PAUL continues addressing the problem of the divisions in Corinth and the effect they had on the fellowship.

VERSES 1-4.

Here the apostle chides the Corinthians for their quarrelling over who was the most important teacher, and tells them it shows a spiritual immaturity and worldly spirit. They were acting like human beings and not like Christians. He tells them that this spirit meant they were unable to progress in the knowledge of Christ and could only be taught like children, with spiritual milk and not solid food.

VERSES 5-9.

Paul then explains the folly of their attitude. The teacher is only a servant of Jesus Christ and of God. They are not important, and their purpose is to exalt Jesus Christ and lead people to know him and exalt him.

Human teachers are simply there to tend the seed - that is to plant and to water. God is the one who makes the seed of his word grow in people, so it is to God people should look and not to the teachers. The teacher has only one purpose and that is to serve God and point people to Jesus by their teaching. To exalt teachers as the Corinthians were doing was folly and sinful, and led to division. The church of God is God's building. And not the building of the teachers.

VERSES 10-15.

The teacher needs to be very careful in his teaching. Paul could say that his teaching laid a true foundation as a master builder. He laid the only true and lasting foundation which was Christ and him crucified. Teachers need to be very careful how they build. The only teaching that is of value is the teaching of Christ and him crucified i.e. The foundation that Paul had already laid.

Teaching can be good and lasting, or poor and passing, that is it can be durable like gold, or it can be worthless like straw. The fact is that all the teacher's teaching will be evaluated by God at the judgement – the Day of Christ when he returns. The teaching will be tested by the fire of God's wisdom. If it is like gold it will survive and be affirmed, but if it is like straw, then it will be burnt up and be lost.

If a persons teaching is like straw, they will survive the fire and still be saved, but all their work in teaching will have been useless, and have done souls no good whatsoever.

VERSES 16-17.

False and bad teaching is destructive to the temple of God. This is because each Christian is God's building, God's temple i.e. the habitation of the Holy Spirit. So to destroy this temple by false and poor teaching (i.e. trying to build the temple by poor and false preaching and teaching) is a very serious matter. God is not pleased when this happens. This is a serious and challenging point for the church in every age, and specially to those who are ministers in the church.

VERSES 18-23.

Because of this, teachers should repent of and guard against thinking themselves wise and depending on their own cleverness. Teachers need to become 'fools' – that is humble themselves under the teaching of Christ taught by the Spirit. This is essential because only the wisdom of God is of value spiritually. Worldly wisdom is foolishness to God, and has no power to help people to be saved from their sins, and brought into the family of God. Those teachers who persist in teaching their own wisdom will find God works against them and their work will be burnt up and useless.