THE SECOND PART: A BIRD’S-EYE VIEW OF THE NEW TESTAMENT
The First Epistle of Paul to the Corinthians
Message Two—God’s Cultivated Land and God’s Building
Scripture Reading: 1 Cor. 3:1-17
I. God’s goal is to have a farm that will grow materials for the building up of His holy temple as His dwelling place—3:6-7, 9, 12, 16-17.
II. The believers, who have been regenerated in Christ with God’s life, are God’s cultivated land, a farm in God’s new creation to grow Christ that precious materials may be produced for God’s building— cf. 4:15.
III. Paul regarded all the believers in Christ as plants which need growth—3:6-7:
A. In verse 1 Paul refers to the believers at Corinth as infants in Christ; their need was to grow in life to maturity, to be full-grown—2:6; Col. 1:28.
B. The reason for division and lack of building is that the believers remain in their natural life and natural being—1 Cor. 1:12-13; 3:3-4; 2:14.
C. The Corinthians, who were still infants with respect to the initial gifts, desperately needed to grow—3:2; 1:7:
1. The Corinthians exhibited three signs of infancy:
a. Being unable to receive solid food but only milk—3:2.
b. Being full of jealousy and strife and walking according to man—1:11; 3:3.
c. Exalting spiritual giants to cause divisions— 1:12; 3:4.
2. The initial gifts—the divine life and the Holy Spirit (Rom. 6:23; Acts 2:38; Heb. 6:4)—are the seed sown into us (Mark 4:26); now these gifts need to be developed and cultivated:
a. In 1 Corinthians Paul is seeking to develop and cultivate the initial gifts received by the believers.
b. What we need in the Lord’s recovery, and what the Lord is seeking among us, is more growth in life, more development of the initial gifts.
D. The life with which the believers grow in the church is the crucified and resurrected Christ—1 Cor. 2:2; Col. 3:4.
E. The growth in life is caused by God; as far as the growth in life is concerned, all the ministers of Christ are nothing, and God is everything—1 Cor. 3:6-7.
F. God’s desire is that our heart would be open to Him, soft toward Him, and longing for Him, and that we would draw near to Him, eat Him, drink Him, enjoy Him, and digest Him that daily we would grow with the growth of God—10:3-4; Col. 2:19.
IV. The Lord Jesus came as a Sower to sow God into us; we are the earth, the cultivated land, the farm, to grow Christ—Mark 4:3-4, 14; 1 Cor. 3:9:
A. God’s farm grows Christ, and Christ is for the building (v. 11); as Christians, we are growing Christ.
B. When we grow properly, Christ will be produced in us; the issue of our growth will be Christ—Eph. 4:15; Col. 2:19; Gal. 4:19.
C. The church is built with the Christ we experience and who is even the produce grown by us—1 Cor. 3:12.
V. The church is God’s farm which produces gold, silver, and precious stones—vv. 9, 12:
A. The church, the temple of God, must be built with gold, silver, and precious stones produced from Christ’s growing in us—vv. 16-17.
B. First we have the growth on God’s farm; then the plants on this farm become the precious materials for God’s building—vv. 6-7, 12.
C. Gold, silver, and precious stones signify the various experiences of Christ in the virtues and attributes of the Triune God; these precious materials are the products of our enjoyment of Christ—v. 12; 15:45b; 6:17.
D. The precious materials for God’s building are related to the Triune God—to the Father’s nature, the Son’s redemption, and the Spirit’s transforming work—2 Pet. 1:4; Eph. 1:7; Heb. 9:12; 2 Cor. 3:18.
E. We are becoming gold, silver, and precious stones for God’s building—1 Cor. 3:12:
1. In God the Father, we have His life and nature as the gold; in God the Son, we have His redemption as the silver; and in God the Spirit, we have transformation as the precious stones.
2. In order to build with these materials, we ourselves must be constituted with them; we need to be constituted with the Father’s nature, the Son’s redemption, and the Spirit’s transformation.
3. We need the growth in the nature of God the Father, the redemption of God the Son, and the transformation of God the Spirit; this growth makes us gold, silver, and precious stones for God’s building—vv. 12, 16-17.
