Gluten Free & God Seeking: What is God's Farm in 1 Corinthians 3:9?

Sunday, February 17, 2013

What is God's Farm in 1 Corinthians 3:9?

Have you ever considered that the believers are like a farm? Well that is exactly what 1 Corinthians 3:9 says: You are God’s farm, God’s building. My father grew up on a farm, and I spent a lot of time there, and through that I learned a lot about farm life. The main thing I saw is everything revolves around the crops!

Because of that I especially enjoyed how in chapter 22 of the Life-Study of 1 Corinthians Witness Lee gives a connection between farms and God’s people. First he points out that the church presented in 1 Corinthians is not one of organization, but obviously one of life, and is just like a farm full of growing things. Here’s an excerpt that I liked on page 197 that explained that:

We become members of the church not by the way of joining a social organization, but by being planted….It is a very significant matter to be a plant on God’s farm. There is no need on the farm for a teacher to instruct the plants. A plant does not need anyone to tell it what to do or how to grow (Lee, Witness. Life-Study of 1 Corinthians. Anaheim: Living Stream Ministry, 1981, Print).

Water is definitely a major concern on a farm. And one of the important points in this message is how as fellow believers on God's farm, we are not only growing, but also helping to water our fellow brothers and sisters so that they also can grow. As Paul makes clear in this chapter, eventually what we grow on this farm is what we build God's house with. You'll find out about that in the post below, What is God's Building in 1 Corinthians 3:9?