Christianity Oasis Forum

[cimi]

August 20
Wednesday


OUR FOUNDATION

READ:
1 Corinthians 3:1-22
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For no other foundation
can anyone lay than
that which is laid,
which is Jesus Christ.
__1 Corinthians 3:11
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The Bavarian city of Nordlingen is unique. It sits in the middle of the Ries Crater, a large circular depression caused by the impact of a huge meteorite a long time ago. The immense pressure of the impact resulted in unusual crystallized rock and millions of microscopic diamonds. In the 13th century, these speckled stones were used to build St. George's Church. Visitors can see the beautiful crystal deposits in its foundation and walls. Some might say it has a heavenly foundation.

The Bible talks of a different kind of heavenly foundation. The Lord Jesus came to our world from heaven (John 3:13). When He went back into heaven after His death and resurrection, He left His followers who became the "living temple" of God, of which He is the foundation. The apostle Paul says, "For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ" (1 Cor. 3:11).

The church building in Bavaria is built on a foundation from pieces of rock from the physical heavens. But the spiritual church__all believers in Christ__is founded on the ultimate heavenly foundation, Christ Jesus (Isa. 28:16; 1 Cor. 10:3-4). Praise God that because of what Jesus has done our salvation is secure. __Dennis Fisher

```````````````````````````On Christ salvation rests secure;``````````````````````````
```````````````````````````The Rock of Ages will endure;````````````````````````````
`````````````````````````Nor can that faith be overthrown```````````````````````````
```````````````````````Which rests upon the "Living Stone." __Anon.```````````````````
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Christ, the Rock is our sure hope.

************************************Today's Bible Reading __ 1 Corinthians 3:1-11***********************************

1 And I, brethren, could not
speak to you as to spiritual
people but as to carnal, as to
babes in Christ. 2 I fed you
with milk and not with solid
food; for until now you were
not able to receive it, and
even now you are still not
able; 3 for you are still carnal.
For where there are envy,
strife, and divisions among
you, are you not carnal and
behaving like mere men?

4 for when one says, "I am
of Paul," and another, "I am
of Apollos," are you not
carnal?

5 Who then is Paul, and
who is Apollos, but ministers
through whom you believed,
as the Lord gave to each
one? 6 I planted, Apollos
watered, but God gave the
increase. 7 So then neither he
who plants is anything, nor
he who waters, but God who
gives the increase. 8 Now he
who plants and he who
waters are one, and each one
will receive his own reward
according to his own labor.

9 For we are God's fellow
workers; you are God's field,
you are God's building.

10 According to the grace of
God which was given to me,
as a wise master builder I
have laid the foundation, and
another builds on it. But let
each one take heed how he
builds on it. 11 For no other
foundation can anyone lay
than that which is laid, which
is Jesus Christ.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>INSIGHT<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

In today's passage, Paul uses both agricultural and architectural
metaphors to warn of an overreliance and dependence on church
leaders. Using an agricultural metaphor, he reminds us that while
human leaders do the planting and watering, God alone can make
the church grow (1 Cor. 3:1-9). And with the architectural metaphor
of a building, Paul warns that no human leader is the founder of the
church (vv.10-11). God alone is the founder and foundation.