1 Corinthians - Verse by Verse Study - Chapter 4

1 Corinthians 4:1
Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God.

The first question we need to answer of this verse is who is the "us?" Coming off of the last chapter, Paul had mentioned himself, Apollos, and Cephas (Peter). But when looking at the broader context, as in the address of this letter, this would include Sosthenes and the other apostles and prophets of Paul's gospel (Rom 16:25), as well as Peter and the 12 to the gospel of the Circumcision. I can say that because all of them are ministering unto Christ and all of them proclaim God's word. One thing I must say, though, is that Peter and the 12 have a different message than Paul and the apostles and prophets of the gospel of the grace of God (Eph 3:1-11). The message through Paul is the gospel we obey today as the the gospel of the circumcision through Peter has been set aside due to unbelief (Rom 11). Still, despite the two clearly different gospels (Gal 2:7), Paul is now insisting that every person would consider him, Apollos, and Cephas (Peter) specifically, but also the others mentioned above as ministers of Christ and stewards of the "mysteries" of God.

There's a reason he calls these men "stewards of the mysteries" of God here. I'm going to be crossing dispensational boundaries, so be prepared for that to keep the word of God rightly divided. For those of the circumcision, Jesus Christ said in His earthly ministry, "Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God, but to others in parables; that seeing they might not see, and hearing they might not understand." He also said, "Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his lord shall make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of meat in due season? Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing." Quotes are from Luke 8:10, 12:42-43. They were expected to do what they were told to do, to be a steward with what they were given. In the case of the 12, that was to proclaim the gospel of the kingdom. The gospel of the kingdom was included in the "whatsoever I commanded you" in the so-called Great Commission (Mark 1:14-15, 16:15-16, Matthew 28:19-20). The apostles of the circumcision were certainly stewards of the mysteries of the God.

What about Paul, the message of grace, and the apostles of grace? The mystery of the gospel of the grace of God was revealed to Paul to dispense to the world chronologically in Acts 13 (cf Eph 3:1-11). He was given this knowledge in an abundance of revelations and not all at once (2 Cor 12:1). We will see later in this epistle that he didn't have the full revelation of the mystery in chapter 13 when he says "For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away." The fullness of the revelations came about by the end of Acts, around the time Paul wrote to the Colossians, as we see in verses 25 and 26.

25 Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God;
26 Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints

That word to fulfill in the Greek is pleroo, which means to fill up full or complete to the extent that is appropriate [1]. It is used of Jesus Christ fulfilling prophecy during His earthly ministry. It is used in Acts 2:2 when the rushing wind filled the house where the 12 apostles of the gospel of the Circumcision were at. It is NOT used in Acts 2:4, where the Holy Spirit "fills" the apostles to speak in tongues the works of God. That word is pletho, which is to fill to the maximum. It has this definition: fill to the maximum (full extent), "the limit" (CBL). 4130 /plḗthō ("full") implies "filled to one's (individual) capacity [1]. Pletho is only used 24 times in the New Testament, more than half of which are in Luke, but it's only in Matthew, Luke, and Acts (Matt 22:10, 27:48, Lk 1:15, 23, 41, 57, 67, 2:6, 21, 22, 4:28, 5:7, 26, 6:11, 21:22, Acts 2:4, 3:10, 4:8, 31, 5:17, 9:17, 13:9, 45, 19:29).

So then, we have the word of God complete to us to the point that it met the satisfaction of God the Father according to Colossians 1:25-26. If He chose, He could probably give us every detail of creation, but I am convinced that would overburden our finite minds, and where would the thrill of discovery be? I'm sure things will be different with our glorified bodies when God's faithful are called home to His presence by Jesus Christ (1 Thess 4:13-18). Until then, what God gave to mankind is sufficient for salvation and to enjoy the security of salvation in the wisdom and knowledge of God. Paul, Apollos, Cephas, and the other apostles and prophets were to be considered ministers and stewards of God's word revealed to them. Whatever the work they did for God, they weren't one above the other, so the divisions caused in Corinth were to be done away with to live appropriately in the sight of God. They weren't and aren't the focus. God was, and is, and that battle of worshiping the one in the pulpit instead of God is still fought today. May God's saints realize the implication and put the focus back on the one who deserves all the glory. Praise the holy name of our Lord God and Father!

1 Corinthians 4:2
Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.

To introduce the next point, he gives a qualification of their job as a ministers of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. They must be faithful. They must be able to be trusted with what they were given. God is faithful as it is part of His character, but what about these apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers that were given as gifts to mankind (Eph 4:11)? The calling for those is that they are found faithful. God is love, though, and love is a choice. So ask yourself, in whatever capacity you find yourself, are you being faithful to God in what He has given you?

The Greek is interesting in this verse. The word "moreover" comes from hode loipon. Hode is a compound word of ho (definite article) and de (now). Loipon is a word in the plural meaning "the rest" or "the remaining" [2], and is found as an adjective. Literally speaking, this verse would start off as "Now the remainder of this: It is required..." The other thing to point out is that the verb for "found" is in the subjunctive and "a man" is the Greek "tis" which means "a certain one." We could render it as "that one should be found faithful." It isn't a definite guarantee the steward will be faithful, because God gave us free will. Again I ask, are you choosing to be faithful to God in what He has given you? Rest assured, I ask myself these same questions.

1 Corinthians 4:3
But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged of you, or of man's judgment: yea, I judge not mine own self.

I see Paul establishing authority here. A steward of the mysteries of God must be faithful, but who is to judge that faithfulness? Is it not the one who granted the stewardship? God gave Paul the dispensation of the mystery, the glorious gospel of the blessed God (1 Tim 1:11). Should he be moved then by man's judgement? A simple consideration of that question should bring us all to the conclusion that we are about to see in the next verse.

Incidentally, we can cross the dispensational boundary once more. Consider the encounter of Peter and John with the Sanhedrin in Acts 4:1-31. They were told not to preach the name of Jesus Christ and that He was the Messiah. However, Peter and John boldly spoke to those in authority, "Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye. For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard." They knew where their authority came from and to whom they were accountable.

Back on grace ground once more, bear in mind that we just came off of 1 Corinthians chapter 3 where the saints are called to build upon the foundation of Jesus Christ as laid by the architect Paul. We all need to take heed how we build on it and should strive to use those "precious stones" instead of flammable material. Why? Because there will be a day when Jesus Christ will judge the works of the saints done in the flesh and they will be tried as by fire. You see, the very moment we put our faith and trust in what the Lord Jesus Christ did for us on the cross of Calvary and that is alone sufficient to pay for our sins, then we become ministers of the message of reconciliation. Note this in 2 Cor 5:17-6:3

5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
5:18 And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;
5:19 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.
5:20 Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God.
5:21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
6:1 We then, as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain.
2 (For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)
3 Giving no offence in any thing, that the ministry be not blamed

This ministration was committed unto Paul and the apostles and prophets of grace to be passed to the world, and passed on also to others who are "apt to teach" (1 Tim 3:1-2, 2 Tim 2:24). Saints should take heed how they build upon this foundation laid by Paul so that they give "no offense in any thing, that the ministry be not blamed."

Take a moment and think about your testimony. Do you concern yourself much with the judgment of men or yourself? How does God view you and your ministry? Please understand that every saint has a ministry and it doesn't have to be filling a pulpit or a seat on the elder board. Every day there are opportunities to share the gospel of the grace of God and to be a living testimony by our conduct. Don't get me wrong though, and completely disregard what people say. Filter all things through the Spirit and ponder them in prayer and bible study, because admonition and teaching of truth come from others that we all may be built up and edified in Christ. Our source of truth is God's word, the bible, so how do things you hear compare to what God says? Paul says it's a very small thing, not that it is nothing. God will bring to light what is necessary for His saints. He is faithful; He will do it (1 Thess 5:23-24).

So then, as God says through Paul, let's redeem the time because the days are evil, and show the world the impact of the gospel, which is the power of God unto salvation to all that believe.

There are some things to point out in the Greek. First, the verse starts with "de" to put more emphasis on the "but." Next, the verb "I should be judged" is captured properly in the subjunctive. It's the Greek anakrino, which could also be rendered as "examined." Now, a peculiar thing is in the phrase "or of man's judgment." The Greek says literally "or of man's days" as the Greek anthropinos hemeras is used. Clearly from the context it implies the judgement of any of mankind, but I thought it interesting to be phrased the way it was. God does emphasize that in Christ we should set our affection on things above, not on things on the earth, because Heaven is our true home (Col 3:2, Phil 3:20). Finally, the emphatic "yea, I judge not mine own self" starts with the Greek alla oude. It would literally translate to "adversely now not I judge myself," or "neither indeed do I judge myself."

1 Corinthians 4:4
For I know nothing by myself; yet am I not hereby justified: but he that judgeth me is the Lord.

Why does Paul not even judge himself? He answers that right away here. I've got to jump into the Greek right away, though, because the intent of the verse may be lost in the old English. The phrase "know nothing by myself" is the Greek ouden gar emauto synoida. We looked at oude in the previous verse, gar is used to connect the previous thought to this thought, and emauto simply means "myself." That word synoida is a compound of syn (together with) and oida (to know consciously or internally perceive). It more accurately has the idea of being conscious of something. So again, why does Paul not judge himself? He is not conscious of anything against him. Why? Because he has the righteousness of God through Jesus Christ (2 Cor 5:21). Who can lay anything to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth (Rom 8:33). If that's the case presented by Paul, who are we to judge one another of salvation or whether or not their heart is in the right place? We don't know the mind of others, only the self and God know that, which is what we read back in chapter two. All people should be conscientious of their state, whether they are in Christ or not and whether they are doing work heartily as unto the Lord or not (Col 3:23). If you're in Christ, you are righteous before God and accepted in the Beloved One, Jesus Christ (Eph 1:4-6). And you get there simply by believing that Jesus Christ died, was buried, and rose again the third day according to the scriptures (1 Cor 15:1-4). Where your heart is and what you do afterward is between you and the Lord.

After making that important point, Paul clarifies that he isn't justified by not being conscious of charges against him. Being ignorant doesn't equal justification. He then proceeds to give the answer to the question posed in the last verse as to why he should not be moved by man's judgement. It is because the one judging him is the Lord Jesus Christ.

