The facts:

1 Cor 3:1-2

Fact 1 Brothers, I could not address you as spiritual, but as worldly--mere infants in Christ.

Fact 2 I gave you milk,

Fact 3 not solid food, for you were not ready for it.

1. To whom is Paul speaking, and yet how does he describe them?

2. What did Paul give them?

3. What reason does he give for giving milk and not solid food?

interp

How do the actions of the Corinthians show that they are not spiritual, but worldly--mere infants in Christ?--jealousy and quarreling over gurus. Yes, but what is it about this quarreling over leaders that is so unspiritual?--attributing to men the things of God.

How is milk more appropriate than solid food for the spiritually immature?--apparently until the lessons of the goodness of God to everyone equally have taken effect in the life, nothing beyond that can have any effect. How can a baby eat solid food if it has never learned to drink milk? Christianity must work in stages as well. People do not grow up in Christ overnight.

What principle of the Christian experience did Paul understand and apply in his ministry here?

Application:

What indicates if a church is ready to receive spiritual things, solid food?

They'd have to be getting along--

not attributing to men the things that come from God?

--such as growth? Not from men! Some people say, "I remember to good old days when Pr. So and So was here. If only we could get him back. As soon as this leader or that one change we will get more people in here.

vv. 6-8

Fact 1 I planted the seed and Apollos watered it, but God made it grow

Fact 2 So neither he who plants, nor he who waters is anything, but only God who makes things grow

Fact 3 The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor.

Find the three sets of contrasts in these verses.

as the lord assigned to each his task--what three tasks are outlined here?

babies to adults, familiar agricultural theme--more emphasis on what? a lot of people think that after they are baptized they'll never sin again! I hoped as much, but what do Paul and Jesus know about the Christian life?

I planted, Ap. watered	God made grow

(Planter/waterer not anything	only God who grows is anything

planter/waterer are one but each

rewarded according to own labor)

Transition: We are God's workers together. You are God's field/building

I laid fndtn, another builds	each should be careful how he builds

What happens to a plant if we don't water it? But isn't God making it grow? Why does it die?

vv. 10-

fact 1 What did Paul do by the grace of God? laid fndtn. define fndtn--same as planting seed

fact 2 And what followed that? another blds on it --same as watering--sim to feed and weed

fact 3 What does he say needs special care? Each one should be careful how he builds on it

Are Paul and Apollos separate from the church? So what do we know about the builders' relationship to the building?

Interp:

What is being built? God's building? What is God's building made up of? You pl. So what must we be working on if we are building God's building? People. In the context what was it about the Corinthian people that "needed work"?--

from context what is the building process referring to? growth?

not exactly--plant, water, God gives the growth--What is our responsibility? If you don't water seed what happens--but God gives growth!!? What are we responsible for in growth then--
watering, taking care of seed, How about taking care of building? It's taking care of people.

What aspect of our beings are we responsible for that affect God's ability to grow us? What is that? All that together? Character? Yes!

fact 1 no one can lay any fndtn other than the one laid Jesus Christ

fact 2 If any man builds on the foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay, or straw,

fact 3 His work will be shown for what it is because the day will bring it to light, it will be revealed with fire and the fire will test the quality of each man's work.

Interp:

Accding to context, Into what two categories of materials can we classify this list part 2 and what would it mean to build your character using each category? use Paul

have any of you ever built with substandard materials in your habits, relationships, etc. Good news! We must grow in character, but!

fact 1 If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward

fact 2 If it is burned up, he will suffer loss;

fact 3 he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames

How is it possible for one to be saved, after his work (character, habits, ways of doing things) is burned up? Give me scripture or give me death. --clue where was he building?

Not in and out of salvation! People believe that. Oh, I've done such a horrible thing, God can never love me. Do you treat your children that way? You're not my child anymore, you failed! Why do we believe it about God?

What does the foundation provide for us while we are seeking to grow up? security . . . If all we had was security would we ever grow up? So what else do we need?

2 elements necessary for growth

Application:

What does this tell you about God?

Praise for fndtn, for trials!

Is there anyone here who needs to apply this in human reltnshps? Have you been getting things backward, wanting to correct w/ out safety and commitment?

Do you have a secure place to grow with other people committed to you no matter what, who will also correct you.

What would is the first thing you would have to do to get in such a group?