In 3:6 Paul says, “I planted, Apollos watered, but God made to grow.” Although Paul’s writing here is simple and brief, his thought is deep. What does it mean to plant and to water? It actually is not easy to answer these questions. Furthermore, what does it mean to say that God made to grow?
In 3:12 Paul goes on to speak of gold, silver, and precious stones. How shall we explain the meaning of these things, and how shall we apply them to our practical church life? The subject of this series of messages is “The Divine Dispensing of the Divine Trinity in First Corinthians,” and the title of this particular message is “Issuing in the Practical Life in a Local Church.” How shall we apply the gold, the silver, and the precious stones to the practical life in a local church? It is difficult to explain how to apply these matters in the church life.
In 3:16 Paul says, “Do you not know that you are a temple of God, and the Spirit of God dwells in you?” Here we have the profound thought that we are the temple of God. But how is it possible for us to be the temple of God? In what way are we God’s temple? What does it mean to say that the Spirit of God dwells in us? It is also difficult for us to answer these questions.
First Corinthians 6:19 says, “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?” The Holy Spirit is in our spirit (Rom. 8:16), and our spirit is within our body. Hence, our body becomes a temple, a dwelling place, of the Holy Spirit.
We may appreciate our spirit much more than our body. Many problems are caused by our body. Nevertheless, in 6:19 Paul says that our body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. It is marvelous that even our body has become a temple for God’s Spirit. When we talk about our spirit, we may become excited. However, we are often troubled by our body. Nevertheless, even this troublesome body is God’s temple.
In 6:17 we have a marvelous word: “He who is joined to the Lord is one spirit.” This refers to the believers’ organic union with the Lord through believing into Him (John 3:15-16). This union is illustrated by that of the branches with the vine (John 15:4-5). This is a matter not only of the divine life but also in the divine life. Such a union with the resurrected Lord can only be in our spirit.
The words “one spirit” in 6:17 indicate the mingling of the Lord as the Spirit with our spirit. Our spirit has been regenerated by the Spirit of God (John 3:6), who is now in us (1 Cor. 6:19) and is one with our spirit (Rom. 8:16). This mingled spirit is our realization of the Lord who became the life-giving Spirit through resurrection (1 Cor. 15:45; 2 Cor. 3:17) and who is now with our spirit (2 Tim. 4:22). This mingled spirit is often referred to in Paul’s Epistles, as in Romans 8:4-6.
I am not able to explain in full what it means to be one spirit with the Lord. Are you able to explain this thoroughly? Although we cannot explain it adequately, we know from experience that he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit. However, I am concerned that many Christians have too little experience of being one spirit with the Lord. Many Christians may not even know that there is a verse in the Scriptures telling us that we are one spirit with the Lord.
I was a Christian for over thirty years before I began to pay proper attention to 1 Corinthians 6:17. I had studied the book of 1 Corinthians, and I had given many messages on it. I was very familiar with the contents of this Epistle. Then one day, about twenty-five years ago, I began to consider this verse. I asked myself what it means to be joined to the Lord as one spirit. Is the spirit in 6:17 the divine Spirit or the human spirit? At first, I found it almost incredible that we and the Lord are actually one spirit. Even now, many years after I began to see this verse, I cannot tell you fully what it means to say that we and the Lord have been joined to be one spirit.
As we have pointed out, in 6:17 we have the mingling of the Lord as the Spirit with our regenerated spirit. Hence, the spirit here involves both the divine Spirit and the human spirit. Because we have emphasized this verse, some have falsely accused us of teaching that we have become a part of the Third of the Divine Trinity. We, of course, do not teach any such thing. Nevertheless, in 6:17 Paul says that he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit. What a wonderful fact! Even if we are not able to understand this or explain it adequately, we can experience it. Surely one of the greatest of all the wonders in the universe is the fact that those who believe in Christ have been joined to Him to be one spirit with Him.
When I was young, I read a message by D. L. Moody in which he said that the new birth is the wonder of wonders. In that message Moody pointed out that formerly we were sinners, enemies of God. But through the new birth we have been born of God to become sons of God. At the time, I agreed with Moody in saying that the greatest wonder is the wonder of the new birth. Chapter three of the Gospel of John speaks of this new birth. In particular, verse 6 says, “That which is born of the Spirit is spirit.” First Corinthians 6:17 is a verse that is even higher than John 3:6. Not only have we been regenerated of the Spirit of God—we are now one spirit with God. Which do you think is greater—to be born of God or to be one spirit with Him? If this question were asked of me, I would say definitely that although it is a great matter to be born of God, it is an even greater matter to be one spirit with the Lord.
When Paul wrote 1 Corinthians 6:17, he was full of assurance. He had the confidence that he was one spirit with the Lord.