1 Corinthians 4:5
Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God.

Any time we see a "therefore" it is there for a reason. What is it there for? The judgment of man should not move the saint, seeing as we are judged of the Lord Jesus Christ. The judgement for the saint is that the saint is holy and without blame before God in love when they place their faith in the shed blood of Jesus Christ to pay for sin. That judgement is that all trespasses are forgiven (Col 2:13). Because of that judgement, saints shouldn't judge anyone's salvation before Jesus Christ comes in the clouds to call us home. God knows the hearts of men, and His judgement will be perfect. He will show us the heart of all, as we will know at that time who is saved and who is not (Rom 2:16, 1 Cor 1:8, 5:5, 2 Cor 1:14, Phil 1:6, 1 Thess 3:13, 4:13-18, 2 Thess 2:1, Titus 2:13, etc).

The verb for the Lord "come" is in the subjunctive. We don't know a date, but that's so we patiently wait for it in faith (Rom 8:24-25). Jesus Christ will come one day, when the fullness of the Gentiles be come in (Rom 11:25). Afterward, God will play out all the promises to Israel before the final judgement and on into eternity with the new Heaven and Earth (Rom 11:26-32, 1 Thess 5:1-11, Rev 20:11-Rev 22:21). Another thing that may be worth noting from the Greek is the definite article for the darkness.

Now something that may get missed in the old English is the last part of this verse. It says that after Jesus Christ will reveal the secrets of the darkness and manifest the counsels of all hearts, each person will then have praise from the God. Let that sink in a moment. Everyone is going to get praise from God. Why can Paul say "everyone" here? Remember the context and who this letter is addressed to. It's the saints at Corinth "with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours" (1 Cor 1:2). All saints will be in Heaven, and that's a guarantee sealed by the Holy Spirit (Eph 1:13,14, 4:30, etc.). After the trial by fire as described in the third chapter of this epistle, what's left? All the precious stones. God loves those and wants to praise His saints for it. Can you think of a better reward than that? I so eagerly look forward to hearing those words from God!

1 Corinthians 4:6
And these things, brethren, I have in a figure transferred to myself and to Apollos for your sakes; that ye might learn in us not to think of men above that which is written, that no one of you be puffed up for one against another.

It should come as no surprise that the apostle Paul uses himself and Apollos as an example and teaching moment for these wayward saints. Paul and Apollos personally visited the church at Corinth, so perhaps they were esteemed even more than the others. Whatever the case, the problem that was addressed for these first four chapters was that the Corinthian saints were divided among themselves, boasting that they were either of Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas (Peter), or Christ (1 Cor 1:12). God, through Paul, meticulously reminded them who they were as saints, and they are all in Christ. No one is more righteous than another. Saints aren't to judge each other regarding salvation and certainly not to boast of their teachers, because then they would be puffed up against one another. No indeed, men were not to be thought of "above that which is written."

Naturally, one should ask, "What is written about men?" The bible states over and over the helpless position of mankind ever since Genesis chapter 3. Mankind is described as without strength, sinners, and enemies against God (Rom 5:4, 6, 8). Mankind is summed up as being all under sin, that there are none that are righteous (Rom 3:9-10, 23). There's not a lot written in favor of men, that is, not apart from God. Those that have faith in God, those that are in Christ, are lauded by God Himself. I especially enjoy the parenthetical of Hebrews 11:38 after discussing all of those men and women of faith of times past and describing them as "Of whom the world was not worthy." But that's not the only verse. Scripture is laden with God's words honoring mankind for their faith and allowing God to work through them from the least to the greatest. Remember, the bible is God's inerrant and inspired words, not just another man's words (2 Tim 3:16-17), so it is God saying these things.

An interesting fact of the Greek in this verse is that the words "think of men" don't appear. It literally says, "And these things, brethren, I have in a figure transferred to myself and to Apollos for your sakes; that ye might learn that not above which has been written, in order that not one above the one you are puffed up down against the other." What is he saying there? The translation is somewhat accurate, in that the result is not to think things the saint ought not to think, as the apostle's desire is to "have you wise unto that which is good, and simple concerning evil" (Rom 16:19). He just went through a couple of chapters to tell the Corinthian saints that the wisdom of the world is foolishness with God, and living out this concept that one is better than another because they are of Apollos or of Paul is acting like the world. A saint is in Christ and has the righteousness of God (2 Cor 5:21). There are no levels of righteousness, that one may be more righteous than another. It's Boolean, and for those who don't care for mathematics, that means there are only two choices. One is either righteous or not. A "holier than thou" attitude is not honoring to God in any way. Much rather, the saint ought to share the same desire of God, that all mankind be saved and come to the complete knowledge of the truth (1 Tim 2:4), regardless of how sinful a person may be.

1 Corinthians 4:7
For who maketh thee to differ from another? and what hast thou that thou didst not receive? now if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it?

The apostle changes directions yet continues with the same point. First the pointed question of what makes them different from each other? They are all saints in Christ, so why the division? Then the reminder of how they got to be where they are. I look to the formula given by God in Romans 10:17

So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

These saints in Corinth received the word for God from Paul, which then they made the choice to believe in it, causing them to obtain the righteousness of God in Christ. Did they get that righteousness on their own? Of course not. Yet, if they're making these claims of who they followed after, or who they were of as the KJV puts it, are they not putting emphasis on themselves? I am of Apollos. What's the first word in that statement? I. the focus is on the self. If they had nothing to do with the work for righteousness, why put the emphasis on the self? All glory should go to God through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. Clearly, these saints received the gift of life and righteousness from Jesus Christ and the work that Christ did (Eph 2:8-9).

It is of note that the Greek for "maketh thee to differ from another" is the word root diakrino. That's a compound word of dia (through, on account of) and krino (judge). It has the idea of thorough reasoning or making distinction [1] [2]. Paul was getting to the root cause of the problem since it was causing division among the saints. Even though it is of secular origin, I see racism as the same kind of thing. It causes divisions, which leads to strife and eventually violence. When divisions like that are created, the natural tendency of the fallen man is to be puffed up about his own place and try to elevate above the other(s). Paul was getting them to realize they are all on the same team, in the same position, which is in Christ.

Also of note is the word "and" is the Greek "de," and the word "if" is the Greek "ei." Ei is the factual if statement, which could also be translated as "since" in this case. There is an untranslated "kai" which means and or also, and is found after the ei. We could read the latter part of the verse as, "Now since also you have received, why are you boasting as not having received?" Both verbs of "receive" are in the Aorist tense.

1 Corinthians 4:8
Now ye are full, now ye are rich, ye have reigned as kings without us: and I would to God ye did reign, that we also might reign with you.

Now this verse really has the same flowing thought through the next several verses which we won't fully understand until verse 16. Given the state of the Corinthian believers, Paul needed to bring them back to the reality of acting like a saint. Ultimately, he gives them the example of himself to follow after, and that he is their spiritual father that has begotten them through the gospel. What a powerful thing to say, that the saints should be followers of the apostle Paul. Think of the testimony this man must have had to have the Holy Spirit inspire him to write this not once, but twice in this epistle (See 11:1). Paul, who was once zealous above all his equals as a Pharisee and persecuting the church of God, was now equally as zealous for the cause of Christ after his conversion (Gal 1:13-14, Phil 3:5,14).

Again, the apostle is exercising his God-given authority to remind these wayward Christians of who they are. They were so puffed up in themselves, they were acting childish, as if they were above even their teachers. The first part of this verse should have struck the hearts of those that were puffed up, bringing them to see the false reality they conjured up in their minds. Were they perfect and needed nothing more? Were they already attained to the faithful saying in 2 Tim 2:12 in that they were reigning? Had the end come and they reached Christian perfection? All of these answers should be obviously no. However, we see the tone slightly change to that of compassion of the spiritual father to his delinquent children in the latter half of this verse. Paul truly desired to be with these saints in the presence of Jesus Christ, but end of the age of grace hadn't happened then and it hasn't happened even today yet. Given the ridiculous scenario that these saints were reigning as kings, Paul and Apollos and the others mentioned would like to be a part of that as well.

Both times we see "now" in this verse, the Greek word is ede. Ede has this defition: is "a point of time preceding another point of time and implying completion – 'already'" [1]. Each "now" could be rendered "already" if that is clearer. The verb for "full" at the beginning has the idea of being sated or completely satisfied. The only other occurrence of this word is in Acts 27:28 when the sailors eat before crash landing on the island of Melita. "Full" also is in the Perfect tense, where "rich" is in the Aorist. One more thing to point out in the language is that the word "without" means "apart from." It comes from the Greek choris.

1 Corinthians 4:9
For I think that God hath set forth us the apostles last, as it were appointed to death: for we are made a spectacle unto the world, and to angels, and to men.

If the first statement didn't puncture the heart, surely this would. Imagine the state of the Corinthian believers living in their egotistical world and coming to grips with the fact that the same one that preached to them is living in destitution by the world's standards. This is setting up the comparisons to come in the next verse, which seem to me like another stroke of a hammer to a nail, pounding into the hearts of these wayward saints. Why should the student live like a king when the teacher is "made a spectacle unto the world?" Did not Jesus Christ say in His earthly ministry that the disciple is not above his master (Matt 10:24, John 13:12-17)? How wrong then for the Corinthians to disregard their spiritual leaders in such a way as they were. We see the irony continue from the last verse to this one, getting the apostle's opinion about his position relative to theirs.

The only thing to point out from the Greek is that there is a definite article for the God.

1 Corinthians 4:10
We are fools for Christ's sake, but ye are wise in Christ; we are weak, but ye are strong; ye are honourable, but we are despised.

Doesn't this just hammer the point down? The apostles are fools (Greek moros = moron) on account of Christ, yet the Corinthian saints are intelligent. Think about that again as this is a testimony from the Holy Spirit. The Corinthian saints are educated (Greek phronimos) but the apostles are not? Now, have we ever had problems in schools where the students thought they knew more than the teacher? Or how about in training where the trainee thought they had it more together than the trainer? We see the same thing going on here.

