Introductory remarks:
In the last chapter Paul made a comparison of the natural man and the believer, that is, the unbeliever and the believer. Paul assured the believer that he not only was assured of his position in Christ, but the he had the mind of Christ. In this chapter Paul makes a comparison of the believer in fellowship, and the carnal believer out of fellowship. "Now Paul tells his readers that he cannot teach them spiritual things because they are still carnal. They are fighting over whom they follow but their teachers are still working together to do what God wants. Jesus is the foundation of all of them. How men build on that foundation will be judged. The wisdom of this world will not make them wise, but everything is given to God's own" (A Survey of 1 Corinthians - By Brenda). This chapter may be outlined as follows: fellow workmen for God vv. 1-23.
Fellow Workmen for God
Verse 1, "And I brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ."
LGT "And I, brethren, was not able to speak to you as to spiritual ones, but as to fleshly ones, as to babes in Christ."
And I, brethren: even though these Corinthian believers were living after the flesh, Paul addresses them as brethren. Christians can either be carnal or spiritual, that is, one can be in fellowship or out of fellowship, and they are still part of God's family. Was not able to speak to you as spiritual ones: Paul desired to speak to mature adults, the spiritual ones in fellowship with the Father. But as to fleshly: these believers were living worldly, that is, carnal, after the desires of the flesh. As to babes in Christ: Paul uses the Greek word napiois here for "babes", meaning non-speaking infants; these were infants in Christ spiritually; this is contrasted to perfected ones; Paul contrast spiritually mature believers with baby carnal believers. It is a fact that believers have the choice of either maturing or staying babies; it has nothing to do with salvation, but it sure does affect future eternal rewards at the Bema Seat of Christ. These baby Christians were as newly born into the Kingdom, and Paul could not feed the deeper doctrines to them, for this would cause them to become upset and like a baby, spit up. They were not yet able to handle the meat of the Word. This is a perfect opportunity to discuss the mechanics of being spiritual: (1) when a person becomes a Christian they are at that very moment one hundred percent spiritual, not spiritually mature, but spiritual, that is, walking in the Light of fellowship. (2.) Five seconds later that person sins and immediately they are out of fellowship and are one hundred percent carnal, and no longer walking around in the light, but groping around as a drunken bum in fleshly darkness, that is, following the lusts of the flesh, the lusts of the eyes, and the pride of life. (3.) Then as soon as that Christian confesses that sin (1 John 1:9), they are restored to fellowship and are now walking around in the Light once again. Remember, according to 1 John 1:9 God says, "if you confess [say the same thing to God about your sin. That is, name them to God] He is faithful and just to forgive your sins, and to cleanse you from all unrighteousness [even those sins you don't remember to confess]. Evidently these Corinthian believers were walking in darkness and not confessing their sins to God.
Verse 2, "I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able."
LGT "I gave you milk to drink, not meat: for ye were not yet able. But neither yet now are ye able:"
I gave you milk to drink: Paul says that he fed them the ABC's of the gospel, that is, the fundamentals, such as, faith alone in Christ alone. Not meat: These baby Christians were as newly born into the Kingdom, and Paul could not feed the deeper doctrines to them, for this would cause them to become upset like a baby, and they spit up the Word. For ye were not yet able: They were not yet able to handle the meat of the Word. But neither yet now are ye able: They were still not ready for the Meat of the Word, that is, they were not ready to handle Paul explaining the Riches of Grace to them. They were carnal Christians not ready to receive these deeper things. A huge percent of the churches today are in a state of carnality; this is obvious by the crap they play with their instruments dedicated to the world and its pleasures. Even the so-called pastors are coddling them with a vain philosophy that the terrible music attracts the world, and maybe get them to come to church. The mindset of these "spiritual morons" is attracting big crowds that will result in big paydays for them. If I sound cynical, it is, because that is just exactly what I am. I have absolutely no patience for these modern day moneychangers.
