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Scripture Reading: 1 Cor. 3:1-9
In 3:1 Paul tells the believers at Corinth, “And I, brothers, was not able to speak to you as to spiritual, but as to fleshy, as to infants in Christ.” The fact that Paul refers to them as infants indicates that they had not grown in life after receiving the initial gifts of the divine life and the Holy Spirit.
If the saints in a particular locality are short of the growth of life, they cannot have the proper church life. Actually, the reality of the church does not exist among them. Yes, they are a local church in name, but they do not have the reality of the church. The church exists as a gathering of saved people, but it cannot be considered a reality in the growth of life and in the experience and enjoyment of Christ. Furthermore, where the growth of life is lacking, the believers’ Christian life will be a mess, the church life will be damaged, and the Body life will be destroyed. This was exactly the situation in Corinth. Although the Corinthian believers had received the initial gifts, they had not grown in life. Instead, they merely had the divine life and the Holy Spirit sown into them as seeds. Because they did not have the normal growth in life, they did not have the proper Christian life, church life, and Body life.
Realizing the situation among the Corinthians, Paul does not speak of the church in a doctrinal way, but in the way of life, in the way of feeding, watering, and growing. Only if the Corinthians grew in life could the reality of the church exist among them through the experience of Christ and only then could the Body life be built up.
In 1 Corinthians there are three kinds of gifts: the initial gifts in chapter one and the miraculous and the mature gifts in chapters twelve and fourteen. Again and again we have pointed out that the initial gifts, the gifts believers receive at the time they are saved, include the divine life and the Holy Spirit. Miraculous gifts include such things as healing and speaking in tongues. When Balaam’s donkey spoke a human language, that certainly was a miraculous occurrence, a true instance of speaking in tongues. A creature that did not even possess human life actually spoke a human language. The tongues-speaking in chapters twelve and fourteen refers to the speaking of an actual language which a person has not learned. Suddenly, under the divine power, a believer miraculously speaks another language. This is genuine tongues-speaking. This kind of miraculous gift does not require the growth in life as the mature gifts do.
Genuine tongues-speaking is different from the so-called speaking in tongues practiced today, where people utter sounds and syllables which have nothing to do with any actual language. If these sounds were recorded and analyzed by a linguist, it would be proved that they are not part of any language or dialect.
In chapters twelve and fourteen Paul mentions both speaking in tongues and the interpretation of tongues. Among Pentecostal and charismatic groups, there are many supposed instances of speaking in tongues with interpretation. However, in many cases these are not genuine. For example, in a meeting someone may speak certain sounds or syllables which will then be interpreted in a particular way. In another meeting the same person may utter the same sounds; however, they are given a different interpretation. Thus, the same sounds have two interpretations. Such a thing is not a genuine miraculous gift. On the contrary, it is natural and of human invention.
There can be no doubt that healing is a miraculous gift. The gift of healing mentioned by Paul is truly miraculous. But in the healing campaigns conducted by Christians today there are many false healings. In many of these campaigns, there is not one case of a genuine miraculous healing.
In chapters twelve and fourteen we also have another category of gifts, the mature gifts. Prophesying is one of these mature gifts. To prophesy is better than to speak in tongues because speaking in tongues does not build up the church, but prophesying does build up the church (14:4). We all should seek those gifts, especially prophesying, which build up the church.
If we would prophesy for the building up of the church, we must have the experience in life. Our ability to prophesy depends on our experience. If we do not have the proper experience in life, we shall not be able to prophesy to build up the church.
The gift of prophecy in 1 Corinthians is different from that commonly practiced in charismatic groups today. For example, many years ago some prophesied that a great earthquake would destroy the city of Los Angeles. Usually, such so-called prophecies conclude, in Old Testament fashion, with the words, “Thus saith the Lord.” But in 1 Corinthians prophesying means to speak for Christ and even to speak forth Christ. If we would speak forth Christ, we must first experience Christ. Only when we have the genuine experience of Christ can we minister Him to the church. Thus, to prophesy by speaking forth Christ requires experience. Among the Corinthians there may have been a number of miraculous gifts, but they were short of the mature gifts, such as the gift of prophesying for the building up of the church.
In 1 Corinthians we also have the gift of ruling, or of taking the lead. Such a gift is based on maturity. We cannot expect that a young saint should be able to be a leading one. Taking the lead requires a certain amount of maturity. Actually, this gift is related to eldership. An elder is one who is not a babe. On the contrary, he must be a person with some maturity.
The believers at Corinth were lacking in the mature gifts. In particular, they were short of the gift to speak forth Christ that the church may be supplied and built up, and short of the gift of proper leadership. They had received the initial gifts, but not many among them had grown in life. As a result, there was neither the proper gift of prophesying nor of leading that can build up the church.
