PRAY: Lord Jesus, help me to grow in grace so that by the grace you have given me your work may be accomplished in the lives of the people around me.
READ: 1 Corinthians 3:10–17
MEDITATE:
What Paul does, he does by the grace of God in Jesus Christ. Paul has been working. Paul uses the metaphor of the construction of a building. He has, by the Holy Spirit’s direction and empowerment, brought them a foundation, Jesus Christ himself. He was, and now others are, at work in Corinth building upon what he has done in bringing the gospel to that important city.
But there is a problem with how the discipling and building up of the Corinthian church is proceeding. People are building on top of what Paul has done with questionable materials—with teaching and instruction that will be shown to be simply human. Human constructs will not last. There will be a time of testing by fire and they will perish—only what is true to the gospel will endure. The spiritual immaturity
of the Corinthian Christians appears to be a result of misunderstandings of true Christian discipleship.
Paul calls the Corinthians back to a right understanding of who they are. Together (“you” is plural) the Corinthians are God’s holy temple, set apart for God alone. And it is the Spirit of God, the Holy Spirit, who lives in them. They must be very careful to understand what God has done in and with them through Christ and the Holy Spirit. The Corinthian Christians have had a powerful experience, but they are in danger of losing what Christ has begun in them.
Questions and Application:
- What does Paul mean when he says that God’s Spirit dwells in the Corinthian believers?
- How is the holiness of God’s temple at stake?
- How is God’s sacred temple in danger?
- When the fire of “the Day” (v. 13) comes, what will be burned up? What will last?
pray: Thank you, Lord, for the grace you have given me to serve you. May the work I do by your command stand in the day of fire and testing. Teach me about the indwelling of your Holy Spirit. Teach me about your holiness.