4. Through digestion, assimilation, and metabolism, Christ becomes us, and we become Him; then we become the precious materials for God’s building— Eph. 3:17; Gal. 4:19.
VI. God’s eternal goal is the building—the temple built with precious materials on Christ as the unique foundation—1 Cor. 3:11-12, 16-17:
A. The growth in the divine life produces precious materials for the building of God’s habitation; this habitation, the church, is the increase, the enlargement, of the unlimited Christ—Eph. 2:21-22; John 3:29-34.
B. First we have the farm for the growth in life; then we have the building for God’s eternal purpose—1 Cor. 3:9; Matt. 16:18; Eph. 2:20-22; 4:16.
C. The actual building of the church as the house of God is by the growth in life of the believers—1 Cor. 3:6-7, 16-17; Eph. 2:20-21; 1 Pet. 2:2-5.
Ministry Excerpts:
In chapter three of 1 Corinthians Paul comes to the church. Although the word church cannot be found in this chapter, what Paul covers here is very much related to the church.
Paul composed this chapter in a very wise way. Paul did not use superficial expressions with regard to the church; here he speaks of the church by using deep and profound expressions. In this chapter Paul uses three main terms for the church: the farm, the building, and the temple.
In verse 9 Paul says, “You are God’s farm, God’s building.” The Greek word rendered farm in this verse literally means cultivated land. The believers who have been regenerated in Christ with God’s life are God’s cultivated land, a farm in God’s new creation to grow Christ, that precious materials may be produced for God’s building. Hence, we are not only God’s farm, but also God’s building. Corporately, we as the church of God have Christ planted in us. Christ must also grow in us, and out of us He must produce, in the sense of this chapter, not the fruit, but the precious materials of gold, silver, and precious stones for the building of God’s habitation on earth. Thus, the building of God, the house of God, the church, is the increase of Christ, the enlargement of Christ in His unlimitedness.
In verses 16 and 17 Paul twice refers to the temple of God: “Do you not know that you are a temple of God, and the Spirit of God dwells in you? If anyone destroys the temple of God, God shall destroy him; for the temple of God is holy, which you are.” A temple of God in verse 16 refers to the believers collectively in a certain locality, as in Corinth, whereas the temple of God in verse 17 refers to all the believers universally. The unique, spiritual temple of God in the universe has its expressions in many localities on earth. Each expression is a temple of God in that locality.
The temple of God in these verses is the explanation of God’s building in verse 9. The temple is the building, and the building is produced by the materials grown on the farm. Thus, we have the farm, the building, and the temple. God’s building is not an ordinary building; it is the sanctuary of the holy God, the temple in which the Spirit of God dwells. We, the builders of such a holy temple, should realize this so that we may be careful to build not with the worthless materials of wood, grass, and stubble, but with the precious materials of gold, silver, and precious stones (v. 12), which correspond to God’s nature and economy.
In the Epistle of 1 Corinthians Paul spends more time to speak concerning the church than concerning Christ. We have seen that in the first two chapters Paul has much to say about Christ. The problems among the believers at Corinth were caused by their lack of experience of Christ. For this reason, Paul begins this Epistle with Christ and then continues with the church.
Where Christ is, there the church must be also. If we preach Christ, we must also preach the church. Likewise, if we have Christ, we should be in the church. Christ and the church cannot be divided, just as a person’s head should not be separated from his body. To separate the head from the body is to bring death to the body. Therefore, we should never separate Christ from the church or the church from Christ.
GOD’S FARM
The title of this message is “The Church, God’s Farm and God’s Building.” This title indicates that the church is both God’s farm and God’s building. We all know that the purpose of a farm is to produce food for us to eat. A building is a structure made of certain materials. Apparently, a farm is not related to a building, for a farm produces food for eating, not materials for building. No one would build a house with the produce grown on a farm. Farm products seemingly are not useful for building. Nevertheless, the farm in verse 9 is for the building. Whatever is produced on the farm is for the building.
