1 Coríntios 3
R.C.H. Lenski · Citado em PreceptAustin
1 Coríntios 3
Lenski explains 1 Cor 3:1-2 this way "As he did in the first paragraph of chapter 2, Paul again reaches back to the time when he first worked in Corinth, but he does so only briefly in order to compare the present state of the Corinthians with their beginnings in the faith, a comparison that must fill them with shame, for they (were still acting) like babes, babes who had not grown up. This was bound to hurt their pride, but Paul intends that it should....The historical aorist (could not) takes us back into the past when the Corinthians were beginners in the faith, and the aorist infinitive (speak) sums up the speaking and the preaching of Paul at that time. The pronoun “I” is emphatic, for the apostle was their preacher at that time. The Corinthians were beginners in those early days and as such could not then be treated as pneumatikos, real spiritually minded people, but only as sarkinos, people still fleshy in their way of thinking and acting and not able, like a truly spiritual man, to judge aright all things, 1 Cor 2:15. Paul does not fault the Corinthians for this early condition of theirs, for he adds the apposition “as infants in Christ.” We must all be “infants” at first in the natural course of our spiritual development. There is something tender in the term, and it implies maternal solicitude on Paul’s part and motherly care in helping these infants to grow up and to become strong and mature spiritually. Thank God that the Corinthians were converted by Paul’s preaching and were united to Christ in faith and thus began their Christian career! While nepios, “infants,” removes all blame, it still suggests a...condition of immaturity that ought soon to pass away....Paul tells the Corinthians: “When you were still quite fleshy and infants in Christ as to the Spirit, mere ABC scholars in the faith, I had to treat you as such in order to make you grow, and I did so.” (See context in The Interpretation of I Corinthians) MacArthur gives an excellent explanation on how the Bible uses spiritual in reference to men - When applied to men, however, it is used of their relationship to God in one of two ways: positionally or practically. Unbelievers are totally unspiritual in both senses. They possess neither a new spirit (Ezek 11:19+, Ezek 36:26+) nor the Holy Spirit (Ezek 36:27+). Their position is natural and their practice is natural (1 Cor 2:14+). Believers, on the other hand, are totally spiritual in the positional sense, because they have been given a new inner being that loves God and is indwelt by His Holy Spirit. But practically, believers can also be unspiritual. In 2:14–15 Paul contrasts believers and unbelievers, and his use of “spiritual” in that context refers, therefore, to positional spirituality. The “natural man” (v. 14) is the unsaved; “he who is spiritual” (v. 15) is the saved. In the positional sense, there is no such thing as an unspiritual Christian or a partially spiritual Christian. In this sense every believer is equal. This spiritual is a synonym for possessing the life of God in the soul, or as we saw in 2:16, having the mind of Christ.....Practically, however, believers may be anything but spiritual. Such were the Corinthian Christians. Paul addressed them as brethren, but he made it clear that he had to speak to them on the lowest possible spiritual level. He had to speak to them as if they were men of flesh. (See context in The MacArthur New Testament Commentary) (Bold added) (See also MacArthur's discussion on 1 Corinthians 3 Carnal Christians) Spiritual (4152)(pneumatikos from pneuma = wind, spirit <> in turn from pneo = to blow) is an adjective which means pertaining to the wind and then relating to the realm of the spirit referring to the inner, invisible sphere of a human being. As
1 Coríntios 3
Lenski: Paul does not say how he conceives this destroying. We shall not go far wrong when we say that, if the Corinthians themselves are God’s sanctuary because of the indwelling of the Spirit, he destroys this sanctuary, be he teacher or layman, who by lies and deceptions drives the Spirit out of the hearts of the Corinthians and fills them with the spirit of the world. Commentators like MacArthur think that these are not believers but unbelievers - The third group of workmen obviously is made up of unbelievers, because God will never destroy those He has redeemed and given eternal life. It is composed of evil, unsaved people who attack God’s people and God’s work. Zodhiates agrees with