We know from Paul’s word in 3:1 that the Corinthian believers had not grown in life, but remained in the stage of infancy. Thus, burdened to point out the need for growth, he says, “I planted, Apollos watered, but God made to grow; so that neither is the one who plants anything nor the one who waters, but the One Who makes to grow, God” (vv. 6-7). This clearly indicates that the believers need the planting and the watering in order to grow in life.
We have pointed out that even though the Corinthian believers had received the divine life and the Holy Spirit as the seed sown into them, they remained in their infancy and did not grow in life. Actually, they continued to live in their Greek culture, philosophy, and wisdom. This caused confusion in their Christian life, damage to the church life, and ruin to the Body life. Hence, in writing this Epistle Paul was burdened to tell them that they should no longer live their Greek culture, wisdom, and philosophy.
When Paul uses the word wisdom in chapter one, he is specifically referring to the wisdom of Greek culture. I believe that when the Corinthians read this Epistle, they realized that wisdom was equivalent to culture. They remained in their native culture and lived in it. Paul, however, seemed to be saying, “Brothers, God has called you into the fellowship of His Son, not into your culture. The very Christ who is your portion and into whose fellowship you have been called has become wisdom from God to you. Daily He is your righteousness, sanctification, and redemption. No longer should you live your culture, but you should live Christ. As God’s wisdom, Christ is the deep things of God. What man’s eye has not seen, what man’s ear has not heard, and what man’s heart has never imagined has been revealed to us through the Spirit of God. These things, the depths of God, are related to Christ as God’s mysterious wisdom for our destiny.”
Paul was burdened that the Corinthian believers would grow in life. He knew that if they would grow in life, spontaneously they would have a proper Christian life. Then the reality of the church life would exist among them, and the genuine Body life would be built up. They would be the church not merely in name, but in reality, in life, and in the experience of Christ. Then they would be the farm of God and the temple of God in a way that is actual and practical.
In 1 Corinthians 3 we see that the believers at Corinth showed certain signs of infancy. Verse 2 says, “I gave you milk to drink, not solid food; for you were not then able to receive it. But neither yet now are you able.” One sign of infancy among the believers is that they are able to receive only milk, not solid food. As long as a believer remains in a stage of infancy, he is not able to receive anything solid, no matter how many messages he may hear which contain solid food.
To some extent at least, this sign of infancy is present among us. Year by year solid food is ministered to the saints. But in many cases the saints, by their reaction to what is ministered, show that they are not able to come up to this level. This indicates that many are not yet able to receive solid food. Instead, they can only take in milk. This is a sign of infancy.
Recently in a certain meeting the saints were reviewing one of the Life-study messages on 1 Corinthians. I was hoping that the response of the saints would indicate that they had digested some solid food. However, according to what was shared in that meeting, it became evident that many can still receive only milk. I was hoping that some would testify that, by the Lord’s mercy, they were experiencing Christ as daily righteousness, sanctification, and redemption. But testimonies of this kind were not given. Furthermore, instead of caring for the “diamonds” found in the messages, many paid more attention to the “wrappings” and the “box.” They spoke about the box and the wrappings, but neglected the diamonds. Those who have grown in life are not preoccupied by wrappings or by the box, but concentrate on the diamonds. In their testimonies they appreciate the diamonds and speak of them.
There are many diamonds in chapters one and two of 1 Corinthians. However, throughout the generations most readers of this Epistle have touched only the wrappings or the box, not the diamonds, the deep things of God. For example, when we testify concerning 1:30 we should be able to tell how Christ becomes wisdom to us from God in our daily life. A brother may testify that in his married life he enjoys Christ as his present, living, and instant righteousness, sanctification, and redemption. To speak in this way is to show that we have seen the diamonds and not just the wrappings.
I am very concerned that certain of the leading ones who minister the Word in their localities may repeat the messages given in the ministry without themselves having seen the diamonds. They may encourage the saints and advise them about the growth in life, and they may teach them how to wrap the diamonds, how to put the diamonds in pretty boxes, and how to treasure the diamonds and love them. They may speak a lot about “how to,” without having seen the genuine vision of the diamonds. Nevertheless, I hope that more and more the leading ones and all the saints will be able to testify of what they have seen and experienced concerning the diamonds in 1 Corinthians.
Paul’s word about the fellowship of the Son of God in 1:9 is certainly a diamond. We need to testify of this fellowship, this mutual enjoyment, not in a doctrinal way, but in the way of experience. To learn doctrine is to receive only milk, whereas to take the diamonds in an experiential way is to receive solid food. The first sign of infancy is not being able to receive solid food.
In verse 3 Paul exposes a second sign of infancy: “For whereas there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not fleshly and walking according to man?” Those who are infants are full of jealousy and strife and walk according to man, that is, according to fallen man in the flesh. Those who are infants, who are shallow and superficial concerning spiritual things, still have jealousy and strife. Any strife or jealousy among us indicates infancy.
Suppose a brother gives a very good testimony in the meeting. Then another brother, hearing this testimony, decides to give an even better testimony. This is strife, a sign of this brother’s infancy.
