The design of this chapter is substantially the same as the former. It is to reprove the pride, the philosophy, the vain wisdom on which the Greeks so much rested; and to show that the gospel was not dependent on that for its success, and that that had been the occasion of no small part of the contentions and strifes which had arisen in the church at Corinth. The chapter is occupied mainly with an account of his own ministry with them; and seems designed to meet an objection which either was made, or could have been made by the Corinthians themselves, or by the false teacher that was among them. In 1-Corinthians 2:12-16, he had affirmed that, Christians were in fact under the influence of the Spirit of God; that they were enlightened in a remarkable degree; that they understood all things pertaining to the Christian religion. To this, it either was, or could have been objected that Paul, when among them, had not instructed them fully in the more deep and abstruse points of the gospel; and that he had confined his instructions to the very rudiments of the Christian religion.
Of this, probably the false teachers who had formed parties among them, had taken the advantage, and had pretended to carry the instruction to a much greater length, and to explain many things which Paul had left unexplained. Hence, this division into parties. It became Paul, therefore, to state why he had confined his instructions to the rudiments of the gospel among them - and this occupies the first part of 1 Cor. 3 and 1-Corinthians 5:1-11. The reason was, that they were not prepared to receive higher instruction, but were carnal, and he could not address them as being prepared to enter fully into the more profound doctrines of the Christian religion. The proof that this was so was found in the fact that they had been distracted with disputes and strifes, which demonstrated that they were not prepared for the higher doctrines of Christianity. He then REproves them for their contentions, on the ground that it was of little consequence by what instrumentality they had been brought to the knowledge of the gospel, and that there was no occasion for their strifes and sects.
all success, whoever was the instrument, was to be traced to God 1-Corinthians 3:5-7, and the fact that one teacher or another had first instructed them, or that one was more eloquent than another, should not be the foundation for contending sects. God was the source of all blessings. Yet in order to show the real nature of his own work, in order to meet the whole of the objection, he goes on to state that he had done the most important part of the work in the church himself. He had laid the foundation; and all the others were but rearing the superstructure. And much as his instructions might appear to be elementary, and unimportant, yet it had been done with the same skill which an architect evinces who labors that the foundation may be well laid and firm, 1-Corinthians 3:10-11. The others who had succeeded him, whoever they were, were but builders upon this foundation. The foundation had been well laid, and they should be careful how they built on it, 1-Corinthians 3:12-16. The mention of this fact - that he had laid the foundation, and that that foundation was Jesus Christ, and that they had been reared upon that as a church, leads him to the inference 1-Corinthians 3:16-17, that they should be holy as the temple of God; and the conclusion from the whole is:
(1) That no man should deceive himself, of which there was so much danger 1-Corinthians 3:18-20; and,
(2) That no Christian should glory in man, for all things were theirs. It was no matter who had been their teacher on earth, all belonged to God; and they had a common interest in the most eminent teachers of religion, and they should rise above the petty rivalships of the world, and rejoice in the assurance that all things belonged to them, 1-Corinthians 3:21-23.

Because of the carnal, divided state of the people at Corinth, the apostle was obliged to treat them as children in the knowledge of sacred things, 1-Corinthians 3:1-3. Some were for setting up Paul, others Apollos, as their sole teachers, 1-Corinthians 3:4. The apostle shows that himself and fellow apostles were only instruments which God used to bring them to the knowledge of the truth; and even their sowing, and watering the seed was of no use unless God gave the increase, 1-Corinthians 3:5-8. The Church represented as God's husbandry, and as God's building, the foundation of which is Christ Jesus, 1-Corinthians 3:9-11. Ministers must beware how and what they build on this foundation, 1-Corinthians 3:12-15. The Church of God is his temple, and he that defiles it shall be destroyed, 1-Corinthians 3:16, 1-Corinthians 3:17. No man should depend on his own wisdom; for the wisdom of the world is foolishness with God, 1-Corinthians 3:18-20. None should glory in man as his teacher; God gives his followers every good, both for time and eternity, 1-Corinthians 3:21-23.

