1 Corinthians Chapter 3

Come, Let us Rest in Peace

The third chapter of first Corinthians starts in a flurry of painstaking observations from the Apostle Paul. As he waits in a Roman jail, he receives discouraging words about the church in Corinth he started four years earlier. In 1 Corinthians 3:1-4, the scripture reads,

“Brothers and sisters, I could not address you as people who live by the Spirit but as people who are still worldly—mere infants in Christ. 2 I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready. 3 You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere humans? 4 For when one says, “I follow Paul,” and another, “I follow Apollos,” are you not mere human beings?”

To fully appreciate the text we need to divulge the key messages in the passage. Let us explore the Greek word for the phase - infants in Christ. The Greek word for infants is nēpios, meaning immature Christian. The Greek word for in is en. It means a primary preposition denoting (fixed) position (in place, time, or state), and (by implication) instrumentality (medially or constructively), i.e. a relation of rest. Finally, the Greek word for Christ is Christos, meaning the Messiah, Jesus Christ. Now let us juxtapose this with verses 3-4. “You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere humans? 4 For when one says, “I follow Paul,” and another, “I follow Apollos,” are you not mere human beings?”

From this scripture, we see that the Apostle Paul classifies Christians into two groups. One group lives by the Spirit and the other exhibits attributes of the world. Note the infants are still in Christ. However, their behavior is that of mere human beings; unable to receive solid food from the Lord. To appreciate what this means we need to first explore what -infants, who are resting in Christ truly mean.

In Matthew 11:28, the scripture states, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” The Greek word for rest is anapauō. It means to cause or permit one to cease from any movement or labor to recover and collect his strength. The Biblical outline for rest is to keep quiet, of calm and patient expectation. The English definition of patience is a belief that someone will or should achieve something. Lastly, the ARCHAIC definition (an earlier time) of patience is one's prospects of inheritance. Putting this all together, it means that we are expected to cease from labor and collect our strength as we patiently wait for our inheritance. Now, 1 Corinthians 3:1-4 can be paraphrased this way,

“Brothers and sisters, I could not address you as people who live by the Spirit [since you are not ceasing from carnal interests as you quarrel and complain among one another. I expected you to be patiently waiting for your inheritance from God your Father. For as you rest, the Holy Spirit is there to work through you to accomplish God’s work for His Kingdom]

but [instead, you are] still worldly—mere infants in Christ.”

This is the challenge facing many Christians today. Many believers are living the Christian life in Christ as mere infants, under their own power. Each day, they actively look for new arguments to join and old judgments to render. The idea of being still and allowing the Holy Spirit to minister to and through them is a foreign concept. It's like speaking a different language to them. They cannot understand it. It is like a child who just got his license and cannot wait to drive somewhere, anywhere. As parents, we lovingly tell them to calm down and sit still. The more active the child is the more concerned we grow of their maturity to handle life behind the wheel of a car. This analogy is reflected in the concerns of the Apostle Paul. The fact that he is hearing of carnal activities in the church hinders his ability to teach them sound instruction commensurate with expected spiritual growth. Note, he is not yet addressing the rampant sexual sin in the church. By simply focusing on childish fights, gossiping, jealousy, and quarrels he already knows the church is headed down-hill.

The state of the church in Corinth saddened their founding father. As he sits in a Roman jail, he longs to come to them and help them get back on track. Yet left alone, the believers were in a sliding spiral of carnality. To learn from this passage, we need to view this personally and see if their decline is what lies ahead for any one of us. The key is whether we are living by the Spirit or being led by our own self-will.

The “rest in Christ” we are asked to enjoy must be the measure to which we ascertain our maturity as believers. The question we must ask ourselves is how “rested” do we feel spiritually at the end of the day. Did you spend any time defending your faith to any or everyone who possesses a conflicting point of view? Do we end up in endless fights with believers or non-believers regarding simple to even important issues? Are you struggling to find answers to any of life’s questions; simple or complicated? Have you felt the love of God shine on your face no less than 5 times today? 2 times? How many times did you laugh out loud from something the Holy Spirit revealed to you today? How many times did you say I love you Father today? And really mean it?

These are the types of questions you may want to consider when trying to understand if you are truly deepening your rest in Christ. If there are people, places, or things in your life that are inhibiting you from abiding further in Christ consider removing it or change your perspective of it. Christians must remember that the relationship with the Father is one of love, while the relationship with the Son is a blessed engagement. He is our bridegroom, and we are His bride. If you cannot feel your relationship with God this way then pause, take a moment, and reassess what is happening. For remember what your fiancé said back in Matthew, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” Our bridegroom and Father desire us to be well-rested for the wedding. Are you resting in peace?

Be encouraged,

Thomas Knowles – Minister of the Gospel of Christ Jesus