The usual explanation of this passage is that it describes the building of the Christian life. We all build on Christ, but some people use good materials, while others use poor materials. The kind of material you use determines the kind of reward you will get.
While this may be a valid application of this passage, it is not the basic interpretation. Paul was discussing the building of the local church, the temple of God. (In 1 Cor. 6:19–20 the individual believer is God’s temple; but here it is the local assembly that is in view. In Eph. 2:19–22, the whole church is compared to a temple of God.) Paul pointed out that one day God will judge our labors as related to the local assembly. “The fire will test the quality of each man’s work” (1 Cor. 3: niv).
God is concerned that we build with quality. The church does not belong to the preacher or to the congregation. It is God’s church. “Ye are God’s building” (1 Cor. 3:9). If we are going to build the local church the way God wants it built, we must meet certain conditions.
First, we must build on the right foundation (vv. 10–11). That foundation is Jesus Christ. When Paul came to Corinth, he determined to preach only Christ and Him crucified (1 Cor. 2:1–2). He laid the only foundation that would last. In more than thirty years of ministry, I have seen “churches” try to build on a famous preacher or a special method or a doctrinal emphasis they felt was important; but these ministries simply did not last. The Corinthians were emphasizing personalities—Paul, Peter, Apollos—when they should have been glorifying Christ.
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 to be successful for a time, but if it is not founded on Christ, it will eventually collapse and disappear.
I am thinking now of a pastor who “discovered a great truth” in the Bible (actually, he read it in some books) and decided to build his church on the promotion of that “great truth.” He split his church and took a group with him who were “devoted to the truth” he had discovered. But the new church never succeeded. Now his group is scattered and he goes from church to church, trying to get converts to his cause. He built on the wrong foundation.
Second, we must build with the right materials (vv. 12–17). Paul described two opposite kinds of materials, as the chart reveals. Gold, Silver, Wood, Hay, Stubble Precious Stones Permanent Passing, temporary Beautiful Ordinary, even ugly Valuable Cheap Hard to obtain Easy to obtain
What did Paul want to symbolize by his choice of materials? He was not talking about people, because Christians are the “living stones” that make up God’s temple (1 Peter 2:5). I personally believe Paul was referring to the doctrines of the Word of God. In each section of this chapter, the Word is symbolized in a way that fits the image of the church Paul used. The Word is food for the family, seed for the field, and materials for the temple.
The book of Proverbs presents the wisdom of the Word of God as treasure to be sought, protected, and invested in daily life. Consider these passages: Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding. For the merchandise of it is better than the merchandise of silver, and the gain thereof than fine gold. She is more precious than rubies. (3:13–15a) My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee; so that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding; yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding; if thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures; then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God. (2:1–5) Receive my instruction, and not silver; and knowledge rather than choice gold. For wisdom is better than rubies; and all the things that may be desired are not to be compared to it. (8:10–11)
When you remember that Paul has been writing about wisdom in these first three chapters, you can easily see the connection. The Corinthians were trying to build their church by man’s wisdom, the wisdom of this world, when they should have been depending on the wisdom of God as found in the Word.
This says to me that ministers of the Word must dig deep into the Scriptures and mine out the precious gold, silver, and jewels, and then build these truths into the lives of the people. D. L. Moody used to say that converts should be weighed as well as counted. God is interested in quality as well as quantity, and Paul made it clear that it is possible to have both. The faithful minister can work in the field and see increase, and he can build with the Word of God and see beauty and lasting blessings.
It is a serious thing to be a part of the building of God’s temple. First Corinthians 3:16–17 warn us that if we destroy (“defile”) God’s temple by using cheap materials, God will destroy us! This does not mean eternal condemnation, of course, because 1 Corinthians 3: assures us that each worker will be saved, even if he loses a reward. I think Paul is saying that each of us builds into the church what we build into our own lives. Veteran missionary to India Amy Carmichael used to say, “The work will never go deeper than we have gone ourselves.” So we end up tearing down our own lives if we fail to build into the church the values that will last. We may look very successful to men, but “the day shall declare it,” and on that day, some ministers will go up in smoke.
It is unwise to compare and contrast ministries. Paul warned in 1 Corinthians 4:5, “Therefore, judge nothing before the time.”
Young ministers often asked Dr. Campbell Morgan the secret of his pulpit success. Morgan replied, “I always say to them the same thing—work; hard work; and again, work!” Morgan was in his study at six o’clock each morning, digging treasures out of the Bible. You can find wood, hay, and stubble in your backyard, and it will not take too much effort to pick it up. But if you want gold, silver, and jewels, you have to dig for them. Lazy preachers and Sunday school teachers will have much to answer for at the judgment seat of Christ—and so will preachers and teachers who steal materials from others instead of studying and making it their own.
Third, we must build according to the right plan (vv. 18–20). It comes as a shock to some church members that you cannot manage a local church the same way you run a business. This does not mean we should not follow good business principles, but the operation is totally different. There is a wisdom of this world that works for the world, but it will not work for the church.
The world depends on promotion, prestige, and the influence of money and important people. The church depends on prayer, the power of the Spirit, humility, sacrifice, and service. The church that imitates the world may seem to succeed in time, but it will turn to ashes in eternity. The church in the book of Acts had none of the “secrets of success” that seem to be important today. They owned no property; they had no influence in government; they had no treasury (“Silver and gold have I none,” said Peter); their leaders were ordinary men without special education in the accepted schools; they held no attendance contests; they brought in no celebrities; and yet they turned the world upside down!
God has a specific plan for each local church (Phil. 2:12–13). Each pastor and church leader must seek the mind of God for His wisdom. First Corinthians 3: warns that man’s wisdom will only trap him (a quotation from Job 5:13); and 1 Corinthians 3: warns that man’s wisdom only leads to vanity and futility (a quotation from Ps. 94:11). Though the church must be identified with the needs of the world, it must not imitate the wisdom of the world.
Finally, we must build with the right motive (vv. 21–23). That motive is the glory of God. The members of the Corinthian church were glorying in men, and this was wrong. They were comparing men (1 Cor. 4:6) and dividing the church by such carnal deeds. Had they been seeking to glorify God alone, there would have been harmony in the assembly.
Paul closed this appeal by pointing out that each believer possesses all things in Christ. Each one of God’s servants belongs to each believer. No member of the church should say, “I belong to Paul!” or “I like Peter!” because each servant belongs to each member equally. Perhaps we cannot help but have our personal preferences when it comes to the way different men minister the Word. But we must not permit our personal preferences to become divisive prejudices. In fact, the preacher I may enjoy the least may be the one I need the most!
“All are yours”—the world, life, death, things present, things to come! How rich we are in Christ! If all things belong to all believers, then why should there be competition and rivalry? “Get your eyes off of men!” Paul admonished. “Keep your eyes on Christ, and work with Him in building the church!”
“Ye are Christ’s”—this balances things. I have all things in Jesus Christ, but I must not become careless or use my freedom unwisely. “All things are yours”— that is Christian liberty. “And ye are Christ’s”—that is Christian responsibility. We need both if we are to build a church that will not turn to ashes when the fire falls.
How we need to pray for ministers of the Word! They must feed the family and bring the children to maturity. They must sow the seed in the field and pray for an increase. They must mine the treasures of the Word and build these treasures into the temple. No wonder Paul cried, “And who is sufficient for these things?” But he also gave the answer: “Our sufficiency is of God” (2 Cor. 2:16; 3:5).