The Divine Construction 1 Co 3:9–17

You are God’s field.

Paul uses the metaphor of a field to describe for lack of better terms the kingdom. The phrase "you are God's field" suggests that the Corinthian believers are like a cultivated field or a piece of land that belongs to God just as a field requires cultivation and care to yield a fruitful harvest.

The reference to agriculture should not come as a surprise, for Jesus often used farming terms to describe the kingdom. For example, you will recall the parable of the farmer who sowed some seed in Matthew 13:3-9. Jesus tells the parable of the Sower, which revolves around a farmer sowing seeds in different types of soil. But the point is that the parables Jesus used to describe the kingdom were often in ways the farmers of his day could understand.

In this parable of the farmer sowing seed, the seed represents the message of the kingdom of God. At the same time, the different types of soil symbolize the different conditions of the human heart or the receptiveness of individuals to receive and respond to the message.

Jesus uses the metaphor of a field to illustrate how the Word of God can take root in people's lives and produce a fruitful outcome. Here Paul is reminding the Corinthians that they are under God's ownership and should live their lives in a manner that is pleasing to Him.

You are God’s building.

Again, the apostle uses another metaphor, that of a building. And it is reasonable to assume that Paul has in his mind what type of building – the temple! Certainly, this is confirmed in the verses that follow. And once again, we should not be surprised.

Jesus and other apostles refer to the people of God as being the temple of God. There is so much to be said here, but we will take some small bites of this wonderful text today.

Jesus is the first to claim that his body was a temple; recall the following passage:

When we ask the question, “What is a temple” the concise answer would be it is where God dwells or a place where God meets man. In that sense, then, we understand that Jesus was, in fact, a temple in that God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself.

However, one of Jesus’ last prayers included the notion that we would be one with himself and with the Father even as they were one. The prayer follows along these lines and can be found in John 17:20-23.

While there is certainly a temptation to rabbit trail on this verse, the simple point is “if believers accept the invitation into fellowship and unity with Jesus and the Father, then those same believers become part of that building or temple. Why? Because God is now in them, and as we stated before, a temple is where God dwells or meets with people.

In 1 Peter 2:4-5, the apostle Peter also refers to the fact that believers are the temples of God.

If we agree a temple is where God dwells, then consider the words of the apostle John because the Apostle John touches on the concept of believers as temples in 1 John 4:12, stating,

While John does not specifically use the term "temples," he emphasizes the indwelling of God through His love within believers, implying their status as vessels of His presence. How does the metaphor of believers being God's field and God's building impact your understanding of your identity and purpose as a follower of Christ? When people meet us, are they, in a sense, meeting with God? Or perhaps a better way to express this thought would be to say, do we allow people to see God in the flesh? We do not mean in a “new age” sense like “you ARE God,” but in the sense that we are letters or epistles from God read by all those around us.

Perhaps adding new metaphors is not helpful at this point, but here let us state it plainly, can those around us, see the character of God in us? Do we reflect the love, patience, and justice of God?