Reference

1 Corinthians 3:9-15
Building Your Life

Building Your Life

I Corinthians 3:9-15

Our Building Partners (vv. 9-10)

  1. Fellow workers with God
  2. Fellow workers with each other

 

Our Building Foundation (v. 11)

  1. Our Foundation
  2. Our faith

 

Our Building Materials (v. 12)

  1. Gold, jewels, and precious stones
  2. Wood, hay, and straw

 

Our Building Inspection (vv. 13-15)

  1. The fire
  2. The finish

 

More to Consider

The Leaning Tower of Pisa in Italy is going to fall. Scientists travel yearly to measure the building's slow descent. They report that the 179-foot tower moves about one-twentieth of an inch a year, and is now 17 feet out of plumb. They further estimate that by the year 2007 the 810-year old tower will have leaned too far and will collapse onto the nearby ristorante, where scientists now gather to discuss their findings. Quite significantly, the word "pisa" means "marshy land," which gives some clue as to why the tower began to lean even before it was completed. Also--its foundation is only 10 feet deep!

Unknown.

 

Paul had established the church at Corinth on the foundation of Christ. gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw: These building materials refer to the quality of work done by the Corinthians, and possibly also to their motivations or the kinds of doctrines they taught. The Day speaks of the time when Christ will judge the merits of His servants’ work (see 2 Cor. 5:10), not whether they receive forgiveness of sin. Likewise, fire does not refer to the “eternal fire” of damnation (see Rev. 20:10) but to the evaluation of believers’ works (see Rev. 2:18, 19; 3:18; 22:12). Fire proves the quality of gold, but it consumes wood, hay, and stubble. Some “good work” is actually self-centered aggrandizement. The true value of such “service” will become obvious to all in the day of God’s judgment (see Rev. 3:17, 18).

Roland Allen

 

God’s fellow-workers (θεου συνεργοι [theou sunergoi]). This old word (co-workers of God) has a new dignity here. God is the major partner in the enterprise of each life, but he lets us work with him. Witness the mother and God with the baby as the product. God’s husbandry (θεου γεωργιον [theou geōrgion]). God’s tilled land (γη, ἐργον [gē, ergon]). The farmer works with God in God’s field. Without the sun, the rains, the seasons the farmer is helpless. God’s building (θεου οἰκοδομη [theou oikodomē]). God is the Great Architect. We work under him and carry out the plans of the Architect. It is building (οἰκος [oikos], house, δεμω [demō], to build). Let us never forget that God sees and cares what we do in the part of the building where we work for him.

Archibald T. Robertson