New Life Bible Fellowship Church
3/8/2026

      • Psalm 9:1–2KJV1900

  • All My Boast Is In Jesus
  • In Christ Alone

      • Proverbs 15KJV1900

  • Introduction:

    For eight weeks, Paul has been dismantling the Corinthians' worldly thinking. He exposed the bankruptcy of human wisdom. He pointed to their own unlikely calling as proof that God chooses the foolish and weak. He described his own ministry—weak, trembling, relying on the Spirit rather than rhetoric. He revealed the Spirit as the revealer of God's hidden wisdom. He rebuked their spiritual infancy, evidenced by jealousy and factionalism. And last week, he warned about building on the only foundation with materials that will either survive the fire or be consumed.
    Now Paul brings the argument to its climax—and what a climax it is.
    He begins with a warning: "Let no one deceive himself." Self-deception is the danger. The Corinthians thought they were wise. They prided themselves on discernment, on evaluating teachers, on sophisticated theological allegiances. Paul says: If you think you are wise in this age, become a fool that you may become wise.
    This is the great reversal one more time. The world's wisdom is foolishness with God. God catches the wise in their craftiness. The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise—that they are futile. Everything the Corinthians valued is exposed as empty.
    But then comes the stunning turn. After all the rebuke, after the demolition of their pretensions, Paul does not leave them in the rubble. He lifts them to breathtaking heights: "All things are yours."
    All things. Paul, Apollos, Cephas—the very teachers they were fighting over—all belong to them. The world, life, death, the present, the future—all are theirs. Why? Because they belong to Christ, and Christ belongs to God.
    The Corinthians had been impoverishing themselves by their factionalism. "I am of Paul" meant "I am not of Apollos." They were dividing up the inheritance, fighting over scraps, when the whole estate was already theirs. Their narrowness was unnecessary; their rivalry was absurd.
    Today Paul invites us out of our self-imposed poverty into the staggering wealth of those who belong to Christ. Stop grasping at pieces when the whole is yours. Stop boasting in men when all things are yours. You are Christ's—and that changes everything.

    Text: 1 Corinthians 3:18-23

    1 Corinthians 3:18–23 ESV
    18 Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you thinks that he is wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise. 19 For the wisdom of this world is folly with God. For it is written, “He catches the wise in their craftiness,” 20 and again, “The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile.” 21 So let no one boast in men. For all things are yours, 22 whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future—all are yours, 23 and you are Christ’s, and Christ is God’s.

    Main Idea: Since self-deception about wisdom leads to boasting in men, the truly wise recognizes that all things are ours in Christ.

    Background:

    Paul concludes his three-chapter argument by exposing self-deception, reaffirming God's judgment on worldly wisdom through two Old Testament quotations, prohibiting boasting in human teachers, and then unveiling the staggering wealth believers possess in Christ. The hierarchy is clear: all things → you → Christ → God. This structure prevents both the impoverishment of factionalism and the arrogance of autonomy.