After showing mental strength, the apostle continues with physical appearance. The apostles are without strength (same Greek as Rom 5:6) whereas the Corinthians are strong (Greek ischuros). Finally Paul comments on how they are received of others. The apostles are despised whereas the Corinthian saints are honored. Even a young believer should see that these things shouldn't be. Why would the student be treated so much different than the teacher? Shouldn't they be enduring the same sort of thing? Why the direct opposite then in this verse? Again, the context of this chapter is to bring down the error in mentality the Corinthian saints had and bring them to proper order. They had gone out of the way to puff themselves up and the apostle Paul is deflating them.

The Greek is worth noting for the last comparison as I think it is stronger than the English implies. The word "honourable" is the Greek endoxos, a compound word of en (in, among) and doxos (glory, inherent worth) [1]. It could have been translated that these saints are gloried in, which is actually something we'll see later in 1 Cor 5:2,6, further indicating the awful state these saints live in. Finally, the word for "despised" is literally without honor, as the Greek atimos is used.

1 Corinthians 4:11
Even unto this present hour we both hunger, and thirst, and are naked, and are buffeted, and have no certain dwellingplace;

Paul wasn't done describing his state as compared to his wayward children. Clearly, the apostles of the mystery were in need. They gave all they had for the sake of Christ and faced uncertainty every day. If we really think about it, all of us face uncertainty every day. For the last decade I've heard talk of our "unstable" economy and that we don't know which way it's going to go every day. The crazy part is that each economic "power" continues to go further in debt and we carry on with ourselves. Of course we don't know the future. That shouldn't surprise us because we aren't God. Since that is the case, all of us should consider our mortality and live for those things which matter most. It's why God tells us to redeem the time because the days are evil (Eph 5:15-16). As Christians, we ought to live for that relationship restored to us through the Lord Jesus Christ. Once our faith was placed in Him, that He solved our sin problem by His shed blood, we now get to live with Him again. We ought to live for Him that gave His life for us, that bought us back to Him with His blood. No saint should allow themselves to believe that they are set for life, or even a short period of time, because we don't know what's coming. Something along those lines happened in Corinth, though, and the apostle needed to remind them of the truth.

This verse is the only time we see the word astateo, which is translated as "have no certain dwellingplace." This word is a compound of a (prefix alpha meaning opposite) and histemi (to stand). So literally speaking, it is "we don't stand." It really does have the idea of not having a home, something most of us take for granted today. Even if we have a house, if we're honest, we don't know how long we'll get to stay there. I personally went through 3 house changes in 2 years and my parents sold the house I grew up in. These things are all temporary, but we have a certain dwelling place that nothing can ever take away, and that is a place in Heaven with the Lord Jesus Christ. That same fact is true for all that put their faith and trust in what God has done through Christ on the cross.

1 Corinthians 4:12
And labour, working with our own hands: being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we suffer it:

Despite not having anything, do the apostles get off easy? No, they work themselves to the bone to do what they do. Are they appreciated? Not according to this verse, yet they continue to bless. In fact the opposite is true, that they are persecuted simply by sharing the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Even so, they endure it. Can we say that about ourselves? Does nothing move us from the ministry as the apostle Paul was able to claim in Acts 20:24? His list is going to get longer in the next verse, but we can stop and consider this question here. I once heard a preacher say that we, whether Christian or not, won't put themselves into action until they see the need. Christians, do you see the need of a lost sinner? Will you stand idle or take action and share the gospel which is the power of God unto salvation unto all that believe it (Rom 1:16)? I, for one, would like to get to the point of life where I can strongly affirm the same words, that "none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God."

Friends, we all have a ministry. You don't have to fill a pulpit, a seat on an elder board, or be a church planting missionary to have a ministry. Your ministry begins with you and those of your house. You have neighbors. You interact with people in the workplace, in the street, in the restaurant. You drive a car or ride a bus. There are people all around us who are caught in the snares of the devil and need the same freedom that you have in Christ. Their fate is a Christ-less eternity in the lake of the fire unless they choose to believe the gospel. But how will they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be sent? You are a called saint, for those that have put their faith in the finished work on the cross of Calvary. Called to what? To share the message of reconciliation, to wit, that God was in Christ reconciling the world unto Himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them. For He hath made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him (2 Tim 2:26, 2 Thess 1:7-10, Rom 10:14-15, 2 Cor 5:19-21).

1 Corinthians 4:13
Being defamed, we intreat: we are made as the filth of the world, and are the offscouring of all things unto this day.

After all those examples of how the apostles are "set forth last," Paul gets to the end here and sums up that they are "as the filth of the world" and "the offscouring of all things." What an awful description, right? But from whose perspective? Is it not the world's? Paul knew full well where his standing was, that he was a citizen of Heaven. He knew his Savior, that Jesus Christ is faithful and will keep him to that day of redemption. that's why nothing could move Paul away from his ministry (Acts 20:24). No matter what the world threw at him, he knew God had his back. To Paul, and what should be for each of us Christians, to live is Christ and to die is gain (Phil 1:21). Even in death may we glorify God, because though the wages of sin is death, and as in Adam all die, the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord, that in Christ all shall be made alive (Rom 6:23, 1 Cor 15:22).

It may be of note that the word "intreat" here is the Greek parakaleo, which is typically translated as "comfort" or "exhort."

I read the Greek differently in the latter part of this verse than is translated by the KJV, and I'll explain why. There are two nominative nouns, what we have translated as "filth" and "offscouring." There is only one verb, which is ginomai, or to become, and that is in the Aorist. The next thing to understand is that the word "filth" comes from the Greek perikatharma, which literally means the leftovers after thorough cleaning, but has the idea of the most abject and despicable men [1]. These were like the worst criminals the world has known. Finally, the word "offscouring" is the Greek  peripsema, which is a compound of peri (concering) and psao (to wipe off). Now, the word order typically doesn't matter in the Greek, but the parsing does and is what dictates the thought of the immediate text. The other thing to bear in mind is that there was no punctuation, so we need to interpret that from the text as well. The literal order of the Greek in this verse is this:

dysphēmoumenoi parakaloumen hos perikatharmata tou kosmou egenēthēmen panton peripsēma heos arti

That would literally translate to this:

Being defamed, we intreat. Just as the filth of the world, we have become the offscouring of all things as far as this present moment.

That's how I would interpret the verse, that the comparison is introduced first as the most despicable criminals of the world, then the comparison made to the apostles of God's grace. The difference in interpretation may only be slight, but I think the emphasis is greater when looked at this way.

1 Corinthians 4:14
I write not these things to shame you, but as my beloved sons I warn you.

Can you see the concerned father in this verse? He just pointed out in a real and blunt way what the actions of the Corinthian saints were signifying. Out of his love and care for them, he is exposing the folly of their ways, not for the purpose of shaming them, but to allow godly sorrow to lead to repentance (2 Cor 7:8-11). We do the same things to our kids, don't we? How many mothers and fathers and concerned guardians have told their children to "settle down before someone gets hurt?" We see their actions starting to get too chaotic and if they don't get a hold of themselves, who is the one going to be hurt the most? Is it the parent or the rambunctious child? Is it not the child? So we say these things out of love and concern for them, and we see the apostle doing the same thing as a spiritual father unto his spiritual children, though they be God's children through faith in Christ.

1 Corinthians 4:15
For though ye have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet have ye not many fathers: for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel.

Now to bring all of this to a the conclusion found in the next verse. The Corinthian saints knew full well what Paul was enduring for the sake of the gospel committed to him. They knew the truth of the last couple of verses and how difficult life was for Paul and the others. But because of their straying off the path, they forgot their origin. By the time we get to chapter six, we see what some of these people were, but ultimately they were all sinners of the flesh and were on their way to reap the wages of sin, which is death. But then Paul enters their city, preaches the gospel, and they believe. Now they have life everlasting instead of death because of Jesus Christ's work on the cross. How frivolous and absurd they now must feel, being reminded that it was through Paul's gospel that they were saved.

It is important to note how the Greek is written in the first part of the verse as the latter half is pretty much word for word comparable. This verse starts off with ean, the Greek word for an if-statement that is conditional. What is the condition? that these saints have a myriad (ten thousand or innumerable) of instructors in Christ, but not many fathers. The Greek for instructors is paidagogos, which literally translates to child leader, but has the idea of a governor, nanny, or tutor. The only other times paidagogos is used in the New Testament is in Galatians 3:24-25. The last thing to note about this verse is that the verb "to have" is in the subjunctive. We could render the first few words this way:

For should you have ten thousand instructors in Christ...

1 Corinthians 4:16
Wherefore I beseech you, be ye followers of me.

Because of all those things mentioned in the last several verses, these saints need to see the need for them to follow after the apostle Paul. The Holy Spirit used Paul to point out the emptiness of the conduct of the Corinthian saints. They were definitely saints, as the address of the letter affirms, yet they were nowhere near walking worthy of the vocation wherewith they have been called (Eph 4:1). Instead of puffing themselves up to be smarter than their instructors, they should follow after the conduct of the apostle Paul. Why? Because he represented what the life a Christian would be like in this world.

Now wait a minute. Am I saying that we should all look forward to being "last" as "appointed unto death," to be made "a spectacle to the world, and to angels, and to men?" Looking back at verses 8-13 may not look that pleasant, but those are the results of living an honest and open Christian life. The world will not like it and rise up against the Christian, because the Law will point out that they are living in sin, for the strength of sin is the Law (1 Cor 15:56). Now one might ask how the unbeliever will be convicted of the Law in believers today since we are no longer under the Law but under grace (Rom 6:14). Well, my friend, by living in grace and knowing who we are in Christ Jesus, we establish the law (Rom 3:31). Believers today recognize that the Law is good, but it works out wrath and conviction, making sin exceeding sinful (Rom 4:15, 7:13). We all stand guilty before God according to the Law, but that's why Jesus Christ came into this world. He fulfilled the Law for us by shedding His blood on the cross. He didn't have to die because He had no sin and the wages of sin is death (2 Cor 5:21, Heb 7:26, Rom 6:23a). But in that moment on the cross, Jesus Christ became sin for us. He died our death on our behalf, in order to be both just and the justifier of them that believe (Rom 3:26). Believers in the gospel given to the apostle Paul establish the Law and give glory to God who paid our debt through Jesus Christ on the cross of Calvary. So yes, conviction will abound when we live out our faith by sharing the gospel, reciting scripture, studying God's word, praying without ceasing, and engaging in fellowship with other believers consistently.

