1 Corinthians 3:1-23
1 And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ.
2 I fed you with milk and not with solid food; for until now you were not able to receive it, and even now you are still not able;
3 for you are still carnal. For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men?
4 For when one says, “I am of Paul,” and another, “I am of Apollos,” are you not carnal?
5 Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers through whom you believed, as the Lord gave to each one?
6 I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase.
7 So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase.
8 Now he who plants and he who waters are one, and each one will receive his own reward according to his own labor.
9 For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, you are God’s building.
10 According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it.
11 For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
12 Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw,
13 each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is.
14 If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward.
15 If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.
16 Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?
17 If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are.
18 Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you seems to be wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise.
19 For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, “HE CATCHES THE WISE IN THEIR OWN CRAFTINESS”;
20 and again, “THE LORD KNOWS THE THOUGHTS OF THE WISE, THAT THEY ARE FUTILE.”
21 Therefore let no one boast in men. For all things are yours:
22 whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas, or the world or life or death, or things present or things to come—all are yours.
23 And you are Christ’s, and Christ is God’s.
In the great volume of insights that are pouring in from impressive sources, there is no purpose or worth apart from maturity observed in the behavioral transformation that reflects spiritual growth. Where there are yet envy, strife, and divisions, there is still a need for simple entry-level truths. It may be self-gratifying to feed off of a developed production as if that in itself is elevating above the surrounding less-informed. Without any evidence of spiritual growth, however, in fruit of the Spirit there will just be continued infancy and its self-centered requirements. As the very temple of the Spirit we are to grow beyond being impressed by how much we know and who it came from, and more taken with the purpose we grow into of sharing what is received as grown fulfillers of His purpose. As long as the meals are limited to a man and carnal perception there will be an immature dependence and separation from the Spirit’s true leading. Growing up will be evidenced in growing out in vision and purpose to fulfill the heart of the Father by the power of the Spirit – more about administering the touch received than just receiving another touch.
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