    I. A Warning Against Self-Deception (18-20)

    18 Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you thinks that he is wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise.
    Let no one deceive himself
    ἐξαπατάω (exapataō) — "To deceive / To delude" - This compound verb combines ἐκ (intensive) and ἀπατάω ("to deceive"). The prefix intensifies: to deceive thoroughly, to delude completely.
    The present imperative with μηδείς functions as a prohibition: "Let no one be deceiving himself" or "Stop deceiving yourselves."
    The Reflexive: ἑαυτόν (heauton) — "Himself" - The danger is self-deception. External deceivers are a threat, but here the problem is internal. The Corinthians are fooling themselves.
    This is the most dangerous form of deception because the victim is unaware. You cannot guard against a deceiver who lives in your own head.
    The Corinthian Application: What self-deception does Paul have in mind? In context, it is the belief that they are wise—that their evaluations of teachers, their theological sophistication, their spiritual discernment are marks of maturity. Paul has spent three chapters showing this "wisdom" is actually folly.
    If anyone among you thinks that he is wise in this age
    δοκέω (dokeō) — "To think / To suppose / To seem" - This verb can mean "to think, to suppose, to consider, to seem." Here it means "to think of oneself as," "to suppose oneself to be."
    The word carries a note of subjectivity—this is what the person thinks about themselves, which may not match reality. Self-assessment is notoriously unreliable.
    σοφὸς... ἐν τῷ αἰῶνι τούτῳ (sophos... en tō aiōni toutō) — "Wise in this age" - The phrase "in this age" is crucial. It qualifies the kind of wisdom Paul is addressing: wisdom as this age measures it, wisdom by worldly standards, wisdom according to the present order.
    This is the same "wisdom of this age" Paul critiqued in 2:6—the thinking characteristic of the old order, the value system of the world that is passing away.
    Someone might genuinely be "wise in this age"—educated, sophisticated, rhetorically skilled—and yet be a fool by God's standards.
    ἐν ὑμῖν (en hymin) — "Among you" - The phrase "among you" makes this personal. Paul is not discussing a hypothetical situation but addressing someone (or some people) in the Corinthian congregation who fit this description.
    let him become a fool that he may become wise
    The Paradoxical Command: This is the great reversal expressed as imperative: become a fool. This is not natural; it must be chosen. The person who thinks they are wise must deliberately abandon that self-assessment.
    μωρός (mōros) — "Fool / Foolish": The same word Paul has used throughout (1:18, 21, 23, 25, 27; 2:14; 3:19). Becoming "foolish" means:
    Abandoning confidence in human wisdom
    Embracing the "foolishness" of the cross
    Accepting the world's assessment that the gospel is absurd
    Giving up the pretense of self-sufficient understanding
    γίνομαι (ginomai) — "To become": The verb γίνομαι ("to become") appears twice, creating a deliberate structure:
    Step 1: Become a fool (imperative)
    Step 2: Become wise (purpose)
    The sequence is essential. You cannot become wise (God's wisdom) without first becoming a fool (abandoning worldly wisdom). There is no shortcut. The path to true wisdom runs through acknowledged foolishness.
    That, ἵνα (hina) Purpose Clause: The purpose clause reveals the goal: "in order that he may become wise." Becoming a fool is not the end but the means. The goal is genuine wisdom—but genuine wisdom comes only through the death of false wisdom.
    The logic of verse 18: Self-deception must be exposed. False wisdom must be abandoned. Then—and only then—true wisdom becomes possible.
    19 For the wisdom of this world is folly with God. For it is written, “He catches the wise in their craftiness,”
    For the wisdom of this world is folly with God.
    γάρ (gar) — "For": The conjunction explains why the wise person must become a fool: because this world's wisdom is foolishness with God. The whole value system is inverted.
    ἡ σοφία τοῦ κόσμου τούτου (hē sophia tou kosmou toutou) — "The wisdom of this world": This is slightly different from "the wisdom of this age" (2:6; 3:18). "World" (κόσμος) and "age" (αἰών) overlap significantly in Paul's usage—both refer to the present order that is passing away, the system opposed to God.
    μωρία παρὰ τῷ θεῷ (mōria para tō theō) — "Foolishness with God": The preposition παρά with the dative means "with, before, in the presence of, in the judgment of." This is how God evaluates worldly wisdom: it is μωρία—foolishness, absurdity, stupidity.
    This is not merely a difference of opinion. From God's perspective—the perspective that matters ultimately—what the world calls wisdom is actually folly. The world has it backwards.
    For it is written, “He catches the wise in their craftiness,”
    The Quotation Formula: γέγραπται ("it stands written") is Paul's standard formula for introducing Scripture. The perfect tense emphasizes the continuing authority of what was written.
    The Source: Job 5:13: The quotation comes from Job 5:13, part of Eliphaz's speech to Job. While Eliphaz's overall theology is flawed, this particular statement is true—and Paul cites it as Scripture.
    Job 5:13 ESV
    13 He catches the wise in their own craftiness, and the schemes of the wily are brought to a quick end.
    δράσσομαι (drassomai) — "To catch / To seize": This verb means "to grasp, to catch, to seize with the hand." The imagery is vivid: God catches the wise like a hunter catches prey, like a hand seizes something.
    The present participle (ὁ δρασσόμενος) describes God's characteristic action: He is "the one who catches" the wise—this is what God does.
    πανουργία (panourgia) — "Craftiness / Cunning": This noun is strongly negative. It combines πᾶν ("all") and ἔργον ("work")—literally, "ready to do anything." It refers to unscrupulous cleverness, cunning, trickery.
    The "wise" of this world are not merely mistaken; they are crafty—using their intelligence for self-serving ends, manipulating situations to their advantage.
    ἐν τῇ πανουργίᾳ αὐτῶν (en tē panourgia autōn) — "In their craftiness": The preposition ἐν indicates the instrument or means by which God catches them: in their craftiness, by means of their own cleverness.
    This is devastating. God does not merely oppose the wise from outside; He uses their own schemes against them. Their cleverness becomes their trap. The more crafty they are, the more thoroughly they are caught.
    20 and again, “The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile.”
    and again: This formula introduces a second Scripture quotation, reinforcing the first. Two witnesses establish the case (Deut 19:15).
    The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile.
    The Source: Psalm 94:11 (LXX 93:11): The quotation comes from Psalm 94:11. Paul adapts it slightly: the Psalm reads "the thoughts of man" (τῶν ἀνθρώπων), but Paul writes "the thoughts of the wise" (τῶν σοφῶν).
    Psalm 94:11 ESV
    11 the Lord—knows the thoughts of man, that they are but a breath.
    This deliberate change sharpens the application. It is specifically the reasonings of those who consider themselves wise that God knows to be futile.
    διαλογισμός (dialogismos) — "Thought / Reasoning / Deliberation": This noun refers to inner reasoning, deliberation, thought processes. It can have negative connotations of scheming or disputing (as in Luke 5:22; 6:8; Rom 1:21).
    Romans 1:21 ESV
    21 For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened.
    The word suggests not just passing thoughts but reasoned deliberations—the careful thinking of the wise, their sophisticated arguments, their intellectual conclusions.
    The Lord knows - γινώσκω (ginōskō) — "To know": God knows these thoughts. Nothing is hidden from Him. He sees through the impressive reasoning to its true quality.
    μάταιοι (mataioi) — "Futile / Empty / Worthless": This adjective means "vain, empty, fruitless, purposeless, worthless." It suggests something that accomplishes nothing, leads nowhere, amounts to nothing.
    The grand schemes and sophisticated reasonings of the wise are—in God's assessment—empty. They look impressive but achieve nothing of lasting value.
    Therefore, the second scriptural quotation reinforces the first. Not only does God catch the wise in their craftiness; He knows their very thoughts and assesses them as worthless.
    This then moves Paul to command…

