What is the meaning of 1 Corinthians 3:22? Whether Paul 1 Corinthians 3:22 begins by naming the apostle whose ministry birthed the Corinthian church: “whether Paul.” • Paul is a servant, not a celebrity. Earlier he wrote, “What then is Apollos? And what is Paul? Servants through whom you believed” (1 Corinthians 3:5). • Because believers are “in Christ” (2 Corinthians 5:17), every faithful teacher sent by God is a gift meant to build them up (Ephesians 4:11-12). • Paul himself said, “All things work together for good to those who love God” (Romans 8:28); his own labor is part of that “all things.” Or Apollos The eloquent Apollos came later, watering what Paul had planted (Acts 18:24-28; 1 Corinthians 3:6). • His different style enriched the same gospel, showing that variety in giftedness serves one purpose—edifying the church (1 Corinthians 12:4-6). • The Corinthians had tried to claim him as a party leader (1 Corinthians 1:12), but Paul reminds them that Apollos already belongs to them in Christ; they need not grasp for ownership. Or Cephas Cephas (Peter) represents the original circle of apostles (Galatians 2:9). • His authority and witness to the risen Lord are theirs as well (1 Corinthians 9:5; 1 Peter 5:1-2). • God did not give multiple leaders so the church could divide, but so it could be “built together into a dwelling place for God” (Ephesians 2:20-22). Or the world “The earth is the LORD’s, and the fullness thereof” (Psalm 24:1); because believers are heirs with Christ, the created order ultimately serves their good (Romans 8:19-21). • They need not fear worldly pressures (1 John 5:4). • Even persecution becomes a platform for witness (Philippians 1:12-14). Or life Jesus promised “life in all its fullness” (John 10:10). • Every breath, talent, relationship, and opportunity is a stewardship entrusted to believers (Colossians 3:17). • Paul could say, “For to me, to live is Christ” (Philippians 1:21), because life itself is folded into their inheritance. Or death Death, the last enemy, is now a servant too. • “To die is gain” (Philippians 1:21). • Christ has “destroyed him who holds the power of death” (Hebrews 2:14-15), so death merely ushers believers into the Lord’s presence (2 Corinthians 5:8). Or the present Right now, Jesus is “with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28:20). • Present trials produce eternal glory (2 Corinthians 4:17-18). • God supplies “everything we need for life and godliness” in the current moment (2 Peter 1:3). Or the future Nothing ahead can sever believers from Christ’s love (Romans 8:38-39). • An imperishable inheritance is “kept in heaven for you” (1 Peter 1:4). • The future includes reigning with Christ in His coming kingdom (Revelation 20:6). All of them belong to you Paul concludes, “and you belong to Christ, and Christ belongs to God” (1 Corinthians 3:23). • Because they are united to Christ, every servant, circumstance, and season is woven into their inheritance. • This truth eliminates boasting in human leaders and fuels humble gratitude (1 Corinthians 4:7). summary 1 Corinthians 3:22 sweeps from apostles to eternity, declaring that everything—people, experiences, time itself—has been placed at the disposal of those who are in Christ. Far from fostering pride or factionalism, this grand inventory should make believers rest secure, serve one another, and fix their hope on the Lord who is sovereign over all. |
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