Scripture Reading: 1 Cor. 3:10-15
In 3:10 and 11 Paul says, “According to the grace of God given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid a foundation, but another builds upon it. But let each one take heed how he builds upon it. For other foundation no one is able to lay besides that which is being laid, which is Jesus Christ.” If we would have the proper and deep understanding of these verses, we need to know the background against which they were written. What was the situation among the Corinthians that caused Paul to say that, apart from Christ, there is no other foundation? The background was that the philosophical believers in Corinth were turning to their Greek culture, philosophy, and wisdom instead of Christ. In practice they were laying other foundations. Furthermore, according to their philosophical mentality, they appreciated various spiritual giants. To appreciate a certain person and prefer him is to make that person a foundation in place of Christ.
Many Christian leaders and teachers quote Paul’s word in 3:11 about not laying a foundation other than Christ. However, those who refer to this verse may not understand the background of Paul’s word. Neither do they realize that they themselves may actually be laying another foundation. For some, the foundation is healing or speaking in tongues; for others, it is evangelism or missionary work. As we consider the situation among Christians today, we see that there is almost every kind of foundation imaginable. Almost anything can become a foundation in place of Christ as the unique foundation.
If we touch the depths of the truth in 3:11 and understand this verse according to its context and background, we shall see a vision of Christ as the unique foundation. This truth, this vision, will then govern and control us. Where there is no vision, people run wild (Prov. 29:18, lit.). Among the vast majority of Christians today, there is no governing vision of Christ as the unique foundation. Rather, many ministers and workers “run wild” to lay another foundation. On the one hand, many refer to Paul’s word in 3:11 concerning Christ as the foundation; on the other hand, even while speaking of this verse, they are laying another foundation. This should warn us not to understand 3:11 merely in a doctrinal way.
In these messages I have urged the saints again and again not to approach 1 Corinthians merely in a doctrinal way. Nevertheless, many are still able to take only the milk of doctrine, not the solid food of the deeper, experiential, and practical truths revealed in this book. If we read this Epistle and understand it only according to the black and white letters and do not care for the background, our understanding of it will not be very practical. On the contrary, it will be merely doctrine.
It is significant that Paul speaks of the unique foundation in 1 Corinthians, but not in his other Epistles. For example, because this was not part of the background of the Epistle to the Colossians, there is no word concerning it in that book. But the believers at Corinth were laying different foundations. Those philosophical believers were making different persons and practices foundations. This is related to Paul’s word in 1:12: “Now I mean this, that each of you says, I am of Paul, and I of Apollos, and I of Cephas, and I of Christ.” This indicates that one laid Apollos as a foundation, whereas others made Cephas or Paul their foundations. Some of the Corinthians laid a foundation of opinion or wisdom. Thus, among the believers at Corinth, there were many foundations. This background caused Paul to say, “Do not lay any foundation other than Christ. As a wise master builder, I have already laid Christ as the unique foundation. When I came to you, I came with nothing except Christ. I warn you not to lay another foundation, but to build upon the foundation already laid. Furthermore, you must take heed how you build. Do not build with Greek culture, with your opinions or philosophy or with your appreciation or preference for any persons. To build with these materials is to build with wood, grass, and stubble.” To understand 1 Corinthians in this way is to touch the depths of this book.
The problem in Corinth was that the Greek believers were exalting philosophy and spiritual giants. By doing this they were laying foundations other than Christ. To understand 3:11 in this way is to go beyond mere doctrine and grasp the practical significance of Paul’s word. It is also to illustrate the doctrine by the actual situation among the believers. Knowing their situation, Paul seemed to be telling them, “Don’t lay Greek culture or philosophy as a foundation. Neither should you exalt any person and make a person a foundation other than Christ.” If we say that we are for immersion or for speaking in tongues, we are laying a foundation other than Christ. But according to 1:2 and 9, Christ is theirs and ours, and we have been called into the fellowship of Christ. This Christ, God’s unique center and our unique portion, is the unique foundation.
