BIG IDEA:
THE HARD WORK OF SPIRITUAL MINISTRY CAN REAP ETERNAL REWARDS WHEN WE BUILD WISELY ON THE PROPER FOUNDATION
INTRODUCTION:
Remember in the last paragraph Paul had introduced the two analogies for Christian workers: that of a farmer and that of a builder. Here he extends the construction analogy. Church ministry in this text is compared to a large building project. The spiritual leaders are charged with taking care how they build so that they will produce quality results which will last and pass the fiery test. Future rewards are promised to those who stay true to the foundation of Jesus Christ and the apostolic model of ministry.
Gordon Fee: At the end of the preceding analogy Paul made an abrupt change of metaphors (to “God’s building”), which he now sets out to elaborate. At the same time, though dealing still with the same general topic of the church and its leadership, he clearly shifts emphasis. Picking up the theme of each one’s being “rewarded according to their own labor” (v. 8b), Paul is concerned to warn, in the strongest possible language, those who are currently “building the church.” The paragraph opens with the imagery itself (v. 10a), followed immediately by the warning (v. 10b). After returning to his own role and emphasizing again the heart of his gospel — Jesus Christ (v. 11) — Paul then uses the imagery in striking fashion to urge them to build with imperishable materials (vv. 12–13) because there will come a day when each person’s work will be tested and the reward of each thereby determined (vv. 14–15).
Richard Hays: With the final words of verse 9, Paul shifts to a new metaphor. “You are God’s building.” This allows him to direct attention to a new focal concern: the urgency of constructing the church with integrity. In this new metaphor, Paul compares himself to a head building contractor who has carefully laid the foundation of a building and then let out the rest of the work to subcontractors. If their work is not “up to code,” or if they fail to use suitable materials, there will be dire consequences.
We might think of what happens in California earthquakes. Some buildings that have been properly constructed to withstand the shocks remain standing, while others that have not been built according to sound principles of seismic engineering come tumbling down, with sometimes tragic results. Rather than earthquake, Paul uses the image of fire, a traditional Old Testament image for God’s judgment, but his point is the same: A cataclysm is coming that is going to test the structural integrity of our construction work, so we should build with great care. Our building should not be hasty, nor just for show; we must build our community solidly from the ground up in a way that is designed to endure.
Craig Blomberg: The end of verse 9 belongs with verses 10–15 as the start of a new paragraph. The NIV omits the Greek “you are” which prefaces “God’s building.” Just as Paul has described the church and its leaders with an agricultural metaphor in verses 6–9a, he now does so by turning to the world of construction (vv. 9b–17). Here again God’s sovereign guidance comes to the fore (v. 10). Paul likens himself to an “expert builder,” literally a “wise master-craftsman” or “chief-engineer.” Paul deliberately chooses the word for “wise” to contrast his godly wisdom with the Corinthians’ misguided claims to wisdom. The word for “builder” is the word from which the English “architect” derives, but in Greek it referred not so much to the one who drew up a blue print as to the on-site supervisor. The foundation of any truly Christian edifice must, of course, be the cross-centered gospel of Jesus Christ (v. 11).
Andrew Noselli: Church teachers must take care how they build God’s church. Once a church is established, one cannot lay the foundation again. The foundation is the gospel of Jesus the Messiah (v. 11). On judgment day, God will display the quality of every builder’s work and will judge each builder accordingly (vv. 12-15). . . Church teachers must build in line with the gospel and not deviate from it. Otherwise, the structure will be unstable. . . Building with perishable materials is building a church with motives and methods that are not gospel-centered. God will reward his servant who build with the right materials (cf. 4:5), but he will not commend those who build with the wrong ones (cf. Mt 25:21, 23).
