1 Corinthians 3 Study Notes

The Greek noun misthos means pay, wage, reward, recompense. Other related terms are mithios, hired worker (Lk 15:17,19) and misthotus (Mk 1:20; Jn 10:12-13), hired man, hired hand; misthoo (to hire someone, Mt 20:1,7); misthoma (something rented, Ac 28:30); misthapodosia (reward in Heb 10:35-36; penalty in Heb 2:2); and misthapodotes (rewarder, Heb 11:6). The main idea in this word family is compensation for a task.

The term misthos often refers to monetary payment but its main use is to describe some aspect of divine evaluation of human activity. Jesus used misthos several times in the Sermon on the Mount in reference to rewards that the ungodly receive in this life (Mt 5:46; 6:2,5,16; see 2Pt 2:13,15; Jd 11) in contrast to rewards that believers will receive in heaven (Mt 5:12; 6:1; see Mk 9:41; Lk 6:23,35; 2Jn 8).

Paul used the term misthos four times in 1 Corinthians, and all four refer to the reward that comes from Christian ministry. At the day of judgment the Lord will test by fire the purity of everyone’s ministry. Some will receive a reward, while others will endure loss, though not the loss of salvation (1Co 3:10-15).

3:14 In the ancient world, a reward (Gk misthos) was granted to those who constructed the building on time, within budget, and according to specifications.

3:15 Paul warned those who built carelessly that they would suffer loss.

3:16 Paul called on the Corinthians to have self-awareness about the ultimate identity of their corporate body. They were a temple built by God, and the Spirit of God resided among them.

3:17 Paul gave stern notice to those who corrupted the church (chap. 15; 2Co 11). In a wordplay on the verb destroy, Paul warned that anyone who “destroys” (Gk phtheiro, “ruin,” “corrupt,” “defraud,” “destroy”) God’s temple will, as recompense, be destroyed by God. The word destroy was used in construction contracts to describe building a structure with the intent to defraud. Thus the image here is of a church leader (builder, v. 12) who is willfully negligent.

3:18 Paul’s advice to the self-deceived: let the one who thinks he is wise in this age become a fool by embracing the message of “foolishness.” The fool who trusted the foolish message would be wise from God’s viewpoint.

3:19-20 God determines what constitutes foolishness. These verses are filled with courtroom terminology from OT Wisdom literature (e.g., Jb 5:12-13). Paul affirmed from these witnesses that any disputations (reasonings) made before God’s bench would be foolish if based on human wisdom.

3:21-23 The remedy for divisions in the church is the recognition that all gospel servants—even prominent figures such as Paul . . . Apollos, or Cephas—are not their own, but belong to Christ, who in turn belongs to God. In this light, servants must never become a distraction to the church, and believers must never mistake them for the Master.