We should all take heed of this verse and examine ourselves. Can we say we are following after the apostle Paul in our conduct?

1 Corinthians 4:17
For this cause have I sent unto you Timotheus, who is my beloved son, and faithful in the Lord, who shall bring you into remembrance of my ways which be in Christ, as I teach every where in every church.

How about that? Right after we read that Paul tells them to follow him, he backs that up by saying he sent his "beloved son" Timothy to bring these saints into remembrance of what Paul's conduct is like. I can't help but see the fatherly affection and determination to set his wayward children straight. He sends his most trusted, faithful worker, who is his son according to his gospel, to a pack of delinquents to whip them back into shape. Also note that these are Paul's ways which are taught "every where in every church." Paul was certainly consistent in his faith, and we can be assured of that here as they are the words inspired by the Holy Spirit.

1 Corinthians 4:18
Now some are puffed up, as though I would not come to you.

Even though I shouldn't be, I'm always amazed at how God knows us far more than we know ourselves. What do you think would be the first thought of an unruly saint after reading that Paul would send someone in his stead? Wouldn't the thought cross their minds that they think Paul himself isn't coming? Perhaps they thought that he might think it not important enough to bother with a visit. Perhaps they thought they could continue in their ways as some students treat a substitute teacher instead of the regular teacher. We only need to read the next verse to see the next wave of authority laid down in order to refute any of those thoughts.

The Greek reads differently here, and again it's just the word order. It may not make a difference in the Greek, but it does in the English. If we read it literally how the Greek is written, this is a translation:

As not coming now my toward you, have become puffed up, some.

That doesn't make a ton of sense in the English, though we can figure it out. Rearranging slightly for the English, we get this:

Now as my not coming toward you, some have become puffed up.

Can you just imagine some thinking, "Hey, he's not coming, but sending another. He doesn't really back up what he says." Indeed we read later that some from Corinth think his letters are weighty, but he is weak in presence (2 Cor 10:10). What is that really saying? They are simply wanting to live the way they want to live and not allowing God to work through them. They are missing out on precious stones that we read about in chapter 3, and apparently aren't bothered by that.

What about us today? How is our conduct? Sincere time in prayer and bible study will reveal any changes God would like us to make, so I encourage all to spend time with the Lord. Enjoy the relationship that was restored through Jesus' shed blood on the cross. May we all walk worthy of the vocation of sainthood (Eph 4:1).

1 Corinthians 4:19
But I will come to you shortly, if the Lord will, and will know, not the speech of them which are puffed up, but the power.

These last three verses show some power behind the authority Paul was given of Christ. It wasn't that Paul was skirting the issue and sending a substitute. Paul saw there was a dire need of correction and sent someone to keep the wayward saints inline until he was able to come with either a rod or meekness (verse 21). Even so, the apostle knew his place and who his authority was. Note well those words "if the Lord will." If it's God's desire, he would go. If not, he would not, but still had the desire to know the true heart of those that were puffed up in themselves. Were they all bark and no bite as the saying goes? As the spiritual father to his children, Paul was certainly determined to put the Corinthians back in order.

There are some interesting things to point out here in the Greek. First is the word shortly. It is tacheos in the Greek, which means quickly or swiftly, and is where we get our word taxi from. This form of the word is only used 10 times in the New Testament and is worth a quick word study. Not surprisingly, the "but" at the beginning of the verse is the Greek "de" for a bit more emphasis. It may be a bit confusing seeing "will" twice in close proximity The first "will" has the idea of desire (thelo). The second will is part of the future tense of "to know" which is from the Greek "ginosko," the knowledge by experience. It is worth noting that the word for "speech" is logos and the word for "power" is dunamis (ability to perform).

1 Corinthians 4:20
For the kingdom of God is not in word, but in power.

Here's the reason why we see that Paul was going to find out the actions of those puffed up saints. Words only go so far. What about the actions? Many people say they are Christians, but do they truly believe? Do they understand the restored relationship they have with God through Jesus Christ? Or are they just saying that they are Christian because they don't want to be Hindu, Buddhist, or Muslim? Are they saying it for themselves, as some status symbol? Paul was going to know whether or not these people were truly saints or just faking it and letting their flesh guide their actions.

That's not to say every Christian is perfect in action. Far from it. We all stumble and fall as we all struggle with sin in this body (Romans 7). That's why we are told how to restore such an one by those who are spiritual. We are to bear one another's burdens (Gal 6:1-2). But knowing that we have our salvation through the faith of Christ and the work of Christ, we should know that all glory belongs to Him and not to us. We did nothing to save ourselves, nor could we. Therefore, we should have a humble spirit, esteeming others better than ourselves (Phil 2:3). Christians should in now way be so puffed up in themselves, and if they are, it shouldn't last long.

Again, the word for "word" is logos and the word for "power" is dunamis. The other thing to point out is the definite article for the God.

1 Corinthians 4:21
What will ye? shall I come unto you with a rod, or in love, and in the spirit of meekness?

This should be an easy question to answer. What kind of fool would choose the rod? But don't we find parents and those of authority asking this question often to those who are gone astray? There are only so many warnings before it becomes clear that one is wayward and needs help getting back on track. This kind of question is usually the last one, the ultimatum. These saints have a choice of two things because of their attitude that has reached the apostle's ears. They either have their spiritual father, the apostle Paul, come to visit ready to bring the hammer down on them to spank them back into line, or he can come in a calm demeanor and full of love, knowing they are exhibiting conduct worthy of a saint of God in Christ.

References
HELPS Word-studies [1]
Thayer's Greek Lexicon [2]

1 Corinthians - Verse by Verse Study - Chapter 3

1 Corinthians 3:1
And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ.

When Paul first arrived in Corinth, that local church was in its infancy. He just told us that we have the mind of Christ in the last verse of chapter two, and that only the spiritual one will be able to understand spiritual things (1 Cor 2:14:15). Coming off of that, the Corinthians are reminded of their beginning, that they were carnally minded instead of letting the Spirit of God teach them spiritually. They were as infants in Christ, and if we're honest, all of us start there at some point in our life, even if some grow up in solidly Christian homes. We get an indication here that Paul had to expound much scripture to these believers in Corinth when he first arrived.

This verse is word for word with the Greek. The only thing to point out is the word for "babes" is nepios. It has the meaning of an infant. We can infer that to the adults and all those in Corinth this letter is written to, it's referring to one who is unlearned or new to the doctrine of the grace of God. I wanted to point that out because there are several words in the Greek that can be translated as a child.

1 Corinthians 3:2
I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.

Continuing with the infant analogy, Paul could only give them the basics when he was there. He couldn't get them solid food, referring to deeper spiritual things because they wouldn't get it. We don't get a 2 month old a T-bone steak because they can't handle it. In the same way, Paul could not teach the Corinthian saints all the details of God's word, because they wouldn't be able to handle it at that time. Sadly, he adds that even at this later date, they can't handle it. We'll see in the next verse that they are still stuck doing things in the flesh. We're going to see Paul do what he tells us to do, in that whomever is spiritual should restore someone in a fault (Gal 6:1). He's going to do a lot of that in this letter.

The only thing to point out in the Greek here is the emphasis about the last few words. I think this was a wake up call to the local church at Corinth the way God has it here. The phrase "neither yet now are ye able" in the Greek is literally "But now not still now are you able." I see a lot of phrases in the Greek with a double "now' or a double or triple negative to really hammer home a point. This is one of those times, where Paul is sincerely trying to get the saints at Corinth to start acting as saints should, pointing out their need for spiritual versus carnal or fleshly (Gal 5:17)

1 Corinthians 3:3
For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?

Let's take a moment and think about what this verse implies. Being envious, striving, and causing divisions are not what a saint should be doing. These are reiterated as qualifications for leaders in a church in that they should not strive nor cause division, especially when it comes to doctrine (2 Tim 2:14-26, Titus 3:9-11). That's a challenge we can all accept today. These thoughts will creep into our minds, as we still reside in this fleshly body until the day of our blessed hope when Jesus Christ calls us home to Heaven (Rom 7:23-25, 1 Thess 4:13-18, Titus 2:13). Do we cut another down when they make a statement? Or do we try to restore them to truth in meekness and love? Do the words that come out of our mouth edify our brother or sister of faith, or condescend to them? If we're all to endeavor to keep the unity of the spirit, we should always think before speaking, and seek the well-being of others (Eph 4:3, 29).

Once more there is more emphasis found in the Greek of this verse. Before I point that out, the Greek actually doesn't have the word "divisions." It only references zeal (envying) and strife. But right after that, the Greek doesn't just say, "are ye not carnal?" It says, "Are you most definitely carnal?" The word in the Greek is ouchi, which a literal translation is definitely not. most of the time, question are asked with a negative in the Greek. Here it literally says, "Are you not definitely carnal and walk according (Greek kata) to mankind?"

1 Corinthians 3:4
For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal?

Now we get to examine how they are being carnal. Causing division was one thing that defines carnality as in verse 3. Jesus Christ also spoke in His earthly ministry that a house divided against itself cannot stand (Matt 12:25, Mark 3:25, Luke 11:17). Causing division among people is something from sin and the devil. In contrast, God desires unity (Rom 12:16, 15:1-5, 1 Cor, Eph 4:3-6, Phil 2:1-5, 4:2). As believers, we are all of one body in Christ, so we ought to be unified (1 Cor 12:13).

We get a glimpse that the main cause of division comes from boasting who brought some to Christ. One would claim they were under Paul's teaching, another of Apollos. We still have this sort of thing going on today, if not with people claiming allegiance to certain pastors, then to certain denominations. I've heard plenty of times, "I'm a Methodist," or "I'm a Baptist," or even "I believe only the Pentecostals." Did God label us? Does it please God that we put stock in another name? The way I read scripture, God sees people as either saved from sin and death and bound for Heaven, or not saved from sin and death and bound for Hell. It's summarized by being either in Christ or not. Those are the labels God puts on, for in Christ there is neither male nor female, Greek nor Jew, slave nor free (Gal 3:28, Col 3:11). God is no respecter of persons. Whoever wants to be saved may be saved, regardless of social status or anything else. All are one in Christ Jesus. All are unified, called saints, when they trust in Christ Jesus and the gospel of reconciliation. So, what label should we put stock in? Let him who glorieth, glory in the Lord. Let us glorify God for being in Christ.