I. (:10-11) SPIRITUAL LEADERS MUST FOLLOW THE DIVINELY REVEALED PATTERN FOR CHURCH MINISTRY –
4 REQUIREMENTS:
A. Humble Reliance on the Grace of God
“According to the grace of God which was given to me”
- Different gifts; different callings; different opportunities
- Individualized grace
- Faithfulness is required for all (4:2)
- Aggressiveness in trusting Christ for His enablement rather than burying our talents (cf. parable of the talents)
- No room for pride or boasting in human accomplishments
- No running away from ministry or bailing because God’s grace is sufficient
Paul Gardner: The participle in the attributive position indicates the gift nature of God’s grace (τὴν χάριν . . . τὴν δοθεῖσάν). Given the meaning of “grace,” this expression seems redundant, but Paul has just been insisting that the whole work is God’s, and this now reinforces the point that anything he has done is all because of the grace he has received from God for this work. There may be a slight sense of irony in describing himself as a “wise master builder.” It is the nature of wisdom and what it looks like that is part of the dispute between Paul and the Corinthians. However, “wise” (σοφός) here may simply indicate being “skilled.”
B. Skillful Labor in Accordance with God’s Wisdom
“like a wise master builder”
Distinction between God’s wisdom and the wisdom of the world continues to flow through this epistle to the Corinthians. Expediency is not the standard. God’s ways are not our ways. The type of leadership model derived from the business community will not cut it.
Word from which we get “architect” – but here used in an expanded sense as the one who faithfully carries out the master blueprint plans as a good general contractor.
Ray Stedman: Paul calls himself here “the wise master builder,” and the word for master builder, architectron is the word from which we get our word “architect.” But he really uses this word in a different sense than we use the word “architect” today. To us an architect is the man who thinks up the building. He conceptualizes it; he designs it; he sees it in his mind’s eye; he plans it, and programs it, and draws the designs for it. In that sense, of course, God is the architect of the church. The Lord Jesus said, “I will build my church,” (Matt 16:18). He has conceived it; he has designed it; he has planned its structure; he has programmed its activities, and he continues to do so, so he is really the architect in that sense today.
C. Careful Construction in Accordance with the Apostolic Pattern
“I laid a foundation and another is building on it.
But each man must be careful how he builds on it.”
- Rom. 15:20 – Paul called to do pioneering work; the apostle of the Gentiles
- No selfish ambition
- Spirit of teamwork rather than competition
- There is a biblical pattern to follow; the apostles followed that pattern
Be careful in the sense of:
- communicating the whole counsel of God accurately and faithfully (2 Tim. 2:2)
- following the biblical ministry model – not relying on the marketing techniques of the world
- keeping the focus on the person and work of Jesus Christ
Doug Goins: The second half of verse 10 reminds us that a foundation is supposed to support something. In the case of the church, it’s a spiritual building. Paul is concerned that those who continue the work that he started work as faithfully and effectively as he did. They’ve got to draw on God’s gracious resources and reflect God’s spiritual wisdom. Paul is referring particularly to evangelists and pastors and teachers in the church, but the principle applies to every single believer. All of us to some extent represent the gospel by what we do. Our life and our witness with each other must be grounded in the Lord Jesus and in his word.
D. Zero Deviation from the Supreme Standard = the Church’s One Foundation =
Jesus Christ Her Lord
“For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is
Jesus Christ.”
1 Pet. 2:6; Eph. 2:20
Concept of a plumb line
R.C.H. Lenski: When Paul writes that he “laid a foundation” in Corinth he means only that he began the work in that place. Laying a foundation in this sense is in contrast with the erecting of the superstructure. . . A vaster thing is meant by the one and only foundation that Paul says is “lying”, a present tense, lying permanently and forever. Paul says nothing about him who laid this foundation or how it was laid.. . They shall also note what this foundation, is, namely “Jesus Christ.”
Robert Gundry: For a builder to gather a personal following would be to contradict the foundation already laid — that is, Jesus Christ — with the superstructure of the builder’s personal following. “For no one can lay another foundation” doesn’t mean merely that no one should. It means that Jesus Christ is the only foundation possible for a church (compare the comments on Matthew 16:17–19).
