Chapter III.
(Vers. 1.)
(Verse 1.) And I, brothers, could not speak to you as spiritual, but as carnal. Now he speaks to those who, because they still served the pleasures of the world, were carnal. Although they were already baptized and had received the Holy Spirit, yet because after baptism they immediately returned to the old man, whom they had renounced, they are called carnal. For the Holy Spirit remains in the one in whom he has poured himself, if he remains in the purpose of regeneration: if not, he departs; but in such a way that if a man reforms himself, he returns to him. Always ready for good, diligent in repentance.
When you were like little children in Christ, I gave you milk to drink, not solid food. Even though you were reborn in Christ, it was not fitting to entrust you with spiritual things; having received the faith, which is like a spiritual seed, you did not bear any worthy fruit to God, so as to deserve to learn the words of perfection. Instead, you studied with the senses of imperfection, like little children. But the divine Apostle and spiritual physician would entrust to each person according to their abilities, so that no one would suffer scandal in spiritual matters due to their imperfection and lack of knowledge.
(Vers. 2.)
(Version 2.) For you were not yet able. It clearly shows that they should not have heard what must be said to those who are confirmed.
But you cannot yet; for you are still carnal. This strongly proves the folly of those who complained that they had not hitherto heard spiritual things; since they were still unworthy to hear. For the false apostles indiscriminately imparted their teachings to all, without distinguishing persons, in order to gain acceptance through hypocrisy. Whereas it is evident that our Lord and Author, Christ, dealt differently with the people than with His disciples, and also that there was a distinction among the apostles themselves; for He showed His glory on the mountain to three disciples, telling them to keep the vision secret until He rose from the dead (Matthew 17:9).
(Vers. 3.)
(Vers. 3.) For when there are among you envyings and contentions, are you not carnal, and do you not walk according to man? He shows the cause of indignity; because he who hopes for help from man is carnal. But he who, despising humanity, hopes in God, is spiritual; because God is spirit.
(Vers. 4.)
(Verse 4.) For when someone says, 'I am of Paul,' and another, 'I am of Apollo,' are you not mere humans? Just as those who boast in God and hope for all grace from Him are called gods, adopted by God; so also, boasting in humans, they are called humans and carnal, being confined by God's judgment. He says, 'I said, you are gods; but you shall die like humans' (Psalm 81:6). Therefore, he begins with his own example so that it would not be thought that he is destroying their presence out of envy, showing that it is a great mistake and pertains to the contempt of God when glory is given to humans when God is being preached. What, therefore, is lacking from being from a noble family, while still hoping for something from other people?
(Vers. 5.)
(Verse 5.) So what is Apollo? And what is Paul? They are ministers, in whom you believed. But because they are only ministers, do not put your hope in them, but in God, whose ministers they are. They are to be thankful to Him, for it is His gift. They are servants, and even if unwilling, they must fulfill their duty. Wasn't Moses forced to go to Pharaoh? Wasn't Jonah unwillingly sent to preach to the Ninevites? Wasn't Ananias sent to Saul, despite his objections, to lay hands on him?
And to each one as the Lord has given: that is, as He has wished and known, He has divided the duties of ministry to each.
(Vers. 6.)
(Verse 6.) I planted, Apollo watered, but God gave the increase. To plant is to evangelize and draw towards faith; to water is to baptize with solemn words; but to forgive sins and give the Spirit belongs to God alone. Therefore, if God gives the effect of salvation, there is no glory for man in this matter (Acts 2:4). For we know that the Holy Spirit was given without the laying on of hands by God (Acts 10:4), and that forgiveness of sins was obtained without baptism. Was he not invisibly baptized here, when he received the gift of baptism?
(Vers. 7.)
(Verse 7) Therefore, neither the one who plants is anything, nor the one who waters; but God who gives the growth. For the planted ones tend to die, and the watered ones rarely reach the fruitfulness they desire, unless God grants them a lively life. So, concerning the honor of God, man is nothing; but concerning the service, he is necessary, in order to be honored as a servant, not expecting anything from him that would bring harm to God.
(Vers. 8.)
(Verse 8.) For the one who plants and the one who waters are one. They are one, because both are hired workers; although their tasks are different. Each will receive their own wage according to their own labor. Although they are one, but because the one who proclaims the gospel is greater than the one who baptizes, their wages differ; and not only for this reason, but also for the sake of the sincerity of the teaching: so that the one who delivers the uncorrupted teaching may be worthy of a greater wage.
(Vers. 9.)
(Verse 9) For we are participants in the work of God: You are the cultivation of God, you are the building of God. This pertains to the role of the apostles, who are known to be helpers of God; for they are vicars of Christ.
(Vers. 10.)
(Verse 10) According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise architect I have laid the foundation. He says that grace was given to him so that he would be worthy to preach the Gospel, and to demonstrate that this is not of human origin, but of God. Therefore, according to this grace, he says that he, as a wise architect, has laid the foundation. The wise architect is the one who, according to the teachings of the author, places the foundation, that is, the one who proclaims the Gospel according to the tradition of the Savior.
But others build upon it. The buildings that are built afterwards are handed down by succeeding teachers, either bad or good.
However, let each one see how he builds upon it, that is, that the superstructures may correspond to the foundation; lest if they are oblique and frivolous, they may cause ruin, while the foundation remains intact; for if one teaches badly, the name of Christ remains, which is the foundation: but bad doctrine will perish, as the Lord says: Every plant which my heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted (Matt. 15:13).
(Vers. 11.)
(Verse 11.) For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. Therefore, no one can lay any other foundation, because even though there may be some heretics, they do not teach anything except under the name of Christ. For they cannot promote the comments of error in any other way, unless they preach with the name of the Savior interposed; so that the dignity of the name may make contrary and absurd things acceptable.
