{"id":2210,"date":"2023-03-03T15:55:20","date_gmt":"2023-03-03T15:55:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/amazinggbc.de\/?p=2210"},"modified":"2023-03-03T15:55:20","modified_gmt":"2023-03-03T15:55:20","slug":"belonging-to-the-local-church-as-a-spiritual-garden-by-rev-dr-john-kwasi-fosu","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/amazinggbc.de\/de\/2023\/03\/03\/belonging-to-the-local-church-as-a-spiritual-garden-by-rev-dr-john-kwasi-fosu\/","title":{"rendered":"Belonging to the Local Church as a Spiritual Garden, by Rev Dr John Kwasi Fosu"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Amazing Grace Baptist Church, Hamburg Bible Study material on 1 Cor 3:6-9<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Introduction<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We have studied 1 Cor 3:1-5 and learnt that Paul responds to the issue of carnality in the Corinthian Church by emphasising that ministers of the gospel are to be regarded as servants of God by using the image of the family. This study of 1 Cor 3:6-9 focuses on the image of the field. In other words, Paul seems to present the local church as a spiritual garden.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Describing the Local Church as a Spiritual Garden<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Having changed the image from a family to that of a field, Paul now portrays the minister as a farmer working in the field. The seed is the Word of God (note the Parable of the Sower in Matthew 13:1) and the hearts of the people are the different kinds of soil. The local church is a \u201cspiritual garden\u201d where the pastor acts as the gardener (note 1 Cor 3:9, \u201cYou are God\u2019s gardener\u201d).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Members as Labourers together with God<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Members on the field or farm play equally important roles. On any farm, many different workers are needed. One prepares the soil; another plants the seed; a third pulls the weeds and a fourth reaps the harvest. But all of them share in the harvest and each receives wages. To Paul, therefore, it is unwise to compare one worker with another since \u201cwe are all working together.\u201d Paul planted the seed by founding the church at Corinth.&nbsp; Apollos came along and watered the seed by his preaching and ministering.&nbsp; Only God can give the harvest. Apollos and Paul deserve no glory! They are nothing, but God is everything! The church was divided over human leaders.&nbsp; But Paul says in verse 8 that the workers are one, united in purpose and heart.&nbsp; Therefore, the church should also be one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Do not compare the workers in the Local Church<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In view of the fact that members in the field play equally important roles, it is sad for believers to compare pastors, evangelists and Bible teachers in the way the people of the world compare athletes or movie stars! \u201cLaborers together\u201d must always be our motto and motive. As members of the local church, we must take care that the soil of our own hearts is not hard and cold and unable to receive the seed of the Word.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Conclusion<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">From Paul\u2019s response to the issue of division and carnality in the Corinthian Church, it has become clear that the members of the Corinthian church had failed to understand the true nature of ministry thereby rallying around gifted personality. Paul thus values the ministers\u2019 ministry more than their personality. As ministers exercise their spiritual gifts, it is God who gives them growth. The true minister in the local church is first a servant and second a sower in the field. As ministers in one field, we are all working together. The congregation is thus God\u2019s field. In this light, there should not be room for any kind of division in God\u2019s Church.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Questions<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\" type=\"1\">\n<li>To what extent is the local church likened to a garden?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>How do we see the roles of ministers of God in the local Church which is a spiritual garden.?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>State two ways in which we can prepare our hearts to receive God\u2019s word as members of the local church.<\/li>\n<\/ol>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Amazing Grace Baptist Church, Hamburg Bible Study material on 1 Cor 3:6-9 Introduction We have studied 1 Cor 3:1-5 and [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":62474923,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"give_campaign_id":0,"_coblocks_attr":"","_coblocks_dimensions":"","_coblocks_responsive_height":"","_coblocks_accordion_ie_support":"","_templately_pack_id":"","_templately_imported_at":"","_templately_source":"","_templately_import_session_id":"","site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center 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to the Issue of Carnality in the Church, by Rev Dr John Kwasi Fosu","author":"revfosu","date":"Februar 25, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Amazing Grace Baptist Church, Hamburg Bible Study Material on 1 Cor 3:1-5 Introduction In our previous lesson, we studied Paul\u2019s description of two kinds of people and spirits. In 1 Cor 2:14, Paul speaks about the natural man who lives in the Adamic nature and rejects the things of the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Bible