    II. A Prohibition of Boasting in Men (21a)

    21a So let no one boast in men.
    ὥστε (hōste) — "So, Therefore": This conjunction draws the conclusion from the preceding argument. Given that worldly wisdom is folly with God, given that God catches the wise and knows their thoughts are futile—therefore, the practical application follows.
    The Prohibition: μηδεὶς καυχάσθω (mēdeis kauchasthō) — "Let no one boast": This echoes 1:29 ("that no flesh might boast before God") and sets up the contrast with 1:31 ("Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord").
    Boasting (καυχάομαι) in Paul's usage refers to the ground of one's confidence, the source of one's identity, the object of one's pride. To "boast in" something is to derive status and significance from it.
    ἐν ἀνθρώποις (en anthrōpois) — "In men": The prohibition is against boasting "in men"—in human beings, in human leaders, in human teachers.
    This directly addresses the Corinthian factionalism. "I am of Paul," "I am of Apollos," "I am of Cephas"—these were acts of boasting in men. The Corinthians derived identity and status from their attachment to human teachers.
    Paul says: Stop. No more boasting in human beings.
    The Logic: If the wisest humans are caught in their own craftiness, if their thoughts are futile, then boasting in them is absurd. They have nothing ultimate to offer.
    So what do we do since the world has no wisdom, and we have so much noise around us and we are not to become people followers in even the church…please Paul, don’t leave us hanging here…how are we to view all this?

