"Perhaps we cannot help but have our personal preferences when it comes to the way different men minister the Word. But we must not permit our personal preferences to become divisive prejudices. In fact, the preacher I may enjoy the least may be the one I need the most!" [1][source]
Context Summary
1 Corinthians 3:10-23 - Build On The Sure Foundation
We are called upon to contribute our share to the building of saved souls which is rising through the ages, to be an habitation of God through the Spirit, Ephesians 2:21-22. But in addition, we must not neglect the building of our own character on the one foundation, which is Jesus Christ. God has placed Him to be the foundation of every structure which shall stand firm in all the tests of fire through which we are destined to pass. We must needs go on building day by day. Whatever we do or say is another stone or brick. It is for us to choose which heap of material we take it from; whether from that of the wood, hay, or stubble, or from that of the gold, silver, or precious stones.
All things serve the man or woman who serves Christ. The lowliest life may be a link in a chain of golden ministry which binds earth and heaven. Our Lord was constantly described in the Old Testament as the Servant of God. He said that He had come down to earth to do His Father's will. "I am among you as he that serveth." When we serve Him as He serves the great purposes of God, then everything begins to minister to us. The extremes of existence, of creation, and of duration, all serve us. [source]
Chapter Summary: 1 Corinthians 3
1Milk is fit for children 3Strife and division, arguments of a fleshly mind 7He who plants and He who waters are nothing 9The ministers are God's fellow workmen 11Christ the only foundation 16You are the temples of God, which must be kept holy 19The wisdom of this world is foolishness with God
Greek Commentary for 1 Corinthians 3:21
Wherefore let no one glory in men [ωστε μηδεις καυχαστω εν αντρωποις] The conclusion The spirit of glorying in party is a species of self-conceit and inconsistent with glorying in the Lord (1 Corinthians 1:31). [source]
All things are yours [] The categories which follow form an inventory of the possessions of the Church and of the individual Christian. This includes: the christian teachers with different gifts; the world, life, and things present; death and things to come. In Christ, death becomes a possession, as the right of way between things present and things to come. [source]
Reverse Greek Commentary Search for 1 Corinthians 3:21
1 Corinthians 15:23Order [τάγματι] Only here in the New Testament. In Sept., a band, troop, or cohort; also a standard; Numbers 10:14; Numbers 18:22,Numbers 18:25. How the one idea ran into the other may be perceived from the analogy of the Latin manipulus, a handful of hay twisted round a pole and used by the Romans as the standard of a company of soldiers, from which the company itself was called manipulus. In classical Greek, besides the meaning of company, it means an ordinance and a fixed assessment. Here in the sense of band, or company, in pursuance of the principle of a descending series of ranks, and of consequent subordinations which is assumed by Paul. The series runs, God, Christ, man. See 1 Corinthians 3:21-23; 1 Corinthians 11:3. The reference is not to time or merit, but simply to the fact that each occupies his own place in the economy of resurrection, which is one great process in several acts. Band after band rises. First Christ, then Christians. The same idea appears in the first-fruits and the harvest. [source]
