THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST
SPREADING THE SOUL-SAVING MESSAGE OF JESUs
(Chapters 2-4)
Introduction by narrator accompanied by a cappella singing:
THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST. Spreading the soul-saving message of Jesus. And now, Timothy Sparks and Ben Bailey.
Timothy Sparks:
“I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase” (1 Cor. 3:6). I’m Timothy Sparks.
Ben Bailey:
And I’m Ben Bailey. Thank you so much for joining us for our broadcast today. Today’s broadcast is being brought to you by members of the churches of Christ. As always, we would like to offer an invitation for a free copy of our lessons on CD or DVD. All of our lessons are available free of charge. All you need to do is let us know which ones you want. Visit us on our website at www.thegospelofchrist.com, fill out the request form to let us which lessons you would like, and we will be more than happy to send those to you. Also, we have streaming audio and video lessons on our website. You may download these and use them to assist you in your study of God’s Word. We also would be glad to send you a Bible correspondence course. This is a course that you can take in your spare time. You receive it by mail, and when you complete one lesson, you can return it to us for grading. We then will send you that lesson (graded), along with the next lesson, and so on. At the end of the course, you will receive a “Certificate of Completion.” We believe this could prove very beneficial to you in your study of God’s Word.
Today, we are studying First Corinthians. As we mentioned in our previous session, the first two chapters of this book set the tone for the remainder of the book. Paul is dealing with the problem of religious division over “mere men” and the ideas of men. It always has been the case that throughout the history of time, man has become the problem in God’s plan. From the very beginning, God wanted Adam and Eve to enjoy a wonderful relationship with Him. But then sin entered—and along with it, the problems that accompany it. In 1 Corinthians 3:1-4, Paul said, “I wanted to speak to you as to men, as to spiritual ones, but you are still carnal; you are still babes in Christ.” Where there is envy, division, and strife, you’re not acting like spiritual men; you’re acting like physical men. I suspect that many of the problems experienced by the Corinthian church were due to a lack of spiritual maturity. There were too many “babies” in the church. As you think about the idea that Paul is employing in his discussion, reflect upon the fact that Paul uses the Greek word that would describe an infant or a toddler—a child that is very young. Anyone who has young children can understand the idea the apostle is presenting. When an infant or toddler doesn’t get his way, what is the first thing he does? He cries, and lets everyone in the room know he is unhappy. Now, translate that into the church, in regard to those who are immature spiritually. No doubt you can picture in your own mind people who, although old in years, nevertheless continue to act immaturely. When things don’t seem to go their way, they complain and whine—in order to let everyone know. Before long, the church is in an uproar. When babies don’t get their way, they cry and they pout. They want someone to take notice of them, as if they are the ones being harmed. One of the problems that young children face is that they focus on “self.” This is something that parents struggle to help their children overcome. Those in the church who act in a similar manner are similarly self-centered. Many of the problems that faced the Corinthian church were due to self-centered people. They were thinking about themselves and their own problems, and how others were supposedly taking advantage of them. Paul brought this argument full circle when he taught in chapters one and two that Christians need to concentrate on the cross of Jesus Christ, since this is where salvation is found. In chapter three of this book, Paul teaches that the focus is not to be placed on men. It is not important who planted; rather, what is important is Who gives the increase!
Timothy Sparks:
As you examine 1 Corinthians 3:6, look at what Paul says: “I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase.” Paul did his part in initially teaching and preaching the Word of God. He sowed the seed. And as we learn from Luke 8:11, “the seed” is the Word of God. Apollos “watered”—meaning that he “followed up” on what Paul had done initially. He continued to teach. He was teaching and preaching the same Gospel message, only now he was trying to help those who had received the Word to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior (2 Pet. 3:18). But only God can give the increase. In Matthew 13, Mark 4, and Luke 8, the parable of the soils is recorded. We learn from Jesus’ teaching that there are four kinds of soil: the wayside soil; the thorny soil; the stony soil; and then, of course, the good soil. We have to plant in all four types of soil in order to find the good soil. Then we water the seed that falls into the good soil. But regardless of where we plant the Word of God, it is only where people are receptive to His Word and His will that He can give the increase. We may plant. And we may water. But only where there is a receptive heart can God give the increase. God cannot give increase in the life of a person who is not willing to let the Word of God into his or her heart and mind. Thus, each of us has a personal responsibility to receive God’s Word, and then we, as God’s children, continue to encourage others around us likewise to be obedient to the Gospel of Christ, and to encourage brothers and sisters in Christ, which is the theme and thesis of First Corinthians—1 Corinthians 1:10—don’t be divided, but rather be united and work together as part of the family of God. So as we look closely at 1 Corinthians 3, we see a vital message. Ben, tell us more about this concept of Christians being God’s fellow workers, meaning that we are working with God, as well as being God’s vineyard.