In 3:10 Paul urges us to take heed how we build upon Christ as the unique foundation. The believers in Corinth were not to build with their Greek culture, philosophy, or makeup. To build in that way is to build with wood, grass, and stubble, not with gold, silver, and precious stones. What does it mean to build with these precious materials? We may say that it is to build with Christ Himself. But we need to go further and see that Christ is the embodiment of the Triune God. With the Triune God we have God the Father as the gold, the redemption of God the Son as the silver, and the transforming work of God the Spirit as precious stones. As we have pointed out, in experience the precious stones are the totality of gold and silver. This means that the Spirit transforms us by means of the divine nature and the cross of Christ. To experience the transforming work of the Spirit is to undergo a metabolic change by the divine life within us.
Once again I wish to point out that chapters one, two, and three of this book are very deep. These chapters are not primarily doctrinal, but experiential. Paul did not compose these chapters with doctrine or theology as the basis. Rather, he composed them according to the actual situation and condition of the church in Corinth. We need to be deeply impressed with the fact that the situation among the believers there was that their living was pervaded by Greek culture, philosophy, and wisdom. They were altogether living according to the Greek way of life. Therefore, Paul was burdened to show them that this is not the way to have the Christian life, the church life, or the Body life. In God’s economy the center must be Christ and Christ alone. We have been called into the fellowship of Christ, the Christ who is theirs and ours. This means that Christ is our unique portion, the portion of all those who believe in Him and call upon His name. Since Christ is our only portion, we should not have our own choices or preferences. We should not exalt anyone or anything other than Christ. Christ is the unique portion given to all the saints, and He is everything to us for our living. Christ is wisdom to us from God, our daily righteousness, sanctification, and redemption. This is the central thought concerning Christ in these few chapters.
In 2:10 Paul says, “For God has revealed them to us through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God.” Christ is God’s depths, the depths of God’s being. These depths can be realized and discerned not by our philosophical mind, but only by our regenerated spirit indwelt by the Spirit of God. By means of the mingled spirit alone can we discern the depths of God, the different aspects of Christ as our portion for our enjoyment.
Based upon the revelation given in chapters one and two, Paul in chapter three points out to the Corinthians that God’s goal is to have a building, the temple, for His habitation. It is not God’s intention to have a group of wise men or philosophers. God’s goal is to have the church. This church must be a building, called the temple, for God’s habitation. In order to reach this goal, God must have the church first as a farm to grow the materials for the building. Through the process of growth on the farm, the building comes into existence. This building is God’s temple.
In chapter three Paul seems to be saying, “You Corinthian believers should no longer seek to be wise. Instead, you should be plants growing on God’s farm. There is no need for you to philosophize so much. You should be simple and know nothing except Christ. Then you will grow in Him and with Him, and you will even grow Him. Eventually, in your growth, you will be transformed and become the gold, silver, and precious stones as the materials for the building up of God’s temple. Your urgent need today is not to philosophize — it is to grow. It is not to exercise your mind so much, but to remain continually in your spirit, where the Spirit of God dwells. Here, in the spirit, you will absorb Christ. Christ will then become your nourishment, and you will grow with Him and become precious materials for God’s building. You don’t need to philosophize — you simply need to grow and build. But when you build, do not lay another foundation. Christ, the unique foundation, has already been laid. You should not make Paul, Cephas, or Apollos or any aspect of Greek culture or philosophy your foundation. Put all these persons and things aside, and simply build on Christ as the unique foundation. I have ministered Christ to you, and now you need to build upon Him. But you need to build with gold, silver, and precious stones, not with your nature, your being, or your doings.”
Wood refers to our nature, our natural makeup, grass to our being, and stubble to our doings. We should never use our nature, our being, or our doings to build the church. Instead, we must renounce all these things and reject them. For the proper building we need to enjoy, experience, and possess the nature of God the Father and the redemptive work of the Son. As we experience the Father and the Son in this way, we shall be in our spirit with the Spirit of God. Spontaneously the outcome, the issue, will be precious stones. If we build with gold, silver, and precious stones, we shall build with the proper materials on Christ as the only foundation.
