01

 

I Corinthians

Chapter 3 (continued)
[Paul continues with "Builder Analogy"]
10a~~According to the standard of [kata]
the grace from the source of God
  [charis Theos]
which is given me - to my advantage -
  [ho didomi (aorist passive participle) moi]
as the wise master builder,
  [hos sophia architekton - Paul founded the church
  and was the human 'architect']
I have laid the foundation with results that last forever.
  [tithemi (perfect active indicative) themelios]

10b~~Howbeit/Morever [de]
another of the same kind [allos - meaning Apollos]
"built on".
  [epoikodomeo (present active indicative)]

10c~~Howbeit/Moreover [de],
every one . . . watch/beware
  [hekastos blepo (present active imperative - an order)]
how/"in what way" [hos]
you build on. [epoikodomeo (present active indicative)]

[Note: This is a warning to the Corinthians and their teachers who are not doing a very good job of being teachers or students of the Word right now. Apollos resigned as pastor of this church. Timothy was told to "take a little wine" to settle his nerves ("for his stomach's sake). This was difficult parish!]

11~~ For [gar]
another of the same kind of [alla]
foundation [themelios]
"does any one himself absolutely not have the power to"
 [dunamai (present middle indicative) oudeis]
lay [tithemi (aorist active indicative)]
than that receiving laying . . .
  [para keimai (present middle/passive participle)]
which is Jesus Christ.
  [hos eimi Iesous Christos]

[Note: This is an idiom meaning there is only one foundation on which you may build your Christian service - the doctrines of the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus (and His Thinking) is the Foundation Stone and the Rock of Ages.]

[God's Production Through Believer In Fellowship]
12~~Howbeit/Moreover [de]
if any one [ei tis]
builds [epoikodomeo (present active indicative)]
upon this foundation: [epi touton themelios]
gold [chrusos - usually represents deity],
silver [arguros - maybe representing redemption],
precious/"of great value" "building stones"
  [timios lithos - maybe representing the "fruit of the Spirit"].

[Note: These valuable earthly items represent all that God will reward the believer for allowing God to produce Divine Good through themselves - gold, silver and precious metals. This is both for time (while we remain alive) and eternity future.]

[Believer's "Works" Produced Outside the Energy of the Spirit]
12b~~Wood [xulon]
  [represents the "work powered by human viewpoint thinking]
hay [chortos]
  [energy for horses - represents energy of the flesh],
stubble [kalame]
  [the stalk left after the ears are cut off - this is the most
  combustible of the three categories mentioned here. This one
  appears to represent what "man" thinks is "good". It is
  that which is called by God "human righteousnesses" and
  are as menstrual rags in His eyes.]

[Note: These are the combustible "corruptible" items of the earth. They represent anything good or bad produced by any human outside the free will motivation of allowing God to work through you. And, you must be in fellowship for God the Holy Spirit to "work" through you. In all other cases, they are "wood, hay and stubble" and will not go to heaven. They will be burned away in the Baptism of Fire (next verse).]

13a~~Every one's [hekastos]
work/production [ergon]
  [ergon - if powered by the Spirit - "Divine Good Production"
  if powered by the flesh - "creature works"]
shall make itself what it was not before . . .
  [ginomai - future middle indicative]
obvious/manifest/"plainly recognized for what it is". [phaneros]

13b~~For [gar]
the day/"time between sunrise and sunset" [hemera]
shall "declare it"/"make it manifest", [deloo - future active indicative]
because [hoti]
it shall receive revealing [apokalupto - future passive indicative]
in/by/with [en] fire.
  [Baptism of Fire - things "of the earth" are corruptible and will be
  burned away. Only Divine things (Viewpoint in the Soul and Divine
  Blessings) will go with believers into heaven.]

13c~~And, [kai]
in/by/with [en ] fire
shall test/"prove its value"
  [dokimazo (future active indicative) - assessor's term meaning
  to look at mined ore and determine what is "gold" and what is dirt
  type thing]
every one's work [hekastos ergon]
of what quality it is. [hopoios eimi]

[Note: The "day" here is each human's judgment day. From the following verses, we know that Paul is really only addressing believers in this chapter.