The Greek reads a bit differently here, though the same idea comes across. The verb to say at the beginning is in the subjunctive. It more accurately reads, "For when one may say." There is also more emphasis as the Greek "men" goes untranslated. Very interesting that we do not see the normal word translated as "carnal" also. Instead of sarx (noun) or sarkikos (adjective), it is anthropos (noun), which is the word for mankind. Here is a literal translation:

For when one might say, "I, indeed, I am of Paul," now (de) another, "I of Apollos," are you not mankind?

1 Corinthians 3:5
Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man?

The immediate correction to the division comes by laying out a fact. The claims were boasts in who saved or sanctified each believer in Corinth. So the question is raised, who is Paul and who is Apollos? The answer: are both servants of God through Jesus Christ. Both were a gift from God to serve in their respective capacities, being obedient to God in what they were given. They served those at Corinth by sharing the word of God and equipping the saints there. Just because they shared the word of God didn't give the Corinthians license to elevate Paul and Apollos above the normal believer, though. They were given the ability by God, and as such, God is the one deserving of glory, not them.

It doesn't surprise me that there is more emphasis in the Greek here. The verse starts off with "oun" which means "therefore." It's a stronger connection to the previous statement than the Greek "gar."  The word "and" is translated from the Greek "de." It may be of interest to note that the word "minister" is from "diakonos" where we get our word deacon from. The word "by" comes from "dia," and there isn't a "man" mentioned as the KJV has "every man", but rather the Greek just says "each." Here's a more literal translation:

Therefore, who is Apollos? Now who is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, also to each just as the Lord has given.

1 Corinthians 3:6
I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.

As if verse five wasn't enough to understand, we have a picture lesson that will be carried on for a few verses. Apollos and Paul were simply servants, sharing what God had given them. It was as Paul would plant in a field and Apollos would come by and water. How did the seeds grow? Did Paul or Apollos do that part? No, of course not. God brings forth the fruit.

The only thing different from the Greek is the definite article for the God.

1 Corinthians 3:7
So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase.

Since God is the one bringing the increase, then those who plant and water shouldn't be gloried in, should they? Again, I say He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord (1 Cor 1:31). This isn't saying that whoever plants and waters are useless or that what they do is useless. Far be it from that, as we'll see in the next verse. But the focus should be on God if we're to be unified in our faith.

1 Corinthians 3:8
Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour.

The labor we do for God is certainly worth something. God will reward the labor as is proper for the believer at the judgement seat (Greek bema) of Christ. We will see this concept fleshed out a bit in this chapter, but it's also in 2 Cor 5:10 and the surrounding verses. In the eyes of God, whoever labors is as one, meaning they are either being obedient or not, regardless of what the work is. God doesn't look more highly on one giving food to the hungry than giving more money to a ministry, or helping someone with a disability compared to counseling a couple about to be married. Later in this epistle, God will give us the illustration of the Body of Christ and how each individual is important, but each has a different function. In my eyes, God looks at each situation and sees whether or not the laborer is heartily doing the labor unto the Lord or not (Col 3:22-23). The rewards will come by the laborer either serving in the spirit or in the flesh, in selflessness or selfishness.

1 Corinthians 3:9
For we are labourers together with God: ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building.

The servant of God works with God, not on their own. This concept in this verse will be repeated in chapter 15:9-10. Paul was laboring with God in his ministry. Any believer that pauses to think would agree that they are only part of the labor going on for the gospel's sake. God educates us and prepares us, God brings the opportunities, and then God works with us in those opportunities for His glorification. The jobs will vary, but all labor for the Lord are done with believer and God together. Then we are given the picture that the saints, through the labor, are God's increase. The saints are the fruit of God working with believers, growing us up together in Him (Eph 4:15).

1 Corinthians 3:10
According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon.

This is a very important verse in understanding the word of God. Paul is a wise masterbuilder laying a foundation which was given to him. How can he say that? Because the revelation of the mystery was given to Paul to preach to the world (Rom 16:25, Eph 3:1-9, etc.). He is not arrogant, as some may say, in claiming this grace as his own. It was given to him of God and he took that responsibility very seriously, as we'll see in chapter 9:17. In much the same way we refer to the Law that was granted to Israel as the Law of Moses, we could say that this gospel that is preached today is the Mystery of Paul or the gospel of Paul. It isn't arrogant, but rather stating what God did.

As the apostle to the Gentiles (Rom 11:13), and an apostle of the mystery (there are others, though Paul was the one chosen initially and the one to write scripture), Paul laid that foundation of the doctrine of the mystery because it was given to him (1 Cor 8:17). The bible student would do well to examine the differences of the mystery compared to prophecy of the Old Testament, which is essentially comparing the differences between the gospel of the circumcision as given to Peter to the gospel of the uncircumcision as given to Paul (Gal 2:7). The mystery is different in several key ways, like the only future prophecy to be fulfilled in the mystery is the catching away of the Body of Christ in what is commonly called the Rapture. Several Old Testament prophecies are awaiting fulfillment, but we are doing the word of God disservice if we think those are being fulfilled or being lined up for fulfillment today. God is quite clear that the Rapture event happens first, then the earthly hope of the gospel of the circumcision, along with all related prophecies, will be played out (1 Thess 1:10, 4:13-5:11, 2 Thess 2:1-3, Titus 2:13).

So Paul laid a foundation, so let's be clear that this foundation was unique to him. It is the foundation of the mystery, where anyone may be saved from sin and death by believing in the atoning work of Jesus Christ on the cross of Calvary (Acts 13:38-39, Rom 3:21-26, 4:1-5, 1 Cor 15:1-4, Gal 1:6-12, Eph 2:8-9, etc). Paul was the master builder because he was the one given this message of reconciliation, so that is the foundation that is laid as indicated in this verse. Who is this other that builds on it? In the Greek it is the word allos, which is another of the same kind. This is different than the Greek heteros, which is another of a different kind. I get some blank stares when saying that, but I found this to be a good illustration of what it is.

Imagine you're in grade school or about to take part in some activity with a large group of people. The person in charge has everyone count off 1 to 3. So each person counts in order, "1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3..." Then the person in charge has all the 1's gather in a spot, all the 2's gather in another spot, and all the 3's gather in another spot. Within each group, there are several "others" but they all have the same number and are all on the same team. This is allos. But a 1 is on an "other" team compared to a 2. They are different teams and different strategies, though part of the same activity. This is heteros.

So in our context, Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles lays the foundation of the gospel of the grace of God, or the gospel of the uncircumcision. Another of the same kind or team (allos), or in other words either another apostle or a teacher of some kind of the gospel of the uncircumcision, comes along to the Corinthian church and builds upon that foundation. We would do well to note the warning in this verse, to watch how the foundation is built on. We will be given an analogy of what that looks like for the spiritual ramifications in the next couple of verses.

In the Greek it is quite emphatic that Paul is talking of the gospel that was committed to him of God. First, there is a definite article for the God, then an article to denote what was given. That concept might get lost in the "which" of the English. It may interest some that the Greek for master builder in this verse is architekton, very clearly where we get our word architect from. A literal interpretation of this verse is this:

According to the grace of the God, that having been given to me, just as a wise master builder, foundation I have laid. Another (allos), now (de), is building upon. Each one, now (de) watch (blepo) how he builds.

We do need to be careful what we are taught and that it lines up with scripture. No matter who you are or how much seminary your pastor has, if what is preached doesn't line up with God's word, there is a problem. A house not built on God's word is very apt to crumble.


1 Corinthians 3:11
For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

First in any building is the foundation. If you hire a contractor to build you a house and he builds the roof first, you're going to be in trouble. Spiritually, the foundation is Jesus Christ. Everything in history has revolved around God's promise of Jesus Christ, as that was made when Adam sinned in the Garden of Eden (Gen 3:15). That was the only way that sin and death would be solved, and God revealed more of His plan as history progressed. No matter when anyone was alive, no matter the dispensation from God, faith in Jesus Christ was required. From the fall in the Garden of Eden to the time of Jesus' earthly ministry, believers believed in the coming of the Messiah to take away the sin of the world (John 1:29). After Jesus was risen from the dead to prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that He is the Son of God, the one promised in Gen 3:15, Israel, as a nation did not accept Him as Messiah. So God separated Paul as the apostle to the Gentiles with the message of reconciliation in Acts 13:2, 38-39. Believers in this dispensation look back to cross and believe that Jesus Christ did the atoning work necessary to forgive sins. Jesus Christ is the foundation.

Now having said that, today, only Paul's foundation of the gospel of the uncircumcision, the risen and glorified Lord Jesus Christ can be laid. That can be seen in the Greek where the word "other" is again "allos." No one can lay a foundation that is of the same kind other than what Paul has laid as the wise master builder. There is no other Jesus Christ. Though we knew Christ after the flesh, that is, in His earthly ministry, we don't know Him that way anymore (2 Cor 5:16). He is the risen and glorified Savior of the world, and offers the ministry of reconciliation to all them that believe in the finished work of Christ on the cross (2 Cor 5:17-21). If anyone follows another gospel, they are still accursed (Gal 1:6-7).

The verb tense is a bit confusing in the old English. The word "lay" is in the Aorist in the Greek while the "laid" is in the present. Also there is no "man" in the Greek, but a more generic "one." It reads like this:

For another foundation no one is able to have laid, beside (Greek para) that being laid, which is Jesus Christ.

1 Corinthians 3:12
Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble;

We were just warned to watch what was built upon the foundation of Jesus Christ. Paul has the true gospel for today, salvation by faith apart from works, but every believer in Christ needs to watch what believe about the word of God and how they live their life after being a new creation, if they want to live as a saint ought to. I'm reminded of the song with the lyric "Be careful little ears what you hear." The believer has two choices, which we pretty much always find in God's word. There is the obvious choice that leads to life or the other choice which doesn't. Concerning building on the foundation of Christ, each believer may either use precious stones or flammable material. We're going to see in a moment that this building is going to go through a fire, so we would be wise to use precious stones so they may be refined by the fire. We will also see how this building is built or what these metaphors mean in the next verse.

