Vanity -- 1 Corinthians 3:20

And again, The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain (KJV)

Then: By now, the Corinthians should be getting it. Their concentration on how much they know and how smart they are is thoroughly discredited in God's eyes. Man's wisdom? What's that? Just vanity, friends. Just vanity. There is no place for put downs in the church. Fellow workers are beloved and precious in God's sight -- and in the sight of other believers. Baker (p. 60) explains that Paul is quoting Psalm 94:11. It's a follow-up support from verse 18. Using God's teachings from old lets the Corinthians know the thoughts aren't Paul's. He's just the observer, teacher, and message carrier. The one who convicts abides within his listeners.

Now: Grabbing control and saying "I get it Lord; I can do it myself" stands as an aeon-long problem for all believers. This conflict with God becomes conflict with fellow believers. Unfortunately, we promote, demand, override objectors and contrive our own ways. Contrarily, we quickly recognize and admire the humble who always speak and act with consideration and kindness. They've learned to wait for God's wisdom and do not rush to judge. God is pleased when we "Love one another." -- Thank God for his patience with our slow growth. May we each have a "Paul" nearby.

Extra Source: Cornerstone Biblical Commentary 1 Corinthians (William Baker), 2 Corinthians (Ralph Martin & Carl Toney), ed. by Philip Comfort. Carol Stream: Tyndale House Publishers, c2006.

I 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 (KJV)

Then: Noah built an ark. Elijah poured water on logs and waited for God to start the fire. Jeremiah was thrown in a muddy well rather than stop telling King Zedekiah the Chaldeans would capture Jerusalem. The Corinthians knew about many Old Testament people whose behavior looked like foolishness. Dead set in their own wisdom, the people of Corinth might have a glimmer of understanding that their opponents -- for Apollos or for Paul - were off track, but they had great difficulty in recognizing the same problem within themselves. What great foolishness to take a stand which conflicts with the structure of God's kingdom.

Now: Politicians, businessmen, academics, and others from all fields of life can become so fenced in and enamoured of their personal weed patches that they don't notice the Lord's perspective. Preening with craftiness and self-awarded glories, they live in a foolishness which wreaks famine and destruction. Baker (p. 59) and others relate this verse to Job 5:13. It's direct thought association, not a word for word quote. In the NLT, the verb "catches" or "taketh" becomes "traps the wise," a vivid depiction of the Lord's hands stopping the handiwork of thieves. Thinking back to I Corinthians 1:19, Collins (p. 161), brings up Isaiah 19:14 for readers to compare with the quote here and the one coming next in verse 20. Paul is heading towards closure of the topic. These quotations bring a wider context than just depending on his own knowledge of God's truth.

Extra Source: Cornerstone Biblical Commentary 1 Corinthians (William Baker), 2 Corinthians (Ralph Martin & Carl Toney), ed. by Philip Comfort. Carol Stream: Tyndale House Publishers, c2006.

I 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 (KJV)

Then: Other translations just out and out say "Stop!" Corinthians can't keep on with their self-delusions of "We're better than you" wisdom. The only real way to be wise is to strip their minds of all they think they know and submit to the teachings of Christ. Baker (p. 59) calls this a rhetorical formula of the present imperative in the negative which Paul intently uses.

Now: Parents always look for the wording, tone, and action which will get children to behave instantly. Adults need to self-educate themselves as ways to improve their own actions in serving Christ. Having a one-on-one personal conversation with the Holy Spirit is far better than a private or public rebuke from fellow believers. Taking time for personal spiritual examination is essential.

Extra Source: Cornerstone Biblical Commentary 1 Corinthians (William Baker), 2 Corinthians (Ralph Martin & Carl Toney), ed. by Philip Comfort. Carol Stream: Tyndale House Publishers, c2006.

Summary - 1 Corinthians 3:18-25

Then and Now:
This teaching unit confronts the Corinthians and today's Christians who deceive themselves about how smart or wise they are. To assume and boast about personal wisdom is foolishness, because only God, his spirit within a man, knows the outcome of actions or plans of other men. What believers should do is boast in the wisdom which comes from belonging to the Creator, for all things belong to those who belong to him.

Further extrapolation by Wright looks to the role of faith, for no one individual knows the mind of God in every instance. What he or she can know is the security of being a part of the kingdom. They are destined to be among those who are continuously obedient to the Lord and who will judge the world in the age to come. (p. 41).

Anyone who lays the world's wisdom and craftiness beside the Lord's wisdom immediately recognizes the superiority of the one over the other. Nothing can compete with the Lord's omniscience. When faced head-on, the temptation to think you know more than the Lord can be overcome. When not made clear, however, decisions can be made that are extremely poor - as the Cornthian contretemp over Paul, Cephas, Apollos or Christ. Corinthians then needed to take Paul's advice. So too today's Christians. Don't deceive yourself.

I 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 (KJV)

Then: Think through the meaning of defiling the temple - of sinning -- and the starkness of this sentence strikes believers with guilt and shame. For all sin and fall short. Paul writes of the extreme black and white contrast between purity and failure. On its surface and standing alone, Paul's statement is very hard, adamant. Thankfully, God provided the way out, but the ultimate implacable result of defiling the temple which holds the Spirit of God is destruction. Followers do have a choice. Continue --or repent and be forgiven. Paul has to focus on the end game which is his call to teach the gospel. Any church deviating from the foundational principles needs to know doctrine, discipline and correction. Paul writes what he has to to effect change.

Now: We need both sides of a coin to understand what following Christ means. To stay only with the soft, gooey presentation that God is love is reassuring and comforting to all who have expienced the misery of living without him and of doing life their own way. They don't normally need reminders of the consequences of sin. In this verse Paul talks about the final extreme, the end where disobedience and self-will overwhelm the Holy Spirit which had been invited into the believer's soul and is so out of control, the Lord's only choice is to exact judgement. The foundation will survive, but nothing else will.

Temple of God - I Corinthians 3:16

Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? (KJV)

Then: Most Christians don't do temples, but Corinthians did. Every temple had a deity with its images everywhere (Thiselton, p. 316). Think Apollo, Aphrodite and Octavia. What about the Christians? They met in someone's large house. Corinthians needed this explanation on two levels. First, theological. Paul speaks to the entire group for "you" is plural, but temple is singular. The Spirt of God resides in the corporate community and "temple" is a metaphoric explanation (Collins, p. 161). Second, practical. They'd just heard that buildings can be destroyed by fire, so too could temples be burned. Christians were a spiritual temple, whose Lord could never be destroyed. In the tongue lashing they could still take comfort that the Lord them so much he sent warnings of their transgressions.

Now: We understand that each individual is also a temple of God. This is the verse Christians cite, but actually, that specific meaning comes later in 6:1 (Collins, p. 161). "Know ye not" or "Don't you know" is the first of ten times Paul uses the phrase. Thiselton (p. 316) points out that its use means Paul cares deeply that believers know a fundamental principle. Actions detrimental to the Spirit cannot stand - especially when they are magnified in the corporate body and threaten the standing of the whole church, not just an individual.

Extra Source: The First Epistle to the Corinthians: a commentary on the Greek text by Anthony C. Thiselton (Authentic Media, c2000) online at http://books.google.com/books?id=IHG_DNLpmroC&dq=1st+Corinthian+commentaries&printsec=frontcover&source=in&hl=en&ei=W9fQSpC1GILplAfHiumoCg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=11&ved=0CB8Q6AEwCg#v=onepage&q=&f=false
First Corinthians by Raymond F. Collins and Daniel J. Harrington (Collegeville MN: Liturgical Press, c1999) online at http://books.google.com/books?id=c4VXq9fKoRwC&dq=Sacra+Pagina+and+1st+Corinthians&printsec=frontcover&source=in&hl=en&ei=NqEJS7XzEITklAeejdiEBA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=11&ved=0CDUQ6AEwCg#v=onepage&q=&f=false

I 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 (KJV)

Then: Even if everything the Corinthians had done since first coming to faith in Christ, looked more like wood, stubble, and hay than gold, silver or diamonds, they would be saved. Their work may not withstand the testing, but they will still have a place in God's heaven. Paul's doctrine, like that of James, teaches that salvation does not come through doing good works. Beardslee (p.31) concludes that acceptance does not equal or require achievement.

Now: Believers who take pride in self-reliance, independence and high quality work must consiciously balance and define their knowledge that all they do actually comes through the blessings of God. Their talents, circumstances, and relationships with the Lord allow for a success which can be shared with others. Achievement in heaven is measured by the fruits of Spirit shining forth in their lives. Jesus warned that the rich have a difficult time in entering heaven. Their priorities and temptations make it almost impossible to keep right priorities - God first - and maintain submissive humility to the Lord in heaven. Prayer, Bible study, and listening to Christian advisers helps them escape and abide.

Extra source: First Corinthians: a commentary for today by William A. Beardslee (St.Louis MO: Chalice Press, c1994) online at http://books.google.com/books?id=cKpy9maLuiQC&dq=Corinthians+commentary&printsec=frontcover&source=bl&ots=ZdJnhnUolH&sig=xQvIGm41suvwCLZkF_tsYdCfnuc&hl=en&ei=b6koS5rODtLDlAfBgo2hDQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=9&ved=0CCEQ6AEwCDhk#v=onepage&q=&f=false