The document discusses key concepts from 1 Corinthians, including: - Investors, detractors, and destroyers - with investors building "heaven's gold" by balancing God's sovereignty and man's responsibility through discipline and hard work. - Man's responsibility includes building the foundation of faith and removing evil, while God's sovereignty provides gifts like revelation, inspiration, and sanctification. - Understanding doctrines requires discerning long-term principles behind specific historical contexts. - The document prompts reflection on how to discern right investments over diversions, handle detractors, and avoid taking God's grace for granted.

1. The Gospels
Acts of the Apostles
Paul’s Letters
Other Letters
Revelation
A Walkthru’ of the New Testament
Lesson 8: I Corinthians – Heaven’s Gold

2.  Romans – Life Transformation Journey
 1 Corinthians - Heaven’s Gold
 2 Corinthians – Jars of Clay
 Galatians – No longer I
 Ephesians - Pushing Limits
 Philippians - The Mind of Christ
 Colossians – Complete Maturity in Christ
 1 Thessalonians – Cascading Hope
 2 Thessalonians – Confident Hope
 1 Timothy - Fighting Fit
 2 Timothy – Fearless Faithfulness
 Titus – Double Grip
 Philemon

3.  Introduction
 Investors
 Detractors
 Destroyers
 Man’s Responsibility
 God’s Sovereignty
 Understanding
Doctrines
 Discussion

4. EVENT TIMELINE OF THE NEW TESTAMENT

5. 12 Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold,
silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw— 13 each
one's work will become manifest, for the Day will
disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire,
and the fire will test what sort of work each one has
done. 14 If the work that anyone has built on the
foundation survives, he will receive a reward. 15 If
anyone's work is burned up, he will suffer loss,
though he himself will be saved, but only as through
fire. 1 Corinthians 3

6. The Apostle Paul wrote 1 Corinthians about 56
A.D.[1] Paul’s purpose in writing this letter to
the church in Corinth was to guide them into:
 Experiencing Life in Christ contrasting 3
types of people:
◦ Investors (on “heaven’s gold”)
◦ Detractors
◦ Destroyers
 Addressing various issues and key doctrines.

7.  In Paul’s time, Corinth is the most important
city in Greece with a boomtown atmosphere
 Freed slaves, veterans, merchants, and
tradesmen stream in. [2]
 The church results from his weekly preaching
in the synagogue and around 1.5 years stay.
 It comprises around 100 - Jews, mostly
Gentiles-lower class folks with 3-4 wealthy
families.
 He supports himself by tentmaking/ leather
working, later taking full time support

8. During the study of Romans, “The
Transformation Journey” we asked ourselves –
have we really changed? If there has been no
major change why not?
 Has the Spirit of God not done enough?
 Or have we not done enough?
 How does transformation work?

9. Investors and Detractors are both saved, what is the difference
(1 Corinthians 3)?
Investors
• Builds value on
foundation, receives
reward. -13b
Detractors
• 15 work burned
up, suffers loss,
saved through
fire
Destroyers
• 14 does not
accept the
things of the
Spirit of
God, folly,
not able to
understand.

10. Investors have faith on God’s
sovereignty but fully leverage
man’s responsibility to
proactively:
 Build Foundation - ch 3
 Remove Evil – ch 4
 Flee sexual immorality – ch 6
 Run to win – ch 9
 Pursue Love – ch 2,13
 Overcome Temptation – ch
8,10
 Labour Steadfastly – ch 14,15
And much more…..

11. 12 Now if anyone builds
on the foundation
with gold, silver,
precious stones,
wood, hay, straw—
13 each one's work will
become manifest, for
the Day will disclose it,
because it will be
revealed by fire, and the
fire will test what sort of
work each one has
done.

12. “You must certainly
remove the evil
person from among
you (your church)”
5:13
While we may
complain that the
“Church” is tolerant,
how are we indirectly
supporting that?

13. Flee from sexual
immorality. All other
sins a person commits
are outside the body,
but whoever sins
sexually, sins against
their own body. I Cor
6:18
How does a “mental”
sin affect our
investment?

14. 24 Do you not know that in
a race all the runners run,
but only one receives the
prize? So run that you may
obtain it. 25 Every athlete
exercises self-control in all
things. They do it to
receive a perishable
wreath, but we an
imperishable. 9
What tough disciplines do
Christian investors need to
adhere to?

15. Keep on pursuing
love..1 cor 14:1a
How can we “pursue”
love ie chase after it
persistently – even
with the most difficult
people?

