1 Corinthians 3:16-23
16 “Do you not know that you are a temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? 17 If anyone destroys the temple of God, God will destroy that person; for the temple of God is holy, and that is what you are.18 Take care that no one deceives himself. If anyone among you thinks that he is wise in this age, he must become foolish, so that he may become wise. 19 For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in the sight of God. For it is written: “He is the one who catches the wise by their craftiness”; 20 and again, “The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are useless.” 21 So then, no one is to be boasting in people. For all things belong to you, 22 whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas, or the world or life or death, or things present or things to come; all things belong to you, 23 and you belong to Christ, and Christ belongs to God.”
Temple of God: Believers are the home of God. God does not dwell in material buildings but rather in His children. God’s temple is so precious that He promises vengeance upon all who destroy His children. Revenge, therefore, is not to be the action of the Christian. The Christian is to try to reach the world with the Gospel.
Holy: Christians are truly and actually holy. Believers are not becoming progressively more set apart for God but rather are fully set apart through the finished work of Christ.
He must become foolish: Paul is not speaking of ignorance nor is he expressing an anti-intellectual sentiment. After all, Paul himself was a scholar. Paul is speaking of living according to God’s wisdom as opposed to that wisdom present within Greek philosophical thought. God’s wisdom is Christ through and through. Believing in a crucified God and risen savior will never look wise according to the standards of the world.
Boasting in people: We are not to boast in the authority of various religious teachers. Instead, we are to boast in Christ. After all, all things of God’s kingdom belong to believers. We are rich in Christ having inherited every spiritual blessing (See also Ephesians 1).