McGee notes on the word Carnal (sarkikos):
"The Greek word for carnal is sarkikos, which means 'fleshly.' In Latin and French the word carna means 'sensual.' We get our word carnival from two words, carna vale, which means 'farewell flesh.' You see, carnival was something they had before the season of Lent. During Lent they would practice farewell to the flesh with certain denials of pleasure to the flesh; so just before Lent they would gorge and gourmandize the flesh, get drunk, satisfy and satiate the flesh in every possible way. Then they would be able to do without such things during Lent! An example of this is the Mardi Gras in New Orleans. That literally means 'fat Tuesday' and refers to the Tuesday before Lent."
Verse 3, "For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?"
LGT "For you are yet fleshly. For where [there are] jealousy and strife among you, are ye not fleshly and walk around as man?"
For ye are yet fleshly: Paul says, "you all are living according to the dictates, or lust of the flesh. You are saved but acting like you are not." For where there are jealousy and strife among you: these are both used in an ungodly manner and are proofs to Paul that they are still carnal babes. Are ye not fleshly and walk around as man: the fact that you remain out of fellowship, does this not mean that you are walking around as mere unregenerate man? You are conduction yourselves as the world would be proud to call you its own; instead of conducting yourselves as dear family members of God's wonderful family, you are bickering and fighting, instead of loving, you are jealous of one another.
Verse 4, "For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos: are ye not carnal?"
LGT "For when one may say, I am of Paul, and another, I of Apollos, are ye not mere men?"
Paul sites this as the result of their jealousy and strife. Paul does not even defend those who claim him as their champion, but he says this is a sign of being babes. Paul says you are not walking in the Light, but you are walking around as men of the world walk. (See my notes on 1:12). The fact that they were praising the man who gave them doctrine, instead of realizing they were simple ministers of God's Word, was definite proof they were still babies; for immature believers are impressed with the man delivering the Word, and not the Word of God itself. Most churchgoers want to be entertained and not fed the Good Word of Life. Church has become a sideshow, a carnival that tickles the ears.
Verse 5, "Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man?"
LGT "What then is Apollos? And what Paul? But servants through whom ye believed, and to each as the Lord gave to him."
What then is Apollos? And what Paul: Paul does not say "who" but "what." You see, Paul is not stressing their leadership of a party or sect, but servants through whom ye believed: this point of being servants is so important because of the stress Christians put on the so-called leaders of the Church; Christ is the only Leader, and His Word is the only Word. The Roman Catholic church has gone completely wacko when it comes to church hierarchy; remember, there is no such teaching of one believer having authority over another believer; we are all one in Christ, for there is neither Jew nor Greek, bond or free, male or female, rich or poor, we are all one body in Christ our Head; never let anyone bully you spiritually, and never be tied to one teacher; study the Word of God with an open mind, not an empty mind, and let the Holy Spirit teach you all things, and you will be approved. And to each as the Lord gave to him: the servants proclaim the gospel of grace with the gifts God bestowed; religion is not man made, for when it is man made it is nothing else but voodoo religion. Man is not capable of producing Holy Scriptures, and as Chafer said, "he wouldn't even if he were capable, for he would in turn condemn himself.
Verse 6, "I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase."
LGT "I planted, Apollos watered, but God was giving growth."
The first two verbs, planted, and watered, are in the aorist tense marking out two definite acts in the past, while the third verb by God is in the imperfect tense making it read, God was giving growth; so the sense is, that God was working in both the planting and the watering that was necessary for Christian spiritual maturity. "The sense here is, that Paul had labored in establishing the church at Corinth; but subsequently Apollos had labored to increase it, and to build it up. It is certain that Appolos did not go to Corinth until after Paul had left it; see Acts 18:18; God caused the seed sown to take root and spring up' and God blessed the irrigation of the tender plants as they sprung up, and caused them to grow" (Barnes).
Verse 7, "So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase."
LGT "So that neither the one who plants nor the one who waters, But God Who gives the growth."
God simply uses the spiritually mature believers to plant and water the seed; Paul never ever allowed himself to be lauded with praise; he always gave glory where glory was due, that is, and always will be, to God. It is, much to our shame that we look to the man who is teaching rather than of the God he is teaching about.
