No Mere Men-7--Sec. 2, Part 2 Series

NO MERE MEN—1Corinthians 3:1-23(3:1-9; 9-17; 18-23)

—SECTION 2(3:9-17)Their Building—part 2

Attention:

When it comes down to it, without tools, Mere Men’s abilities are severely limited, accomplishing only a very small amount of the work they desire.

All mankind realizes that their world is in need of a savior. Realizing that No Mere Men can accomplish the world’s greatest need…dealing with sin.

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...

As we discovered previously—No mere men can Overcome...

—SECTION 1(:1-9)—

1. IMMATURITY(:1)

2. DIET(:2-3a)Sustenance

3. ENVY(:3bi)

4. STRIFE(:3bii)

5. DIVISIVENESS(:3biii)

6. BEHAVIORS(:3b)

7. MINISTRY(:4-5)

8. SIGNIFICANCE(:6-7)

9. LABOR(:8-9)

—SECTION 2(:9-17)—

10—No mere men can Overcome…

BUILDING(:9-17)

A. FOUNDATION(:9-11)

10—No mere men can Overcome…

BUILDING(:9-17)

Explanation:(:9-17)

These all come back to the church’s being carnal evidenced thru their being Envious, Striving, & ultimately, Divisive(:1-3).

B.—EDIFICE(:10b)Actively Build upon

“…& another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it.”

Other people would build upon the “foundation” which Paul had set in place(“laid”).

All men are called upon to pay close attention to the manner in which they build upon the foundation. Thereby, many builders of succeeding generations are employed in the building.

“Another”(See :10—“Other”)—allov—Adj.—1) Another, other. Allov as compared with eterov denotes numerical in distinction from qualitative differences; allov adds ('one besides') Strong—a primary word; “Else,” i.e. Different(in many applications).

“Builds on”2X(See :12, 14)—epoikodomew—1) To build upon, build up. To finish the structure of which the foundation has already been laid [or] To give constant increase in Christian knowledge & in a life conformed thereto. Strong—To build upon, i.e. figuratively--To rear up. Used 8X.

“Take heed/Be Careful”—blepw—1) To see, discern, of the bodily eye; 2) metaph.--To see with the mind's eye; 3) in a geographical sense--Of places, mountains, buildings, etc. turning towards any quarter, as it were, facing it. Oraw gives prominence to the discerning mind, blepw to the particular mood or point. When the physical side recedes, oraw denotes perception in general (as resulting principally from vision), the prominence being in the mental element. Blepw on the other hand, when the physical side recedes, gets a purely outward sense. Skopew is more pointed than blepw, often meaning "to scrutinize, observe".

“How”—pwv—Particle—1) How, in what way. Strong—an interrogative particle of manner; In what way?(sometimes the question is indirect--How?); also as exclamation--How much!

Argumentation:

Eph. 2:19-22—“Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers & foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints & members of the household of God, having been built on the foundation of the apostles & prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.

Eph. 3:1-12—“For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for you Gentiles-- if indeed you have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which was given to me for you, how that by revelation He made known to me the mystery(as I have briefly written already, by which, when you read, you may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ), which in other ages was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to His holy apostles & prophets: that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, of the same body, & partakers of His promise in Christ through the gospel, of which I became a minister according to the gift of the grace of God given to me by the effective working of His power. To me, who am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, & to make all see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the ages has been hidden in God who created all things through Jesus Christ; to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities & powers in the heavenly places, according to the eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness & access with confidence through faith in Him.”

The Church is God’s designed/chosen agent of declaration to a lost world & to an unseen world!

1Cor. 8:1—“...We know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, but love edifies[builds up].”

Lk. 14:25-33— Now great multitudes went with Him. And He turned & said to them, “If anyone comes to Me & does not hate his father & mother, wife & children, brothers & sisters, yes, & his own life also, he cannot be My disciple. And whoever does not bear his cross & come after Me cannot be My disciple. For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first & count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it--lest, after he has laid the foundation, & is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, “saying, ‘This man began to build & was not able to finish.’ “Or what king, going to make war against another king, does not sit down first & consider whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? Or else, while the other is still a great way off, he sends a delegation & asks conditions of peace. So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple.”