Studies&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Bible Studies","link":"https:\/\/amazinggbc.de\/de\/category\/bible-studies\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":2265,"url":"https:\/\/amazinggbc.de\/de\/2023\/04\/15\/the-pastor-as-a-spiritual-father-by-rev-dr-john-kwasi-fosu\/","url_meta":{"origin":2210,"position":1},"title":"The Pastor as a \u201cSpiritual Father or Mother\u201d by Rev Dr John Kwasi Fosu","author":"revfosu","date":"April 15, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Amazing Grace Baptist Church, Hamburg - Bible Study Material on 1 Cor 4:14-21 Introduction Paul has been addressing the issue of division in the church over their allegiance to various teachers. Using sarcasm, Paul challenged the immaturity and arrogance of the Corinthians in 1 Cor. 8-13. This study on 1\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Bible Studies&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Bible Studies","link":"https:\/\/amazinggbc.de\/de\/category\/bible-studies\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":2222,"url":"https:\/\/amazinggbc.de\/de\/2023\/03\/18\/a-builder-of-gods-church-by-rev-dr-john-kwasi-fosu\/","url_meta":{"origin":2210,"position":2},"title":"A Builder of God\u2019s Church, by Rev Dr John Kwasi Fosu","author":"revfosu","date":"M\u00e4rz 18, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Amazing Grace Baptist Church, Hamburg - Bible Study Material on 1 Cor. 3:10-23 Introduction This lesson on 1 Cor 3:10-23 looks at the image of the Church as a building (God\u2019s Temple). In this regard, Paul uses himself and the other leaders in the Corinthian Church as builders of the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Bible Studies&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Bible Studies","link":"https:\/\/amazinggbc.de\/de\/category\/bible-studies\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":2739,"url":"https:\/\/amazinggbc.de\/de\/2024\/06\/09\/principles-of-exercising-spiritual-gifts-by-rev-dr-john-kwasi-fosu\/","url_meta":{"origin":2210,"position":3},"title":"\u00a0Principles of Exercising Spiritual Gifts, by Rev Dr John Kwasi Fosu","author":"revfosu","date":"Juni 9, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Amazing Grace Baptist Church, Hamburg Bible Study Material on 1 Cor. 14:1-25 Introduction Having encouraged the readers to exercise their Spiritual Gifts in love in 1 Cor. 13, Paul sets his heart to give specific principles of exercising the gifts with particular attention to the gifts of speaking in tongues\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Bible Studies&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Bible Studies","link":"https:\/\/amazinggbc.de\/de\/category\/bible-studies\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":2451,"url":"https:\/\/amazinggbc.de\/de\/2023\/10\/21\/pauls-strategy-of-promoting-the-gospel-by-rev-dr-john-kwasi-fosu\/","url_meta":{"origin":2210,"position":4},"title":"Paul\u2019s Strategy for Promoting the Gospel, by Rev Dr John Kwasi Fosu","author":"revfosu","date":"Oktober 21, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Amazing Grace Baptist Church, Hamburg Bible Study Material on 1 Cor. 9:1-14 Introduction In 1 Cor. 8, Paul pointed to the example of Christ and laid down the principle that we should do nothing that would offend other believers, especially weaker believers. In 1 Cor. 9, Paul points to himself,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Bible Studies&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Bible Studies","link":"https:\/\/amazinggbc.de\/de\/category\/bible-studies\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":2755,"url":"https:\/\/amazinggbc.de\/de\/2024\/06\/22\/exercising-spiritual-gifts-in-order-by-rev-dr-john-kwasi-fosu\/","url_meta":{"origin":2210,"position":5},"title":"Exercising Spiritual Gifts in Order, by Rev Dr John Kwasi Fosu","author":"revfosu","date":"Juni 22, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Introduction This study of 1 Cor. 14:26-40 focuses on Paul\u2019s instructions on exercising spiritual gifts in discipline and order. \u00a0 The discipline of exercising spiritual gifts to benefit others (1 Cor. 14:26:28) Everything done in worship services must be beneficial to the worshippers.\u00a0 This principle touches every aspect of the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Bible Studies&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Bible Studies","link":"https:\/\/amazinggbc.de\/de\/category\/bible-studies\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/amazinggbc.de\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2210","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/amazinggbc.de\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/amazinggbc.de\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/amazinggbc.de\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/62474923"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/amazinggbc.de\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2210"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/amazinggbc.de\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2210\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2212,"href":"https:\/\/amazinggbc.de\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2210\/revisions\/2212"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/amazinggbc.de\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2210"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/amazinggbc.de\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2210"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/amazinggbc.de\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2210"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}