1 Corinthians 3:1-23

Worldly Wood

I grew up in a church that talked a lot about not being worldly, a whole lot. What they meant was that they didn’t “look”like the world in the way they dressed and other outward modes. The women didn’t wear make up or jewelry (especially earrings). The men kept their hair cut short and dressed very conservatively. No one went to the movies. Bowling was questionable. You get the idea.

Paul comes right out and tells the Corinthians plainly, “You are worldly.” Yet, he isn’t talking about make up and earrings or movies. He isn’t even talking about such topics as gay marriage or Communism. (OK, being concerned about Communism is old school but Paul did write this a long time ago.) Why does he say that they are “worldly”? Oh, there was jealousy and quarreling among them.

In the church culture in which I grew up there was very little talk about jealousy and quarreling. Both topics seemed to be covered very conveniently under the heading of “Righteous Indignation”. “I’m not jealous of that other person. I just don’t stoop to the level they stoop to in order to be popular.” “I not quarreling. I’m just standing up for what is right.” I guess it was a good thing our women didn’t wear makeup or earrings, otherwise people might have thought we were worldly. I wonder what God thought.

Paul goes on to speak about what we use to build on the foundation Christ has laid. The true nature of what we use will be brought to light by “that day”. Our work will be shown for what it really is. If all we have to show is externals I’m afraid that we may discover that we ourselves are merely “worldly”. But if we will set aside the standards of this age, the things that impress those who see only with their eyes, and in simple humility get our eyes off of men (including ourselves) and on Christ then we are likely to discover that there is gold and things of great value in our service of the Lord.