Verse 8, "Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labor."
LGT "The one who plants and the one who waters are one, but each shall receive his own reward according to his own labor."
The one who plants and the one who waters are one: the planter and the waterer work together as one and for the same purpose. The plant would not grow without the seed, and the seed would not grow without the water. But each shall receive his own reward according to his labor: planting and watering are two different processes, but when done through the filling of the Spirit will receive a reward at the Bema Seat.
Calvin comments on this verse:
"Here he shows what is the end that all ministers should have in view - not to catch the applause of the multitude, but to please the Lord. This, too, he does with the view of calling to the judgment-seat of God those ambitious teachers, who were intoxicated with the glory of the world (a modern day example of this we find in Rick-the-slick-Warren), and thought of nothing else; and at the same time admonishing the Corinthians, as to the worthlessness of that empty applause which is drawn forth by elegance of expression and vain ostentation. He at the same time discovers in these words the fearlessness of his conscience, inasmuch as he ventures to look forward to the judgment of God without dismay [disappointment]. For the reason why ambitious men recommend themselves to the esteem of the world is, that they have not learned to devote themselves to God, and that they do not set before their eyes Christ's heavenly kingdom. Accordingly, as soon as God comes to be seen, that foolish desire of gaining man's favor disappears."
Verse 9, "For we are laborers together with God: ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building."
LGT "For we are fellow-workers of God; a cultivated field of God, ye are God's building."
For we are fellow-workers of God: God does all the work; He uses us if we are willing to be obedient and to be used. Paul continues his use his metaphor of planting and watering, in that we are used of God in getting His Word out. This is impossible without being in fellowship. Now remember, fellowship in the Greek means a "partnership", and as long as we are in fellowship, this partnership is intact, and God the Holy Spirit is able to work in and through us. A cultivated field: the Church at Corinth was God's cultivated field in which He would produce His fruit. Ye are God's building: The Greek word for "building" is "edify", which means to enlighten, educate, and instruct. So the meaning is, that through the Word of God, the Holy Spirit is able to edify the Corinthians and make them useable to God. I might add here for clarification that God does not mean by "fellow-workers" just the apostles and teachers, but every member of the body of Christ, which make up the Church.
Calvin notes:
"That man, accordingly, is mistaken who looks to men, or depends merely on their remuneration [payment]. Here we have an admirable commendation of the ministry - that while God could accomplish the work entirely Himself, He calls us, puny mortals [mere worms of the dust], to be as it were His coadjutors [assistants], and makes use of us as instruments."
We must always keep in mind that the metaphors used by Paul in the cultivated field and the building, it is not man made; God is the grower of the field and the builder of the building; He uses His Word, instructed by the Holy Spirit to our minds, that the field and the building are of use to Him. As we yield to the Holy Spirit through the Word of God are we if any use to God.
Verse 10, "According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise master builder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon."
LGT "According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise architect [the] foundation I laid, and another builds up. But let each take heed how he builds up."
According to the grace of God, which was given to me: Paul is now speaking of the special grace that was given him for his apostolic work. Notice Paul never takes credit; he always attributes his work to the grace of God. As a wise architect the foundation I laid: the foundation of the grace of God, that is, faith alone in Christ alone, which was laid over two thousand years ago. Paul can refer to himself as a wise architect because God gave him that duty alone, and he was also equipped with the special grace of divine inspiration to give the Corinthians the doctrines of God's wonderful grace. And another builds up: the Greek word for another means another of the same kind, that is, other men of like passion as Paul, with the same divine message of grace. But let each take heed how he builds up: The Judaizers were causing all sorts of divisions in the assemblies in Corinth. Paul is well aware of these false teachers and he warns them that if anyone teaches them contrary to his previous teachings of grace let them take heed [gr. Blepeto] beware. Today we have a bunch of preachers that are building on another foundation than the grace of God given us by Christ. These spiritual morons are out trying to make a better world in which to live. They sound more like politicians than men of God. We must beware of these morons, for they take a very pious approach and have taken many in with their flowery rhetoric. In the Epistle to the Galatians Paul said Let them be damned.
