1 Corinthians 3

Though nothing can add to God's essential glory, yet praise exalts him in the eyes of others: when we praise God we spread his fame and renown, we display the trophies of his excellence: in this manner the angels glorify God, they are the choristers of heaven, and do trumpet for…

My glory, (that is, my tongue which is the instrument of glorifying you.) The saints are temples of the Holy Ghost (1 Corinthians 3:16). Where should God's praises be sounded but in his temples?

19. If God be our Father it is comfort: 1. In case of loss of relations: Have you lost a father, yet if you are a believer you are no orphan, you have a heavenly Father, a Father that never dies, (1 Timothy 6:16) Who only has immortality. 2. It is comfort in case of death: God i…

Let them fear death, who do not fear sin: but let not God's children be overmuch troubled at the grim face of that messenger which brings them to the end of their sorrow, and the beginning of their joy. Death is yours (1 Corinthians 3:22), it is part of a believer's inventory. I…

Well spake the Holy Ghost by Esaias the Prophet to our Fathers, saying, go to this people and say— 1 Corinthians 3:16. Know you not that you are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you.

First, of the human body of Christ, the Temple of the deity. Secondly, of the mystical body of Christ, his Church or congregation (1 Corinthians 3:16). Christ's human body never decays, and therefore needs no repairing; his mystical body the Church, if it fall into decay through…

The principles of mutual, spiritual love among believers, arise from their relation to one Father (Matthew 23:9): "One is your Father which is in Heaven," who gives to all them that believe in Christ, power to become the sons of God (John 1:12). And their being all children of t…

For besides that this is signified by the typical holiness of the Church of old, into the room whereof real holiness was to succeed under the new Testament (Exodus 19:6; Psalm 24:3, 4, 5, 6; Psalm 15:1, 2; Isaiah 35:8, 9; Isaiah 54:13; Chapter 60:21; 1 Peter 2:9), our Lord Jesus…

(1.) Reject false hypocritical pretenders if in or by any means their hypocrisy be discovered to them (Acts 8:20, 23; Titus 1:10; Jeremiah 15:19). (2.) That they may direct, and encourage in the way, such as appear to be sincere, instructing them principally in the nature of the…

Quest. 53. What are the ends of all this dispensation and order of things in the Church? Answ. The glory of God, the honor of Jesus Christ the Mediator, the furtherance of the Gospel, the edification and consolation of believers here; with their eternal salvation hereafter (Reve…

Christ says; If a man will ever come in the Kingdom of heaven, he must be born again, John 3:3. Saint Paul says; If any man among you seem to be wise, let him be a fool that he may be wise: 1 Corinthians 3:18. Christ says, If any man will be my Disciple, he must deny himself and…

We prove it thus; First, from plain Scripture, 1 Corinthians 3:24. He that knew no sin, was made sin for us; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and a more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not made of this building (Hebrews 9:11), rears up a spiritual structure, or house. 1. Whose foundation was the living stone, who has lif…

Knowing, as it is recorded in the inspired Scriptures, that If any man build upon this foundation (Jesus the Christ) gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay stubble; Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it; because it shall be revealed by fire: and…

Elsewhere he complains of them who are always learning, that is in the way of it, under the means of it, but yet by reason of their negligence and carelessness in the application of their minds to them, do never come [⟨in non-Latin alphabet⟩] (2 Timothy 3:4), to a clear knowledg…

But in the latter sense they cannot be so. It is Christ himself, and he only, who is so the Foundation as to bear the weight, and to support the whole Building of the Church of God (Isaiah 28:16; Matthew 16:18; 1 Corinthians 3:10, 11; Ephesians 1:20, 21, 22; 1 Peter 2:4, 5). He…

The essential holiness and righteousness of God, whereby he cannot bear with the iniquities and provocations of men who betake not themselves to the only atonement, and that he will by no means acquit the guilty, is intended in this metaphorical expression. The judgment of God c…

