Free Bible Commentary
“1 Corinthians 3:10-15”
Categories: 1 Corinthians“According to the grace of God which was given to me, like a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another is building on it. But each man must be careful how he builds on it. For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each man's work will become evident; for the day will show it because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test the quality of each man's work. If any man's work which he has built on it remains, he will receive a reward. If any man's work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.”
---End of Scripture verses---
Okay so Paul identified the problem in verses 1-9: his Corinthian brethren in Christ were immature and “fleshly”. In verses 10-16 he informed them on how to fix the problem. We actually dealt with this some in yesterday’s write-up, but Paul tells them here to focus on the “foundation” (verse 11). The congregation in Corinth was started right. Paul laid the “firm foundation” of the truth and faith of Jesus Christ (verses 10-11). He did this is a “wise” or “master builder”. He was a very experienced worker in the kingdom of God, actually commissioned and inspired the Holy Spirit to preach truth with precision.
By the way, this passage shows us clearly that the Apostle Peter was not the “rock” that Jesus said He would build His church upon, as many people mistakenly claim that He said in Matthew 16:16-18. Paul wrote in verse 11 that “no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.” If Peter was the foundational “rock” of the church then Paul would likely not have had a problem with some of the brethren there saying they were “of Cephas” (chapter 1 verse 12). But there is obviously only one foundation and that is the very One who died for the church and that cannot be divided (chapter 1 verse 13).
Since Paul built very skillfully upon the proper foundation, then he was not the source of the division that had taken place in the church in the city if Corinth. The problem was that other people were “building” upon the firm base that Paul had laid, and they were not being “careful” how they did it. In this instance they were building up the builders and choosing sides, instead of committing themselves to the only foundation and source that could build them up to maturity.
Paul changes imagery in verse 12 to the various types of materials that can be used for building. Gold, silver, and precious stones are superior materials, while wood, hay and straw are inferior. Wood is certainly a great building material, but not for withstanding fire, and that’s the point Paul is making in verse 12-15. When Jesus returns with His angels in “flaming fire” (2 Thessalonians 1:7-8) on that great and final “day” (verse 13), the fire will test each “builder’s” work.
What this teaches us, I believe, is that the preachers and teachers of God’s word are responsible for how they live their lives and for the how they handle the word of truth. But they can be saved even if some of the people that they help convert are eventually lost (verse 15). The materials spoken of here obviously represent the quality of the people being taught and not the content of the message being taught. No preacher or teacher can possibly be saved if he doesn’t teach the truth (1 Timothy 3:15; 2 Timothy 4:3-4; 2 Peter 2:1-3).
So what are you made of? Gold? Silver? Precious stones? Or wood, hay, straw? If we receive, believe, love and practice the truth, then God will purify us by the fiery trials that we incur on earth. And He will spare us from the ultimate fiery retribution to be meted out on the Last Day upon “those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus” (2 Thessalonians 1:8).
Please read 1 Corinthians 3:16-23 for tomorrow.
Have a fantastic day!
- Louie Taylor
