Got Milk ? ? ?

1 Corinthians 3:1-9
Brothers, I could not address you as spiritual but as worldly – mere infants in Christ. I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready. You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you still not worldly? Are you not acting like mere men? For when one says, “I follow Paul,” and another, “I follow Apollos,” are you not mere men?

What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe – as the Lord has assigned to each his task. I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only god, who makes things grow. The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor. For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, God’s building.

NOTE: This is very important.

The verses are straight in a few points. Its main theme is about the lack of spiritual maturity. The problem for the Corinthians was not doctrine but lack of spirituality. The people only thought they were spiritual. Paul was not able to talk to them as mature believers because they were not able to relate to such a mature address.

The mode of ministry of Paul here had to be as babes, not as mature Christians. Their inability was related to their worldly or fleshly nature. They had been fleshly to begin with, and they were still in the state. The Corinthians had not grown since they had come to Christ.

Paul continues his analogy of “infants” versus “mature” Christians with the illustration of feeding “milk” or “solid food”. Paul sought to respond appropriately to the needs of the Corinthians. He did not want to teach them truths they could not understand. Paul had not held back deep spiritual truths from the Corinthians but he had limited his manner of speaking to them and for their own good he gave them only milk.

For if a babe or baby is given solid food instead of milk he has a high chance to just choke and die.

It applies the same with us, at times we are not able to be fed with solid food for we are not matured enough for it, if so we eat, we might “die”. For example I can’t explain the Fundamental Truths of the Church like The Millennial Reign of Christ to you IF you have not even reached the level of understanding the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. And what I tell you or “feed” you may “choke” you and thus cause you to start doubting the faith. You get what I mean?

Let’s go on to the second part of the verse. Going to the part where Paul mentions about “following who and who” is that God’s view of servants was that they were channels or vessels “through” whom God worked. Their work was not limited to Christ’s gift through the Holy Spirit within them. Any success they had was a gift from God. For example, while Paul planted the church at Corinth, Apollos then came and to Corinth after Paul’s visit and helped the ministry to grow (Acts 18:27 - Acts 19:1) But it is God and God alone, not the workers, caused the growth.

1 Corinthians 3:8-9 = The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor. For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, God’s building.

The unity of the workers was a result of their “same purpose” mentioned in the verse and the fact that they belonged to God was mentioned three times. The phrase “Fellow workers with God” can mean “Partners with God” or “Fellow workers who belong to God.”

Colossians 2:6-7 = So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to LIVE in Him, ROOTED and BUILT up in Him, STRENGTHENED in the faith as you were taught, and OVERFLOWING with thankfulness.

Growing with you,

Zlwin Chew

Matthew 4:19
"Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men."

Hmm....... Fishers of men...... (In deep thoughts...)

THEN...

Oh ok we understand already! YAY! =D

Me and Jonathan : (Hmm... Ok...)

Alex : What????!!!!! You want me to go....? How???? Whuhuhu.... Help me.....

Ian : Hahahaha okie okie okie I will gokie....

Matthew 28:19-20
Therefore GO to the people of all nations and make them my disciples. Baptize them in th name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit and teach them to obey everything I have taught you. And surely I will be with you always, until the very end of the age.

NOW GO ! ! !