    III. A Declaration of Our Wealth in Christ (21b-23)

    21b For all things are yours,
    The Stunning Declaration: After all the rebuke, after the demolition of their pretensions, Paul does not leave them in the rubble. He lifts them to breathtaking heights: All things are yours.
    This is not what we expect. We might expect: "Therefore, humble yourselves." Instead: "All things belong to you."
    γάρ (gar) — "For": The γάρ is surprising. It provides the reason not to boast in men. Don't boast in Paul because all things are yours—including Paul.
    The logic: You don't boast in what belongs to you as if you belonged to it. You don't claim partial ownership when you have full ownership. Boasting in one teacher is impoverishing yourself; the whole inheritance is already yours.
    πάντα ὑμῶν (panta hymōn) — "All things yours": The genitive ὑμῶν indicates possession: all things belong to you, all things are for your benefit, all things are at your disposal.
    This is corporate: "yours" (ὑμῶν) is plural. All things belong to the community of believers together. Paul now catalogs what he means…
    22 whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future—all are yours,
    The Catalog: εἴτε... εἴτε... (eite... eite...) — "Whether... or...": Paul provides a catalog of what "all things" includes, using the correlative conjunction εἴτε ("whether... or") to list them.
    Paul, Apollos, and Cephas: Teachers
    The world: Creation
    Life and Death: Human existence
    The present and future: Time
    Παῦλος... Ἀπολλῶς... Κηφᾶς (Paulos... Apollōs... Kēphas) — "Paul... Apollos... Cephas": The very teachers causing division! Paul names three of the four slogans from 1:12 (omitting "Christ," since Christ is in a different category—see v. 23).
    The factions were saying "I am of Paul" (implying "not of Apollos"). Paul says: You have it backwards. Paul belongs to you. So does Apollos. So does Cephas. All of them. You don't belong to them; they belong to you.
    This is a stunning reversal. The teachers are not patrons to be honored but servants who belong to the church. The Corinthians were impoverishing themselves by claiming one and rejecting others. All are theirs.
    But Paul then expands dramatically beyond church leadership. He abruptly introduces the world, life, death, and present and future circumstances—items Gordon D. Fee identifies as “the ultimate tyrannies of human existence”—yet asserts believers possess them because they are possessors, not slaves.
    κόσμος (kosmos) — "The world": The world belongs to believers because Christ made, redeemed, and upholds it, appointing them as stewards; this redeemed world becomes the Christian’s workshop where he glorifies his Lord.
    Thus, in Christ, believers inherit everything. The world is not their enemy but their inheritance—distorted now by sin, but destined for redemption (Rom 8:19-23).
    Romans 8:19–23 ESV
    19 For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. 20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. 22 For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. 23 And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.
    ζωὴ εἴτε θάνατος (zōē eite thanatos) — "Life or death": Life and death—the two great human realities—both belong to believers.
    Life is theirs: not merely biological existence but the abundant life Christ gives (John 10:10 “10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” ).
    Death is theirs: not as an enemy but as a servant. Death is "gain" (Philippians 1:21 “21 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” ) because it ushers believers into Christ's presence. Death has lost its sting (1 Cor 15:55-57); it serves believers rather than destroying them.
    Paul develops this in Romans 14:8 “8 For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s.”
    ἐνεστῶτα εἴτε μέλλοντα (enestōta eite mellonta) — "The present or the future"
    ἐνεστῶτα (enestōta) — "Things present": This is the perfect active participle of ἐνίστημι ("to be present, to be at hand"). It refers to present realities, current circumstances, the now. Christians possess the present because God rules it—nothing happens by chance.
    μέλλοντα (mellonta) — "Things to come": This is the present active participle of μέλλω ("to be about to, to be going to"). It refers to future realities, coming events, what lies ahead, knowing that nothing can separate them from God’s love in Christ.
    Both the present and future belong to believers. They need not fear the present circumstances; they need not dread the future. All is theirs.
    This echoes Romans 8:38-39:
    Romans 8:38–39 ESV
    38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
    πάντα ὑμῶν (panta hymōn) — "All things are yours": The phrase πάντα ὑμῶν is repeated at the end, creating a bookend structure:
    The repetition emphasizes the totality. The catalog between the two occurrences spells out what "all" includes—but even the catalog is not exhaustive. The point is comprehensiveness: all things.
    The Logic of verses 21b-22: The factions were impoverishing themselves by claiming parts when the whole was theirs. Why fight over one teacher when all teachers belong to you? Why grasp at pieces when the entire inheritance is yours? But there is a necessary qualifier…
    23 and you are Christ’s, and Christ is God’s.
    and you are Christ’s
    The Possessive Genitive:” You are Christ's" (ὑμεῖς Χριστοῦ)—you belong to Christ. The genitive indicates ownership, possession, belonging.
    This is the crucial qualifier. "All things are yours" could suggest autonomy, independence, human ownership of the universe. Paul immediately clarifies: you possess all things because you belong to Christ.
    Your ownership is derivative. You are not independent lords of creation; you are Christ's people who inherit through Him.
    The Contrast with the Factions: In 1:12, some Corinthians said "I am of Christ" (ἐγὼ δὲ Χριστοῦ) as a factional slogan—possibly claiming superior spirituality. Paul now takes this phrase and gives it its proper meaning.
    Yes, you are Christ's—but all of you are, not just one faction. And being Christ's means all things are yours. There is no ground for rivalry because you all share the same Lord and the same inheritance. But there’s more…
    and Christ is God’s.
    Christ's Relationship to God: The chain continues: you belong to Christ, and Christ belongs to God. Christ Himself is oriented toward the Father.
    This statement has parallels elsewhere in 1 Corinthians:
    11:3: "The head of Christ is God"
    15:28: When all things are subjected to Christ, "then the Son himself will also be subjected to him who put all things in subjection under him, that God may be all in all"
    Paul is not subordinating Christ’s nature or essence (as if Christ were less than fully divine). Rather, he is describing the functional relationship: Christ, even as Lord of all, is oriented toward the Father's glory.
    The Complete Hierarchy: The verse establishes a descending hierarchy of possession:
    All things -> You (believers) -> Christ -> God
    This structure accomplishes several things:
    It grounds the believers' inheritance: You possess all things through Christ, not independently.
    It prevents arrogance: You are not autonomous owners; you belong to Christ.
    It establishes proper order: Everything ultimately belongs to God and exists for His glory.
    It eliminates rivalry: All believers share the same position—belonging to Christ.
    The Logic of Verse 23
    You are Christ's: Your wealth comes through union with Him
    Christ is God's: Everything ultimately serves God's glory
    The hierarchy prevents both impoverishment (fighting over pieces) and arrogance (claiming independent ownership). Believers are wealthy beyond imagination—but their wealth is derivative, grounded in Christ, oriented toward God.