Ben Bailey:
As we look at this concept of being fellow workers together, we see that this is the overall idea that Paul is trying to impress upon them. Many times, people look up to preachers, even going so far as to label them as “pastor” or “reverend,” even though those terms are not applied in such a fashion within the Bible. Often, preachers are placed, as it were, on a pedestal. It seems that some in the first-century church may have done that to Paul, and even to Apollos. But Paul is trying to get across the point, “I am just like you. We are fellow workers together. I planted. Apollos watered. But God is the One Who gives the ultimate increase. In bringing his point home—and trying to put the spotlight on Jesus Christ—notice Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 3:11, “No other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.” Paul is not important. Apollos is not important. Peter is not important. The spotlight needs to be on Jesus. He’s the only foundation upon which the church, our faith, and all religious matters should be built. Ask yourself today, friend: Is your faith, is your belief system, built upon Jesus Christ? Is He the foundational reason why you believe what you believe? Or has some “mere man” influenced you more than he should have? Now, of course, people can help us learn the Truth. We see a good example of that in Acts 8 and Acts 18. In Acts 18:24-28, Apollos was taught more about the Scriptures. And in Acts 8:26-40, Philip asked the Ethiopian nobleman, “Do you understand what you are reading?” Philip provided an explanation to the passage from Isaiah that the nobleman was examining. But that’s not what we’re discussing here. We’re talking about people who give us ideas and concepts that are not found within the Bible. Again, Jesus must be the only foundation. And we find ourselves in dire straits when we focus on the teachings of anyone else. Jesus taught about this very thing in His Sermon on the Mount. In Matthew 7:24ff., Jesus commented on the fact that there are two types of foundations or soils. First, there is the rocky soil, upon which you can build something to last. Second, there is the sandy soil—soil that will not last, but that will erode and crumble. Jesus was teaching that God, His Word, and Christ as the Messiah represent the solid-rock foundation upon which we are to build our faith. So today, when we are dealing with religious matters, we must not focus on “mere men,” but instead on Jesus Christ as the true foundation. As Paul taught the Christians in Corinth, it’s interesting that in 1 Corinthians 3:16-17, he brought them from looking at Jesus to how they should then view their own lives, and even how they should use their own bodies.
Timothy Sparks:
Paul makes it clear that Christians are the temple of God. The Holy Spirit dwells within us. Therefore, Paul then says that if anyone destroys the temple of God, God will in turn destroy that person. Here, Paul is bringing the Corinthians’ minds back to the thematic statement. There were Christians who were themselves divided, and who were causing divisions among others. God spoke through the inspired apostle to tell such people that if they continued to tear apart the church of God as a result of their divisiveness, then God would deal with them accordingly, because they had damaged the church—the very institution for which God had sent His Son to die, the very entity that God Himself had planned, purposed, and promised, even before the beginning of the age. According to Ephesians 3:11, the church was in God’s eternal purpose, and so as we look at this, we see how precious in the sight of the Lord the church of Jesus Christ truly is, and how we should exalt the church, and exalt Christ as its Head, and bring glory to them both. As you look at the end of chapter one of First Corinthians, you find, “If anyone glories, let him glory in the Lord” (1 Cor. 1:31). As we learn from Ephesians 3:20-21, “to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever.” As we look at Paul’s teachings in 1 Corinthians 3, we learn that the church is God’s “building.” The church is the temple of God. If you are not a member of the church of Christ, then you are missing out on all of the spiritual blessings that are available only “in Christ” (Eph. 1:3). You’re missing out on the forgiveness that is in Christ (Acts 2:38). You’re missing out on being “clothed with Christ” (Gal. 3:27). Over and over we learn about the importance of being “in Christ.”