In verse 9 Paul speaks first of God’s farm, then of God’s building. The reason for this order is that the building depends on the farm. If there is no farm, there cannot be the building, because the farm produces materials for the building.
PLANTS ON GOD’S FARM
All the members of the church are plants on God’s farm. They have been planted by the ministers of Christ, God’s fellow-workers, they have been watered by other ministers, also God’s fellow-workers, and they are made to grow in life by God Himself. We become members of the church not by the way of joining a social organization, but by being planted. In verse 6 Paul says, “I planted, Apollos watered, but God made to grow.” Paul planted the believers at Corinth into the church, which is God’s farm, so that they might grow Christ.
It is a very significant matter to be a plant on God’s farm. There is no need on the farm for a teacher to instruct the plants. A plant does not need anyone to tell it what to do or how to grow. However, among Christians today a great deal of teaching is given to the plants. Actually, the believers are regarded not as plants, but as students, as learners. Before I came into the church life, I was a “student” in the Brethren assembly. Although I learned a great deal about the Bible, I was dying for the lack of life. Instead of living like a plant, I was living like a student. I am even concerned that in some local churches there is a school instead of a farm. There may be teaching, but very little watering of the plants. We all should practice the church life in the way of farming, in the way of planting, watering, cultivating, and trimming. We must learn when to water the saints, when to feed them, and when to trim them.
GROWING MATERIALS FOR GOD’S BUILDING
Planted, watered, and made to grow (v. 6) are all related to the matter of life. This indicates that the believers are God’s farm to grow Christ. As plants on God’s farm, the church, we need to grow. Without growth, we are useless. Some of the plants in my garden at home are living, but they do not grow. In like manner, there are many believers today who are alive spiritually, but they do not grow. Of course, it is better to live than to die. As long as we are alive, we have the opportunity to grow. I hope that no one in the Lord’s recovery will be content to live without growing. We all must grow to produce Christ. All the saints in the Lord’s recovery must be desperate to grow. We should pray, “Lord, grant me the growth.”
The purpose of our growth on God’s farm is to produce Christ. Just as it is the goal of a vineyard to produce grapes, it is the goal of God’s farm to produce Christ. The central point of these messages on 1 Corinthians 3 is growing to produce Christ.
As a help in growing Christ, we need to consider chapters one and two again and again. If you read and pray-read these chapters, you will be watered and nourished. The very element and substance of Christ will be imparted into your being. Then spontaneously you will grow and produce Christ. The issue of your growth will be Christ.
Paul’s intention in 1 Corinthians 1 and 2 is to present Christ as our portion, enjoyment, life, living, content, and everything. Christ should be our one choice, preference, taste, and enjoyment. We should enjoy Christ to such an extent that we do not care for culture of any kind. Instead of living culture, we live Christ. Christ becomes everything to us in our daily living—our culture, our ethics, and our morality.
When we grow properly, Christ will be produced in us. Then whatever we grow of Christ will become the materials for God’s building. The church is built only with Christ. However, the church is not built with the objective Christ, with a Christ who is in the heavens or who suddenly descends from the heavens. On the contrary, the church is built with the Christ we experience and who is even the produce grown by us. Thus, for the building of the church, we must have the Christ who is produced through our growth in life.
In the Life-study of Exodus we pointed out that the materials used for the building of the tabernacle were called heave offerings. This means that the materials created by God had to be gained, possessed, enjoyed, and treasured by God’s redeemed people. Then the people were to bring these materials and present them to God as heave offerings. Only materials gained, possessed, and offered in this way could be the proper materials for the building of the tabernacle. This signifies that we need to gain, possess, and enjoy the riches of Christ until they become our treasure. Then we need to bring what we have experienced of Christ to the church meetings and offer this Christ to the Lord as a heave offering. This Christ will then become the materials used for the building up of the church.
Because today’s Christians do not experience Christ and produce Christ, there is no building among them. Building the church is not merely a matter of preaching the gospel, saving sinners, and bringing these newly saved ones into a so-called church. This is not the building up of the church; it is the piling up of raw materials. Among most believers today the best that can be seen is such a piling up of building materials. But where is the genuine building? There is no building because there is no experience of Christ, no growing of Christ as the material for God’s building. Now that we have seen that we are God’s farm, we must grow in the divine life to produce Christ.
