1 Corinthians 3:5–17 Sermon Notes

1 Corinthians 3:5–9 (LSB) God's Fellow Workers, God's Field, God's Building

5 What then is Apollos? And what is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, even as the Lord gave to each one. 6 I planted, Apollos watered, but God was causing the growth. 7 So then neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but God who causes the growth. 8 Now he who plants and he who waters are one, but each will receive his own reward according to his own labor. 9 For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, God’s building.

V. 5 “Servants though whom you believed” (not on whom…)
(Maclaren) “So what was the use of fighting which of two nothings was the greater?”
V. 6 Paul planted. Apollos watered.
Different roles. Both needed.
GOD causes the growth. The miracle of life, really. How crazy is it that you can throw a seed in the dirt and dump water on it and LIFE comes out of it.
Just as miraculous as one dirt bag speaks to another dirt bag and they come alive.
V. 7 “Neither he who plans nor the one who waters is anything, but God who causes the growth.”
2nd time he points out God is the one causing the growth.
We aint nothin.
V. 8 “each will receive his own reward according to his own labor”
Rewarded for his OWN Labor. Not their giftings.
Not their talents. Not the outcome.
(Hodge) “The faithful, laborious minister or missionary who labors in obscurity and without apparent fruit, will meet a reward far beyond that of those who, with less self-denial and effort, are made the instruments of great results.”
62:12 (LSB) 12 And that to You, O Lord, belongs lovingkindness, For You repay a man according to his work.
V. 9 “fellow workers; you are God’s field” (1 Co 3:9, LEB)
Alliteration is created by the repetition of consonants used in “fellow workers” (συνεργοί synergoi) and repeated in “field” (γεώργιον geōrgion).
V. 9 “God’s field, God’s building” – the paired plant/build metaphor for the covenant community echoes Jeremiah’s call formula, recurring through his oracles (Jer 18:9; 24:6; 31:28):
Jeremiah 1:10 (LSB) 10 See, I have appointed you this day over the nations and over the kingdoms, To uproot and to tear down, To cause to perish and to pull down, To build and to plant.
Be encouraged in knowing that you are God’s workers, God’s field, and God’s building. You are all HIS.
So, get along.
Pretty amazing to think about how God would want to include us in His work.
The work in the field is to bring life and growth.
The work in the building is to arrange and strengthen. Fortify.
You have been arranged and assembled
Your (co-)LABORING EFFORT is a choice, and will eventually be called out.
All of us have been in the work force before when someone does not put in the effort. Its obvious.
Same idea here, as he transitions from field worker to building a house.

1 Corinthians 3:10–15 (LSB) Each Man's Work Will Become Evident

10 According to the grace of God which was given to me, like a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another is building on it. But each man must be careful how he builds on it. 11 For no one can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, 13 each man’s work will become evident, for the day will indicate it because it is revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test the quality of each man’s work. 14 If any man’s work which he has built on it remains, he will receive a reward. 15 If any man’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.

Building a Building. Paul’s saying his role was to lay the foundation.
Doctrines of Christ laid out by the apostles.
V. 11 “the foundation … which is Jesus Christ” – background, not a quotation here: the foundation-stone tradition itself is formally quoted elsewhere (Romans 9:33; 1 Peter 2:6), drawing on:
Isaiah 28:16 (LSB) 16 Therefore thus says Lord Yahweh, “Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a tested stone, A costly cornerstone for the foundation, firmly placed. He who believes in it will not be disturbed.
There is no other foundation but Christ. The identity of Jesus,
Matthew 16:15 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” 16 And Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” 17 And Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. 18 “And I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it.”
Foundation has to be right, but it’s the beginning. God’s like the general contractor and He’s assigning subcontractors to build each part of the house. Paul, then Apollos, etc.
Same image-cluster developed further by Paul in:
Ephesians 2:20–22 (LSB) 20 having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner stone, 21 in whom the whole building, being joined together, is growing into a holy sanctuary in the Lord, 22 in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit.
Anyone who has ever hired a builder, carpenter, etc, knows that the materials chosen to build with are a CHOICE, and the result will be evident.

1 Corinthians 3:12–13 (LSB) 12 Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, 13 each man’s work will become evident, for the day will indicate it because it is revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test the quality of each man’s work.

