Even Fleshly Folks Belong To Christ
By Jonathan Mitchell

Comments on 1 Cor. 3:18-23

This chapter opened with Paul terming the Corinthians as "fleshly folks" (vs.1). But let us consider this next section of the chapter, and then be surprised by vs. 23.

18. Let no one continue to be completely cheating, tricking, deceiving or deluding himself: if anyone among you folks habitually imagines (thinks; supposes; presumes) [himself] to be wise (to exist being a clever one) within this age (this era; this period of time), let him come to be (or: birth himself) stupid (dull; foolish; a fool) - to the end that he can come to be (or: may birth himself) wise.

Conzelmann sees in this verse, "the fundamental teachings of 1:18ff [being] applied to the Corinthians.... faith, and nothing else, is the foolishness in question" (ibid p 79; brackets mine).

Paul was living within the conjunction of the old and new ages. The temple in Jerusalem had not yet been destroyed. We suggest that "the wisdom of [the old] age" was that with which he was constantly contending. Keep in mind that his arguments are still against the false builders. For centuries the Jews had lived by the wisdom of Moses and the Prophets. It only seemed reasonable, to the natural mind, that people should still live by all those rules. We find the same thing in much of Christianity, even today. For everyday morality, folks usually turn back to the OT for guidance of how they should live their lives. Many still want to keep the feast days, etc. They forget that Paul instructs us that:

"Law and custom at one point entered in alongside (or: intruded into the situation by the side) to the end that the effect of the fall to the side (or: so that the result of the offense and the stumbling aside) would increase to be more than enough (should greatly abound and become more intense)" (Rom. 5:20).

Even the Jewish wisdom literature, such as Proverbs - which gave good, human reasoning against being a fool - was to be set aside if folks were to follow the radical teachings of Jesus and the "upside-down world" of God's kingdom. Now Paul advises those who were

"wise (to exist being a clever one) within this age" to "come to be (or: birth himself) stupid (dull; foolish; a fool)"

for the sake of the Good News. Leaving all to follow Christ and be "led by the Spirit" (instead of by the Law) would seem to be the most stupid thing one could do - in fact, it would get a person killed. The natural, soulish person would want nothing of this. They thought Paul was mad (insane; out of his mind - Acts 26:24-25). But the truth was just the opposite...

19. For you see, the wisdom (cleverness; skill) of this world System (or: pertaining to this ordered and controlling arrangement of cultures, religions and politics; or: from this society of domination; of the aggregate of humanity) is stupidity (exists as nonsense and foolishness) [when put] beside or next to God (or: in God's presence). For it has been written, "He is the One habitually laying hold of and catching in His fist the wise (clever) ones, within the midst of their every act (or: capability and readiness to do or work; cunning; craftiness)." [Job. 5:13]

20. And again, "[The] Lord [= Yahweh] continues, by intimate experience, knowing the reasonings (thought processes; designs) of the wise ones, that they are and continue being fruitless, useless and to no purpose." [Ps. 94:11]

The wisdom of the domination system was the wisdom that humanity gained by partaking of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Yes, it made sense, but it was not the wisdom of the tree of Life (the wisdom of the cross). The wisdom pertaining to human systems does not produce the fruit of the Spirit, it only keeps folks in bondage and leads to death (the curse of the Law). In quoting this Psalm (Ps. 93 in the LXX), Paul changes the OT reading, which has the phrase

"reasonings of the humans" (LXX), to the "designs (etc.) of the wise ones,"

thus fitting it to the topic of his discussion, here. In this we can see another witness to the fact that Paul seems to equate

"the wisdom of this world System (etc.)" to "the thought processes (etc.) of the wise ones."

Paul sees the work of Christ, and the Event of the Cross, as an example of God

"habitually laying hold of and catching in His fist the wise (clever) ones."

Dan Kaplan brought to mind Gen. 3:1-6 where he pointed out that the "woman," as it were "mounted the beast" (received the wisdom of the serpent) and then partook of the fruit of the tree that would "make one wise."

21. Hence (or: And so), let no one continue boasting in people (among, or in union with, humans). You see, here it is: all things [are] yours (or: all things pertain to you),

Boasting in people - or in philosophical systems of reason - is not the wisdom from God. It obviously had led to dividing the body of Christ. It still does, today. They did not have to cling to the wisdom of the ages, or to any particular person or group, because in the Life of God's reign "all things belonged to, and pertained to," them - and us. And now Paul gives examples of this...

22. whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas; whether [the] world (System of culture, religion, economy or government; human aggregate), or life, or death; whether things standing or having been placed within [your situation], or things being about to be (impending things), all things [are] yours (or: everything pertains to you, belongs to you, and [is] from you folks),

With all these things belonging to the Corinthians (and by extension, to us), let us read what Paul said about some of these same things in Rom. 8:

38. For you see, I have been persuaded and now stand convinced that neither death, nor life (or: living existence), nor agents (or: messengers), nor sovereignties (rulers; those in prime position; or: beginnings), nor things being now here (being placed within, at present), nor things about to be (impending, or about to consecutively come), nor powers (or: capabilities),

39. nor height (effect of being high), nor depth (or: deep places), nor any other or different created thing (or: founded thing; institution; = the Law; = old covenant; = adversaries) will be having power or be able to separate, divide or part us from God's Love (or: from the acceptance from God; from the urge toward reunion, which is God; God's full giving of Himself to us) which is within Christ Jesus, our Owner (Lord; Master; Possessor).

Since none of these things can separate us from God's Love (which is to say, from God Himself), no wonder all these things "belong to us." Consider the alternate renderings of the last clause of vs. 22,
a) "everything pertains to you" - no wonder He works them into good; EVERYTHING affects us and is in relation to us;
b) "everything belongs to you" - and thus, belongs in our life; everything is accessible for our benefit, even if only in our thoughts;
c) "everything [is] from you" - this is the ablative reading, and may seem overstated - considering our finite condition - but consider how this may apply to our lives: a great part of our relationship with others, and with our personal environment, does come "from us."

The System, life and death, their present circumstances, impending situations - all of this was theirs and pertained to them. They need not choose one person or ideology against another. They did not even have to "choose life" (like those under Moses; Deut. 30:19). Both life AND death belonged to them: death (following Christ, bearing one's own cross) was the path (the Way) to Life. Arguments, debates about doctrines, divisions for any reason, etc., were all fruitless. For those with eyes to see, God

"is constantly working all things together into good and is progressively working all humanity together into that which is advantageous, worthy of admiration, noble and of excellent qualities, [with other MSS: Yet we know that God is continuously joining everything together (or: working together with everything) into goodness by those continuously loving God...] (Rom. 8:28).

There might also be some irony in Paul's words, here, for in 4:6, 8, below, he give admonition, and then, almost sarcasm:

"learn not to set your thoughts (be disposed; put your intellect and opinion; entertain sentiments) on things over and above things which have been written.... You folks already continuously exist being ones having become completely satiated, with the result that you are now fully satisfied. You are already suddenly rich. You people suddenly reign as kings - apart from us! [note: these three statements could also be questions: Are you... Are you... Do you...?] And would that you surely did reign, so that we could also reign as kings together with you!"

It may also be "wisdom" to keep in mind the words given to Timothy,

"since we are continuously remaining under for support (or: if we continue patiently enduring), we will also continue reigning (performing royal activities and influence) together with [Him]..." (2 Tim. 2:12). Cf Rev. 20:4-6 for an apocalyptic picture of a then-present reality.

23. yet you folks [are] Christ's - yet Christ [is] God's! (or: Now you have your source and origin in [the] Anointed, and [the] Anointed has His source and origin in God; or: But you belong to [Messiah]; [Messiah] belongs to God.)

This is the bottom line, and all else is mere rubbish by comparison. It is because of this that vs. 22 has any validity. We belong to Christ. He bought us and we are His possession. And all that Christ is belongs to God. As can be observed in the parenthetical expansion, the terms Christ and God can be read as ablatives, which was a function to show "source." Our source and origin is the Anointed, and the Anointed has His source and origin in God. God is the destiny of everything - Rom. 11:36,

"into Him are all things."

The reality that is in Christ is Paul's answer for all human conflicts and divisions. He said it this way, in Col. 3:3,

"for you folks died, and your life has been hidden so that it is now concealed together with the Christ, within the midst of God (or: in union with God)."

And this is further explained in 2 Cor. 5:14-15a,

"[We are] deciding (discerning and concluding; judging) this: that [some MSS add: since] One Person (or: Man) died over [the situation of] all people (or: for the sake of all humans); consequently all people died (or: accordingly, then, all humans died). [cf Rom. 5:12; the death of the first Adam is reversed] And further, He died over all people (over [the situation] of, and for the sake of all humans)..."

Conzelmann concludes, regarding vss. 22-23, that, "the event of salvation is given concrete shape and definition of existence in its relation to the world." Amen! The next chapter begins with explanations of how the Corinthians should regard Paul, Apollos, Cephas, and other teachers...

To be continued...

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