Romans 8 is probably the most definitive passage in the entire New Testament when it comes to explaining what it means to be “in Christ.” We learn, for example, that in Christ there is “no condemnation” (Rom. 8:1). We learn that there is life and peace in Christ (Rom. 8:6). We learn that regardless of what we must endure in this life, it is not worthy to be compared to the glory that will one day be revealed to us (Rom. 8:18). And, we learn from 2 Corinthians 5:17 that “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. Old things have passed away! Behold! Everything has become new!” Christianity is indeed “the land of beginning again.” Thus, it is critically important the church remain united and bound together as a single unit. As individual members of the church, we have a responsibility to do our part to keep the church united.
Ben Bailey:
In fact, this is how Paul closes out his argument on this point in chapters one through three. In 1 Corinthians 3:21, Paul says, “Let no one boast in men.” This is an extremely important point. Paul drives home his point with one final statement: “Don’t boast in men!” When you think you’ve done something worthwhile, remember what you were before you were “in Christ.” Remember how sinful you were before receiving salvation through Christ. Any credit that I may want to take is, in fact, due only to Jesus Christ. Someone might way, “Well, I’ve baptized 100 people!” Ask yourself this question: Who died for their sins so that they could be baptized? Another might say, “I’ve preached the Gospel every Sunday in truth and simplicity.” Who gave you the Gospel? Who brought that message down to us? You see, it’s not about you, and it’s not about me. This issue is so much bigger than any one individual. We need to realize that we are just servants. We need to have the attitude of our Lord in Mark 10:45 where Jesus, in speaking of Himself, said, “I did not come to be served, but to serve.” He did not come to be served by us, but to serve others. Today, let us be reminded of the words of Luke 17:10, “We are unprofitable servants. We have done only what it was our duty to do.” In other words, I’m no one special. I don’t have anything about which I can brag. When everything is said and done, Jesus is the one who must receive all the glory and credit. Isaiah 64:6 reminds us, “All my righteousness is as a filthy rag.” Yes, I must live a good life. And I must do what Jesus tells me to do. Sure, there might be times when I’m proud and thankful for the life I live, but let’s remember to give God the glory. Remember what Paul said in Galatians 6? He said in essence, “I don’t have anything to boast about, except for Jesus Christ and the things He has given me to boast about.” As we consider the book of First Corinthians, and as we look at the world around us, we see that a lot of people want the glory. They go on television or on radio and say a lot of things about themselves. But that, in itself, tells us a lot about those people, doesn’t it?
Timothy Sparks:
As we look at 1 Corinthians 4:1, Paul makes it clear that people should consider Christians as servants of Christ, and as managers of the mysteries of God. We are a small part of a much larger picture. Yes, Jesus wants everyone to be saved. He died so that we could be saved. God is patient, hoping that we will all come to repentance (2 Pet. 3:9). But if we are a servant of God, it is only by the grace of God that we can be such a servant. We are “managers” of what God Himself has so graciously given to us. We therefore must consider our lives, to use Paul’s phrase, “as nothing” in order that we might gain Christ—not as having our own righteousness (which, Paul said, was of the law), but that which is through Jesus Christ. We are to consider all things as “rubbish,” that we might win Christ (Phil. 3:7-10). In 1 Corinthians 3, and moving into chapter 4, we see that Paul is pleading for us not to be so selfish, not to be so self-centered, but rather to give God the glory. We are not to place our focus on “Paul,” or “Apollos,” or any human, but solely on Jesus Christ. Paul said, “I determined to know nothing among you, except Jesus Christ and Him crucified” (1 Cor. 2:2). When we focus on the cross, and on Christ, we see “the selfless One”—the One Who gave up everything. Thus, as Paul explained, just as Christ was willing to die for us, then we, too, must be willing to lay down our lives (2 Cor. 5:14; cf. 1 Jn. 3:16-18). People’s pride and arrogance will certainly cause division. But division has no place in the body of Christ. Division raises barriers between brothers and sisters in Christ. Unity was established by the Lord Himself. And we must always stand on the Word of God. We cannot break down the barriers set up by God, lest we be guilty of “going beyond the doctrine of Christ” (2 Jn. 9). Paul similarly stated that we are not to “go beyond what is written” (1 Cor. 4:6).