1 Corinthians 3:13
Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is.

This verse correlates the visible, perceivable work done in the flesh with what is built upon the foundation. All works will be made known in "the day." Which day is that? God tells us about the judgment seat of Christ in the next letter to the Corinthians in 2 Cor 5:10. That is the day that will come sometime in the future, after salvation is determined. It is a judgement on works, whether good or bad, according to the dispensation of the gospel given to Paul (Col 1:23-28). The obvious goal of each believer should be to "present every man perfect in Christ" in that day. Knowing the truth of God's word and living the truth of God's word are building with precious stones. The short way to say it is living in the Spirit builds with precious stones. Living after the flesh, on the other hand, is building with flammable material, useful for not much other than burning in the fire.

Another thing to keep in mind is that God is not interested in just doing the good works. First, salvation must be secured, then good works will follow (Eph 2:8-10). Just doing good works for the sake of doing good works isn't what God would like either, it's a heart attitude. A self examination is wise to see if works are being done out of selfishness or out of obedience (Eph 6:5-9, Col 3:22-25). God knows the heart of every man, and each work will be made known as God says in this verse.

The only two things I noticed in the Greek is the verb tense about the revealing by fire. The Greek is in the present and not the future, saying, "because it is revealed in fire." Also, the Greek word "en" is used which is translated "by" in the KJV.

1 Corinthians 3:14
If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.

Back to the analogy of the work being what is done in the flesh based on the foundation of Jesus Christ, either that work will abide through fire, or it won't. Precious stones will be refined by fire. Wood, hay, and stubble will burn to a crisp. So again, the message is clear that believers should really seek to live in the Spirit all of their days and not quench it (Gal 5:16, 1 Thess 5:19). They should seek to live for the One that gave them life and not for the self. For all that do, they will receive a reward. Now, what could possibly be better than everlasting life with the God of all creation? Hard to say, but if He's handing out rewards, how awesome must they be (Rom 8:18)?

1 Corinthians 3:15
If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.

On the flip side of reward, there is loss. If anyone's work is done for the self or in the flesh, the work is considered wood, hay, or stubble. Those things will get burned on this day of judgement, resulting in the person looking upon work and time that was wasted. It is clear that one should suffer a loss in experiencing that. Note well that God says even though this person will suffer loss from their works, they will be saved, but they will go through this fire and experience loss. Again, this isn't a judgement of salvation from sin and death, but what was done in the flesh. People will reap what they sow (Gal 6:7-10).

The only thing to point out in the Greek is that the word "de" is translated as "but" and appears to be untranslated a second time. The last part of the verse may be translated "Now, he himself shall be saved, in this manner, now, as through fire."

1 Corinthians 3:16
Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?

What an amazing truth we have in Christ as made plain in this verse. For all those who have put their faith and trust in Jesus' death, burial, and resurrection, they have the Spirit of God dwelling in them. In that moment of faith, God's Holy Spirit takes up residence in the body of the believer and seals them unto the day of redemption, which is when Christ shall call us home to Heaven (Eph 1:13-14, 1 Thess 4:13-18, Titus 2:13). Since the Holy Spirit lives in us, by simple logic, our body is then a temple of God.

I always feel the need to point out the Greek for "know" or "knowledge" since there is an important difference between those words in the original language. Here, God used "eido" which is the perceived or understood knowledge. The other thing to point out is the verb tense. The word "know" is in the perfect tense, indicating a done deal in the past. The verb "dwelleth" is in the present. We could translate this in modern terms as, "Have you not understood that you are a temple of God and the Spirit of the God dwells in you?"

1 Corinthians 3:17
If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.

God certainly cares for those that are His. He knows them and will do anything to protect them. God also claims vengeance belongs to Him, and He will recompense all according to His righteous judgment (Deut 32:35, 41, Rom 12:19, Heb 10:30). Since the believer is a temple of God, anyone that defiles that temple, or hurts it in anyway, God will surely administer justice and the appropriate consequences. That sounds wonderful, doesn't it, that our Holy Father will protect His children? While that is true, we need to bear in mind that we ourselves can defile our own bodies. In fact, we need to explore the Greek to get the full idea in this verse

In the context here, we are told that there will be rewards according to works, whether they be precious stones or fodder for the fire. Jesus Christ is the foundation, but how to build up this temple? What materials should be used? Should not only precious stones, as is fitting for the temple of the holy and just God? Let every person consider what they build on the foundation of Christ. Is it truth according to God's word? Or is it something only according to man's word? God says, "Let God be true and every man a liar" (Rom 3:4). This is very important to consider as there are consequences both in this life and the life to come. I don't say that to scare anyone, but rather guide believers to what they already desire, to know God personally and in the truth of who He says He is in His complete and inerrant word.

The Greek word for "defile" and "destroy" is phtheiro, which has the idea of corruption or deterioration. The same word is translated two ways in the English, which may be deceptive. No believer should corrupt their building, their temple, which is the body, with lies and false doctrine. The apostle Paul laid the foundation based on the gospel given explicitly to him (Rom 2:16, 16:25, Eph 3:2, etc.). Believers in the gospel of grace, also known as the gospel of the uncircumcision (Gal 2:7) should not mix up doctrine with the gospel of the kingdom, also known as the gospel of the circumcision. It will only lead to confusion, strife, contention, and frustration. A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump (Matt 16:11-12, 1 Cor 5:6). False doctrine will work it's way in and defile a testimony. So again, take heed how each man build upon the foundation of Jesus Christ laid by the architect Paul, whether precious stones (doctrine of grace) or flammable material (any false doctrine).

The only other thing to point out in the Greek is that there is a definite article to denote the God all three times.

1 Corinthians 3:18
Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise.

Going back on the concepts of everything we read up until this point, wisdom of the world in regard to spiritual things should be done away with in the Christian. God wouldn't want us to defile ourselves with any worldly wisdom in building upon the foundation of Jesus Christ. The wisdom of the world is foolishness to God. The gospel of the grace of God, however, is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth (Rom 1:16). God will destroy (apollumi - fully destroy) the wisdom of the wise as He said back in chapter 1 and the 19th verse. Why should we let any of that defile our building?

See how God cares about the believer? He wants the best for each of us and knows what is best. He will work with us to cleanse us of all unrighteousness as we allow Him. That's living out the fancy biblical word sanctification. By removing all the distraction and doctrines of men, we will have an undefiled temple of God, a temple completed with precious stones and not fodder.

1 Corinthians 3:19
For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness.

For added emphasis, God quotes Himself in Job 5:13. It was already said back in chapter 1 that God had made foolish the wisdom of this world, and also the foolishness of God is wiser than men. Even with our logic we should clearly see that nothing in this world can compare to God. I think of Isaiah 55:9 also where God reminds us that He has a higher way of thinking than we humans do. It should be no wonder, as all humans come from Adam, who passed sin and death into this world. We inherited that trait from our earthly father and lost the connection with the omniscient God. Praise be to God through the Lord Jesus Christ for restoring that relationship through His sacrifice on the cross of Calvary, that all who believe in Him and His finished work may have the Holy Spirit of God indwell them, and so have the mind of Christ (1 Cor 2:16).

There is more to glean from this verse in the Greek. The word "with" is the Greek "para" and is better understood as "beside." There is a definite article for the world and the God. "World" is the Greek "kosmos" and is the created order, or all of God's creation. Lastly, the word "taketh" has the idea of grasping with the hand as it is the Greek drassomai. As wise as anyone thinks they are, they cannot escape God's sovereign hand. With that in mind, here is a more literal translation:

For the wisdom of this the world is foolishness beside the God. For it has been written He grasps the wise in the craftiness of them.

1 Corinthians 3:20
And again, The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain.

We ought to pay attention when God is quoting Himself to make a point. So when He quotes Himself twice about a subject, we should really pay attention. This quote comes from Psalm 94:11. Look at what this says. God knows, in the present tense because He is omniscient, the thoughts of the wise. He can see into our hearts and know, but what is the conclusion of all of those thoughts? They are vain. Empty. Futile.

Mankind has a pretty sorry outlook from a biblical lens, doesn't he? Here we read that the smartest, wisest of men have nothing in their heads worth anything. God describes all as having sinned and falling short of His glory (Rom 3:23). There is none that doeth good, no not one (Rom 3:10). Mankind is dead in trespasses and sins (Eph 2:1), by nature children of wrath (Eph 2:3), aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world (Eph 2:12). Man is without strength to save himself (Rom 5:6), called sinners and enemies of God (Rom 5:8, 10). This is all because of Adam's transgression, that by him sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned (Rom 5:12). It's because of this condition that the good news of Jesus Christ is so good. That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord (Rom 5:21). Praise God that it pleased Him to give us the free gift of salvation through the Lord Jesus Christ. And we read in 2 Cor 5:17-21

17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
18 And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;
19 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.
20 Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God.
21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

To think that God fixed the sin problem once for all through Jesus Christ and His atoning sacrifice on the cross, and now any and all who believe on Him is a brand new creation! For those that do so, No longer are you described as that sorry description above, but God changes you from sinner to saint, from death to life, and from a destination of Hell to a destination of Heaven in the very moment of belief! You become the righteousness of God in Christ (2 Cor 5:21), the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe (Rom 3:22a). Faith alone in Christ is what saves (Eph 2:8-9), so don't let anyone try to tell you otherwise (Col 2:18-19). That's God's fix, as begun to be given to us in Gen 3:15, made real in the person of Jesus Christ (Mark 1:1), and the mystery fully made manifest through the apostle Paul (Eph 3:1-9).

Man's wisdom is empty. Who is he to think that by eating bread and drinking wine he can get to Heaven or to have sins erased? Who is he to think that by taking a bath that sins are forgiven? Who is he to think that the only way to be a saint is by some miracles performed and after the death to be evaluated by other men? Who is he to think he can forgive sin if one confesses sins to him? Vanity, vanity. God says believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved (Acts 16:31). God says that salvation is NOT of works in this age of grace (Eph 2:9). God wants all to know the truth, which is His word, and be saved from our sins through faith in Jesus Christ and His shed blood (1 Tim 2:4, John 17:17, Rom 5:11).

So then, back to the verse, there are two things to point out in the Greek. The word for "thoughts" is the Greek dialogismos, where we get our word dialogue from, and more accurately means "reasonings." Secondly, the word "knoweth" is the Greek ginosko, so it is the experiential knowledge.

