1 Corinthians chapter 3

Carnal, that's a new word that i learned during this chapter. This chapter amazes me for no reason at all or there might be a reason but I'm too blind to see it. i don't know.

1 Corinthians 3:2 - "I fed you with milk and not with solid food; for until now you were not able to receive it, and even now you are still not able;"
This verse makes a lot of sense to me that we are like babies where we don't know anything and that our parents seem to know an unlimited amount of things. we look up to our parents as a baby and when they feed us mushy baby food or whatever we trust them and eat it. God doesn't give us something that we are not ready for. When God gives you something trust him and "eat it." There are some things that we will never be ready for and that's okay. we're just not ready for it and never will cause it's not for you. Everyone has something to contribute to Gods plan and if we never receive it it's not always going to be your fault that you chose not to receive it. It might not be on your road to pick up.

1 Corinthians 3:8 (last part of it) - "each one will receive his own reward according to his own labor."
This part kind of makes me think that i have to help others no matter what, cause you know, reward is good. (to the world's view) each one will get according to his works. I believe this to be true, that whatever we do on earth will be recorded and looked upon when judgement comes. ... a part of me wants to say "it's kind of like getting your pay check" and the other part of me wants me not to say that cause money is pointless. I'm going to just let you ponder on that.

1 Corinthians 3:11-15 - "For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on this foundation wit gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each one's work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one's work, of what sort it is. If anyone's work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. If anyone's work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire."
Jesus is the foundation (which I bet people hears a lot) and whatever we use to build on it will be obvious. "Day" is capitalized and i think it's because that means the Day as in judgement. These verses (I think) is a huge metaphor. The test of fire well see what kind of reward you will receive. if your work or "house of whatever you used to build" burns down it's okay cause you just have to "build a better one", but you will be changed and be saved. (I was talking metaphorically)

1 Corinthians 3:18 (last part of it) - "let him become a fool that in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise."
I thought this was funny. My grandpa used to say this some times, like to Phong where whatever troubles he gets into he'll learn from it and not do it again. (like car crashes *cough cough*) but seriously this might be a cliche that's just hiding under fancy old language. this basically means learn from your mistakes.

So today at school in my Chem class we had a talk about Catholics and Lutherans and Baptists. We just talked about the book of Revelations and how the world is going to end. My friend says that there's going to be an epic battle where good vs. evil and the evil turns into animals. So I didn't say much about it cause I was pretty much observing and I stepped in only about once saying that that probably doesn't mean that they will turn into animals and that their behavior be animals'? I told him that Revelations might be speaking in metaphors so don't get too confused, but I feel weird talking about this stuff at school. I guess i'm not used to it cause i'm used to Religion excluded from school. I pray that in school that we will have more of these conversations and that I can help a friend out from school. Cause school is just a powerful black hole where it just brainwashes you. I pray that we have some free time and talk about this stuff again and not even in Chem class in any classes, especially in APUSH cause would like to hear what my teacher says about this cause he's baptist. I pray that everyone will get much from this and that they will have the courage to correct each other. I pray that we will have some constructive criticism up in here. Amen.

Like mere men (D. Chang ch. 3)

we don't understand. it's not about us. it's about God and what He's done for us. and what He's done for us is something that can't be taken away. and it's not about people seeing us and it's not about us doing anything. it's about us being with God and simply taking in His gifts, His Spirit, His love. that's it. that's sorta what it's all about, but even then, there is something missing, something bigger than we can say. we can feel it, we can feel that we are futile, that we are broken and weak, and that we will fall. and the thing is that God is. He just is. what does this mean? it means that if you are with Him, you will be too. so the question is how you can be with God? i don't know. you just be. it's got nothing to do with doing.

and we don't understand this. we don't understand God. some people have ideas. some people give their lives to God and they come away really blessed. they know things that even the angels want to know. this is what paul is talking about in chapter three. he says we're still "mere men," we're carnally minded. And he can see that in us because there is envy, strife, and division among us. and it makes sense to me that envy would be something carnally minded and division would probably occur because people don't agree about something and don't love each other enough to care that they are divided. what sticks out to me is strife...dictionary.com defines that as conflict or struggle. we weren't made to be mere men.

"Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?"

but when we struggle, we are being mortal. we weren't created for that. when we don't understand who God is, when we don't care about God or others, we're being mortal again. when we do things for ourselves, when we have our eyes focused on ourselves. we're missing it. we're missing out.

it goes on to say: "If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy.."

and if you're thinking what i'm thinking, this is impossible. we can't help but defile the temple of God, we already have. we struggle and we turn away and we sin. we are deserving of God's wrath. we're deserving of being destroyed, of being abandoned and forsaken and crushed.

then it goes on to say this: "Let no one deceive himself." because we have deceived ourselves. this whole idea of self righteousness or pride finds itself in practically everything we do. sometimes we even feel like we are so low that God can't reach down to save us, that we can't understand God. but this is wrong.

we can understand God. we can do it. i know i seem to be contradicting myself, because i was talking about in the opening paragraphs how we really don't understand God at all, but we can. we were made to know God, we were made to love, and we were made to worship. God made us so we could know Him and He could know us and enjoy us. we can know. we can love God and give Him everything. our bodies are like temples of God and they can really be holy. they shouldn't be defiled, but more than that - they can be. we can be holy. because of God.

the last couple verses read, a little out of nowhere (this kind of seems to show up out of nowhere): "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 you are Christ's, and Christ is God's" (v. 22-23). and that word "death" comes a little out of nowhere too. i don't know what that's doing in there. maybe it says that you can have whatever you want. you get to choose what to put in your life and what you love. but you are always Christ's, and Christ is always in you, no matter what. even if you tell Him to get out, He's still sustaining you. your body is always going to be a temple of God. it's whether you defile it or keep it holy.