The Strand Study Bible

Written From Ephesus During Paul’s Third Missionary Journey

I CORINTHIANS 3:9 - 23

1883

own 1 labour. P 9 2 For we are labourers together with God: ye are God’s husbandry, ye are God’s 3 building. 10 According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buil- deth thereon. But let every man take heed 4 how he buildeth thereupon. 11 For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is 5 JESUS CHRIST . 12 Now if any man build upon this foun- dation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; 13 6 Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the 7 DAY shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; 8 and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is. P 14 If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall 8 receive a reward. P 15 If any man’s work shall be 9 burned,

8 he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire. P 16 Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the 10 SPIRIT OF GOD dwelleth in you? 17 If any man 11 defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are. 18 Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise. 19 For the wisdom of this world is fool- ishness with God. For it is written, 12 He taketh the wise in their own craftiness. 20 And again, 13 The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain. 21 Therefore 14 let no man glory in men. For all things are yours; 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 ye are Christ’s; and Christ is God’s.

1. I Cor 15:58 & Mk 4:26-28 & Rev 14:13 2. II Cor 6:1 3. Eph 2:22 & I Pet 2:5 4. that is, “how he builds his Christian life after he is saved” 5. Isa 28:16 & Mt 7:24-25 & Acts 4:10-12 & II Tim 2:19 6. I Cor 4:5 7. or, Judgment Seat of Christ” - I Pet 1:7 8. Fulfilled - Rev 4:2 (NT Rewards) 9. Heb 6:8 10. I Cor 6:19-20 11. or, “tries to destroy the Church” – Mt 21: 17- 19 12. Quoted from the OT - Job 5:13 13. Quoted from the OT - Psa 94:11 14. II Cor 4:5

3:10 This term “ I have laid ” comes from a Greek verb that is perfect in tense and indicative in mood and emphasizes the continuous result of a completed action. This verse (to paraphrase Paul) could read, “ I have laid the foundation (of the one-time event of salvation) and it’s still holding up (it’s still saving you) . ” 3:12 According to the Bible, Christians can build one of two structures upon their foundation of salvation (I Cor 3:10-11), which was laid for us by CHRIST : * gold, silver, precious stones (that which is worthy) * wood, hay, stubble (that which is worthless) Interestingly enough, a talent ( Mt 25:15a ) was used to measure worth, not wheat. Thus, God gave us talents (spiritual abilities; gifts) to bring out the “worth” in people. In other words, we are to use our spiritual gifts (God-given talents) not only to build a worthy structure for us, but to help others build a worthy structure for them. NOTE – According to God, only humans, made in His image, have real worth ( Mt 13:44,45 ). Thus, God wants us to use our God-given talents (spiritual gifts) to bring that worth out in people. 3:13 a This word ( fire ) is the Greek word SXU ( pur ). It’s where Catholicism draws their word “Purgatory.” According to the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church, purgatory is a place of temporal punishment in the intermediate realm, in which it is held that all those who die at peace with the church but who are not found perfect must undergo penal and purifying suffering. Only those believers who have attained a state of Christian perfection (whatever that is) are said to go immediately to Heaven.All others are said to go to purgatory, where, for a longer or shorter time, they suffer until all sin is purged away, after which they are translated to Heaven. Sadly, the entire teaching on Purgatory is derived from this one Greek word ( pur – purgatory) and 2 Maccabees 12:39-45 , found in the Apocrypha ( Lk 11:51 ). Hank Hanegraaff (The Bible Answer Man) in The Bible Answer Book notes: Finally, while Purgatory was officially defined by the Council of Florence (1439) and officially defended by the council of Trent in the late 16 th century, nowhere is Purgatory officially depicted in the canon of Scripture. As The New Catholic Encyclopedia readily acknowledges, “the doctrine of Purgatory is not explicitly stated in the Bible.” Thus, Catholicism is forced to appeal to the traditions of the fathers rather than the testimony of the FATHER–who through his Word has graciously provided salvation by grace alone, through faith alone, on account of Christ alone. 1 Robert Farrar Capon in The Parables of Judgment calls purgatory an “invention; a pre-heavenly carwash for souls muddied by traffic on earth.” 2 NOTE - It’s not what tradition says, but what the Word of God says that counts. Our LORD said it best when he warned the religious crowd in Matthew 15:3: Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition? According to the Evangelical Dictionary of Theology , the concept of “purgatory” is a Roman Catholic tradition that came from the purging pattern in Gnostic thought ( Colo 2:16 ). 3 3:13 b Christians will enjoy Heaven based on “motive” ( what sort it is ), not merit (what size it is). Why we do what we do is more important than what we did. If what we do isn’t done with the proper motive , it doesn’t count with God ( I Sam 15: 1- 15 , Mt 6:1 & 20:1,11 , II Cor 5:14 , Jude 1:21 and Rev 2:4 ). Herb Vander Lugt and Dave Branon in Understanding the Endtimes notes: