A New Episode of the Blessed Hope Podcast -- "You Are God's Temple" (1 Corinthians 3:1-23)

Episode Synopsis:

So what will it be? Milk or meat? Are the Corinthians spiritual toddlers? Or are they mature Christians? Since they are being drawn to the factions forming within the church (“I follow Paul,” “I follow Apollos”) it is clear that no matter how mature they think they are, in reality they are immature. Their lack of progress in Christian maturity provokes a response from Paul who challenges the Corinthians to consider who they are in Christ and how that should impact the way they understand the church and their relation to it as God’s temple, indwelt by the Holy Spirit.

The foundation of the church in Corinth is the gospel Paul has preached to them (he was the sower). Apollos came and helped build upon that foundation (the waterer). Since both were fulfilling the roles assigned to them by God, so why would the Corinthians see themselves as followers of Paul or Apollos when they should see these men as servants sent by God to build the church, not as leaders of factions.

The Corinthians are the temple of God, built upon the foundation of the gospel of Jesus Christ. How will they build on that foundation? Will they utilize the wisdom of God (Gold, silver, and precious stones)? Or will they continue build using human wisdom (wood, hay, straw)? Since they have chosen the latter, Paul exposes the fact that the divisions and factions within the Corinthian church are the result of spiritual immaturity which is ultimately a holdover from the Greco-Roman paganism in which the Corinthians had been raised. The time has come to move past infancy to maturity.

Show Notes:

I am going to take a bit of a break after we complete chapter six (the end of the first half of First Corinthians) before resuming with chapter seven.

The PDF download of my exposition of Paul’s Thessalonian Letters is nearing completion. Once completed, I will make it available to all who have completed season two on Paul’s Thessalonian letters.

Links to Additional Resources:

G. K. Beale: Eden, the Temple, and the Church’s Mission

Daniel Hyde: The Church as the Temple of God

The Holy Spirit as Lord and Giver of Life

Series Bibliography:

Kim Riddlebarger, First Corinthians --Lectio Continua (RHB, 2024).

F. F. Bruce, Paul: The Apostle of the Heart Set Free. A bit dated but still remains the best biographical study of Paul

Douglas J. Moo, A Theology of Paul and His Letters (2021). A helpful big picture survey of Paul’s theology and epistles.

Thomas R. Schreiner, 1 Corinthians : An Introduction and Commentary, Tyndale New Testament Commentaries (2018). A good and modern commentary on 1 Corinthians. If you buy one commentary, this ought to be it.

Charles Hodge, I & II Corinthians, reprint ed (Banner, or the volume on 1 Corinthians published by Crossway. This has long been the Reformed standard commentary on 1 Corinthians. Theologically solid, but badly dated.

Gordon Fee, The First Epistle to the Corinthians, NICNT (1987). Good material, especially on background and context, but charismatic in its orientation.

Roy E. Ciampa and Brian S. Rosner, The First Letter to the Corinthians, The Pillar New Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, (2010). A good academic commentary, although there are several solid ones from which to choose.

Music:

(Shutterstock): Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7 in A Major, Op 92m, second movement, Allegretto (A minor)