PLANTING AND WATERING
In verse 6 Paul says, “I planted, Apollos watered, but God made to grow.” If we would grow Christ on God’s farm, we need the planting and the watering. However, we should not think that only those such as Paul and Apollos are responsible for planting and watering. All the brothers and sisters in the church should carry out this work. However, we do not have this concept. Instead, when we discover that a saint is weak in certain matters, we may refer this one to the elders. If a brother comes to you and you realize that he is weak, you should water him. Instead of calling for the elders, you should feed him and nourish him. It is crucial for us all to learn this.
You may feel that you are weak and very low in life. However, other saints are even weaker and lower than you are. Should one of these weaker ones contact you, you need to water him. Then you will be watered also. But this does not mean that we should water others purposely. Rather, the watering should be done spontaneously and even unconsciously. Whenever a weaker one comes to you, do not make up your mind to water him. This is a performance, not genuine watering. If you water another saint spontaneously, even unintentionally, the Lord will sovereignly send others to you that you may water them. Eventually you will discover that by watering others, you yourself are watered. This is true revival. In the church life, we all should water one another. Then we shall grow to produce Christ.
The reason we lack the practice of watering others is that we are still under the influence of Christianity. We, of course, do not have the term clergy-laity, but we may still have this practice. Even though we have left our religious background behind, the influence of this background still follows us and keeps us from watering others. For example, a brother may say to himself, “Who am I? I am nothing. Let the elders and the more experienced ones take care of others. I am just a little brother in the church. How can I help anyone?” This thought must be rooted out of us. No brother or sister should hold the concept that they are too weak or too low in life to water others. Perhaps you are weak, but you are not dead. Even though you may feel dead, the fact that you are still in the church life proves that you are not completely dead. Since you are still alive, you are able to water others. Do not consider yourself useless. Just as all the members of our physical bodies are useful, so there is not one member of the church who is useless and who cannot care for others by watering them.
Because of our religious background, it is easy for us to apply Paul’s word only to such persons as Paul and Apollos. We may think that only certain ones can plant and water, but that we ourselves are not able to carry out this work. Some saints may think that the elders or the leading ones in their locality should do all the watering. Others may concentrate on their own need to be watered by others, not on the importance of watering others. Again I say that this concept needs to be rooted out. We all are able to water others. Let us not carry on the practice of today’s Christianity. The church is the Body of Christ. In the Body every member is useful and can function. May the poison of the clergy-laity practice be completely eliminated!
I hope that all the saints will see that they are able to plant and water. From now on, we should not consider that only the elders and the more experienced ones can help others. Instead, we all must realize that we should be the ones to help others. I encourage you to pray, “Lord, have mercy on me and grant me grace that I may live You in order to water others. Whenever a saint comes to me with a problem, remind me to take up the burden to help that one and to water him.”
Some may fear that if they try to plant and water, they will make mistakes. Perhaps you will do something wrong. But be encouraged that true learning comes from doing, from practicing. You may do certain things wrong, but eventually you will learn from your mistakes and become skillful at planting and watering. In certain matters you may even become more helpful than the elders. The number of elders in a local church is few. How can they care for so many brothers and sisters? Instead of looking to the elders to do everything, take up the burden to care for others, to water them. We in the Lord’s recovery are here for the practice of the church life. In order to practice the church life in a proper way, we all should plant and water.
Because Paul says that he planted and Apollos watered, do not think that Paul is useful only for planting and Apollos only for watering. No, those who labor on the farm do not only plant or water; they do whatever is necessary—plant, water, supply fertilizer, and even cut and trim the plants. Through practice we shall learn to do all these things in the church life. It is not true that you should only plant or water and not be involved in the other things. Rather, we all must learn to do whatever is needed to produce the growth of Christ on God’s farm. This even includes learning to kill the “bugs” that trouble the growing plants. A weaker saint may contact you, and you may realize that he is bothered by a particular bug. Spontaneously, you may realize that you also are plagued by this bug and that you both need the same medicine.
