January 8, 2016 1 Corinthians 3:8 – 4:1
Download discussion questions: 1 Corinthians 3_8-4_1 Building
The beginning of this passage continues with Paul’s agricultural description, comparing God’s kingdom to the work of farmers who plant and water but ultimately depend on God to bring crops. Then the apostle abruptly changes to a different metaphor (v. 9), “God’s building.” A logical question would be, “Why?” What point is he making in this passage that is better illustrated by building construction than by crop raising?
The first comments in our discussion pointed out that farming, once the seeds are planted, is much more passive (I expect farmers might have some disagreement about that). But certainly once the seeds are in the ground and the available irrigation has been applied, the farmer has few decisions to make. “God causes the growth” (v. 6) as the planters and waterers watch hopefully.
Builders have lots of decisions and choices to make (a comment offered by an architect in our group). Building is very much a “hands-on” process. If Paul had used only one image or the other (farming or building) we could come to a wrong conclusion. Since it is all up to God to cause the growth, our part really doesn’t matter (the farming metaphor alone). Since we are the builders, everything depends on our correct choices and actions (the building metaphor alone). The apostle, a planter (v. 6) as well as a master-builder (v. 10) makes it clear in both images that yes, the ultimate result is up to God (cf. v. 10, “His grace” and v. 14, the single adequate foundation). And, yes, our part is important in God’s plan (v. 10, “be careful”).
Our part includes both our labor (v. 8) and the materials we select (v. 12). As one person pointed out, Paul associates both the labor and the materials with what he calls “rewards.” Then he immediately warns against two sobering possibilities, loss (v. 15) and destruction (v. 17). Those risks, combined with the earlier “be careful” exhortation, led us to spend time exploring what exactly he meant.
The passage becomes more specific at this point. The general theme of building becomes focused on a particular building, God’s temple (v. 16). The question of “you” as God’s temple came up. The pronoun is plural (“you all”; or “ye” in KJV, or “you people” in CJB, “all of you together” in TLB).[1] Paul is describing the church, God’s people corporately (he will use the same image for individuals later in 6:19). The building project Paul is describing is the church. The rewards and losses and destruction in his explanation are about how our lives affect the church. What are the criteria he gives to the Corinthians (and to us)? As one person suggested, What is the building code Paul wants enforced?
Building codes are primarily for safety, such as something as seemingly simple as the allowable height for steps (another helpful contribution from the architect). Clearly, all of Scripture could be considered the “building code” for the church. In this passage Paul addresses the specific “code violations” that were threatening the church at Corinth. He emphasizes that the church is holy (v. 18), and we will certainly see more of his concern for holiness (or the lack of it) in the church in the coming chapters. The temple, as was mentioned in the group, was a place of worship and more specifically a place of sacrifice. The central concern that Paul expresses comes back to a thread he has been weaving into this letter since the beginning (1 Corinthians 1:10), the divisions and lack of unity caused by factions. Apparently inappropriate loyalty to Paul or Apollos or Cephas (v. 22; cf. 1:12, 3:4,5,6) was the cause. This undercurrent has affected everything Paul has written for these first three chapters.
The building code that determines if the inspection is passed (the fire that will test the quality of each man’s work, v. 13) is our impact on the church. The criteria is considered individually (singular “man” or “person” in v. 13, 14, 15, as well as the “be careful” in v. 10b). The effect is measured corporately (the unity and holiness and worship and sacrifice of the church). Whatever gold and silver and precious stones represent, they are those beliefs and attitudes and actions that build the body of Christ. Wood, hay, and straw may give the appearance of productive work, but they don’t last. A previous pastor at South Fellowship once preached a powerful sermon about what lasts forever: people and the Word of God. Whatever is not contributing to those two eternal realities might be what Paul means by the short-lived building materials.
One comment was that the building process includes numerical growth into the church as well as spiritual growth within the church. Those who make wise choices will see their lasting results – those who have believed, and those who have matured in God’s kingdom. Those who make poor choices will still be saved (v. 15), but he will see his life’s efforts lost, a terrible prospect to consider.
An even more terrible prospect appears in v. 17: “If any man destroys the temple of God, God will destroy him.” Those who intentionally undermine the unity of the church (like the factions in Corinth) or the holiness and purity of the church (like a heretical preacher one of the members had recently heard at another church) are in grave danger. Disregard or even hostility toward the church, God’s holy temple (v. 17b), has serious, perhaps eternal consequences. Paul assures his readers that well-intentioned but unfruitful efforts will have no lasting results, but the person who meant well will still be saved (v. 15b). No such promise is offered for the one who “destroys the temple of God.” Nothing is said about such a person’s faith or the state of his salvation. Paul merely points to the dire consequences of disregard for God’s temple, His holy people. God jealously guards both the unity and the purity of His people.
In the final prayer before He was arrested, Jesus prayed for the unity and purity and holiness of His church:
17 Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth. 18 As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. 19 For their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they themselves also may be sanctified in truth. 20 “I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word; 21 that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me. [2]
His prayer was for purity (“Sanctify them”), doctrinal orthodoxy (“Your word is truth”) and unity (“that they may all be one”). The unity is modeled on the Holy Trinity (“even as You, Father are in Me and I in You”), even to the extent that we participate in that Eternal Community (“that they may also be in Us”). The intended result is a convincing testimony (“so that the world may belief that You sent Me”). That picture of the church is the “building code” that passes any inspection. Our workmanship has the potential to enhance any or all of those criteria in lasting ways. Anyone who undermines any of those elements is risking terrible consequences.
Postscript
I was a bit surprised that the subject of rewards (v. 8, 14) had very little part in our discussion. There were few if any comments about the nature of the rewards Paul mentions.
The subject of rewards was part of a sermon at South Fellowship on November 22, 2015.[3] The pastor, Ryan Paulson, referenced a helpful article by Craig Blomberg of Denver Seminary. In that article, the author states emphatically:
I do not believe there is a single NT text that, when correctly interpreted, supports the notion that believers will be distinguished one from another for all eternity on the basis of their works as Christians. What is more, I am convinced that when this unfounded doctrine of degrees of reward in heaven is acted upon consistently—though, fortunately, it often is not—it can have highly damaging consequences for the motivation and psychology of living the Christian life.[4]
I’m sure a discussion on Paul’s words and the quotation from Blomberg would have been lively!
[1] Bible Gateway, 1 Corinthians 3:16 in all English translations, https://www.biblegateway.com/verse/en/1%20Corinthians%203:16
[2] John 17:17-21.
[3] https://web.mail.comcast.net/zimbra/mail?app=mail#18
[4] Craig L. Blomberg, “Degrees of Reward in the Kingdom of Heaven?”, Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society 35/2 (June 1992): 159-172.
http://www.etsjets.org/files/JETS-PDFs/35/35-2/JETS_35-2_159-172_Blomberg.pdf , accessed January 5, 2016.