The faculties of our souls, our minds, wills and affections are meet to entertain the Gospel, and to bring forth the fruits of it, whereof nothing is found in any other creatures on the Earth. Hence we are [in non-Latin alphabet], (1 Corinthians 3:9), God's husbandry, the ground…

We try gold in the fire; that is, whether it be true and pure. Fire is the great trier and discoverer of metals, of what sort they are (1 Corinthians 3:13, 14, 15). And hence the Lord Christ in the trial of his Church, is compared to a refiner with fire (Matthew 3:2), so faith i…

Now I say, it is not easily obtained, and that upon divers accounts. In that the heart of man is naturally so averse to it: there is a marvellous opposition in man's carnal heart against it: it is impossible but that it must be an exceeding bitter, yes, a killing thing to a man'…

And not only so, but it teaches him, as to work, so to look beyond all his own works, and doings and to own himself to be a poor nothing: else it is but (as I may call it) a legal faith. Paul did much, and so did Apollos too, yet neither of them were any thing (1 Corinthians 3:5…

Our bread] First Question. How is bread ours? Answer. Paul shows how (1 Corinthians 3:22): You are Christ's, and all things are yours: So then by means of Christ, bread is called our. For God having given Christ to us, does in him and by him give all things else to us.

The false prophets returned to the people, complyed with their humors: we must deliver our message, pardon to whom pardon, terror to whom terror is due; servants must be faithful. Thus must you look upon them as servants; yet but as servants, that you may not fondly idolize thei…

The next words after my Text tell you that this refining fire is specially intended for purifying the sons of Levi. The same thing we have more largely, though more obscurely, in (1 Corinthians 3:12 to verse 15). I do not say, that the Apostle there means only of times of Reform…

Just thus it is in fitting the soul for that glory: and again, that glory in heaven for that soul: God works the one for the other apart. The very similitude in the former verses does import so much; he styles glory in heaven a being clothed upon, and holiness here he compares t…

As for all other things I know no true satisfaction can be in them, but as they are subservient to God's honor, and give us an advantage for imitating some one or other of his perfections. Crosses in the Scripture are not excluded from those things we have a right to by Christ,…

For, by it the Son makes us free, and we receive the Spirit of Christ. Now where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty (1 Corinthians 3:17). This liberty Christ proclaims in the Gospel to all that do believe (Isaiah 61:1).

4. It makes the last part of the speech, in the word and doctrine, to be superfluous: for they hold that all the difference here is in the measure or manner of labor, and no difference in re subjecta. 5. All who have any charge in the ministry are called [in non-Latin alphabet]…

If all things be the Churches, even the Ministers themselves; yes, though they be Paul, Cephas, and Apollos, then may every Church use and enjoy all things immediately under Christ. But the first is true (1 Corinthians 3:24). Therefore, &c.

The first, is self-wisdom; this is a great impediment from hearing the voice of the Son of God: self-conceitedness hinders men much, because it breeds a despising of the ways of God. 1 Corinthians 2:4. The natural man receives not the things of the Spirit of God, for they are fo…

[Our bread.] 1. Question. How is bread ours? (1 Corinthians 3:22) You are Christ's, and all things are yours. So then, by means of Christ, bread is called ours.

Eternal life, and everlasting reward, the enjoyment of God in bliss, was promised no less truly in the old Testament, then under the new, though less clearly; and our Author grants it, by confessing that the estate of the Saints in rest extra Coelum, to be admitted there upon th…

And so likewise the particular sins, and sinners both there and here, to which they apply their exhortations, the incest, the going to law before heathen judicatures, the seditions, etc. do evidently restrain it from that latitude, which two circumstances being balanced on each…

Where the consequent is declared by two arguments. First, the subject ours; that is, such as we in Christ be heirs of, to use, being sanctified by word and prayer (1 Timothy 4; 1 Corinthians 3:22). The second by the adjoint, such as is both apt, and able by his blessing to nouri…