Warren Wiersbe: The foundation is laid by the proclaiming of the gospel of Jesus Christ. The foundation is the most important part of the building because it determines the size, shape, and strength of the superstructure. A ministry may seem successful for a time, but if it is not founded on Christ, it will eventually collapse and disappear.
II. (:12-13) THE QUALITY OF ONE’S MINISTRY WILL BE TESTED AND REVEALED
A. (:12) Two Contrasting Types of Building Materials
“Now if any man builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones,
wood, hay, straw”
Anthony Thiselton: aul presses a further analogy within this analogy: builders may use combustible or fireproof materials. To the latter category belong gold, silver, and costly stones; but wood, hay, and straw would go up in smoke if the building caught fire. This provides a forceful and unforgettable parable of the pathos of work that cannot stand the test of the fire of the last judgment, and of the everlasting significance of what is built of solid quality upon the true foundation of Christ.
Presented from most costly to least costly; key is ability to endure fire
- High Quality – permanent, valuable, uncommon
a. gold
b. silver
c. precious stones
- Low Quality – temporary, useless, very common, highly combustible
a. wood
b. hay
c. straw
The problem will not be with the foundation – that is solid;
Look at the effort and cost involved in doing things the right way;
You can’t be cutting corners in the ministry;
These kinds of materials refer to the various doctrines, the modeling of those doctrines via a life of holiness, and the ministry motives and methods employed.
Thomas Leake: the continuous teaching; not mixing in worldly philosophy and methodology; the foundation being built upon is the doctrine about the person of Christ
Doug Goins: Paul speaks of human wisdom, the spirit of the world, and words or speculations. The wisdom of the world is a common-sense view of life. It’s the constantly changing opinions and traditions and philosophies and social theories that our race manufactures.
David Garland: The materials represent the quality going into the construction of the building. Some are excellent builders, using materials of exceptional quality; others are less so, using materials of inferior quality. Some materials will endure; others will not (Lindemann 2000: 85).[15] This last option best represents Paul’s intention. What makes for imperishable building materials for building the church? The wise master-builder laid a solid foundation, and his message of Christ crucified is the standard by which to evaluate all other builders and their materials (Yinger 1999: 216–17). Those attempting to build with human wisdom construct a flimsy house of straw.
B. (:13) Testing By Fire Will Reveal the Quality of the Work
“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.”
Speaking of judgment day for believers – not to determine their eternal destiny – but the nature of their rewards. This is commonly referred to as the bema seat judgment.
Doug Goins: When the glorified Jesus appeared to the apostle John on the island of Patmos, John described him in the Revelation as having eyes that were like a flame of fire, having a burning intensity, evaluating. Our loving Lord Jesus, who is passionately committed to the life and health of the church, will examine our building activity and materials and sort out the bad and the good, what is of the Spirit and what is of the flesh, what is built on God’s revealed eternal word and what is built on the current human philosophies swirling around us.
Adewuya: With Paul’s eschatological framework that permeates his writings (cf. Rom 2:5, 16; 13:12; 1 Cor 1:8; 2 Cor 1:14; Phil 1:6; 1 Thess 5:2–9; 2 Thess 2:2), it is clear that the “day” refers to “the day of the Lord” (1 Thess 5:2), the day of the second coming of Christ (cf. 2 Thess 2:2). Paul’s vision of final judgment agrees with those of the prophetic traditions of the Old Testament (Amos 5:18, 20; Mal 4:1).
Gordon Fee: “Fire” was a natural motif that came to be associated with judgment; it occurs throughout the literature of Judaism, especially in the prophetic and apocalyptic traditions. The imagery can refer either to “purifying” or to “testing.” The language here, as well as its further application in what immediately follows (vv. 14–15), makes it clear that Paul’s concern is the “testing” quality of fire. It will not “purify” the worker (see on v. 15); rather, it will judge one’s workmanship to see whether it has been made of “quality” material. . .
