---
title: "Bullinger"
description: "could not = was not able to.  speak . App-121 .  unto = to.  spiritual . Greek.  pneumatikos. See 1 Corinthians 12:1 .  carnal . Greek.  sarkikos, as in"
image: "/images/missing.jpg"
url: "https://realbiblebelievers.com/commentaries/bullingers-companion-bible-notes/1-corinthians/3"
---

**could not** = was not able to.
**speak** . App-121 .
**unto** = to.
**spiritual** . Greek. *pneumatikos.* See [1 Corinthians 12:1](../../../kjv/1-corinthians/12/1) .
**carnal** . Greek. *sarkikos,* as in [Romans 7:14](../../../kjv/romans/7/14) , but the texts read *sarkines.* See [2 Corinthians 3:3](../../../kjv/2-corinthians/3/3) .
**in** . App-104 .
**Christ** . App-98 .

**have fed you with** = gave you . . . to drink (Greek. *potizo)* .
**hitherto, &c** . = ye were not as yet able to bear it. Instead of supplying the *ellipsis* with "to bear it", we might read "not as yet strong enough".
**neither** . Greek. *oute* or *oude.*

**carnal.** Greek. *sarkikos.* See [1 Corinthians 3:1](../../../kjv/1-corinthians/3/1) .[Romans 7:14](../../../kjv/romans/7/14) .
**among** . App-104 .
**envying** . Greek. *zelos.* See [Acts 5:17](../../../kjv/acts/5/17) .
**strife** . Greek. *eris.* See [1 Corinthians 1:11](../../../kjv/1-corinthians/1/11) .
**divisions** . *dichoatasia.* See [Romans 16:17](../../../kjv/romans/16/17) . But the texts omit "and divisions".
**as** = according to. App-104 .
**men** = a man. App-123 .

**while** = whenever.
**another** . App-124 .
**carnal** . Greek. *sarkikos,* as in [1 Corinthians 3:3](../../../kjv/1-corinthians/3/3) ; but the texts read "men" ( *anthropoi* ).

**ministers** = servants. App-190 .
**by** = through. App-104 . [1 Corinthians 3:1](../../../kjv/1-corinthians/3/1) .
**believed** . App-150 .
**the Lord** . App-98 .
**gave** . See [Ephesians 4:11](../../../kjv/ephesians/4/11) .
**every man** = each (one).

**have planted** = planted. See [Acts 18:1-18](../../../kjv/acts/18/1-18) .
**watered** . Greek. *potizo* , as in [1 Corinthians 3:2](../../../kjv/1-corinthians/3/2) . See [Acts 18:27](../../../kjv/acts/18/27) [Acts 19:1](../../../kjv/acts/19/1) .
**God** . App-98 .
**gave the increase** = was causing it to grow. Imperf. because God's work was continuing, Paul's or any other's only temporary.

**neither . . . neither** . Greek. *oute . . . oute.*
**any thing** . Greek. neut. of *tis* . App-123 . Compare [2 Corinthians 3:5](../../../kjv/2-corinthians/3/5) .[Galatians 1:2](../../../kjv/galatians/1/2) , [Galatians 1:6](../../../kjv/galatians/1/6) ; [Galatians 6:3](../../../kjv/galatians/6/3) .

**one** = one thing. Both belong to the same company of servants, of whom God is the Master.
**his own** . Emph. Greek. *idios.*
**according to** . App-104 .

**we** . i.e. Paul and Sosthenes. See [1 Corinthians 1:1](../../../kjv/1-corinthians/1/1) .
**labourers together with God** = God's fellow-workers. The word "God" is in the genitive of possession ( App-17 ), as in the two other clauses of the verse. It is the Figure of speech *Anaphora* ( App-6 ), and the verse should read: "God's fellow-workers we are: God's husbandry, God's building, ye are. "Ministers are co-workers with one another, not with God, as though He were one of them. Were it so, "God" would be in the dative case.
**labourers together with** . Greek. *sunergos.* Occurs thirteen times. Three times as here, used generally; in all other cases used of individuals, Timothy, Titus, Luke, &c.
**husbandry** = tilled field. Greek. *georgion.* Only here. Compare [Numbers 24:6](../../../kjv/numbers/24/6) . [Psalms 80:15](../../../kjv/psalms/80/15) .
**building** . Greek. *oikodome.* Used in [Matthew 24:1](../../../kjv/matthew/24/1) .[Mark 13:1](../../../kjv/mark/13/1) , Mar 13:2 ; [2 Corinthians 5:1](../../../kjv/2-corinthians/5/1) .[Ephesians 2:21](../../../kjv/ephesians/2/21) , of an edifice. Elsewhere twelve times of the act of building, and translated "edifying", in a metaphorical sense.

**grace** . App-184 .
**masterbuilder** . Greek. *architekton.* Only here.
**have** . The texts omit.
**foundation** . Compare App-146 .
**another** . App-124 .
**buildeth thereon** . Greek. *epoikodomeo.* See [Acts 20:32](../../../kjv/acts/20/32) .
**take heed** = see. App-133 .

**no man** = no one. Greek. *oudeis.*
**than** = beside. App-104 .
**Jesus Christ** . App-98 .

**Now** . = But.
**if** . App-118 .
**any man** = any one. Greek. *tis* . App-123 .
**upon** . App-104 .
**hay** . Greek. *chortos.* Translated twelve times "grass", twice "blade", [Matthew 13:26](../../../kjv/matthew/13/26) . [Mark 4:28](../../../kjv/mark/4/28) . Only here rendered "hay". Note the Figure of speech *Asyndeton* ( App-6 ).
**stubble** . Greek. *kalame.* Only here. All these six things are perishable ([1 Peter 1:7](../../../kjv/1-peter/1/7) ).