1. He is the text, to say so, of preaching; all preaching is to explain Him (Acts 10:43), To him give all the Prophets witness, and so do the four Gospels, and the Apostolic Epistles, which are as so many preachings of Him; and that preaching which stands not in relation to Him,…

Should a man remove the roof of your house, cut down the timber of it, and pick out all the fair stones in the wall, and say, Friend, I wrong not your house, see, the foundation stones are safe, and the four corner stones are sure, in the meantime, the house can fence off neithe…

Answ. 1. We are to make believers know if they believe not, and walk not worthy of Christ, in all holy duties; their faith is a fancy, and a dead faith, and the wrath of God abides on them, and they are not believers. 2. Though they be believers, wrath must be preached to them,…

3. Being drawn to Christ makes all yours; when you are hungry, all the bread of the earth is your Father's: when you are in a ship, you are in Christ's Father's waters; when you travel in summer, you see your Redeemer's fields, your Savior's woods, trees, flowers, grains, cattle…

(2.) Often in the fullest sense, not regenerated, nor wholly reprobated, are called men (Job 11:11, 12; Psalm 12:1; and 4:2; and 53:2). (3) Believers are called men (Acts 1:11; 1 Corinthians 3:21, 22). In regard of passions (Acts 14:15).

And in the fourth place, for cleansing ourselves from all superfluous and noisome lusts that we do not, neither can we be freed from them: O Jerusalem, wash your heart from your wickedness, how long shall your vain thoughts lodge within you? (Jeremiah 4:14). Purge out all those…

And truly in this case this shall you often find to be true: you come full of hopeful expectation to the congregation, but return very empty home, or full of bitterness in your souls, and all was because you trusted in lying words — in words that could not profit. You trusted in…

Secondly, we must consider whether the church errs in the foundation or no. If the error or errors be beside the foundation of religion, Paul has given the sentence that they which build upon the foundation hay and stubble of erroneous opinion, may be saved (1 Corinthians 3:15).…

Of it three cautions are to be observed. The first, that grace or power to regenerate, is not included in the word preached, as virtue to heal, in a medicine: Paul says, He that plants, and he that waters is not anything (1 Corinthians 3:7). To regenerate, is the proper work of…

For if you be the child of God, you can have no great loss. For all things are yours, you Christ's, and Christ God's (1 Corinthians 3:22). Lastly, this meditation must stir up in us, a care to lead a heavenly and spiritual life (1 John 3:3), that we may be like our eldest brothe…

To the pure, all things are pure (Romans 14:14). And the reason is, because the dominion over the creatures, lost by Adam, is restored by Christ (1 Corinthians 3:22). And hence it is, that Paul calls the forbidding of marriage, and of meats, with obligation of conscience, a doct…

The third thing to be considered, is, the persons that are to restore their brethren, laid downe in these words, yee that are spirituall. Spiritual men are opposed to carnal, as (1 Corinthians 3:1): I could not speak to you brethren, as to spiritual men, but as to carnal: and to…

It is a stone then; yet so as it fills the whole corner: and is so the corner stone, that the whole building is laid upon it. For as no man can lay any other foundation (1 Corinthians 3:11) so must all the Church and her members rest and be built upon it only. Some translate the…

In a word, it is as much as if he should have said; What will become of this goodly wisdom of yours in the end; will it bereave God of his Spirit? Nay, contrariwise in reproving you for your deceit and vanity, he will show by the effects, that he catches the wise in their crafti…

But this false persuasion, is not condemned only, for that it makes men disobedient to God, and so causes their ruin: but also because it is intolerable in itself. For we must become fools, if we will be the disciples of God (1 Corinthians 3:18). It is also certain, that whereve…

And yet I willingly consent, that the Levites and Ministers of the Temple are here mentioned by way of excellence, for all the people. Thus this doctrine then pertains at this day not only to the Ministers of the word, but to all Christians in general, who are also called a roya…