What is Paul talking about in 1 Corinthians 3?

Answer 1

Our salvation rests solely upon the completed work of Jesus Christ, but rewards are to be earned by spiritual service for God, and will be given according to the quality of our works. True service done in the power of the indwelling Spirit, is of eternal standing, but fleshly service is perishable and will bring the Christian loss of reward at the final day.

Another View:

Paul is addressing those in Corinth - a city known as a notoriously immoral city of the day - who followed the selfish and contentious ways of their neighbors and were knowledgeable of the Stoic ways. God sent Paul to this troubled church to 'disinfect' it of its sexual immorality, to split the factions that dragged each other into court, and the crippling affects of the misuse/abuse of the spiritual gifts it had been given. Indeed, Paul was sent as a 'surgeon' to radically perform God's spiritual surgery. Paul diagnosed the problem and concentrated his efforts straight at the source of pride and total lack of true love in this 'infant,' immature (carnal) church.

Paul did not expect the Corinthians to be 'mature' in Christ' at the time of their conversion. Hence his metaphor of verse 2, "I feed you with milk...' The Corinthians had placed their faith in Christ - uniting them in the death of Christ and receiving God's Holy Spirit living in them, making them righteous before God because of Jesus' righteousness, but they had not 'grown-up.' Paul called them carnal or immature Christians, expecting them to have grown into spiritual maturity, becoming able to distinguish between good and evil (see Paul's discussion on maturity in Hebrews 5:12-14)..

Paul further explains that he established the Church of God at Corinth on the foundation of Christ. Those who follow will build on it with various precious metals downward to straw as an analogy to the types of works they will do for God (see Ephesians 2:10, Revelation 2:18-19, 3:18, 22:12). At the judgment, these will be tested by 'fire' to prove their good works becoming obvious to all.

Paul tells how serious God takes His Church informing the Corinthians that any person who disrupts and destroys His Church by divisions, malice, and other harmful acts invites His discipline (see 1 Corinthians 11:31-32). To this end, Paul pleads with them to avoid worldly wisdom but to humble themselves and trust in God for everything He does in the church - the entire universe - benefits all believers. In the Church of God, there is no place for foolish boasting or even competition among any and all Christians.

Answer 2

The word mystery is used two times in 1Corinthians. Paul uses the word mystery to talk about a truth truth not previously revealed, but now made known to believers by the apostles and prophets of the early Church Age.

In 1Cor 2:7 the mystery is the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory. The mystery of the gospel includes such wonderful truths as the fact that now Jews and Gentiles are made one in Christ.

In 1Cor 15:51 the mystery is that not all believers will experience death. Some will be alive when the Lord returns. But whether we have died or are still alive, we shall all be changed.

The truth of resurrection itself is not a mystery, since it appears in the OT, but the fact that not all will die and also the change of living saints at the Lord's Return is something that had never been known before.