1 Corinthians 3:16-23                          Defending the Body of Christ

The Corinthian Church was stewing with controversy and strife, and Paul wrote several letters to this struggling church and in this section he argues that the greatest threat to the church is usually from within. Each body of believers has their own Judas Iscariot running around with in them proclaiming to be Christ-like, when in reality it is just a matter of time before they are betraying the leadership and trust of the church.  We don’t like to admit it or acknowledge it, but they exist.  In the last part of chapter 3 the Apostle Paul counsels the church on how to defend against such trouble makers by asking 3 essential questions.  (Segments from Christians Gone Wild Series – by Mark Driscoll)

Paul’s teaching concerning this issue is a timely message that can be carried on throughout the ages.  The statistics within the church are alarming. 80% of churches have plateaued or are declining, and some 3,500 churches die every year.

You might be asking “why are we talking about this when everything is going good?”, but in reality if we wait to talk about it until crisis hits it’s too late.

1 Corinthians 3:16-23 / Pray

Question #1: Why should we care if the church is being destroyed?  v.16-17

The One Body is not an actual building but rather the people who live their lives together in worship to Jesus.  The most significant part of the body of Christ is that it is the place God has chosen as His home upon earth.  Paul compares the body to the Old Testament temple in which God dwelt.  We must care for the maturity, purity, and health of our body, because an attack upon it is nothing less than an attack on the holiness of God.

Question #2: What causes someone to destroy a descent Church?  v.18-20

What makes decisive church people so dangerous and difficult to deal with is that they are so skilled at deception that they have in fact been deceived themselves, much like Satan is both self-deceived and a deceiver.  They are very convincing about their holiness and good intentions.  Such people are often well-versed in the latest ideas, are intelligent, and competently defend their beliefs.  But what they lack is humility to agree with God and His wisdom.  Instead they favor prideful thinking that is contrary to God. Such people are often more concerned about what others think of them (particularly non-believers), and they abandon clear Biblical teaching.   – 1 Cor. 10:12  “Take heed” – Each of us are capable of being deceived.

Question #3: How can a church prevent its own destruction?   v.21-23

Thankfully God has provided us with the means to defend ourselves from destructive people, and still remain faithful to Him.  The key to overcoming this is ultimately “humility”, the humility to learn from many of God’s faithful servants.  God has richly provided an abundance of resources for His church.

Paul concludes his counsel by focusing on Jesus Christ. “Because Jesus who is our God, was willing to humbly become a person to live, die, and rise in our place for our sins, He connects us to God.  He serves as our example of a humble person who is willing to be despised and ridiculed by many in order to be loved and approved by the Father.