Verse 11, "For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ."
LGT "For another foundation no man is able to lay along side that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ."
There is no need for another foundation. Men have tried to lay another foundation in the likes of Buddha, Mahomet, Joseph Smith, Russell, Mary Eddie Baker, and even Rick Warren with his "Purpose Driven Drivel". Jesus Christ is the only foundation Paul laid, and he says that it is impossible to attempt to lay another of the same kind, for there is no other. It is politically correct to accept all religions, but Paul says there is only one true religion, and that religion is built on the shed blood of Jesus Christ; all these other religions use the name of Christ, but they do not trust that name; they produce, through demented imaginations, another way to God other than through the blood of our Lord, "and there is no salvation in any other, for there is none other name under heaven, given among men whereby we must be saved" (Acts 4; 12). When the proper foundation is laid it is impossible to build up the body with false doctrine, for no other doctrine but that which is in grace alone will fit on the foundation. Here in Corinth we have the foundation Paul has laid, which is upon Jesus Christ, and all the other divine riches of grace he brings out in the other Epistles fit like a glove; we must have all of His doctrines of grace to be complete in Him, and it is impossible to know then with out the study of Bible Doctrine.
Verse 12, "Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble;"
LGT "Now if any one build up upon the foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw;"
Paul notes here six different materials men use to build upon the foundation of Jesus Christ. Paul here compares the durable materials with the perishable. Paul is referring both to the persons building, and the character of their teaching. This verse does not consider false teaching, for that would be inconsistent with the context. What Paul is saying is that the teaching of doctrine must be in the context of grace, and if it is not, it is useless. What Paul is making reference to here must be sincere but wrong teaching, and I also believe it must mean teachers who are teaching from a wrong motive. A man may speak truth, but if he is motivated by filthy lucre it will not survive the trying fire. So the teaching will either be gold, silver, precious stone, or wood, hay, and stubble. The foundation is always the same, Jesus Christ; but the teaching will vary by the motive of the teacher.
Verse 13, "Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is."
LGT "Of each the work will become manifest: for the day will declare [it], because in fire it is revealed: and of each what sort of the work it is, the fire itself will prove."
Of each the work will become manifest: the motives of the individual teacher will be brought to light. I should remind you all that we are all teachers in some extent. The older believers will automatically teach the younger believers in the family. Now when I use the term "older" I am not necessarily referring to chronological age. For the day will declare it: the judgment seat of Christ as in 1 Thess. 5:4; Rom. 13:12; Heb. 10:25. There is no escaping this final judgment. In the family of God we are all to edify one another, so this can also be building on the foundation; it is this building on Christ that will be scrutinized at the Bema Seat of Christ. Because in fire it is revealed: the judgment fire will bring to light the motives of all believers. And of each what sort of the work it is: the fire must not be regarded as a purging but rather a testing, for we have already been purged from all sin, and sin is not the issue here, because sin has already been dealt with on Calvary. Our motives will either stand the fire, gold, silver, and precious stone, that is, they will survive the fire because the motives were true; or they will be consumed in the fire as wood, hay, and stubble, that is, improper motives, such as self-gain, or approbation lust for power over the people. The fire itself will prove: our souls and spirit are fireproof, but our works are not. The testing fire will prove of what our motives are. Men may be very sincere in their teaching, but I remind you that the testing fire may prove them sincerely wrong, because they did not let the love of Christ limit them in their motives.
Verse 14, "If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward."
LGT "If the work of anyone shall remain which he has built up, he shall receive a reward."
The "if" is in the first class condition and means that it will certainly be true. If a man's work remains after the test of the fire, it will be in the class of purified gold, silver, and precious stone. He shall receive a reward: what exactly the reward is will be for us to find out; what I do know is that it must be a wonderful thing to get a well done from our Lord.