I hope that all the saints in the Lord’s recovery will touch the burden in this message and also enter into the spirit in which it is given. Then we shall be helped to grow on God’s farm to produce Christ, and we shall also learn to take care of others. (Life-Study of 1 Corinthians, msg. 22)
CARING FOR THE CORPORATE CHURCH LIFE
We need to consider the background of this Epistle to understand Paul’s use of the expressions God’s farm and God’s building. The Greek believers at Corinth did not care for the corporate church life, but cared instead for their personal and individual interests. This produced division. Whenever there are divisions there cannot be the temple of God. Therefore, after covering certain crucial matters in chapters one and two, Paul indicates in chapter three that the Corinthians are completely wrong in caring for their individual interests and not for God’s temple, God’s corporate building.
In 3:17 Paul specifically points out that God’s building, the temple, is holy. It is not secular, worldly, or Greek. Actually, the word holy in this verse stands in contrast to anything Greek. God’s holy temple is separate from anything human, secular, and worldly; in particular, it is separated from anything Greek.
If we consider the context of the first three chapters of this book, we shall realize that Paul’s intention was to impress the believers at Corinth that God’s building is separate from anything Greek. The Greek believers still valued their wisdom, philosophy, culture, and way of living. They regarded Greek culture as the best. But Paul says that God’s temple is holy, separate from anything worldly and particularly from anything Greek.
In verse 16 Paul emphasizes the fact that the Spirit of God dwells in the believers as His corporate temple. But as long as the believers at Corinth were individualistic and as long as they cared for their personal interests, especially for their Greek philosophy and way of living, they were neither holy nor corporate. Then they could not experience very much of the indwelling of the Spirit or enjoy the Spirit’s indwelling. If we do not have a proper corporate church life, we cannot have much enjoyment of the indwelling of the Spirit. Yes, the Spirit dwells within our spirit. But the Spirit’s indwelling in the church corporately is much richer and is more prevailing than His indwelling in the believers individually.
If we consider all these matters, we shall realize that Paul’s concept is deep. His thought is to convince all the individualistic Greek believers that they must care for the corporate church life and not for their individualistic interests, preferences, and choices.
THE UNIQUE FOUNDATION
We know from 3:11 that Christ is the unique foundation for the church as God’s building. No one can lay any other foundation. Nevertheless, certain of the believers at Corinth were taking Paul, Apollos, or Cephas as their foundation. When they were declaring that they were of Paul, Apollos, or Cephas, they were saying that these were their foundation and standing. In 1:13 Paul asks them, “Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized into the name of Paul?” By asking these questions Paul was pointing out that he is not the unique foundation. On the contrary, Paul says in 3:10, “According to the grace of God given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid a foundation.” The unique foundation is not Paul, Apollos, Cephas, or anyone other than Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
The problem among the Corinthians is that they were trying to lay many other foundations. We see in chapter fourteen that for some, speaking in tongues was a foundation. This indicates that it is possible for a particular practice to become a foundation. Therefore, Paul wanted the believers at Corinth to realize that he had already laid the unique foundation, Jesus Christ.
First Corinthians 3:10 says, “According to the grace of God given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid a foundation, but another builds upon it. But let each one take heed how he builds upon it.” This verse indicates that the church is built not only by ministers of Christ such as Paul, Apollos, and Cephas, but by every member of the Body. Every one of us must be a builder.
We should realize not only that we are builders, but also that we must take heed how we build upon Christ as the unique foundation. As we shall see, the church, the house of God, must be built with gold, silver, and precious stones, materials produced from Christ’s growing in us. Yet, as verse 12 indicates, there is the possibility that we may build with wood, grass, and stubble, materials produced by us in the flesh and in the natural life. Hence, each of us, every member of the Body, must take heed how we build; that is, we must take heed with what material we build. We must build with gold, silver, and precious stones, not with wood, grass, and stubble. (Life-Study of 1 Corinthians, msg. 23)