1 Corinthians 3

1 Corinthians 3 begins with Paul scolding the church.  “But I, brothers, could not address you as spiritual people, but as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ”.  The folks were not living as Christ Followers, but rather as infants that were consumed by the flesh.  They were focused on self, not serving Jesus.  So Paul tells them “I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for it”.  Sort of a disappointment isn’t it.  They were not growing in their walk because they were focused on things that were not of God at all.  Paul describes their situation this way: “there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not of the flesh”?  When people get focused on what others have and want it themselves, or are always trying to create strife and destroy relationships – they are not mature enough to take in and understand God’s truth.  So Paul does not give them more – he teaches them about what the process for growth should look like.

He begins by making it clear that the process of coming to know Jesus is not done by one person nor is it the responsibility of any single person.  It is often teamwork that brings someone to faith.  “I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth”.  We sometimes get focused on wanting to take someone to Jesus all by ourselves.  We want to be the one who leads another to the Cross.  But Paul writes that “only God….gives the growth”.  He alone can draw people to Himself.  He alone can use us as His vessel.  “no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ”.  Our role is to be available to follow God’s lead and be part of God’s process.  We are His chosen tools to lead people to Jesus.  Are you part of walking across the room, or sharing your faith as God opens the door?

Paul closes the chapter reminding us that how we live and take care of our body matters.  “Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you……God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple”.  How do you treat yourself?  Are you living like this – the reality that the Holy Spirit dwells in you and you are responsible to take care of your body to provide a temple?  We have to be intentional about that.  Life is serious business – how we live matters!