The Meaning of 1 Corinthians 3:23 Explained

1 Corinthians 3:23

KJV: And ye are Christ's; and Christ is God's.

YLT: and ye are Christ's, and Christ is God's.

Darby: and ye are Christ's, and Christ is God's.

ASV: and ye are Christ's; and Christ is God's.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And  ye  are Christ's;  and  Christ  [is] God's. 

What does 1 Corinthians 3:23 Mean?

Verse Meaning

All the Corinthians belonged to Christ, not just those of the "Christ party" ( 1 Corinthians 1:12). They belonged to Him, not to one of His servants. Even Christ belongs to God in the sense of being under the authority and protection of the Father (cf. 1 Corinthians 8:6; 1 Corinthians 11:3; 1 Corinthians 15:28). This is functional rather than ontological subordination. All things belong to the Christian because the Christian belongs to Christ, and all things are His. Thus in Him we possess all things, but it is only in Him that we do.
Paul made several references to the administrative order of God when correcting disorders of various kinds in the Corinthian church. This order is the Father over the Song of Solomon , the Son over the Prayer of Manasseh , and the man over the woman (e.g, 1 Corinthians 8:6; 1 Corinthians 11:3; et al.). The apostle stressed divine order because the Corinthians were disorderly, having failed to submit to the Holy Spirit"s control.
"On this high note Paul"s response to the Corinthian pride in man and wisdom has come to a fitting conclusion. But the problem is larger still; so he turns next to deal with their attitudes toward him in particular." [1]

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

1  Milk is fit for children
3  Strife and division, arguments of a fleshly mind
7  He who plants and He who waters are nothing
9  The ministers are God's fellow workmen
11  Christ the only foundation
16  You are the temples of God, which must be kept holy
19  The wisdom of this world is foolishness with God

Greek Commentary for 1 Corinthians 3:23

Ye are Christ's []
A summary of the title following the inventory. Compare Romans 8:17. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for 1 Corinthians 3:23

1 Corinthians 15:23 At his coming [εν τηι παρουσιαι]
The word παρουσια — parousia was the technical word “for the arrival or visit of the king or emperor” and can be traced from the Ptolemaic period into the second century a.d. (Deissmann, Light from the Ancient East, p. 368). “Advent-coins were struck after a parousia of the emperor.” Paul is only discussing “those that are Christ‘s” (1 Corinthians 3:23; Galatians 5:24) and so says nothing about judgment (cf. 1 Thessalonians 2:19; 1 Thessalonians 3:13; 1 Thessalonians 4:15; 1 Thessalonians 5:23). [source]
1 Corinthians 3:22 Yours [υμων]
Predicate genitive, belong to you. All the words in this 1 Corinthians 3:22 and 1 Corinthians 3:23 are anarthrous, though not indefinite, but definite. The English reproduces them all properly without the definite article except κοσμος — kosmos (the world), and even here just world will answer. Proper names do not need the article to be definite nor do words for single objects like world, life, death. Things present The wealth of the Christian includes all things, all leaders, past, present, future, Christ, and God. There is no room for partisan wrangling here. [source]
Galatians 5:24 They that are Christ's [οἱ δὲ τοῦ Χριστοῦ]
The best texts add Ἱησοῦ theythat are of Christ Jesus. Belong to him. The exact phrase only here. But see 1 Corinthians 1:12; 1 Corinthians 3:23; 1 Corinthians 15:23; 2 Corinthians 10:7, Galatians 3:29. [source]
Ephesians 1:3 God and Father of our Lord, etc. []
Some object to this rendering on the ground that the phrase God of Christ is unusual, occurring nowhere in Paul, except Ephesians 1:17of this chapter. Such render, God who is also the Father, etc. But Christ of God is found Matthew 27:46; and my God, John 20:17; Revelation 3:12. Compare, also, 1 Corinthians 3:23; and the phrase is undoubted in Ephesians 1:17. [source]

What do the individual words in 1 Corinthians 3:23 mean?

you now of Christ Christ of God
ὑμεῖς δὲ Χριστοῦ Χριστὸς Θεοῦ

δὲ  now 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: δέ  
Sense: but, moreover, and, etc.
Χριστοῦ  of  Christ 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Masculine Singular
Root: Χριστός  
Sense: Christ was the Messiah, the Son of God.
Χριστὸς  Christ 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: Χριστός  
Sense: Christ was the Messiah, the Son of God.
Θεοῦ  of  God 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Masculine Singular
Root: θεός  
Sense: a god or goddess, a general name of deities or divinities.