Ben Bailey:
The passage in 1 Corinthians 4:6 really sheds a lot of light on the rest of the book. Paul teaches throughout this book that Christians must do what the Bible says, and that we must clearly follow its teachings. As we think about our own Christian walk, our own lives, and the doctrines laid out in the Bible, one thing must remain foremost in our minds: we must not go beyond what is written. I simply cannot “make up things” on my own—no matter how much I may like them or how much others may like them. The Bible—from Genesis through Revelation—provides the boundaries beyond which we cannot and must not go. If I go beyond the Bible’s teaching, then I have gone beyond the law of God. And I must not do that! Revelation 22:18-19 teaches very clearly that we are not to add to, nor take away from God’s divine Word, or the woes—the “divine condemnations”—outlined in the Bible will fall upon us. Friend, it’s a very, very serious thing to add too, take away from, or go beyond what God has said. God has always taught His people to stay within the boundaries of His Word. I’m reminded of Proverbs 30:6 where the writer said, “Do not add to His words, lest He rebuke you and you be found a liar.” God’s Word—the last word on the matter—will stand on the final day. If we lives our lives according to the Word of God, there will be no “second guessing.” But, if I choose to add to God’s Word, or to do things that aren’t authorized in God’s Word—just because those things “feel right to me”—will that be pleasing to God? The answer, of course, is “No.” No matter how “right” something may seem, and no matter how “good” it may make me feel, if it has not been authorized by God, we may rest assured that God will not be pleased with our actions. Someone might suggest, “That sounds like legalism.” No, it is not legalism. Jesus taught quite plainly that we must do all that God has commanded us to do. In Matthew 7:21, Jesus said, “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.” Legalism, according to a pharisaic definition from Jesus Himself in Matthew 5 and Matthew 23, is “binding things on others, and then not doing those same things yourself.” In other words, you are willing to tell others, “This is what you must do,” but then you don’t live up to that same standard yourself. God expects us to do right; thus, we must not go beyond what is written in His Word. Timothy, tell us how this concept relates to 1 Corinthians 4, and how it impacts our lives.
Timothy Sparks:
As we examine this particular section of 1 Corinthians, which explains that we, as Christians, must remain within the confines and boundaries set forth by God in His Word, we are going to see that the Christians in Corinth were stepping beyond those boundaries, and as a result, it created division in the church. Paul says, “I beg you, therefore, be imitators of me” (1 Cor. 4:16). Yet in the very next chapter, we see that those same brothers and sisters had, in fact, become quite permissive in their attitudes. They were actually allowing a man—one of their own brothers—to live in sin with his father’s wife. In chapter six we see that, as a result of their own pride, arrogance, and greed, Christians were actually going to law against one another in front of pagans. In chapter eight, Paul explained that the Corinthians were not exhibiting the Christian love they should have been exhibiting—something that was manifested in the improper manner in which they were using the miraculous gift of being able to speak in tongues. [In chapters 11-14 (and especially chapters 12 and 14), Paul singled out some of the women for specific criticism in this regard.] But at the heart of it all, Paul points out (chapter 13), they were divided because they had a lack of love. Paul therefore prescribes love as the solution for the division that was present in the Corinthian church. Paul used the Greek word agape—genuine love that exhibits 100% commitment. Agape love will cause us to withdraw Christian fellowship from a sinning, wayward Christian if we have worked with him and tried to get him to repent, but he will not. The withdrawal, of course, is intended to ensure that he can be reached, and that his soul will be saved on the Day of Judgment (1 Cor. 5:5). Sometimes true love is what parents refer to as “tough love.” God has exercised tough love on various occasions. And the church, too, must sometimes exercise that same kind of love. Love is not some sort of “mushy” feeling, but is something that has in mind the best interests of another person’s soul. Genuine love can cause us to do a lot of things that we wouldn’t necessarily want to do. As we look at the book of First Corinthians, and as we survey many of the problems that arose in the first-century church, we are going to see that, time and time again, Paul’s prescription for what ailed the church was what true love actually does.
