Wednesday in the Word

True wisdom will rarely make you look impressive. In this episode on 1 Corinthians 3:18–4:16, Krisan Marotta traces Paul’s closing appeal to a church that wants to be admired by the world more than they want to cling to the gospel. Paul exposes their pride, redefines what it means to judge Christian leaders, and invites them to embrace the strange, costly path of being “fools” for Christ rather than respectable in the world’s eyes. 

In this week’s episode, we explore:

• Paul’s stark contrast between the “wisdom of this age” and the wisdom of God, and why truly becoming wise means accepting being thought foolish by the world
• What it means for “all things” to belong to believers—Paul, Apollos, Cephas, the world, life, death, the present and the future—and why that undercuts boasting in particular teachers
• Paul’s description of himself and other apostles as “servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God,” and why the core requirement is faithfulness, not charisma or popularity
• The difference between appropriately weighing a teacher’s doctrine and arrogantly assuming the right to sit in judgment over God’s appointed messengers
• Why Paul urges the Corinthians to “wait until the Lord comes” before passing judgment on motives, and how that speaks to our tendency to overconfidently read hearts—our own and others’
• How the Corinthians were “exceeding what is written” by importing worldly standards of honor and success into their evaluation of ministry
• Paul’s sharp but loving questions: “What do you have that you did not receive?” and his ironic description of the Corinthians as already rich and reigning like kings
• The vivid contrast between the comfortable self-image of the Corinthians and the suffering, dishonored reality of the apostles—“the scum of the world, the dregs of all things”
• Paul’s fatherly heart as he reminds them that he became their spiritual father through the gospel and calls them not to admire him from a distance, but to imitate his willingness to suffer shame for Christ

After listening, you’ll have a clearer picture of how Paul finishes his confrontation of the Corinthian church and why he insists that following Christ will often mean losing the world’s approval. You’ll be encouraged to rethink how you measure teachers, ministries, and even your own life with God—not by polish, reputation, or ease, but by faithfulness to the gospel, humble dependence on what you have received, and a growing readiness to be counted a fool for the sake of Christ.

Series: 1 Corinthians: Pride & Prejudice in the Church

What should Christians expect when Scripture talks about “rewards,” “crowns,” and being judged according to our works? 

In this second episode on rewards in heaven, Krisan Marotta revisits 1 Corinthians 3 and then walks through a range of key passages to argue that many popular teachings about heavenly reward rest on blurred categories and verses taken out of context. Instead of painting the Christian life as a race for extra prizes, she shows how these texts consistently call us back to grace, genuine faith, and faithful perseverance. 

In this week’s episode, we explore:

• Why 1 Corinthians 3 is not about believers earning higher levels of reward, but about how teachers like Paul and Apollos build on the foundation of the gospel
• Two central biblical themes: that we are saved by grace apart from works, and that real faith necessarily changes how we live
• How a confusion of these two themes fuels much “rewards theology,” turning fruit-of-faith passages into merit systems
• Why the “runner’s crown” (1 Corinthians 9), the “crown of life” (James 1), and the “crown of righteousness” (2 Timothy 4) are better understood as different images for the one gift of eternal life
• How judgment texts like the sheep and the goats (Matthew 25) and the great white throne (Revelation 20) reveal the reality of faith through works, rather than describing a second-level judgment for extra blessings
• What Revelation 22 means when Jesus says he will “render to each one according to what he has done,” and how this fits with salvation by grace
• How the parables of the minas (Luke 19) and the talents (Matthew 25) highlight the basic contrast between faithful and unfaithful servants, not a graded chart of heavenly bonuses
• A more thoughtful way to read “rewards” language that resists treating the Bible as a catalog of spiritual perks and instead asks: Do I truly want God, his kingdom, and the life he offers?

After listening, you’ll have a clearer framework for thinking about faith, works, judgment, and reward without losing sight of the gospel’s center. You’ll be encouraged to let go of anxiety about “missing out” on special heavenly honors and to focus instead on what Scripture emphasizes: trusting Christ, growing in genuine repentance and obedience, and seeing your changed life as evidence of God’s gracious work—not as currency for a better spot in eternity. 

Series: 1 Corinthians: Pride & Prejudice in the church

Many Christians have heard 1 Corinthians 3:10–17 used to teach levels of heaven, extra rewards, or “barely saved” believers. But what if Paul is actually talking about something else entirely? 

In this episode, Krisan Marotta looks carefully at Paul’s building metaphor to show that his focus is not on individual believers racking up merit, but on how teachers and leaders build on the one true foundation of Jesus Christ as they care for the church, God’s temple. 