1 Corinthians 3:21
Therefore let no man glory in men. For all things are yours;

This statement should really come as no surprise. Man's wisdom is vanity. Therefore, don't glory in men. Glory in God, who deserves it. Glory in God, who gave us Jesus Christ to fix sin once for all and restore our relationship with Him. Glory in God, who freely gives us all things in Jesus Christ our Lord (Rom 8:32).

The Greek is stronger here. The imperative is used, so it more accurately says, "Therefore, not one glory in mankind. For all things are yours..."

1 Corinthians 3:22
Whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours;

Now we get a description of the "all things" alluded to in verse 21. All things are ours because we are in Christ in the moment of belief that His death, burial, and resurrection paid for our sins. All the fullness dwells in Christ, and believers are baptized to the Body of Christ in the Holy Spirit (Col 1:19, 2:9, 1 Cor 12:13). So no matter what there is, all things are available to us. God tells us He will supply all our need in Christ Jesus (Phil 4:19). That isn't to say we can do whatever we want and expect God to foot the bill. In true obedience and looking to God in all things, we can expect all our needs met for a testimony glorifying God. The apostle Paul had to learn that in no matter what state he was in to be content. Once he did learn that, it must have been easy to share that God will supply all our need, even if we don't understand what the need is.

Now let's take a look at this list. Paul's things, Apollos' things, Cephas, who is Peter, his things. All of those are at the believer's disposal. Here is a list of people, but why these three? When we look back in chapter 1 and verse 12, this is where the division was coming from. Paul was coming back and reminding them that it didn't matter who they heard the gospel from, or who they favored, or who they maybe thought had more power. No matter which of them plants or waters, whatever words they say should get weighed against the wisdom of God, which we call the bible, because the believer should only build upon the foundation of Jesus Christ with precious stones. The believer should make sure that no doctrines of men creep in, or they will reap vanity.

The next things on the list have to do with creation. First, the blanket statement "or the world." That's the Greek word kosmos again, so it's referring to all of creation. If that's not enough, there's further blanket statements. The range from life to death covers everything. Now, the next two are deceptive in the English. The Greek has a verb in the perfect tense, of the root enhistemi, which literally means to stand in. Being in the perfect tense, it's things that have stood in, or things that have been. God is giving the range of time by saying things that have already been or things that are about to come. All things in the past to all things in the future. All of those blanket statements are ended with the same blanket statement given in verse 21. All things are yours. Period. I may have a degree toward rocket science, but I'm pretty sure any believer can see that God doesn't want us to miss this point.

When we see that all things belong to the believer, or are available for God to supply whatever need, doesn't the idea of coveting appear to be ludicrous? We're told in several places that coveting is idolatry (Col 3:5, e.g.). That should be easier to see after examining these verses. We have all we need in Christ, so wanting something more is the same as saying Christ isn't good enough. It's saying God's grace wasn't sufficient. Where does that leave the one who thinks that way? They start believing the lie in Genesis 3:4-5, they become their own god thinking they know better than the true God. So yes, it is idolatry. All things are ours, but where did they come from? From Almighty God through Jesus Christ, who is fully God and fully man.

1 Corinthians 3:23
And ye are Christ's; and Christ is God's.

Short, sweet, and so beautiful. We, as believers, belong to Jesus Christ, who is God's. Nothing can separate the believer from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord (Rom 8:38-39). We have all things because we are in Christ. Because we are in Christ we belong to Christ. Because Christ belongs to God, we belong to God. We were bought with a price (1 Cor 6:20), therefore, it is our reasonable service to live like a saint (Rom 12:1-2), to live for the one who gave Himself for us (Gal 2:20).

1 Corinthians - Verse by Verse Study - Chapter 2

1 Corinthians 2:1
And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God.

This is fascinating, and something all those that fill pulpits should heed. The apostle Paul didn't use big fancy words to preach the gospel. He didn't exaggerate a thing. Instead, as we'll find out in the next verse, he just laid out the facts, starting with the most important: Jesus Christ's atoning sacrifice, reconciling the world unto Himself. Keep it simple and share the good news of the gospel of God's grace. We are to follow the apostle Paul as he follows Christ (1 Cor 4:16, 11:1).

The Greek for excellency is huperoche, which has the idea of prominence. It literally translates to "hold above." This verse is word for word with the Greek, but I wanted to point that one out.

1 Corinthians 2:2
For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.

God's word and testimony are the most powerful weapons in our arsenal in this spiritual battle. In fact, His word is the only weapon in our arsenal according to Ephesians 6:11-17. Our weapon is the sword of the Spirit, which is the spoken word of God. The Greek there in Ephesians chapter 6 and verse 17 is rhema instead of the familiar logos that is translated as "word." If our weapon is speaking the word of God, then that should be incentive to know what the gospel of God's grace is. Knowing what it is, we can be the catalyst through which God will remove the snares of the devil on our friends and family by speaking His word to them. God will present those opportunities to share the gospel, so I encourage all to study the scriptures daily with an open and prayerful heart. Know the gospel and your Savior, so when those opportunities arise, you will be ready in season or out of season (2 Tim 4:2).

1 Corinthians 2:3
And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling.

This statement may not seem to make sense at first, because Paul spoke for a relatively long time in Corinth in Acts 18 concerning the gospel of God's grace. We're told he was there for a year in half before moving on. However, when we read the account in Acts 18, it is clear that Paul was in fear and had good reason to be. First, in Acts 18:4, he was persuading those in the synagogue every sabbath day for some time. When his friends in ministry arrived, he was emboldened and taught that Jesus is the Christ (verse 5). Acts 18:5 is another verse where the English doesn't do the Greek justice. Paul was feeling pressure of testifying that Jesus is the Christ, but the Greek word for testifying is more emphatic, having the prefix "dia," indicating that he thoroughly testified Jesus is the Christ.

Now, when I read about Paul in scripture, I know that he would hold nothing back, given the opportunity. in Acts 20, Paul spoke well into the night, causing poor Eutychus to fall out a window from exhaustion. But Paul didn't miss a beat. He went down to Eutychus, fell upon him, and declared he was still alive. Then he ate and went back to speaking until day broke, then went on his way. I would venture to say if Paul didn't need to sleep, he wouldn't bother so that he could keep speaking about the gospel of the grace of God.

Here in 1 Corinthians 2:3 is a bit of a different matter, though. We read in Acts 18 that once Paul thoroughly testified that Jesus is the Christ, much disputing and violence arose in Corinth. If it were not so bad, God would have no reason to tell Paul in a vision, "Be not afraid, but speak, and hold not thy peace: For I am with thee, and no man shall set on thee to hurt thee: for I have much people in this city." God doesn't mention a lot of the details of what happened, but we can imagine the physical and spiritual turmoil of the hostile environment Paul was preaching in. At some point, Sosthenes was beaten before Gallio (verse 17), who is most likely the same as mentioned in chapter 1 and verse 1 of this epistle. Both of these men endured all of that for the sake of spreading the gospel of the grace of God. It should be no wonder that Paul would then be in weakness and fear while speaking in Corinth.

1 Corinthians 2:4
And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power:

I can only imagine that once Paul saw that vision from God, how encouraged he must have been. Building off of verse 1, he again says that he didn't use words to tickle ears. He didn't make a show of himself. Much rather, he let the Holy Spirit do the job. We'll see the reason in the next verse, which is also something we should take special note of.

The words "speech" and "words" in this verse are both of the root "logos" in the Greek. "Preaching" is the Greek kerugma, which is simply a proclamation without regard to content. This is different than the word "euaggelizo" which is specifically preaching the good news, and where we get our word evangelize from. The word for "enticing" is "peithos," which happens to have the same root of the word most often translated as "faith." The English "enticing" works, but we could also put in "persuasive" there to get the idea. So we understand that Paul's style at Corinth wasn't showy to bring attention to himself. He wasn't trying to scam anyone like some door to door salesmen are forced to do for their products. He didn't have to bring up anecdotes to convince anyone he was right, because he says the Holy Spirit demonstrated that God was with Paul and confirming his words. The word there for power is dunamis in the Greek, so it's the power of ability rather than power of authority. We'll get more into that in chapters 12 and 13, because this is definitely referring to sign gifts that were very much alive at that time. Spoiler alert: these sign gifts are no longer happening today according to the word of God (1 Cor 13:8). Why? Because the word of God is completed (Col 1:25), and that which was known in part is now made "perfect" (1 Cor 13:9-10).

1 Corinthians 2:5
That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.

Now, this was done, that Paul would use simple speech to preach the gospel of the grace of God, and that the Holy Spirit demonstrated the truth of the gospel in the power and ability of God in order that the faith of the Corinthians would not be in the wisdom of men, but in God. That makes sense, doesn't it? In order to be saved from sin and death, faith must be placed in God and His power, not just in logical wisdom of men. Faith must be in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ in order to be forgiven all sins, once and for all (Col 2:13). In that moment, the believer is baptized in the Holy Spirit to the Body of Christ (1 Cor 12:13) inherits all the spiritual blessings in the heavenly places in Christ (Eph 1:3) and is indwelt and sealed by the Holy Spirit until they join Jesus Christ in Heaven (Eph 1:13-14). None of that can happen simply on the wisdom of men. So I ask, what is your faith in?

Again, the Greek for power in this verse is the root dunamis, which logically makes sense looking back at verse 4. The only other thing I would like to point out in the Greek is the phrase "should not stand." The Greek literally has "may not be" with the verb "to be" in the present subjunctive. It is different than the verb "to stand" which is the root histemi. A minor point as the meaning is clear, I understand, but I am one to maintain the original language when at all possible.

1 Corinthians 2:6
Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought:

Notice the change here. Paul and the apostles and prophets of grace do speak wisdom, but who is that to? To them that are perfect. What does that mean? To those who are maturing in Christ, those that are saved individuals. But there is a catch. Paul doesn't just speak anything, and most certainly not the wisdom of this world. He will reveal that in the next verse, but we know he wouldn't waste his time with the things of this world, especially on them that believe. He says all of that comes to nothing anyway, so why bother?