It is one of the most significant passages in the NT that warn—and encourage—those responsible for “building” the church of Christ. In the final analysis, of course, this includes all believers, but it has particular relevance, following so closely as it does the preceding paragraph (vv. 5–9), to those with teaching/leadership responsibilities. Paul’s point is unquestionably warning. It is unfortunately possible for people to attempt to build the church out of every imaginable human system predicated on merely worldly wisdom, be it philosophy, “pop” psychology, managerial techniques, relational “good feelings,” or what have you. But at the final judgment, all such “building” (and perhaps countless other forms, where systems have become more important than the gospel itself) will be shown for what it is: something merely human, with no character of Christ or his gospel in it.
III. (:14-15) ONLY MINISTRY THAT STANDS THE TEST OF FIRE WILL QUALIFY FOR FUTURE REWARDS
2 Categories when it comes to Rewards:
A. Spiritual Leaders Who Qualify For Future Rewards
“If any man’s work which he has built on it remains, he will receive a reward.”
Paul Gardner: Paul’s view of that end-time reward coheres well with Christ’s own teaching in the Gospels. There the work of the gospel and faithfulness to the calling to follow Christ are to be rewarded. Several parables and some paraenetic passages directly address the matter. In Matthew 5:12 Jesus teaches that those who are persecuted should rejoice because “great is your reward [ὁ μισθὸς ὑμῶν] in heaven.” Parables like that of the faithful steward in Matthew 25:23 conclude with the same idea: “Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master” (ESV). Other passages such as Matthew 6:1 and Luke 6:35 also speak to rewards. So, while it is not entirely clear what Paul imagined as he anticipated the crown and rewards, it is probably well summed up by Jesus’s words: “Enter the joy of your master.” Part of that joy will be the viewing of the work that has survived the judging fire of the last day. The very sight of the Thessalonian or Corinthian church on that last day, standing before the Lord, may indeed be what Paul imagines in 4:5 when he refers to the commendation or praise (ἔπαινος) from God.
Serving the Lord faithfully in the good work of disseminating the gospel in word and in life brings the rewards of which Paul and Jesus speak. Paul well summarizes this in Colossians 3:23–24: “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.”
Perhaps “loss” lies in the exact opposite direction: poor work will simply disappear from before the teacher’s eyes. The sorrow and sadness of seeing that a life’s work has achieved little or nothing for the Lord and his gospel will be devastating. The challenge is vital for all Christians. We may imagine that some of today’s leaders who have replaced a theology of the cross (Christ crucified) for a triumphalist, preacher-centered church may find, however large the church has grown, that even though their people have been saved by God’s grace, nothing remains at the judgment day at which the minister can look and say, “Ah, by God’s grace, I had a hand in that!” As Paul has shown, the work that will survive and stand at the last day is that which has been built appropriately on the “foundation” (θεμέλιος; 3:10–12). That work, and that alone, will truly be the work of God’s grace delivered through his people.
B. Spiritual Leaders Whose Efforts at Ministry Were Wasted Because They Failed to Follow the Divine Blueprint
“If any man’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be
saved, yet so as through fire.”
John MacArthur: No matter how worthless, no believer will forfeit salvation.
Mark Taylor: The main point, however, is that God’s verdict is comprehensive, definitive, and final. There are no revisions possible because God knows comprehensively all motivations and intentions of the human heart.
Robert Grosheide: The teachers who build badly may be believers. They build on the good foundation without having the intention of destroying the work of God, and although they are guilty by reason of the lack of permanency of their work, their state before God may be secure. Here again Paul assumes that there are teachers at Corinth who lead the church in the wrong direction.
Thomas Leake: Misuse of passage – not talking about a carnal Christian who produces zero fruit his whole life; not speaking of purgatory; no second chance to start over and build it right