In this week’s episode, we explore:

• How a childhood lesson about “seven levels of heaven” sparked Krisan’s lifelong questions about rewards, works, and fear-based motivation
• The context of 1 Corinthians 3: Paul as the “wise master builder,” Apollos and others as fellow workers, and the Corinthian church as God’s building, not a collection of spiritual achievement projects
• What it means that no one can lay any foundation other than Jesus Christ, and why leaders are called to build on that foundation rather than redesign it
• The contrast between “gold, silver, precious stones” and “wood, hay, straw” as images for wise versus foolish ministry—both in content and in the way truth is taught and promoted
• How the “fire” in this passage fits with New Testament language about testing and judgment, and why Krisan argues that Paul has present trials and church conflict primarily in view rather than a grading system on the last day
• A thoughtful look at “reward” as a worker’s wage and the kind of “pay” faithful servants like Paul and Apollos can expect from God, in contrast to the fickle approval of human audiences
• Why calling the Corinthian church “the temple of God” is a sobering warning: those who tear down the gospel foundation and destroy the community’s faith put themselves in grave spiritual danger
• Three possible paths for those who influence others: the wise and faithful worker, the foolish but still saved worker, and the enemy who actively opposes God’s work

After listening, you’ll come away with a clearer, more grounded understanding of what 1 Corinthians 3:10–17 actually teaches about leadership, influence, and accountability before God. Rather than chasing extra-credit rewards or living in fear of “barely making it,” you’ll be invited to take seriously the role you play in the lives of others, to prize faithfulness over impressiveness, and to trust that God himself is at work in his field and his building—even as he calls us to build with care, courage, and truth.

Part 2:  Are There Rewards in Heaven? 

Series: 1 Corinthians: Pride & Prejudice in the church

True spiritual growth is never the achievement of a gifted teacher or an impressive church—it is God’s work from start to finish. 

In this episode on 1 Corinthians 3:5–10, Krisan Marotta traces Paul’s planting and building metaphors to show how the Corinthians have badly misjudged both Paul and Apollos, and how we too can confuse style, numbers, and outward success with the quiet miracle of God giving faith and maturity. 

In this week’s episode, we explore:

• The situation in Corinth: why some believers were embarrassed by Paul, drawn to Apollos, and using worldly standards to pick their favorite teacher
• What Paul means when he calls himself and Apollos “servants through whom you believed,” and how God assigns different roles in bringing people to faith
• The rich comfort of the planting and watering image—Paul sowing the seed, Apollos watering it, and God alone causing the growth—in churches, friendships, and families (including with prodigal children)
• How Paul’s “so then neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything” reorients our view of Christian leaders, success, and platform
• The warning against judging God’s servants by eloquence, education, age, or appearance, and how this speaks into modern church culture that often sidelines older, less “impressive” voices
• Paul’s second picture: the church as God’s building, with Paul as a wise master builder laying the foundation and others building carefully on what has already been given
• What this passage does and does not say about “rewards,” judgment, and our individual accountability before God for the tasks he’s given us
• A thoughtful look at spiritual maturity: why ongoing struggle with sin is normal, how God uses testing over time to expose what we truly value, and why sanctification is often uneven and slow rather than neat and linear

After listening, you’ll come away with a clearer, more peaceful way of thinking about ministry, church life, and your own growth in faith. You’ll be invited to let go of anxiety over numbers and appearances, to value faithfulness over flash, and to trust that God is at work—both through ordinary servants like Paul and Apollos, and through the long, sometimes painful process by which he teaches each of us to embrace his wisdom rather than the world’s. 

Series: 1 Corinthians: Pride & Prejudice in the Church

When Paul calls the Corinthians “fleshly” or “carnal,” is he really teaching that there are two kinds of Christians—those who live in victory and those who do not? 

In this episode on 1 Corinthians 3:1–4, Krisan Marotta examines the history and ideas behind “victorious Christian living” theology and challenges the popular use of “carnal Christian” language, arguing instead that Paul is exposing a lack of maturity, not a lack of special technique. 

In this week’s episode, we explore:

• How the background of Wesleyan and Keswick teaching shaped modern ideas of a “second blessing,” higher life, and the category of “carnal Christians” 
• Why proponents of victorious Christian living often turn to 1 Corinthians 3:1–4, and how that shapes their understanding of power over sin
• The larger context of 1 Corinthians 1–3, where Paul contrasts worldly wisdom with God’s wisdom in the gospel, and why that context matters for reading “milk” and “solid food” 
• What Paul means by calling the Corinthians “infants in Christ” and “fleshly,” and why this language points to immaturity and blindness rather than a lower spiritual category
• A careful look at “milk” and “solid food” as stages of grasping the gospel’s implications in real life, rather than two different levels of secret spiritual knowledge 
• How jealousy, strife, and party spirit (“I am of Paul, I am of Apollos”) reveal a failure to appreciate the true value of the gospel 
• The difference between seeing the Holy Spirit as a power we learn to “use” versus a Person who changes our hearts and choices from the inside out 
• A reformed perspective on spiritual growth as God’s work through trials, suffering, and perseverance, leading believers from infancy toward genuine wisdom and maturity

After listening, you’ll have a clearer understanding of why Paul confronts the Corinthians as “fleshly” and what true spirituality looks like in light of the cross. You’ll be better equipped to evaluate teaching that promises quick victory or special techniques and instead lean into the ordinary, Spirit-driven path of growth: facing the hard questions of faith, clinging to the mercy of God in Christ, and trusting that he uses all things to make his people wise, holy, and mature. 

Series: 1 Corinthians: Pride & Prejudice in the Church