Reflections with Andy - 1 Corinthians 3 – A Firm Foundation
Paul reminds us that the foundation we need to build our lives upon is never any human or human thing, but it is always the firm foundation of Jesus
In today’s Rooted in Christ reflection, we continue through 1 Corinthians 3, where Paul confronts the divisions within the Corinthian church and reminds believers that true spiritual maturity is marked by unity, not rivalry. We explore why Paul insists that neither the one who plants nor the one who waters deserves the credit—only God gives the growth—and what that means for pastors, churches, and our own faith. Along the way, we consider the importance of building our lives on the only foundation that can withstand life’s fires: Jesus Christ. This episode is an invitation to pursue unity through the Holy Spirit, resist placing our trust in human leaders, and rest confidently in the faithfulness of Christ, our firm foundation.
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Rooted in Christ – 1 Corinthians 3
Good morning! It’s good to be with you on this Monday morning. I hope you had a great weekend. We had a wonderful weekend at church, and I’m looking forward to a great day today and a great week ahead.
It’s always good to be in God’s Word and to spend time unpacking what God wants to say to us through Scripture. As we talked about on Friday, reading Scripture puts us in a place where the Holy Spirit can work in our lives. It’s one of the primary ways God shapes us, teaches us, and helps us grow.
Today we’re going to read all of 1 Corinthians chapter 3. It’s twenty-three verses—not too long—but there’s a lot packed into it.
Read 1 Corinthians 3:1–23.
There’s so much here to unpack.
Paul begins by picking up where he left off at the end of chapter 2, where he talked about spiritual discernment and having the mind of Christ. Now he says, “I could not speak to you as spiritual people.” Why? Because they weren’t ready.
“I fed you with milk, not solid food, because you were not ready for solid food. Even now you are still not ready.”
How does Paul know they’re not ready? Because there is jealousy and quarreling among them. They’re still arguing over who their favorite preacher is. They’re still divided.
I had a conversation recently about conflict, and it struck me again how quickly we throw away unity. It seems like unity is always the first casualty whenever disagreements arise.
But I don’t think that’s the way God intends it.
Unity is hard. Real unity requires prayer. It requires humility. It requires allowing the Holy Spirit to work within us. It’s easy to have unity with people who think like we do, vote like we do, worship like we do, or share our theology. That’s easy.
The challenge is having unity with people with whom we disagree.
That only happens through the work of the Holy Spirit.
That’s why Paul sees their divisions as evidence that they’re not living by the Spirit. If they were fully surrendering themselves to the Spirit’s work, they would be pursuing unity rather than division.
Then Paul asks, “What is Apollos? What is Paul?”
They’re servants.
Paul planted. Apollos watered. But God gave the growth.
Paul had a role to play. Apollos had a role to play. But neither of them deserved the credit. God alone brings life.
As a preacher, I think about that often.
One of my professors at Mississippi College, Dr. Bryant, gave me advice I’ve never forgotten. He said, “Prepare like it depends on you. Preach knowing it depends on God.”
That’s how I try to approach ministry.
Work hard. Prepare faithfully. Give it your best. But remember that the results belong to God.
Paul says neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything. God is the one who gives the growth.
That’s true for preachers. It’s true for churches. It’s true for all of us.
I hope these reflections encourage you. I hope I’m a blessing to you. But I’m not the Savior.
No preacher is.
Don’t build your faith on a preacher, because every preacher is human. Every preacher will eventually disappoint you.
Build your faith on Jesus.
That’s exactly where Paul goes next.
“No one can lay any foundation other than the one that has already been laid, and that foundation is Jesus Christ.”
Everything else is secondary.
Then Paul talks about that foundation being tested by fire.
Isn’t that true in life?
Every one of us experiences seasons when our faith feels tested. There are moments when it seems like the fire is too hot, the burden too heavy, or the struggle too great.
In those moments, our job isn’t to save ourselves.
Our job is simply to remain faithful.
If our foundation is Christ, then we can trust that whatever comes, He will hold us.
Paul reminds us that we are God’s temple and that His Spirit dwells within us.
That means our unity matters.
Our love for one another matters.
Our faithfulness matters.
Not because we earn God’s love, but because God’s Spirit is already at work within us.
So today, be careful what you build your life upon.
Don’t build it on a preacher.
Don’t build it on a denomination.
Don’t build it on a church.
Now, hear me carefully—I believe in preachers. I believe in denominations. I believe in the local church. I’m a preacher serving in a denomination at a church, so of course I believe those things matter.
But they are not the foundation.
Jesus is.
As the old hymn says:
“On Christ the solid Rock I stand; all other ground is sinking sand.”
That’s our hope.
That’s our foundation.
Build your life on Him, and everything else will find its proper place.
Thanks for being with us today. I hope you have a wonderful rest of your Monday, and I’ll see you tomorrow morning as we continue our journey through 1 Corinthians together.