Unity & Spiritual Growth in the Church

Chapter 3 addresses divisions and spiritual immaturity within the church at Corinth. The apostle Paul rebukes the Corinthians for their jealousy and strife, which he attributes to their spiritual infancy. He explains that while he and Apollos are merely servants through whom the believers came to faith, it is God who gives the growth. Using the metaphor of a building, Paul describes himself as a skilled master builder who laid a foundation, which is Jesus Christ, and warns others to build carefully upon it. Each person's work will be tested by fire on the Day of Judgment, revealing its quality.