(Vers. 12.)
(V. 12) But if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones. Precious stones are those which fire does not corrupt. He placed three glorious types in the world, in which he signified good doctrine, wood, hay, straw: he placed three other types, but they are frivolous. In them corrupt and vain doctrine is distinguished.
(Vers. 13.)
(Verse 13.) The one who does this work will be revealed; for the day will declare it, because it will be revealed in fire. This means that false teachings will become apparent to everyone in the fire; now it deceives some. And the quality of each person's work will be tested by fire. For through the fire, the examination will be made, and if it does not find anything that can be burned, it will reveal that person to be a good teacher; for bad and deceitful teachings are symbolized by wood, hay, and straw, to show that fire is their fuel.
(Vers. 14.)
(Verse 14.) If someone's work remains, which he has built upon, he will receive a reward. For when nothing of evil doctrine is found in him, as in good gold, so it will be that he will receive eternal life with glory, like the three brothers in the fiery furnace (Dan. III, 23), because just as gold and silver and stones, which fire does not consume, so also a good teacher will remain incorruptible.
(Vers. 15.)
(Verse 15.) If someone's work burns, they will suffer loss. The work that is said to burn is bad doctrine, which will perish. For all evil things will perish, like the path of the wicked; because they are not substances, but perverse assertions. However, to suffer loss is to endure punishment. For who, when placed in punishment, does not incur loss?
But he himself will be saved, yet as if through fire. He said he will be saved, because the substance on which it is based will not be destroyed, just as bad teaching will be destroyed, because it is an accidental cause. Therefore, he said: yet as if through fire; so that this salvation is not without punishment, because he did not say: he will be saved through fire; so that, not being consumed by fire through his own merit, he may be saved, but when he says: yet as if through fire, he shows that he will indeed be saved, but will suffer the punishments of fire; so that, purified by fire, he may be saved, and not be tormented eternally like the unfaithful in the eternal fire: so that to some extent it is worth believing in Christ. For it is always necessary that one who sees himself defend the false as true should be ashamed; and in a similar way, one who has cast off falsehood and followed the truth will always have confidence in God; and one who has rejected impiety has submitted to piety. For whatever is outside the Catholic Church is contrary.
(Vers. 16.)
(Verse 16.) Do you not know that you are a temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? He says that we are a temple of God, so that we may know that God dwells in us; for He must necessarily dwell in His own temple. And when He says that the Spirit of God dwells in us, it signifies that we should understand the Holy Spirit.
(Vers. 17.)
(Verse 17.) If anyone violates the temple of God, God will destroy him, for the temple of God is sacred, which you are. He stated this beforehand to convict those who were shamefully living and corrupting their own bodies by acts of violation, especially the one who had his father's wife, so that he would be condemned before his case was brought into the open. In short, in a similar, or rather the same, manner, when he judges his case, he speaks, saying: Do you not know that your bodies are a temple of the Holy Spirit who is within you, whom you have from God (I Cor. VI,19). The higher temple of God he called; but in this place the temple of the Holy Spirit. Who would doubt here, that he signified the Holy Spirit as God?
(Vers. 18.)
(Verse 18.) Let no one deceive himself: that is, let no one think that he can benefit himself by his own or human wisdom. It returns to the higher meaning: If someone seems to be wise among you in this world, let him become foolish, so that he may be wise. He says this because if someone understands the promised salvation and the mystery of the incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ, let him become foolish, that is, let him flee worldly wisdom, so that he may be judged foolish by it, and then he will be wise. For the foolishness of the world is wisdom to God, as he believes that God has done things that the reason of the world does not comprehend, as I mentioned above. But the false apostles, desiring to appear wise in the world, denied that God had a Son, denied the true incarnation, and denied that the flesh could rise again.
(Vers. 19.)
(Verse 19.) For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. Thus the foolishness of this world is wisdom with God, as God does what the world denies can be done; he proves the wisdom of that foolishness, and while many gods are spoken of, faith proves one, and they are confounded by their own prudence.
(Vers. 20.)
(Verse 20.) For it is written: He catches the wise in their own cleverness. And again: The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile. This is found in the ninety-third psalm. In conclusion, the same meaning is conveyed; for knowing the vain thoughts of those individuals, in order to expose them as foolish, he reproves their wisdom, demonstrating the true nature of what they considered false and the falsehood of what they believed to be true.
(Vers. 21.)
(Verse 21.) Therefore, let no one boast in man. For human thoughts and plans are foolish and weak; it teaches that we should not boast in man, but in God, whose plans cannot be revoked: for whatever men understand without God is foolish.
(Vers. 22.)
(Verse 22) For all things are yours, whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours, and ye are Christ's, and Christ is God's. In another place, he says of the same meaning: But we preach Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake. (2 Corinthians 4:5) He calls servants instead of ministers; so that they may not defend themselves individually, but use everything together, as the Lord also says: For I am among you as he that serveth. (Luke 22:27) For the world is certainly ours, but let us perceive it according to God's will, and let us place the decrees of its course in God's will. And the present life is granted to us, but let us live it modestly and with the glory of God. Whether in death, let us willingly die for Christ, hoping for the future promise. Whether in the present, let us use the present in such a way as to not offend. Whether in the future, let us believe in the future, and let us commend ourselves more to them, because they are better.
(Vers. 23.)
(Verse 23.) But you are Christ's: so just as these things have been granted and subjected to our judgment, so we also should be subjected to Christ; for we have begun to exist through him, both in our first origin and in our regeneration. But Christ is the Son of God. Christ is the proper Son of his Father, doing his will; so that we also may do his will. Therefore, if we are servants of Christ, what is it that we should hope for in terms of injury from human beings?