Verse 15, "If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire."
LGT "If the work of anyone shall be consumed, he shall suffer loss, but himself shall be saved, but so as through fire."
If the work of anyone shall be consumed: Paul says if the work of the believer is consumed, not the sin, for Christ has already taken care of the sin question on the cross; so this testing is not purging us from our sins, but testing our works to see if they were properly motivated. He shall suffer loss: the fire will bring to light the believer's works, and if they are consumed, no reward! But himself shall be saved: once saved always saved. If a man accepts Jesus Christ as Savior, he is saved for all eternity; now this testing fire is only to bring to light the believer's motives for service, not whether he is saved or not. But so as through fire: this testing brings to light whether a man has wasted his life by building on the foundation with the improper motivation. It is not as the early church fathers concluded that everyone will be tested or purged by the judgment fire to see if they were true believers or not; this simply a figment of their sanctified imagination, for it has nothing in the world to do with salvation; this fire is strictly testing the believer's motives for service.
Verse 16, "Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?"
LGT "Do ye not know that ye are the temple of God, and the Spirit of God dwells in you?"
I love this verse. It gives me assurance that I am God's possession, and that the Holy Spirit remains in my soul. This is the only reason I know He dwells in me, because God said it through Paul, and if God said it, it is so. In the Old Testament temple or sanctuary, there was the Holy of Holies where God dwelt; now that Christ has died and has risen, and ascended to the right hand of God, the veil of the temple was rent in two, He has taken up residence in me; how beautiful this is; and I am assured of this because of this passage.
Verse 17, "If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are."
LGT "If any one corrupts the temple of God, him shall God bring to corruption; for the temple of God is holy, which ye are."
If any one corrupts the temple of God: the Greek word for "defile" is to corrupt. Now the context is what the believer will be rewarded for at the judgment seat of Christ. We know that the believer cannot be 'destroyed", so it must mean that they are being led astray by either false doctrine, or led to believe they are not the temple of God. Him shall God bring to corruption: God will either remove that one from his position, or maybe even from this world; God does not allow men to corrupt those [believers] whom He has delivered from the powers of darkness. I do not believe God destroys the believing teacher in eternity, but I believe He will eventually remove him from his power of influence. We have so-called churches today who heap to themselves teachers having itching ears who will tell them what they want to hear; however, I do not believe Paul is speaking of the liberal unbelieving church, but he is speaking of the true church which makes up the temple of God. False teachers and a false belief that allowed them to live immorally were corrupting the church at Corinth. For the temple of God is holy, which ye are: the believer in Corinth was the temple of God individually and corporately, for God is omnipresent.
Verse 18, "Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise."
LGT "Let no one deceive himself: if anyone among you thinks [himself] to be wise in this age, let him become foolish, in order that he may be wise."
Let no man deceive himself: now Paul addresses the teachers and the hearers, that they should not be wise in their own conceit. You see the hearer too readily heaped the teachers with their false teachings to themselves. We too often blame the teacher only, however, if they had no audience they could not teach. The modern day church has not become liberal because of the teachers alone, but they are liberal because the listeners want the type of teaching they produce, which is contrary to grace teaching of Paul. If anyone among you thinks himself to be wise in this age: again the "if" is in the first class condition and assumed to be true. Let no man be puffed up with a vain conceit of his own wisdom, for this had been the real cause of all the evils, which they had experienced. Grotius renders this, 'See that you do not attribute too much to your wisdom and learning, by resting on it, and thus deceive your own selves. All human philosophy that is repugnant [disgusting] to the gospel is but vain deceit." Let him become foolish: let him become as a fool in the eyes of God, for we read in 2:11-14, "For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? Even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit, which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned." In order that he may be wise: let every man seek the wisdom which is not of this world in order to know the things of the Spirit of God which He has revealed to us in His precious Word. True wisdom is only found in God's Gospel of grace, which includes the entire Word of God.
Verse 19, "For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness."
LGT "For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God, for it is written [and stands written], He taketh the wise in their own craftiness."