1 Corinthians 4:8Already ye are become rich [ηδη επλουτησατε] Note change to ingressive aorist indicative of πλουτεω plouteō old verb to be rich (cf. 2 Corinthians 8:9). “The aorists, used instead of perfects, imply indecent haste” (Lightfoot). “They have got a private millennium of their own” (Robertson & Plummer) with all the blessings of the Messianic Kingdom (Luke 22:29.; 1 Thessalonians 2:12; 2 Timothy 2:12). Ye have reigned without us (χωρις ημων εβασιλευσατε chōris hēmōn ebasileusate). Withering sarcasm. Ye became kings without our company. Some think that Paul as in 1 Corinthians 3:21 is purposely employing Stoic phraseology though with his own meanings. If so, it is hardly consciously done. Paul was certainly familiar with much of the literature of his time, but it did not shape his ideas. I would that ye did reign More exactly, “And would at least that ye had come to reign (or become kings).” It is an unfulfilled wish about the past expressed by οπελον ophelon and the aorist indicative instead of ει γαρ ei gar and the aorist indicative (the ancient idiom). See Robertson, Grammar, p. 1003, for the construction with particle οπελον ophelon (an unaugmented second aorist form). That we also might reign with you (ινα και ημεις υμιν συνβασιλευσωμεν hina kai hēmeis humin sunbasileusōmen). Ironical contrast to χωρις ημων εβασιλευσατε chōris hēmōn ebasileusate just before. Associative instrumental case of υμιν humin after συν suṅ f0). [source]
1 Corinthians 4:8Ye have reigned without us [χωρις ημων εβασιλευσατε] Withering sarcasm. Ye became kings without our company. Some think that Paul as in 1 Corinthians 3:21 is purposely employing Stoic phraseology though with his own meanings. If so, it is hardly consciously done. Paul was certainly familiar with much of the literature of his time, but it did not shape his ideas. [source]
Ephesians 4:11Apostles [] Properly, as apostles, or to be apostles. Christ's ministers are gifts to His people. Compare 1 Corinthians 3:5, “ministers as the Lord gave;” also 1 Corinthians 3:21,1 Corinthians 3:22. The distinguishing features of an apostle were, a commission directly from Christ: being a witness of the resurrection: special inspiration: supreme authority: accrediting by miracles: unlimited commission to preach and to found churches. [source]
1 Timothy 4:8The life that now is [ζωῆς τῆς νῦν] According to the strict Greek idiom, life the now. This idiom and the following, τῆς μελλούσης N.T.oThe phrase ὁ νῦν αἰών thepresent aeon, 1 Timothy 6:17; 2 Timothy 4:10; Titus 2:12. Ὁ αἰών οὗτος this aeon, a few times in the Gospels, often in Paul, nowhere else. We have ὁ αἰών ὁ μέλλων theaeon which is to be, and ὁ αἰών ὁ ἐρχόμενος or ἐπερχόμενος theaeon which is coming on, in the Gospels, once in Paul (Ephesians 2:7), and in Hebrews once, μέλλων αἰών without the article. Ἑν τῷ καιρῷ τούτῳ inthis time, of the present as contrasted with the future life, Mark 10:30; Luke 18:30. Ὁ νυν καιρός thenow time, in the same relation, Romans 8:18. For ζωὴ lifesee on John 1:4. The force of the genitive with ἐπαγγελία promisemay be expressed by for. Godliness involves a promise for this life and for the next; but for this life as it reflects the heavenly life, is shaped and controlled by it, and bears its impress. Godliness has promise for the present life because it has promise for the life which is to come. Only the life which is in Christ Jesus (2 Timothy 1:1) is life indeed, 1 Timothy 6:19. Comp. 1 Peter 3:10; 1 Corinthians 3:21-23. [source]
What do the individual words in 1 Corinthians 3:21 mean?