    So What?

    Do we understand that we must take self-assessments and embrace holy foolishness?
    Where might you be deceiving yourself? What do you think you know that you actually don't? What wisdom do you have that is actually worldly foolishness?
    Be willing to appear foolish by worldly standards. The cross is foolishness to the perishing. Stand with the fools who believe it.
    Do we understand that we must stop boasting in teachers?
    Do not derive identity from attachment to human leaders—preachers, authors, traditions, movements. They serve you; you do not belong to them.
    Do we understand that we are to receive the whole inheritance made available to us, but remembering that we belong to Christ, and that all is to be oriented toward God’s glory?
    Stop fighting over pieces. Learn from teachers outside your tradition. Appreciate gifts you once rejected. All things are yours—act like it..
    Your wealth is derivative. Stay connected to the Source. Your identity is not in what you have but in Whose you are.
    Christ is God's; so are you. Live for God's glory, not your own advancement. Let the proper hierarchy shape your priorities.

      • 1 Corinthians 3:18–23ESV

      • 1 Corinthians 3:18ESV

      • 1 Corinthians 3:19ESV

      • Job 5:13ESV

      • 1 Corinthians 3:20ESV

      • Psalm 94:11ESV

      • Romans 1:21ESV

      • 1 Corinthians 3:21ESV

      • 1 Corinthians 3:21ESV

      • 1 Corinthians 3:22ESV

      • Romans 8:19–23ESV

      • Romans 8:38–39ESV

      • 1 Corinthians 3:23ESV

  • I Will Serve Thee
New Life Bible Fellowship Church
dick.bickings@gmail.com
(302) 945-8145
https://newlifebfcde.org
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