For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God: there are two standards for the church: the standards of this world or the standards of the grace of God. We have the choice to live for the world or for God. For it is written and stands written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness: Paul quotes Job 5:13 loosely. Craftiness is the philosophy of this world. The world's wisdom is void of God and God's Word, so it is all vanity. Men seek to answer all the problems of this world by human reasoning, and this is obviously the end of all foolishness. God's Word puts the proper perspective on man's wisdom it is mere folly.
Verse 20, "And again, The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain."
LGT "And again, [The] Lord knows the reasoning of the wise, that they are vain."
Here Paul is quoting Psalm 94:11. In Psalms it says that man's wisdom is a mere breath. Man's reasoning is useless, foolish, and a futile attempt at wisdom. Remember, knowledge is a good thing, but it cannot solve the problems of the sin nature alone, for it must be coupled with God's wisdom, which is putting into every day experience the knowledge receive from God's Word. The confidence in the flesh is nothing but a vain attempt at being gods. Men seek to leave God out of their lives for the simple reason they think they do not need Him, therefore, they make up a myth that God does not exist, and we know that the "fool has said in his heart, no God."
Verse 21, "Therefore let no man glory in men. For all things are yours."
LGT "So that let no one boast in men: for all things are yours."
So that let no one boast in men: this is precisely the reason man will not put their trust in God; for they have already put their trust in men. We can see this every day how men honor men for the things that they themselves cannot perform, whether in sports or in science. When I look at what men have invented and things they have accomplished it boggles my mind, that is, until I realize that what man has accomplished, he has accomplished by the will of God, the Creator of this vast universe. If we stop long enough to examine the complexity of one little wild flower, it shows that men have only cracked the surface of this magnificent complex universe, which God created in seven days. For all things are yours: Paul lists some of the things that belong to the church and individual Christian in the next two verses. Because of Christ we individually possess all the divine riches of His grace.
Verse 22, "Whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours;"
LGT "Whether Paul, or Cephas, or Apollos, or [the] world, or life, or death, or present things, or coming things, all [are] yours."
Whether Paul, or Cephas, or Apollos: Paul and these other men chosen of God to present to the Church all things, were not divided, and Paul did not want them to divide into different denominations, but to keep their words united as from God. Or the world: the world was created for man to take dominion, and all things belong to man. Or life: life as God has presented it in the Word, that lived for Him will produce happiness and joy unspeakable. Or death: even death is a blessing to the believer, but is a calamity when viewed from a humanistic viewpoint; all these things we must view from God's divine viewpoint. When the time comes He will provide dying grace to the ones who search for it. Or present things: everything that happens to us now must be viewed from God's divine viewpoint, "For all things work together for good to the ones who love God and are the called according to His purpose" (Rom. 8:28,29). Or coming things: the wonderful world of unfulfilled prophecy; all these coming things are designed to give us courage and build our faith in the future. All are yours: when viewed from God's divine perspective we should be encouraged that all these things are ours, and will promote our happiness every hour of every day. If we try and mix man's philosophies with God's divine wisdom we will be not only confused, but we will be living vain lives. Bible doctrine is ours, we must apply it every day if we are to grow in grace and the knowledge of truth, and if we are to be happy and have our joy made complete. This is the purpose God gave us His Word, "These things have I written to you that our joy may be made complete" (1 John 1:4).
Verse 23, "And ye are Christ's: and Christ's is God's."
LGT "And ye Christ's, and Christ God's"
Just as Christ's is one with God, we are all one with Christ. We are His property; we belong to Him and Him alone; no other person on this earth has any claim to us; we are Christ's by way of redemption; He has purchased us out of the slave market of sin; He has made us His brothers and sisters; we should never claim any one else, no matter how privileged they might be, or no matter how they command great respect, and gather great audiences; we are Christ's alone, and Christ is God's only Son; now we are part of God's family and He loves each one of us with the same wonderful love He has for Christ. Never forget this wonderful positional truth: Praise His wonderful name!
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