A child, when it is first born, craves the milk from it’s mother. Just as a baby, the children of God first crave the knowledge of the milk of the word of the Lord. If the Lord was to give them meat to eat at that age, they would only get sick. As we grow in our relationship to Christ, we are able to take more solid parts of the word. Only after some time are we able to partake of the meat of God’s Word. Just as a child must grow older to be able to eat the meat it is given. Just as with early man, who did not have the baby food and formula we have today, who had to teach their children to eat of the meat when they were still very young, we must teach very young Christians the meat of what is in the Word of God, before they are really ready.
Some of these people are still young Christians, because they have been tied up in the things of this world for so long that they haven’t taken the time to learn the truth. Others are still like newborns, because they have never tried to take their faith any farther. I do not know or pretend to tell anyone where they are in their faith. I only attempt to show everyone the truth of the meat of God’s Word while there is still time.
If we look in 1 Corinthians 3 the whole chapter Paul is trying to teach the Corinthians, who were very much like us today, who lived in a port town and were surrounded by peoples who lived very worldly lives, about the things of Christ and how through Jesus they could overcome the various temptations they were faced with. Corinth was a very wicked place where people were taught from a very young age to care only for themselves and not to worry how their actions affected others. This was much as it is in America today. Whatever I want, I must have, even if others are affected, as long as no one else is hurt physically by it. At least to my knowledge.
There are some things accepted in this world that hurt others, and even kill others, without my knowledge. So, these things have become acceptable.As Christians, we should be outraged by these things, but as with Eve, in the Garden of Eden, the truth has been spun by the master of spin, Satan, and made acceptable to most baby Christians. We have brought about a time when the babies in the faith must begin to eat the meat of the Word at a very young age. It is imperative that we teach the truth to as many as possible, while there is still time.That is what I am attempting to do.
Now, if we look at 1 Corinthians 3:4-6, the Corinthians had divisions in their church, much as we have different denominations in our church today, and are through our own squabbles and disagreements, doing Satan's work for him. We should not let our differences define us, rather let our agreements bind us together. One of the most important things I have learned is, that if it does not affect our salvation, it is not worth arguing about. We can argue over whether Sunday or Saturday is the sabbath, or if we should sprinkle or dunk someone in baptism, the disagreements of these things do not change our combined belief that we must have a personal relationship with Jesus if we are to be saved.
Ultimately each of us has the responsibility to God for what we do with this knowledge once we have it. Some will attempt to tell their neighborhood about Jesus, others will reach out to surrounding neighborhoods, others will reach out to the world with the gospel. I am attempting to reach out to as many as possible in the most efficient way I have available to me, this Blog. Whatever we have in our hands, it is a gift from God, and with some imagination can be used to spread the word of salvation. In the next part of the chapter, 1 Corinthians 3:8-15, we see this spoken about. Each man’s work will be rewarded to him, and whatever we build for the Lord, will be rewarded. Each man’s building for God will be refined by fire, the part that is not for God and is only for ourselves will be burned away, The part that is built for God’s kingdom will remain and be stronger for it.
The next part of the chapter, 1 Corinthians 3:16-17, tells us that our bodies are the temple that God resides in now. we are responsible to the Lord for caring for it and making it as an acceptable a place for the Lord to live as possible. Ultimately, we are responsible for the things we do with His Temple, God will destroy the temple if it is defiled by what we have done with it.We should hold to ourselves the responsibility to care for God’s Temple, and make sure that it is never defiled.
Then in 1 Corinthians 3:18-20, Paul warns us to not be fooled by the arguments of men, they are wise in the ways of this world, but foolishness in the eyes of God. Whenever we see the phrase, ‘as it is written’ in the New Testament,It refers to a passage in the Old Testament. Paul was a very learned person in the scriptures, which refers to the Old Testament books as they were the only thing they had back then, In verse 19, it is referring to Job 5:13, Which states, ‘He takes the wise in their own craftiness; and the council of the wily is swept away’. Paul had a way of connecting his teachings in the New Testament to the teachings of God in the Old Testament. The people who appear to be wise in the things of this world, are considered by God to be foolish in the things of The Lord.
Next in 1 Corinthians 3:21-23, Paul exhorts us do not be proud of the things the Lord has revealed to you through the spirit. Whoever, as man you follow the teachings of, do not be led astray by their teachings or their beliefs. Everything is ours through the adoption into the family of God by the blood of Jesus. We now hold part of the inheritance of Jesus and are co-heirs with Him in Eternity.
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