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Old 07-15-2009, 12:43 PM
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Forrest Forrest is offline
 
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Texas, USA
Posts: 597
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Brother George, I was reading the chapter after your study and a "word" caught my attention. It's the word "believed" in verse 3.

Quote:
1Co*3:5 Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man?
Is it possible that in verse 3, Paul is actually referring to how they, the church, "believed" on the Lord Jesus Christ after he planted the gospel seed and it was watered by Apollos? He did say this later in the same letter:

Quote:
1 Corinthians 15:1-4 Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:
If the word "believed" references initial "belief" in the gospel message (which he preached) then it seems to me verses 6-11 still provide both sound historical and doctrinal teaching from this interpretation.

Quote:
1Co*3:6 I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.

1Co*3:7 So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase.
Paul planted the gospel seed, Apollos watered the gospel seed, but God gave the increase.

Quote:
1Co*3:8 Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour.

1Co*3:9 For we are labourers together with God: ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building.
It seems here that first the husbandry is identified, then secondly, the building. The husbandry of course exists when seed is planted then watered. God gives the increase. The building is something that can be built upon. Those who "believed" are God's building.

Quote:
1Co*3:10 According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon.
It seems Paul makes a transition from a seed sower to instructing those other ministers who are builders to build on the foundation of Christ. The "foundation" that was laid is clearly Christ. "For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ" (1 Corinthians 3:11 ). The man as you said in your lesson is the minister. So is this possibly referring to both the "gospel" and "doctrine" concerning the church at Corinth?