V. 13 “the day … revealed with fire … test the quality” – combined day/fire/testing motif, closest OT parallel:
Malachi 3:2–3 (LSB) 2 “But who can endure the day of His coming? And who can stand when He appears? For He is like a smelter’s fire and like fullers’ soap. 3 And He will sit as a smelter and purifier of silver, and He will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, so that they may present to Yahweh offerings in righteousness.
1 Corinthians 4:5 (LSB) 5 Therefore do not go on passing judgment before the time, but wait until the Lord comes who will both bring to light the things hidden in the darkness and make manifest the motives of hearts. And then each one’s praise will come to him from God.
2 Timothy 4:1–8 1 I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom: 2 preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and teaching. 3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, 4 and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths. 5 But you, be sober in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. 6 For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. 7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith. 8 In the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing.
1 Corinthians 3:14–15 (LSB) 14 If any man’s work which he has built on it remains, he will receive a reward. 15 If any man’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.
Believers in Jesus have already been justified by faith They will not be condemned on judgment day.
Romans 5:1 (LSB) 1 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
John 5:24 (LSB) 24 “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life.
Romans 8:1 (LSB) 1 Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
But God will still judge their works and reward them accordingly [1]
Romans 14:10–12 (LSB) 10 But you, why do you judge your brother? Or you again, why do you view your brother with contempt? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God. 11 For it is written, “As I live, says the Lord, to Me every knee shall bow, And every tongue shall confess to God.” 12 So then each one of us will give an account of himself to God.
2 Corinthians 5:9–10 (LSB) 9 Therefore we also have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to Him. 10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.
Matthew 6:1–6 (LSB) 1 “Beware of doing your righteousness before men to be noticed by them; otherwise you have no reward with your Father who is in heaven. 2 “Therefore, when you give to the poor, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be glorified by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. 3 “But when you give to the poor, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 so that your giving will be in secret; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you. 5 “And when you pray, you are not to be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners so that they may be seen by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. 6 “But you, when you pray, go into your inner room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.
Matthew 6:16–18 (LSB) 16 “Now whenever you fast, do not put on a gloomy face as the hypocrites do, for they neglect their appearance so that they will be noticed by men when they are fasting. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. 17 “But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face 18 so that your fasting will not be noticed by men, but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.
If a subcontractor is hired to build a wall, and he decides to use worthless materials, or build something else, his work is basically worthless and discarded.
J. R. Dummelow – “As the builder may escape with his life while the flames destroy the building on which he is engaged, so the Christian teacher may be saved himself, though his teaching be proved worthless for edification.”[2]
And this about it, what type of materials would be fitting to build on top of the perfect foundation of Jesus Christ? Would you really build with wood, hay and straw on top of Christ? Especially when Precious stones, granite, marble, and gold are at your disposal?
What type of building do you think He’s intending to build with you?
Paul wants the Corinthians to take what they were doing seriously.

1 Corinthians 3:16–17 (LSB) You Are a Sanctuary of God

16 Do you not know that you are a sanctuary of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? 17 If any man destroys the sanctuary of God, God will destroy him, for the sanctuary of God is holy, and that is what you are.

Vv. 16–17 “you” is plural – the whole congregation as one sanctuary; do not conflate with the individual-body statement later in this letter:
1 Corinthians 6:19 (LSB) 19 Or do you not know that your body is a sanctuary of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own?
Strongest cross-reference for the indwelling-sanctuary theme – Paul’s own formal quotation, to this same church, conflating Leviticus 26:12 and Ezekiel 37:27; wording follows a composite LXX/Hebrew-tradition form rather than either OT text alone (LSB small caps confirmed on-site):
2 Corinthians 6:16 (LSB) 16 Or what agreement has a sanctuary of God with idols? For we are a sanctuary of the living God; just as God said, “I will dwell in them and walk among them; And I will be their God, and they shall be My people.
Underlying OT dwelling-formula (background, not quoted verbatim here):
Leviticus 26:11–12 (LSB) 11 Moreover, I will make My dwelling among you, and My soul will not loathe you. 12 I will also walk among you and be your God, and you shall be My people.
Ezekiel 37:26–27 (LSB) 26 And I will cut a covenant of peace with them; it will be an everlasting covenant with them. And I will give them the land and multiply them and will set My sanctuary in their midst forever. 27 My dwelling place also will be with them; and I will be their God, and they will be My people.
God’s field
Planted, Watered, Worked. Life.
God’s building
Built, Assembled, Planned. Built on the foundation of Christ. Following the direction of the chief architect.
God’s Fellow Worker
Material choice, reward, though through fire.
God’s Sanctuary
Holy. That is what you (all) are. Precious to God. United. Protected and Defended.

[1] Packer, J. I., et al., editors. ESV Global Study Bible. Crossway, 2012, p. 1610.

[2] Dummelow, J. R., editor. A Commentary on the Holy Bible. The Macmillan Company, 1936, p. 898.