**be made** = become.
**manifest** . App-106 .
**the day** . i.e. the day of the Lord. See [Acts 2:20](../../../kjv/acts/2/20) .
**declare** . Greek. *deloo.* See [1 Corinthians 1:11](../../../kjv/1-corinthians/1/11) .
**revealed** . App-106 .
**by** = in. App-104 .
**try** = test, or prove. Greek. *dokimazo.*

**abide.** Greek. *meno* . See p. 1511.

**burned** = burned up. Greek. *katakaio.* Compare [Matthew 3:12](../../../kjv/matthew/3/12) . Luk 3:17 . [2 Peter 3:10](../../../kjv/2-peter/3/10) .
**suffer loss** . Greek. *zemioo.* Elsewhere, [Matthew 16:26](../../../kjv/matthew/16/26) . [Mark 8:36](../../../kjv/mark/8/36) . [Luke 9:25](../../../kjv/luke/9/25) . [2 Corinthians 7:9](../../../kjv/2-corinthians/7/9) . [Philippians 1:3](../../../kjv/philippians/1/3) , [Philippians 1:8](../../../kjv/philippians/1/8) . He will Jose his reward. Compare [2 John 1:8](../../../kjv/2-john/1/8) .

**Know ye not** . This expression occurs twelve times in Paul's epistles. Elsewhere, [1 Corinthians 5:6](../../../kjv/1-corinthians/5/6) ; [1 Corinthians 6:2](../../../kjv/1-corinthians/6/2) , [1 Corinthians 6:3](../../../kjv/1-corinthians/6/3) , [1 Corinthians 6:9](../../../kjv/1-corinthians/6/9) , [1 Corinthians 6:15](../../../kjv/1-corinthians/6/15) , 1Co 6:16 , [1 Corinthians 6:19](../../../kjv/1-corinthians/6/19) ; [1 Corinthians 9:13](../../../kjv/1-corinthians/9/13) , [1 Corinthians 9:24](../../../kjv/1-corinthians/9/24) .[Romans 6:16](../../../kjv/romans/6/16) ; [Romans 11:2](../../../kjv/romans/11/2) . One other occurance is in [James 4:4](../../../kjv/james/4/4) . It conveys a delicate reproach.
**Know** . App-133 .
**Temple** . Greek. *naos.* See [Matthew 23:16](../../../kjv/matthew/23/16) . There is no art. because *naos* is the predicate.
**Spirit** . The Holy Spirit. App-101 .
**in** = among. App-104 . The Spirit dwells in the shrine formed by the collective body of believers. Compare [Ephesians 2:22](../../../kjv/ephesians/2/22) .

**defile** . Greek. *phth* eiro. Same word as "destroy" below. Occurs also in [1 Corinthians 15:33](../../../kjv/1-corinthians/15/33) . 2Co 7:2 ; [2 Corinthians 11:3](../../../kjv/2-corinthians/11/3) .[Ephesians 4:22](../../../kjv/ephesians/4/22) .[Jude 1:10](../../../kjv/jude/1/10) . [Revelation 19:2](../../../kjv/revelation/19/2) (corrupt). The word "mar" will suit both clauses. The man who mars God's Temple by introducing divisions, and the wisdom that is *not* from above ([James 3:15](../../../kjv/james/3/15) ), will himself be marred ([1 Corinthians 3:15](../../../kjv/1-corinthians/3/15) ).
**him** = this one. Greek. *houtos.* Emphatic.
**holy** . Greek. *hagios* .
**which** = and such, i.e. holy, or separated. Omit " *temple* " in the last clause.

**no man** = no one. Greek. *medeis.*
**deceive** . Greek. *exapatao.* See [Romans 7:11](../../../kjv/romans/7/11) .
**world** . App-129 .
**fool** . Greek. *moros,* as in [1 Corinthians 1:25](../../../kjv/1-corinthians/1/25) , [1 Corinthians 1:27](../../../kjv/1-corinthians/1/27) .
**that** = in order that. Greek. *hina.*
**be** = become.

**world** . Greek. *kosmos.* App-129 .
**foolishness** . Greek. *moria.* See [1 Corinthians 1:18](../../../kjv/1-corinthians/1/18) .
**with** . App-104 .
**is** = has been.
**taketh** . Greek. *drassomai.* Only here. Found in the Septuagint, but not in [Job 5:13](../../../kjv/job/5/13) , from which this is quoted.
**craftiness** . Greek. *punourgia.* See [Luke 20:23](../../../kjv/luke/20/23) . This is the only time Job is quoted in the NT.

**The LORD** . No art. App-98 .
**knoweth** . App-132 .
**thoughts** = reasonings.
**vain** . Greek. *mataios.* See [Acts 14:15](../../../kjv/acts/14/15) . Quoted from [Psalms 94:11](../../../kjv/psalms/94/11) .

**Therefore** = So then.
**glory** = boast, as in [1 Corinthians 1:29](../../../kjv/1-corinthians/1/29) .

**life** . Greek. *zoe.* App-170 .
**present** . Greek. *enistemi.* See [Romans 8:38](../../../kjv/romans/8/38) .
**to come** = about to be. Greek. *mello* .

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