This verse starts off with the Greek "de." The Greek for "perfect" is teleios, which is of the root "telos." It means to have reached a consummation, or come to an end goal with all the results. It's the word used when Jesus spoke to Israel about going through the Tribulation period, and he who endured to the end will be saved (Matt 24:13). It is interesting to point out that the Greek word for "world" both times here is aionos, so it would more accurately be translated "age." There is also a definite article present for it both times so that it reads, "of this the age." Also, the word "that" is referring to the princes (Greek archon) of the age. Paul wouldn't speak of those in authority that are of the world, in other words, of secular authority, because he had his authority from Jesus Christ (Gal 1:11-12). His authority, message, and apostleship was confirmed, as we just saw in verse 4, with the power of the Holy Spirit.

It should be evident from this context that Paul will speak wisdom to those that are saints, and that he will speak wisdom that doesn't come from carnal man. The wisdom he speaks is from divine origin, as Paul was committed the gospel of the grace of God to carry to the Gentiles (Rom 11:13).

1 Corinthians 2:7
But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory:

Paul answers the thought in verse 6 to confirm that the wisdom he and his company speak is of God in a mystery, which is the hidden wisdom of God. God knew all of this before the foundation of the world. He knew that there would be a time where He would send His only Son, Jesus Christ, to go to the cross of Calvary to fulfill all the promises to Israel, that Israel would be concluded in unbelief for a season, and to bring salvation by faith apart from works to the Gentiles. This was the wisdom that Paul would speak, and as we read scripture, Paul was certainly faithful to God's wish for him in Christ (Acts 26:19).

Paul uses the word mystery almost exclusively. Of the 28 times we find it in the New Testament, it is only used 4 times apart from Paul: in Matt 13:11, Mark 4:11, Luke 8:19, and Rev 1:20. It should be no surprise that we see this, because Paul was given the unsearchable riches of Christ (Eph 3:2-9). It was "kept secret since the world began" (Rom 16:25). But now, how wonderful is it that God told us the whole story that we need through the ministry of the apostle Paul (Col 1:25)? Again, we see the word "world" here is aionon, the plural of aionos which we saw in verse 6. God knew and ordained the dispensation of the grace of God before the ages to our glory, that the church, the Body of Christ, should make known the mystery, the fullness of God's wisdom, even unto the heavenly host (1 Cor 6:3, Eph 3:10). That alone is something worth meditating on for days and weeks.

1 Corinthians 2:8
Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.

Here is another verse with proof that Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, or any of the Old Testament could possibly be talking about the dispensation of the grace of God, or of the rapture event, or any other part of the doctrine of the gospel of the uncircumcision in which we live today. None of the rulers of this age knew of the grace God was going to be giving through Jesus Christ's shed blood on the cross. Since the flesh is against the Spirit (Gal 5:17), had they known the glory it would bring to God, they would not have crucified Jesus Christ.

Again, the word for "world" here is aionos. There are some definite articles missing: the age and the glory. The word for "known" here is from the root ginosko, the knowledge through experience.

1 Corinthians 2:9
But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.

God quotes Himself in Isaiah 64:4 to get His point across. In this context, it is reiterating the point that the princes or rules of the age had no idea what they were doing, because if they did know, they wouldn't have gone through with it. Let's be honest, we wouldn't know either had not God revealed the unsearchable riches of Christ to the apostle Paul to share with the world. What an amazing privilege it is to be living in this dispensation of the grace of God!

This verse is pretty much word for word with the Greek.

1 Corinthians 2:10
But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.

Verses like this make me really appreciate the God we serve. He loved us so much to reveal to us His plan in due season through His Spirit (Titus 1:3). We're about to get a lesson on the spirit in the next couple of verses, but how nice of God to reveal to us how much He loves us. He knew full well that Adam and Eve would eat from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. He knew the only way to fix that would be to send His only begotten Son to shed His blood to cover that sin and the sin of the world. God knew there would be a day that He would get to unveil His plan of reconciliation through Jesus' blood on the cross. Can you imagine how it must have pleased God to look forward to that day? He was willing to go through all of this, to put up with sin and iniquity, because it would result in His creation and souls being saved through the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross of Calvary. Amazing that He kept it hid for about 4,000 years!

The only thing to note from the Greek is the missing article for the God both times.

1 Corinthians 2:11
For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.

We were just told by God's inerrant word that the spirit searches all things in the last verse. Here we get to spell that out a bit. Who really knows you best? It's you. No matter what the relationship is, no one knows a person as well as that person, because that knowledge is only in their spirit. Most of it can be made manifest by word, gesture, or other communication, but not all is known. We can apply this to God as well. No one knows the intimate things of God except His Holy Spirit. We're laying the groundwork for something truly amazing coming in the next couple of verses.

The word for "knoweth" in this verse first is the Greek eido, which is the intuitive or perceived knowledge. The second "knoweth" is of the Greek ginosko, the experiential kind of knowledge. This is an important difference to note in the lesson God is about to teach. The beginning of the verse reads a bit different in the Greek as well. Here is a more literal translation with missing articles noted:

For who of mankind perceives the things of the man if not the spirit of the man which is in him? In this manner also the things of the God not one knows if not the Spirit of the God.

1 Corinthians 2:12
Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.

Isn't this awesome to read? For all those that trust in what Jesus Christ has done for them on the cross of Calvary, they not only are saved from sin and death, which is a miracle in itself, but the spirit which is of God dwells within them. God's Holy Spirit seals us unto the day of redemption (Eph 1:13-14) and teaches us the things that are freely given of God. He will show us what the bible means because they're all His words and He desires us to know the truth (1 Tim 2:4, 2 Tim 3:16-17).

It may be hard to see in the English, but the verb to know is in the subjunctive in the Greek. It also is the root eido, so we can perceive the things that are granted to us of God. What things are those? All the spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ (Eph 1:3), the riches of the glory of His inheritance (Eph 1:18), and the full knowledge of the truth (1 Tim 2:4). One other thing to point out in the Greek is that the word translated as "freely given" is the root charisma, typically translated as grace. So, the challenge then is, are you, as a saint, allowing God to teach you the truth? Are you diligently seeking spiritual knowledge that can only come from God? Or are you quenching the Spirit (1 Thess 5:19)? The choice is ours every day, because God will not take our free will away. God made people, not robots, and people have the choice whom they may serve. God gives us this warning in Romans 6:16, "Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?" Seems like an easy choice, but something we can struggle with as our flesh battles against the spirit (Rom 7:22-25).

1 Corinthians 2:13
Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.

This was Paul's job as the apostle of Jesus Christ (1 Cor 1:1). He was proclaiming the words given to him by God through Jesus Christ (Gal 1:11-12). Clearly, these words are spirit and not carnal. They are of God and not of man, because everywhere Paul went, people either received the word or mocked and/or wanted to kill him. We read about that all through Acts after chapter 13 when he was unleashed with the message reconciliation (2 Cor 5:18-19). If we want to know the spiritual things, the truth of God's word, we need His spirit. It was Paul's job, and all other apostles, to speak those words so those hearing may understand spiritual things.

The Greek only reads differently in the middle of this verse. It more literally says, "not in words (logos) of human-taught wisdom, but in [words] of Spirit-taught. The word "teacheth" is an adjective in the Greek, not a verb. Similar idea, just said a bit differently.

1 Corinthians 2:14
But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

This is why Paul met with such divisiveness when he proclaimed the gospel that was given to him. For those that rejected God, they could not understand what Paul was saying. We see that with the address in Athens in Acts 17, especially in verse 32. The natural man can't understand spiritual things because they are spiritual. The natural man would need a spirit to understand, but that can only come through faith in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ being the atoning work for sin. God wasn't kidding around when He told Adam and Eve that in the day they eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil that they would surely die. They died spiritually that day, and as offspring of Adam and Eve, we inherit what they had: spiritual death and sin. That's why God says that through Adam sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned (Rom 5:12). The only fix is to revive the spirit, but that can only be done by the Giver of Life (Gen 2:7). That's another reason to see that works on our part to make our way into Heaven are useless. Humans can't fix death, but God can and has through Jesus Christ on the cross of Calvary.

Paul wasn't the only one that met division. Jesus Christ also did in His earthly ministry. Paul was still Saul of Tarsus at that time and on the other side of the spiritual battle. Note Jesus' encounter with Nicodemus in John 3. We could also look at any encounter with the Jews and religious leaders when Jesus healed on the Sabbath day. He would plainly tell them He was the Son of God, but they just wouldn't hear it nor understand it.

The Greek word for "receiveth" is dechomai. It has the idea of receiving by welcoming. This is different than the Greek lambano, which is to take hold of or aggressively receive. Natural man will not welcome the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him. The word for "know" here is of the root ginosko.

1 Corinthians 2:15
But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man.

In contrast to the natural man not knowing anything spiritual, the one who is spiritual can judge everything. Why? Because the spiritual one is taught the truth of God through the Spirit of God. How can God then say in His inerrant word that the spiritual one is judge of no one? Because it is God who justifies (Rom 8:33). No one can lay any charge against the saint of God, because they have the Spirit of God in them, and God predetermined those who are saints to be holy and without blame before Him in love during this age we live in (Eph 1:4-6, 13-14).

The Greek "de" is translated as "but" and "yet" in this verse. Also there are articles in this verse that drive the meaning. The KJV is pretty accurate, but just for comparison, this the literal interpretation:

Now, the [one] spiritual judges the all things. Now, himself under no one is judging.

1 Corinthians 2:16
For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.

Can anyone question this? Did anyone know what God was thinking before He revealed it to us through Jesus Christ? Of course not. However, now God has made it manifest through Jesus Christ and the gospel given to the apostle Paul, so that the saints of God, the church which is His Body, will show the manifold wisdom of God even to the heavenly host (Eph 3:1-11). No one could have possibly seen this coming since it was hid in God since the world began (Rom 16:25, Eph 3:9, Titus 1:2). But now, anyone who is a saint has the mind of Christ because the Holy Spirit dwells within them. Doesn't that just send an exciting chill down the spine?

The only thing to point out in the Greek is the word "instruct." It is the compound word sumbibazo, made up of syn (together with) and embibazo (board a ship). It has the meaning of causing to stride together, or where we get our phrase "get on board with me". So the question posed in this verse is saying who could be equaled with God's mind to know any of this when God knew it? We were just told that no one know the things of a man save his spirit and the same with God. Of course no one could know, but now we can through the gospel of the grace of God, because saints have the mind of Christ.