In 3:13-15 Paul says, “The work of each shall become manifest; for the day shall make it known, because it is revealed by fire, and the fire itself will test each one’s work, of what sort it is. If anyone’s work which he has built upon it shall remain, he shall receive a reward. If anyone’s work shall be consumed, he shall suffer loss, but he shall be saved, yet so as through fire.” When the Lord Jesus comes back, our building work will be tested by His holy fire. Only the gold, silver, and precious stones will be able to withstand the fire and pass this test. Anything of wood, grass, or stubble will be consumed. If our work is able to pass the test of fire, we shall receive a reward. According to the teaching of the New Testament, this reward will be the enjoyment of the coming kingdom. To the faithful ones the Lord Jesus will say, “Well done, good and faithful slave; you were faithful over a few things, I will set you over many things; enter into the joy of your Lord” (Matt. 25:21, 23). However, if our work is consumed by the fire, we shall suffer loss. This definitely does not mean that we shall lose our salvation. Our salvation is eternal and cannot be lost. But these verses indicate that we may lose the reward and yet be saved through fire. This is a serious warning.
We need to apply Paul’s word about taking heed how we build on the unique foundation to the situation among Christians today. It is very common to find Christians doing one of two things: laying another foundation in place of Christ, or building with wood, grass, and stubble, that is, with their nature, their being, and their doings. Thousands of foundations have been laid by Christians. Virtually every Christian group has its own kind of foundation. It is very common for Christian workers to lay other foundations. For example, a certain leader and his co-workers may form a particular organization. In doing so they are laying another foundation.
It is also common for Christians today to build with wood, grass, and stubble. The result is that the Lord does not get the proper building. Thus, there is no way for Him to come back. Nevertheless, one day He will come back. Do you think that when the Lord Jesus comes back most believers will have a large amount of gold, silver, and precious stones? I do not believe this. The precious materials will, no doubt, be small in quantity. But there will certainly be a vast amount of wood, grass, and stubble. Among today’s Christians there is an abundance of natural things, but very little of the precious materials suitable for God’s building. Therefore, at the time of the Lord’s coming back to test our work, many will suffer loss. Some, however, will be rewarded.
I earnestly hope that you will not take these messages merely in a doctrinal way. It is not adequate to learn all the points and then repeat them. What is needed is that we digest the messages and have our eyes opened to see the revelation in these chapters. Then we shall be able to utter something in a way that is experiential and practical. We desperately need to see that God’s goal is to have the church. First the church must be God’s farm with all the believers as plants growing in life to produce Christ. Eventually, by the growth in life we shall be transformed and become precious materials — gold, silver, and precious stones — for God’s building.
We all must heed the warning of not to lay another foundation. Christ, the unique foundation, has already been laid. In the Lord’s recovery we already have the proper foundation. Hence, there is no need to initiate anything or to have a new start. Furthermore, we should not exalt anyone or have a preference for anything. Instead, we must take Christ, the all-inclusive One, as the foundation and build on Him, not with our nature, being, or doings, but with the nature of God, the redemptive work of the Son, and the transforming work of the Spirit of God. If by the mingled spirit we build with these precious materials, we shall be carrying on a proper work for the Lord’s recovery. As a result, when the Lord comes back, our work will pass the test, and we shall receive the reward to enjoy the coming kingdom. If our work is done in Christ, with Christ, for Christ, and is even Christ Himself, it will pass the test of fire. Otherwise, if we build with material that can be consumed, we shall lose the reward. Oh, may we all see this truth! This will bring us into the depths of the Lord’s recovery. It will cause us to realize where we are and to know that the recovery is not an ordinary Christian work or a repetition of the history of Christianity. The Lord’s recovery is to bring us back to Christ, the depths of God, that God may have the building. Let us all look to the Lord that we may receive mercy to see this marvelous vision.
