesus’ example to serve irrespective of what I may think.