No Mere Men-2--Sec. 1, Part 2 Series

NO MERE MEN-II—1Corinthians 3:1-9

Paul reveals the traits of unspiritual men.

Unspiritual men are unable to exist in harmony.

Why are the unspiritual unable to live in harmony?

Because...No mere men can Overcome...

We discovered previously that No mere men can Overcome...

1. IMMATURITY(:1)

2. DIET(:2-3a)Sustenance

3—No mere men can Overcome...

ENVY(:3bi)

Explanation:(:3b)

:3b—“...For where there are envy, strife, & divisions among you, are you not carnal & behaving like mere men?”

“Envy” is an example of the church’s “carnality.” He does this because they would, no doubt, deny their own immaturity. Churches/people that continue in chosen immaturity generally see themselves as having arrived & thus find chastisement to be personally insultive/insulting.

“Envy”—‘Vigilant in guarding something.

‘Fearful or wary of being supplanted; apprehensive of losing affection or position.’

RIGHTEOUS—Most texts are about God’s ‘jealousy’ toward us.

2Cor. 11:2—“For I am jealous for you with godly jealousy. For I have betrothed you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.”

Js. 4:5—“Or do you think that the Scripture says in vain, “The Spirit who dwells in us yearns jealously”?”

UNRIGHTEOUS—Sinful jealousy

Prov. 27:4—“Wrath is cruel & anger a torrent, But who is able to stand before jealousy?”

1Cor. 13:4—“Love suffers long & is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up;”

Js. 3:16—“For where envy & self-seeking exist, confusion & every evil thing are there.”

“Envy/Jealousy”—zhlov—1) Excitement of mind, ardor, fervor of spirit—1a) Zeal, ardor in embracing, pursuing, defending anything, 1b) An envious & contentious rivalry, jealousy. Strong—properly--Heat, i.e. (figuratively)--“Zeal”(in a favorable sense, ardor; in an unfavorable one--Jealousy, as of a husband[figuratively, of God], or an enemy--Malice).

Argumentation:

**Ps. 106:13-18—[concerning the rebellion of Korah, Dathan & Abiram]“They soon forgot His works; They did not wait for His counsel, But lusted exceedingly in the wilderness, And tested God in the desert. And He gave them their request, But sent leanness into their soul. When they envied Moses in the camp, And Aaron the saint of the LORD, The earth opened up & swallowed Dathan, And covered the faction of Abiram. A fire was kindled in their company; The flame burned up the wicked.”(Num. 16:1-35)

**Ezek. 35:2-14—““Son of man, set your face against Mount Seir[descendants of Esau] & prophesy against it, “& say to it, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: “Behold, O Mount Seir, I am against you; I will stretch out My hand against you, And make you most desolate; I shall lay your cities waste, And you shall be desolate. Then you shall know that I am the LORD. Because you have had an ancient hatred, & have shed the blood of the children of Israel by the power of the sword at the time of their calamity, when their iniquity came to an end, “therefore, as I live,” says the Lord GOD, “I will prepare you for blood, & blood shall pursue you; since you have not hated blood, therefore blood shall pursue you. Thus I will make Mount Seir most desolate, & cut off from it the one who leaves & the one who returns. And I will fill its mountains with the slain; on your hills & in your valleys & in all your ravines those who are slain by the sword shall fall. I will make you perpetually desolate, & your cities shall be uninhabited; then you shall know that I am the LORD. Because you have said, ‘These two nations & these two countries shall be mine, & we will possess them,’ although the LORD was there, “therefore, as I live,” says the Lord GOD, “I will do according to your anger & according to the envy which you showed in your hatred against them; & I will make Myself known among them when I judge you. Then you shall know that I am the LORD. I have heard all your blasphemies which you have spoken against the mountains of Israel, saying, ‘They are desolate; they are given to us to consume.’ “Thus with your mouth you have boasted against Me & multiplied your words against Me; I have heard them.” ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: “The whole earth will rejoice when I make you desolate.”

**Mk. 15:10—“For he[Pontius Pilate] knew that the chief priests had handed Him[Jesus] over[to the crowd] because of envy.”

**Ps. 73:1-3—“<> Truly God is good to Israel, To such as are pure in heart. But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled; My steps had nearly slipped. For I was envious of the boastful, When I saw the prosperity of the wicked.”

**Prov. 14:30—“A sound heart is life to the body, But envy is rottenness to the bones.”

Rom. 1:27-32—“Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, & receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due. And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting; being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful; who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them.”