16. No temptation has
overtaken you that is not
common to man. God is
faithful, and he will not
let you be tempted
beyond your ability, but
with the temptation he
will also provide the way
of escape, that you may
be able to endure it. 1
Cor 10:13

17. Therefore, my beloved
brothers, be steadfast,
immovable, always
abounding in the work
of the Lord, knowing
that in the Lord your
labor is not in vain. 1
Cor 15:58

18. Detractors get too lazy
and rely largely on God’s
sovereignty:
 Revelation – ch.1,2
 Inspiration – ch. 11
 Commission – ch. 6,7,
 Sanctification – ch
10,11,12
 Unification – Ch 12,14
How many of us can say
like Paul “I worked harder
than all the rest”? 15:10

19. 7 But we impart a
secret and hidden
wisdom of God, which
God decreed before
the ages for our
glory. .. 10 these
things God has
revealed to us through
the Spirit. For the
Spirit searches
everything, even the
depths of God. 1 Cor
2

20.  Be imitators of me, as I
am of Christ. 11:1
 10 According to the grace
of God given to me, like
a skilled master builder I
laid a foundation,
and someone else is
building upon it. Let
each one take care how
he builds upon it. 11 For
no one can lay
a foundation other than
that which is laid, which
is Jesus Christ. 1 Cor 3

21. 26 For consider your calling,
brothers: not many of you were
wise according to worldly
standards, not many were
powerful, not many were of noble
birth.27 But God chose what is
foolish in the world to shame the
wise; God chose what is weak in
the world to shame the
strong; 28 God chose what is low
and despised in the world,
even things that are not, to bring
to nothing things that
are, 29 so that no human
being might boast in the
presence of God. 1 Corinthians 1

22. 19 Or do you not know
that your body is a
temple of the Holy
Spirit within you,
whom you have from
God? You are not your
own, 20 for you were
bought with a
price. So glorify God in
your body. 1 Cor 6

23.  You say, "I am allowed to
do anything"--but not
everything is good for you.
You say, "I am allowed to
do anything"--but not
everything is beneficial.
10:23
 You say, "I am allowed to
do anything"--but not
everything is good for you.
And even though "I am
allowed to do anything," I
must not become a slave
to anything. 6;12 NLT

24. How does the unbelieving spouse get sanctified
when Paul clearly mentions that they may or may
not get saved?
The interpretation is that they are exposed to a
spiritual influence and to some extent a spiritual
environment “holy ground” so to say by virtue of
their spouse being saved.
Rather than get pulled down by the unbelieving
spouse and their behaviour, the believing spouse
should gently start lifting their partner up. This
requires immense strength from the Lord, as they
will have to demonstrate all the fruits of the spirit,
while their partner demonstrates the opposite.

25. 27 Now you are
the body of
Christ and
individually
members of it. -
1 Cor 12

26. Investors Detractors
 Get constant food and
contact with God from
the word of God and
prayer
 Make daily choices with
eternal perspectives
 Discipline spirit, mind
and body to get rid of sin
 Pursue holiness above
everything else
 Focus on long term
spiritual seeds rather
than short lasting events.
 Satisfied with
occasional food from
meetings
 Live for the day
 Weak in discipline
particularly mental
 Pursue happiness over
holiness
 Focus on events,
activities and mislead
others as well

27. Investors Detractors
Investors:
14 If the work that
anyone has built on the
foundation survives, he
will receive a reward.
3:14
Detractors
15 If anyone's work is
burned up, he will suffer
loss, though he himself
will be saved, but only as
through fire. 3:15

28. 14 The natural person
does not accept the
things of the Spirit of
God, for they are folly
to him, and he is not
able to understand
them because they are
spiritually discerned. 1
Cor 2

30.  Investors maintain a balance between God’s
Sovereignty and Man’s responsibility. Paul
“worked harder than all the rest”.
 Detractors swing very high on God’s
Sovereignty with very little effort on their part
 Destroyers swing completely onto man’s
responsiblity, as they have not have a
personal relationship with Christ
Where do we stand?

31. We like to feel good,
We like to feel God;
When all the feelings go,
That’s when we really know,
How firmly we have stood.

32. Base your understanding of doctrine on the
context:
 Most of the context in 1 Cor. are clear
instructions from God throughout the ages
eg. No divorce, resurrection, spiritual gifts,
unity in Church, love, tongues, prophecy, etc.
 Some of them are Paul’s personal opinion eg.
“better to be single” than married
 Others culture and context specific, with core
principles commonly applicable eg. Women
covering head in church, food offered to idols

33.  Types of People – Investors, Detractors, Destroyers. First
two are Christians. Investors build up gold in heaven.
 Man’s Responsibility has to leverage God’s sovereignty by
discipline and hard work to : Build Foundation, Remove
Evil, Flee sexual immorality, Run to win, Pursue Love,
Overcome Temptation, Labour Steadfastly, etc.
 God’s Sovereignty available to all who believe are the great
gifts of : Revelation, Inspiration, Commission,
Sanctification, Unification
 Understanding doctrines require understanding long term
principles behind the context which may be general or
specific.

34.  How do we know what are the right
investments and not diversions?
 How can we handle detractors in the church?
How can we guard ourselves from diversions?
 In what ways do we tend to take God’s grace
and sovereignty for granted?
 What specific steps/actions do you feel you
need to take to take “responsibility” for
making better investments in yourself and
others?

36. 1. bible.com
2. theologyofwork.org