Ben Bailey:
There are certain words that come to mind when we consider the type of love that Paul discusses in 1 Corinthians. We think of self-sacrifice. And we think of being a servant. I once heard of a preacher who, before he gave his sermon for the day, prayed that God would “take me out of the way so that people can see past me, and to the cross.” I believe that this is one of the overriding lessons of the Book of 1 Corinthians. The message of the book is, “God, help us to move ourselves, as humans, ‘out of the way’ so that people in the world can see the cross and Jesus Christ.” It’s our prayer today that God will help us rid ourselves of manmade ideas, and those things that cause division, so that we can truly come back to New Testament Christianity. Chapter 13 is one of the keys to understanding the Book of 1 Corinthians. “Now abide faith, hope, and love, but the greatest of these is love.” Love is even greater than miracles. Yes, miracles did much good in confirming the message of the first-century apostles and disciples. But (and this boggles the mind), the truth is that love is far greater than any miracle. Do you love God? Do you love others? There are two keys Paul presents to ensure unity, and to ensure that we are doing the will of God. First, ask yourself, “Will my actions cause others to look favorably upon the Gospel of Christ? Is the way I’m living my life going to give glory to Jesus? Does my lifestyle exalt the cross—and all of God’s plan? Before we act, we need to ask ourselves how Christ would respond in the same situation. Second, don’t forget to think about others. Do you remember the two greatest commands presented by Christ in Mark 12? The first is that we are to love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. The second is that we are to love our neighbor as ourselves. When you are dealing with religious matters over which division could possibly occur, ask yourself, “What would my Savior do?” Will our actions glorify God and promote the cross? Second, we must take ourselves out of the picture and ask, “How will my actions make others feel?” Will my actions help others to be united in the one body? Will my actions help others to have a fuller, more complete understanding of God’s will? Or, will my actions ultimately cause division? Friend, it is our prayer today that as we study these matters, you will open your Bible and, in the spirit of the Bereans of Acts 17, you will not believe these things merely because we’ve said them, but because you have searched the Scriptures and seen for yourself that what we’ve said is, in fact, true and right according to the Word of God.
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1. In this lesson, the statement is made that “throughout the history of time, man has become the problem in God’s plan.” Explain what is meant by this comment, and why it is the case that man has become “the problem.”
2. Paul says, “I wanted to speak to you as to men, as to spiritual ones, but you are still carnal; you are still babes in Christ” (1 Cor. 3:1-4). Explain what the apostle meant when he referred to the Corinthian Christians as “babes,” and why he did not consider this to be a good thing.
3. In 1 Corinthians 3:6, Paul said: “I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase.” In modern-day terminology, how does this apply to us today? Give a specific example as to how this might occur.
4. In Matthew 13, Mark 4, and Luke 8, Jesus used a parable about four different types of soil to teach an important spiritual principle. List each of the soil types, and tell what specific group of people they represented. Then, explain the important spiritual principle contained within the parable.
5. In 1 Corinthians 3:11, Paul wrote: “No other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.” Keeping in mind the context of the first three chapters of 1 Corinthians, explain why Paul would make such a statement—and how it applies even to our condition today as members of Christ’s church.
6. In Acts 18:24-28, we read of a man by the name of Apollos who needed to be taught “the way of the Lord more perfectly.” Why was this the case? And how did Apollos react to this constructive criticism?
7. In Acts 8:26-40, Philip asked the Ethiopian nobleman, “Do you understand what you are reading?” Explain the urgency of “understanding what we are reading,” even today. Factor into your discussion 2 Timothy 2:15.
8. Paul states that all spiritual blessings are “in Christ” (Eph. 1:3). What are some of those spiritual blessings?
9. From Romans 8, Christians learn what it means to be “in Christ.” Explain some of the benefits of being in Christ.
10. Paul wrote: “Let no one boast in men” (1 Cor. 3:21). What is his point?
11. In 1 Corinthians 4:1, Paul reminded Christians that we are “servants of Christ and stewards of the mystery of God.” What did he mean by those two designations?
12. In 1 Corinthians 4:6, Paul warned Christians that they should “not think beyond what is written, so that none of you may be puffed up on behalf of one against the other.” There are two important principles contained in this single verse. What are they?
13. In this lesson, we discussed two key concepts presented by Paul to ensure that we are doing the will of God. What are they?
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