“March 18, 2024 - Building on the Foundation”

Sunday, March 17, 2024

Building on the Foundation

Reading:  1 Corinthians 3:10-15
    
    Paul flips metaphors from gardening to building.  “According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building upon it.  Let each one take care how he builds upon it”(1 Cor 3:10).  Just as he “planted”(1 Cor 3:6) by initially teaching the gospel in Corinth, so he also has laid the foundation of Jesus (1 Cor 3:11).  Now the Corinthians continue to grow as others come and teach them, which Paul describes as building on the foundation.  There are a variety of materials available for use in such buildings—“gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw”(1 Cor 3:12)—and some will fare better than others.  Paul is arguing that every teaching has an impact in building strong, faithful lives—or weak, fragile lives.

    But these verses are directed at those who teach and build on the foundation.  It is a warning that however you help build others’ lives, “each one’s work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done”(1 Cor 3:13).  Paul promises that the strength of the faith and commitment we build in others will be tested.  It is unclear if he is referring to the fire of the final judgment or the ordinary tests of life (as in Matt 7:25, 27).  When we see our brothers, bolstered by our teaching and encouragement, surviving, we “receive a reward”(1 Cor 3:14).  Meanwhile, when the “work is burned up,” we are devastated (“suffer loss”) even though we can still be saved (1 Cor 3:15).  

    All Christians contribute to the growth of our brothers and sisters, building on the foundation of Jesus.  These verses show that this is a sober responsibility.   The strength of the counsel we give, the teaching we share, and the example we set will be tested.  We long to see one another developing the strength to withstand the tests of life, even though we acknowledge that this is not our sole responsibility.  It is a call to thoughtful, careful, deliberate work with one another.

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One Thing to Think About:   Whose lives am I helping to build?

One Thing to Pray For:  The strength for myself and others to withstand the test
 

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