For believers in Christ, this will be during the Tribulation on Earth. We will be evaluated and our faithfulness in allowing God to work through us will be rewarded. Divine Good Production of the Spirit ("gold, silver and precious stones" from above) shall go through our version of the Baptism of fire. But our "human works" are corruptible things (our wood, hay, and stubble) and they will be burned away.

Now as a sidenote, for unbelievers, their "day" is the Great White Throne Judgment Day. And, if you look, you will see that sins are not mentioned. Instead, the "book of works" is opened (Revelation 20:12). They will attempt to "earn" their way into heaven. Only Jesus met that standard. Everyone else were sinners and fell short of the glory of God. The rejected the Work of Jesus Christ for their salvation and stood on their own righteousnesses. They all will be tossed into the Lake of Fire.  All the works of their flesh ("wood, hay, and stubble") shall burn away.]

14~~ If any one's "human work"/"Divine Good Production"
  [ei tis ergon]
"does not depart"/"stands up"/abides
  [meno (present active indicative) - in context "to prove worthy"]
which he has built thereupon . . .
  [hos epoikodomeo (aorist active indicative)]
he shall receive to himself
  [lambano (future middle indicative)]
a reward. [misthos]

[Note: We know that no human work will survive the Baptism of Fire so this verse is discussing the Divine Good that a believer allows God to produce through him. The credit is God's - it is His Thinking being applied under the filling of His Spirit! Still, He rewards faithfulness because He said He would! And, God is true to His Word!]

15a~~If any one's "human work"
  [ei tis ergon - only human work can be destroyed]
shall be burned,
  [katakaio - future passive indicative]
he shall suffer loss
  [zemioo (future passive indicative) - in context this is loss of
  the reward he would have received if this was Divine Good
  Production.]

[Note: From below, we see only believers are in view here. So this is the loss that a believer would face for doing things that would have been rewarded if done in fellowship and under the filling of God the Holy Spirit. Instead they did something (good or bad) under the power of the flesh and this brings no glory to God and is not rewarded.]

15b~~Howbeit [de]
he himself shall be saved.
  [autos sozo (future passive indicative)]

[Note: So here we find out that Paul is addressing this epistle to believers. No believer in Christ ever can lose his salvation. It is only rewards that will be "burned away". Unbelievers are NOT saved and will be tossed into the Lake of Fire.]

15c~~Howbeit [de]
so/"in this manner" [houto]
even as/like [hos]
through [dia] fire. [pur]

16a~~Do you absolutely not know with permanent results
  [eido (perfect active indicative) ouk]
that you keep on being [hoti eimi]
the "sacred areas in the temple" of God [naos Theos]?

[Note: Naos Theos - naos is very specific - only the very sacred sections of the temple in Jerusalem - the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies.]

16b~~And [kai]
the Spirit of God [pneuma Theos]
"dwells in" [oikeo -present active indicative]
in/by/with [en] you?

[Note: Prior to when Jesus said the Father would send His Spirit not many days hence, believers were not said to be indwelled by God the Holy Spirit. It is a privilege reserved for those in union with the Son via our faith in Christ. We know this from Acts 19 - where we see that even followers of John the Baptist had not received the filling of the Spirit until they believed in Christ AFTER the cross.]

{False teaching - first reason why the Corinthians had failed at this point in time}
17a~~ If any one [ei tis]
corrupts/destroys/"leads away a Christian church from that state of
  knowledge and holiness in which it ought to abide" [phtheiro]
the "sacred areas in the temple" of God [naos Theos] . . .
him
  [touton - the only leading the believers away from the
  doctrines of Jesus]
shall God "destroy". [phtheiro]

[Note: If a teacher "phtheiros" a believer, God will "phtheiro" the teacher!]

17b~~For [gar]
the "sacred area in the temple" of God [naos Theos]
is holy/sacred/"separated to God" [hagios] . . .