INTRODUCTION TO 1 CORINTHIANS 3
In this chapter the apostle returns to the charge of schisms and contentions upon the Corinthians, which were the occasion of the epistle; and reproves them for their divisions, which were about their ministers; and gives them their just and due character, and who, though they were useful and commendable in their places, were not to be gloried in; and especially it was a great piece of weakness and folly, to set up one against another, when they had an equal interest in them all. Having, in the latter part of the preceding chapter, made mention of the spiritual man, the apostle tells the Corinthians, to whom he writes, that he could not address them as spiritual, but as carnal; and not as perfect men, among whom he spake the wisdom of God, but as babes in Christ, 1-Corinthians 3:1 and this rudeness and ignorance of theirs account for his conduct towards them, in delivering the plain and easy, and not the sublime doctrines of the Gospel to them, because they were not able to bear them; nor were they yet able, notwithstanding the length of time, the proficiency they had made, and the many teachers they had had among them, 1-Corinthians 3:2 and to prove that they were carnal, and not spiritual, he instances in their envy, strife, and contentions, which were carnal works, or works of the flesh, 1-Corinthians 3:3 and gives some particulars of their contentions about their ministers, which put it out of all doubt that they were carnal, 1-Corinthians 3:4 and reproves them for such contentions, and argues the folly and sinfulness of them; partly from the character of their preachers, as servants and ministers, who were the instruments of their faith and conversion, through the grace of God, and therefore not to be set up at the head of them as their lords and masters, 1-Corinthians 3:5 and partly from the unprofitableness of their ministry, without a divine blessing, 1-Corinthians 3:6 and also from the unity and equality of the ministers among themselves, though their labours and reward were different, 1-Corinthians 3:8 and therefore parties and factions were not to be made on their account; and besides, as they were labourers with God, and the church were his husbandry and building, in which they were employed, 1-Corinthians 3:9, though they might differ in some superstructure points, yet they agreed in the foundation; and the apostle instances in himself under the character of a wise master builder, laying the foundation, and others building on it, 1-Corinthians 3:10 and declares what this foundation was, which he and other Gospel ministers agreed in laying; nor was there any other that could be laid, to any good purpose besides, which is Jesus Christ, 1-Corinthians 3:11 and then distinguishes between the different sorts of builders, the one laying on the foundation things of the greatest worth and value, and others things very trifling and useless, 1-Corinthians 3:12 and intimates that there would be a time, when there would be a revelation and declaration of every man's work, of what sort it is, 1-Corinthians 3:13 so that, according to their different structures, there will be a different reward, as is suggested, 1-Corinthians 3:8 for though both sorts of preachers are upon the foundation, and so their persons will be safe, yet what they have built upon that foundation, according to the nature of it, shall either abide or be destroyed, 1-Corinthians 3:14 wherefore inasmuch then as the church of Christ is a temple, a building laid on such a foundation as Christ, it ought not to be defiled by factions and divisions, by errors and heresies; especially since it is holy, and the Spirit of God dwells in it; and whoever does defile it shall surely be destroyed; and therefore the apostle dissuades from it, both from the turpitude of the action, and the danger of it, 1-Corinthians 3:16 he cautions against the wisdom of this world, which was the cause of their divisions; as being self-deceiving, and contrary to true wisdom, 1-Corinthians 3:18 and as being foolishness in the account of God, which he proves by some passages of scripture, 1-Corinthians 3:19 and concludes, therefore, that no man ought to glory in men, in the best of men, not even in ministers, 1-Corinthians 3:21 so as to separate and divide them, one from another, and set up one above another, since they, and all things else, were theirs, 1-Corinthians 3:22 the ground and evidence of which their right and property in them are given, they being Christ's, and Christ's God's, 1-Corinthians 3:23.

(1-Corinthians 3:1-4) The Corinthians reproved for their contentions.
(1-Corinthians 3:5-9) The true servants of Christ can do nothing without him.
(1-Corinthians 3:10-15) He is the only foundation, and every one should take heed what he builds thereon.
(1-Corinthians 3:16, 1-Corinthians 3:17) The churches of Christ ought to be kept pure, and to be humble.
(1-Corinthians 3:18-23) And they should not glory in men, because ministers and all things else are theirs through Christ.

SUMMARY.--The Proofs that the Corinthians were Yet Carnal. Not Able to Endure Strong Meat. The Work of Paul and Apollos. The Increase of God. The Church God's Building. The One Foundation. Perishable Materials Built on This. The Sin of Defiling God's Temple. The Glorious Estate of the Christians.