Why Christians Are Divided — 1 Corinthians 3 Explained Verse by Verse

B26L8 What causes division in the church? In this verse-by-verse study of 1 Corinthians 3, we uncover why the Corinthian believers were splitting into factions — some following Paul, others following Apollos, others clinging to Peter, and some claiming to follow only Christ. This teaching reveals the root of church division and what the Apostle Paul says every believer must understand about unity, spiritual growth, and our role as laborers together with God. 📖 This study begins in 1 Corinthians chapter 3, where Paul confronts the Corinthian church for their carnality and spiritual immaturity. Though they had been saved out of pagan idolatry, they remained "babes in Christ" — unable to handle the strong meat of the Word. Les Feldick traces the problem back to division: "I am of Paul," "I am of Apollos," "I am of Peter," and "I am of Christ." To understand how this division started, Les takes us on a deep cross-reference journey into Acts chapter 18, where we meet Apollos — an eloquent, magnetic preacher from Alexandria, Egypt, mighty in the Old Testament Scriptures but knowing only the baptism of John. We see how two humble tent makers, Priscilla and Aquila, took Apollos aside and "expounded unto him the way of God more perfectly" — teaching him the full Gospel of grace that Paul had revealed to them. This is a powerful picture of how every believer has a role in God's work. 🔑 Key Topics Covered in This Study: What it means to be "carnal" as a believer — 1 Corinthians 3:1-3 Why Paul said "I fed you with milk, not with meat" — spiritual infancy explained The difference between Law and Grace — why they cannot mix Who was Apollos? His background in Alexandria and the Septuagint How Priscilla and Aquila taught Apollos the full Gospel — Acts 18:24-28 Why some Corinthians followed Paul, others Apollos, others Peter, and others Christ "I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase" — 1 Corinthians 3:6 explained Believers as "laborers together with God" — the beehive analogy and God's building The six materials for building on the foundation of Christ — 1 Corinthians 3:12-15 preview Why God left His Word in the hands of mortal men This verse-by-verse Bible study covers 1 Corinthians 3, Acts 18, the role of Apollos, Priscilla and Aquila, spiritual growth, carnality in the church, the difference between following men and following Christ, and what it means to be God's husbandry and God's building. Les Feldick Bible Study brings you verse-by-verse Bible teaching that makes the scriptures come alive. Whether you're a new believer or have studied the Bible for decades, these teachings will deepen your understanding of God's Word. 📖 Visit our website: www.lesfeldickbiblestudy.com If this study blessed you, please LIKE the video and SHARE it with someone who needs to hear this teaching. 00:00 — Introduction: Why the Corinthian Church Was Spiritually Stagnant 02:31 — 1 Corinthians 3 Review: The Wisdom of God vs. the Wisdom of Men 03:30 — Law and Grace Cannot Mix: Paul's Battle Against Legalism 04:10 — Babes in Christ: Milk vs. Strong Meat — 1 Corinthians 3:1-2 05:21 — The Root Problem: Division in the Church — 1 Corinthians 3:3-4 05:59 — Who Was Apollos? Introducing the Eloquent Preacher from Alexandria 06:30 — Apollos in Acts 18:24 — A Jew from Alexandria, Mighty in the Scriptures 07:44 — Apollos Knew Only the Baptism of John — Acts 18:25 Explained 09:13 — How Much of Christianity Did Apollos Actually Know? 10:05 — Apollos Knew Nothing of Paul's Gospel of Grace 10:25 — Priscilla and Aquila Take Apollos Aside — Acts 18:26 11:10 — How Priscilla and Aquila Learned the Full Gospel from Paul 11:52 — Paul, Aquila, and Priscilla: Tent Makers Together in Corinth — Acts 18:1-3 13:32 — Paul's Gospel: Christ Died, Buried, Rose, and Commissioned Paul to the World 14:04 — Priscilla and Aquila Teach Apollos the Way of God More Perfectly 14:57 — Apollos Now Preaches with Full Knowledge: Jesus Is the Christ — Acts 18:28 15:25 — Back to 1 Corinthians 3: Apollos in Corinth — No Doctrinal Difference, Just Personalities 16:10 — Why Some Corinthians Followed Apollos Instead of Paul 16:55 — The Peter Faction: Why Jewish Believers Clung to Peter 18:33 — "Be Ye Followers of Me" — Why Paul's Teaching Still Causes Controversy 19:15 — The Fourth Faction: "I Follow Christ" — Another Form of Division 20:17 — "I Planted, Apollos Watered, but God Gave the Increase" — 1 Corinthians 3:6 21:07 — Neither the Planter Nor the Waterer Is Anything — 1 Corinthians 3:7-8 22:14 — Every Believer's Role: Sowing the Seed and Trusting God for the Harvest 22:47 — Works in the Life of a Believer: Introduction to 1 Corinthians 3:9-15 23:20 — Laborers Together with God: The Beehive Analogy — 1 Corinthians 3:9 24:56 — God's Husbandry and God's Building: Six Materials for the Wall — Preview of Verses 12-15 26:21 — The Body of Christ: Why We Labor Until the Last Person Is Brought In 27:08 — Why God Left His Word in the Hands of Mortal Men, Not Angels