17c~~Which . . . ["sacred area in the temple" of God] [hostis]
you keep on being. [humeis eimi]

[Note: A believer who is a false teacher is disciplined in time and, from above, we see he is not allowing God to produce Divine Good through him so he has loss of reward.]

{Human viewpoint - Second Reason Why The Corinthians Failed}
18a~~No one deceive himself!
  [medeis exapatao (persent active imperative) heautou]

18b~~If any one [ei tis]
in/by/with/among [en]
you [humin]
seems/"is of the opinion" [dokeo (present active indicative)]
to be wise in this age {human viewpoint thinking},
  [eimi sophia en touto aion]
become/"make himself" what he was not before . . .
  [ginomai (aorist middle imperative - an order)]
a fool [moros]
for the purpose that [hina]
he might become/"make himself" what he was not before
  [ginomai - aorist middle subjunctive]
wise. [sophia - the Divine Viewpoint Thinking/Wisdom form of it]

[Note: In Paul's satire, spiritual things are foolishness to unbelievers and baby believers operating on human viewpoint. "To become a fool" would be to become spiritual and that is just pure foolishness according to the standard of human viewpoint.]

19a~~For [gar]
the "human viewpoint thinking/wisdom" [sophia]
of this world [toutou kosmos]
is ridiculous/foolishness [moria]
with God. [para Theos]

19b~~For it received writing in the past with permanent results
  [grapho - perfect passive indicative] {Job 5:13},
"He {God} takes/"receives in His hands"
  [drassomai - present passive indicative]
the "human viewpoint thinkers"/wise [sophia]
in/by/with [en]
their own craftiness/"pseudo-wisdom". [autos panourgia]

[Note: This means that God uses their "great intellect and deeds" to advance His Plan. He outwits them and it is no contest!]

20~~ And again [kai palin]{Psalm 94:11},
"The Lord knows from experience or study
  [kurios ginosko (present active indicative)]
the thoughts/"inward reasoning" [dialogismos]
of the "human viewpoint thinkers"/wise, [sophia]
that [hoti]
they are vain/empty/"devoid of Truth". [eimi mataios]

21a~~Therefore/"so then" [hoste]
no one "glory on account of a thing or person"
  [medeis kauchaomai]
in/by/with/among [en] men. [anthropos]

21b~~For all/"all things' [gar pas]
keep on being yours. [eimi humon]

22~~ Whether if of Paul [eite Paulos] . . .
whether if of Apollos [eite Apollos] . . .
whether if of Cephas {Peter} [eite Kephas] . . .
whether if of the world [eite kosmos] . . .
whether if "of living your way of life" . . . [eite zoe]
whether if "of physically dead" . . . [eite thanatos]
whether if "of things presenting with permanent results" . . .
  [eite enistemi (perfect active participle)]
whether if "of things coming (about to be)" . . .
  [eite mello (present active participle)]
all/"all things" keeps on being yours. [pas eimi humon]

[Note: If we are going to understand God's viewpoint on all the categories of things which we will experience, we have to study and understand Bible doctrine. It does not matter who baptized whom. Or, as more in this context, who is your specific pastor-teacher.]

23a~~Moreover/Howbeit you all . . .
  [de humeis - plural - all believers in Christ in the Church Age
  belong to Him]
[are] Christ's. [Christos]

23b~~Moreover/Howbeit Christ . . . [de Christos]
[is] God's. [Theos]

[Note: As a believer in Christ in the Church Age, you belong to Christ! And, Christ is God's. We are Royal Family of God.]

**************************************************

Joshua_Sozo™ and Syndein ™ are the Trademarks of Syndein a California DBA of Kenneth Sidley & Associates, Inc., a California Corporation. All rights reserved.

Copyright© Syndein 1982-2010. All rights reserved.

This page is sponsored by Kenneth Sidley, CPA, an Orange County California CPA (949) 706-3133. Please call Ken for high quality, low cost CPA services in Orange County California. This includes audit, review, compilation, tax returns, Quickbooks, and business consulting services.

This page is sponsored by Moxxor For Pain Free Living. Moxxor is a highly concentrated Omega 3 product that has reduced inflammation in this writer. Please go to this website to read more about Moxxor.