You are God’s building
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.
1 Corinthians 3:10 LSB
The Architect of the Corinthian Church
ἀρχιτέκτων – architektōn
a master builder, an architect, the superintendent in the erection of buildings
APOSTLES, all ministers of the Lord Jesus, Paul points out to the Corinthians, each have different roles at various times in the process of growing the church and your faith.
So why do you have divisions claiming that you belong to that powerful preacher Apollos OR Cephas of the Twelve OR Paul?
The apostle’s approach to these Hellenists of Corinth:
I am just an architect with the blueprint for you to use as you grow in your faith and as a church. Give all attention to the Foundation.
Who is building on it?
Apollos. AND other ministers to the Corinthians.
Paul laid a foundation. It is a picture familiar to Greeks not only of buildings and walls, but a great metaphor for first principles establishing truth.
I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it.
1 Corinthians 1:10b NKJV
The Master Builder OR Architect is no more important than those laborers who continue to build on the foundation. The Architect or MASTER builder here issues instructions to the laborers similar to what any superintendent of an important project of work might do:
But let each one take heed how he builds on it.
1 Corinthians 1:10c NKJV
But whoever is building on this foundation must be very careful.
1 Corinthians 1:10c NLT
The ARCHITECT (Paul) writes a caution using yet another metaphor for the first principles of building a CHURCH.
In fact, Paul points out, the foundation has already been built!
For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians 3:11 NKJV
Such imagery once familiar through worship Hymns with a Scriptural foundation, i.e. "The Church's One Foundation" [is Jesus Christ our Lord].
the Day shall declare it
The Corinthians and others of the Hellenist Aegean walked in ruins of great temples erected to many gods — glorious buildings of the Macedonian Alexander conquered, destroyed and being rebuilt by a distant Rome.
Paul puts our current work on the building (be it a temple, church building or the Church itself) into the context were WE are its assigned builders.
Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each one’s work will become clear..
Do you see that every LABORER'S work matters here when building on the Great foundation before the work is finished (by many others)?
If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward.
1 Corinthians 1:14 NKJV
The Wages of Work for Christ
REWARD! (Perhaps you think of it as a ‘BONUS!’)
YOU do not receive a bonus reward until completion of the work. What if the building is not finished before your death?
- What good is any reward for a lowly minister of the Corinthians building a church which will only be completed AFTER our death and then destroyed by others?
Reward – μισθός – misthos
dues paid for work, wages, hire
Okay, I get that; maybe a bigger wage for some work.
reward: used of the fruit naturally resulting from toils and endeavours
MORE: Pay attention here, and then we will get back to Paul's text.
- in both senses, rewards and punishments
- of the rewards which God bestows, or will bestow, upon good deeds and endeavours
- of punishments
Paul has already reminded us of this two-sided coin of God’s reward for our labor.
It is the SAME REWARD to which the apostle points for laborers in the field.
each man’s work will be revealed.
For the Day will declare it, because it is revealed in fire;
and the fire itself will test what sort of work each man’s work is.
1 Corinthians 3:13 HNV
and the flip-side of the coin of REWARD:
If any man’s work is burned, he will suffer loss, but he himself will be saved, but as through fire.
Picture of the Completed Church
If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward..
Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?
1 Corinthians 3:14,16 NKJV
If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are.
Let no man glory in men
Do you recall the divisions of the Corinthians caused by their loyalty to a preacher?
18 Let no one deceive himself.
If anyone among you seems to be wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise.
19 For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God.
Is he writing to me?
Paul suggests that “anyone among you” Corinthians may seem like the wisdom-worshiping Hellenist philosophers of ancient Greece (330-63 B.C.). Of course the present age belongs to Rome governing Corinth for more than a century now.
And counter to Greek culture Paul advises, “let him become a fool.”
What we of this Common Era age may not understand is that the wise [sophos] in this world are not entirely exact opposites of fools [μωρός] which suggests a root word [mystērion] which means:
- a hidden thing, secret, mystery
- generally mysteries, religious secrets, confided only to the initiated and not to ordinary mortals
Have an open mind to the wisdom of GOD.
Let no man deceive himself. KJV
Paul has already written:
But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory..
1 Corinthians 2:7 NKJV
Avoid Worldly Wisdom
Now the Paul writes, as the Apostle often does, quoting Scripture:
For it is written,
“He catches the wise in their own craftiness”; quoting Job:
He catches the wise in their craftiness,
and sweeps away the plans of the cunning.
Job 5:13 BSB
20 and again, “The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile,” recalling Psalm 94:11.
Psalm 94:
1 O Lord God, to whom vengeance belongs—
O God, to whom vengeance belongs, shine forth!
2 Rise up, O Judge of the earth;
Render punishment to the proud.
3 Lord, how long will the wicked,
How long will the wicked triumph?
8 Understand, you senseless among the people;
And you fools, when will you be wise?
9 He who planted the ear, shall He not hear?
He who formed the eye, shall He not see?
10 He who instructs the nations, shall He not correct,
He who teaches man knowledge?
11 The Lord knows the thoughts of man,
That they are futile.
Had Paul possibly previously taught the hymn of PSALM 94 to the Corinthians?
NO Boasting in anthrōpos
So then, no more boasting about human leaders! All things are yours..
1 Corinthians 3:21 NIV
- So let no one boast..
- Therefore let no man glory in men.
It’s all the same word: καυχάομαι – kauchaomai —
glory (23x), boast (8x), rejoice (4x), make boast (2x), joy (1x).
Again, Paul has already introduced the all-important dichotomy between giving GOD glory (boasting in God) and giving various mortal men, even church leaders such glory.
- that no flesh should glory in His presence. – 1 Corinthians 1:29 KJV
- therefore, as it is written, “Let him who boasts, boast of the Lord.” – 1 Corinthians 1:31 NIV
Human Leaders
ἄνθρωπος – anthrōpos
DIVISIONS, Paul asks?
Do you GLORY over mere men like your PREACHER or some APOSTLE?
31X Paul speaks of men [anthrōpos] in 1 Corinthians, the most in any Epistle.
And what does the Apostle say?
For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.
“What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived”— the things God has prepared for those who love him—
1 Corinthians 1:25 NIV, 2:9b NIV
3:22 whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas, or the world or life or death, or things present or things to come—all are yours. 23 And you are Christ’s, and Christ is God’s.
Let a man so consider us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God.
1 Corinthians 4:1 NKJV
This, then, is how you ought to regard us: as servants of Christ and as those entrusted with the mysteries God has revealed.
1 Cor 4:1 NIV
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