Suppose only a few saints say amen to your testimony, but many say amen to a testimony given by another. If this bothers you, it exposes the fact that with you there is still some strife or jealousy. We should be happy when there is a loud response of amen to a brother’s testimony. We should praise the Lord that there is such a “diamond” among us.
A third sign of infancy is exalting spiritual giants to cause divisions. In 3:4 and 5 Paul writes, “For whenever one says, I am of Paul, and another, I of Apollos, are you not men? What then is Apollos? And what is Paul? Ministers through whom you believed, even as the Lord gave to each one.” The fact that the Corinthians were exalting certain persons is a further indication of their immaturity. In verse 7 Paul points out that both those who plant and those who water are not anything, but God is everything as far as the growth in life is concerned. If we turn our eyes to God alone, we shall be delivered from the divisiveness which results from appreciating one minister of Christ above another.
It is possible for us to be like the Corinthians in exalting certain spiritual giants and thereby causing division. Some may declare, “I like this brother very much and think his speaking is excellent.” In the church life we should not have any preference concerning speakers, elders, brothers, or sisters. To have preferences is a sign of infancy.
The three signs of infancy pointed out by Paul in this chapter are the very signs present among many Christians today. Few believers are able to receive solid food. Jealousy, strife, and the exaltation of certain persons are common. I hope that among us in the Lord’s recovery all these signs of infancy will disappear. When we hear a message, we should be able to get into the depths of that message and not be distracted by the wrappings or the box. Furthermore, we should not have jealousy or strife, and we should not have any personal preferences or choices. This will prove that we have grown and even matured in life.
At this point, I would like to say a further word concerning the church as God’s farm and God’s building. The expression “God’s farm” refers mainly to the growth in life. The building, the temple, refers to the goal of God’s eternal purpose. Thus, the church is the farm to produce materials so that God may fulfill His goal to have the building. First we have the farm for the growth in life, then the building for the fulfillment of God’s eternal purpose. To be able to grasp these crucial matters is an indication that we have taken in the solid food in 3:9. Praise the Lord that the farm is for the growth in life and that the building is for the fulfillment of God’s goal!
In 3:17 Paul says that the temple of God is holy. According to the context, to be holy here is not simply to be separated to God; to be holy means not to be Greek. If we think that the word holy merely means to be separated, our understanding of this verse is too superficial and doctrinal. For the Corinthians to be separated unto God means that they are no longer Greek. In the same principle, for us to be holy, separated unto God, means that we are no longer American, Chinese, Japanese, or German. If we see this matter, it is a sign that we have received solid food from verse 17. It proves that we have grasped something experiential, practical, and deep.
To be God’s building means that we are no longer divided or scattered. According to the context of these chapters, the building is versus division. Paul knew that the Greek believers at Corinth had been divided by their preferences. In 1:12 he says, “Now I mean this, that each of you says, I am of Paul, and I of Apollos, and I of Cephas, and I of Christ.” This indicates that the believers had been scattered; they were not even piled up, much less built up together to be God’s temple. To repeat, God desires a building. God’s goal is the building. First, He wants a farm to grow Christ, and then He wants a building.
The Corinthians did not have a building which was holy, a building which was outside Greek culture. This means that they did not have a building which was holy and indwelt by the Spirit of God, a building which contained nothing of their wisdom, philosophy, and culture. Nevertheless, God’s goal is to have a building filled with the Spirit of God, a building of materials grown on His farm. As believers, we all must be for God’s building.
When we realize our shortage concerning the growth in life and the building, we may react in a way which causes us to become even more veiled. Some may become excited, others may weep, and still others may pray or try to repent. But it is possible even for excitement, weeping, praying, and repenting to become veils. These activities may hinder us from seeing the vision of God’s economy.
To see this vision we need God’s mercy. In Romans 9 we have a word about God’s mercy and, in Acts 9 an illustration of God’s mercy. Romans 9:16 says, “So then, it is not of the one who wills, nor of the one who runs, but of God, the One Who shows mercy.” According to Acts 9, God showed mercy to Saul of Tarsus. No doubt, Saul prayed a great deal before he was saved. It is doubtful, however, that God ever answered his prayers. But one day, to Saul’s great surprise, the Lord appeared to him. This is mercy.
We do not need to weep, pray, or repent in a religious way, but we do need the Lord’s mercy to see the vision shown to Paul. We need to see how much we are still living in our culture, tradition, and religion. We need to see that we are living in many things other than Christ and that we are not actually living Christ day by day. Yes, we have heard messages, but still we may not see the vision. Oh, we need the Lord’s mercy to see a heavenly vision! Neither our weeping nor our excitement means anything. Again I say, we need God’s mercy. Although we should not pray in an excited way or in a religious way, we should pray earnestly for the Lord’s mercy. Let us all pray, “Lord, have mercy on me. I need to see the vision seen by Paul. Lord, grant me a clear sky that I may see the revelation of Your economy.”