Greek Commentary for 1 Corinthians 3:21
The conclusion The spirit of glorying in party is a species of self-conceit and inconsistent with glorying in the Lord (1 Corinthians 1:31). [source]
The categories which follow form an inventory of the possessions of the Church and of the individual Christian. This includes: the christian teachers with different gifts; the world, life, and things present; death and things to come. In Christ, death becomes a possession, as the right of way between things present and things to come. [source]
Reverse Greek Commentary Search for 1 Corinthians 3:21
Only here in the New Testament. In Sept., a band, troop, or cohort; also a standard; Numbers 10:14; Numbers 18:22, Numbers 18:25. How the one idea ran into the other may be perceived from the analogy of the Latin manipulus, a handful of hay twisted round a pole and used by the Romans as the standard of a company of soldiers, from which the company itself was called manipulus. In classical Greek, besides the meaning of company, it means an ordinance and a fixed assessment. Here in the sense of band, or company, in pursuance of the principle of a descending series of ranks, and of consequent subordinations which is assumed by Paul. The series runs, God, Christ, man. See 1 Corinthians 3:21-23; 1 Corinthians 11:3. The reference is not to time or merit, but simply to the fact that each occupies his own place in the economy of resurrection, which is one great process in several acts. Band after band rises. First Christ, then Christians. The same idea appears in the first-fruits and the harvest. [source]
As in 1 Corinthians 3:21 which see. [source]
Note change to ingressive aorist indicative of πλουτεω plouteō old verb to be rich (cf. 2 Corinthians 8:9). “The aorists, used instead of perfects, imply indecent haste” (Lightfoot). “They have got a private millennium of their own” (Robertson & Plummer) with all the blessings of the Messianic Kingdom (Luke 22:29.; 1 Thessalonians 2:12; 2 Timothy 2:12). Ye have reigned without us (χωρις ημων εβασιλευσατε chōris hēmōn ebasileusate). Withering sarcasm. Ye became kings without our company. Some think that Paul as in 1 Corinthians 3:21 is purposely employing Stoic phraseology though with his own meanings. If so, it is hardly consciously done. Paul was certainly familiar with much of the literature of his time, but it did not shape his ideas. I would that ye did reign More exactly, “And would at least that ye had come to reign (or become kings).” It is an unfulfilled wish about the past expressed by οπελον ophelon and the aorist indicative instead of ει γαρ ei gar and the aorist indicative (the ancient idiom). See Robertson, Grammar, p. 1003, for the construction with particle οπελον ophelon (an unaugmented second aorist form). That we also might reign with you (ινα και ημεις υμιν συνβασιλευσωμεν hina kai hēmeis humin sunbasileusōmen). Ironical contrast to χωρις ημων εβασιλευσατε chōris hēmōn ebasileusate just before. Associative instrumental case of υμιν humin after συν suṅ f0). [source]
Withering sarcasm. Ye became kings without our company. Some think that Paul as in 1 Corinthians 3:21 is purposely employing Stoic phraseology though with his own meanings. If so, it is hardly consciously done. Paul was certainly familiar with much of the literature of his time, but it did not shape his ideas. [source]
Condition of first class. On this verb see note on 1 Corinthians 3:21; 2 Corinthians 5:12. [source]
Properly, as apostles, or to be apostles. Christ's ministers are gifts to His people. Compare 1 Corinthians 3:5, “ministers as the Lord gave;” also 1 Corinthians 3:21, 1 Corinthians 3:22. The distinguishing features of an apostle were, a commission directly from Christ: being a witness of the resurrection: special inspiration: supreme authority: accrediting by miracles: unlimited commission to preach and to found churches. [source]
According to the strict Greek idiom, life the now. This idiom and the following, τῆς μελλούσης N.T.oThe phrase ὁ νῦν αἰών thepresent aeon, 1 Timothy 6:17; 2 Timothy 4:10; Titus 2:12. Ὁ αἰών οὗτος this aeon, a few times in the Gospels, often in Paul, nowhere else. We have ὁ αἰών ὁ μέλλων theaeon which is to be, and ὁ αἰών ὁ ἐρχόμενος or ἐπερχόμενος theaeon which is coming on, in the Gospels, once in Paul (Ephesians 2:7), and in Hebrews once, μέλλων αἰών without the article. Ἑν τῷ καιρῷ τούτῳ inthis time, of the present as contrasted with the future life, Mark 10:30; Luke 18:30. Ὁ νυν καιρός thenow time, in the same relation, Romans 8:18. For ζωὴ lifesee on John 1:4. The force of the genitive with ἐπαγγελία promisemay be expressed by for. Godliness involves a promise for this life and for the next; but for this life as it reflects the heavenly life, is shaped and controlled by it, and bears its impress. Godliness has promise for the present life because it has promise for the life which is to come. Only the life which is in Christ Jesus (2 Timothy 1:1) is life indeed, 1 Timothy 6:19. Comp. 1 Peter 3:10; 1 Corinthians 3:21-23. [source]