Paul switches from the farming
illustration to that of construction of a building.
Paul switches from comparing Apollos and himself (Paul plants, Apollos waters)
to comparing himself (the expert builder who laid the foundation) to those who
are currently building in the Corinthian church.
Romans 15:20
These are called (indefinite pronouns):
1) “someone else”
2) “no one”
3) “each one”
4) “anyone”
These others are currently building in
the Corinthian church with inferior building materials.
In this analogy:
1) The building
is the local Corinthian church
2) God is the
owner of the building (local church)
3) Paul is the on
who laid the foundation and is the founder of the Corinthian church
3:10
Kata thn carin
tou qeou
thn doqeisan moi
“By the
grace (charis) God has
given me,
The “grace” (charis) is Paul’s
apostolic ministry.
As an apostle Paul was responsible for
revealing divine revelation and
establishing
the church universal and establishing local churches.
Romans 12:3 – “by the grace given me”
Paul continually returns to tell the
Corinthians he is their apostle:
1) 4:15-17
2) 9:1-2
3) 2 Cor. 3:1-3
4) 2 Cor.
10:12-16
wV
sofoV arcitektwn qemelion eqjka
“as a wise
master builder a
foundation I laid”
“I
laid a foundation as an expert builder,
“sofos” is from
sophia and means “wise”
“arcitektwn”
/archetekton/ -
1) This word is
more than the word simply for “carpenter” which is tektwn.
2) This is not
the word for “workman” which is “”
3) “arcitektwn” or “expert builder” refers to a
person who is both the architect and the chief engineer.
4) “arcitektwn” means “architect, master worker,
skilled craftsman”
5) A workman (ergastikos) provides the labor for the project
but the arcitektwn
the knowledge (This is how Plato differentiates the two.)
“Someone
else is building on it.”
“Someone else” is not Apollos or Peter
because:
1) In verse 3:5-8
Paul is working together with them.
2) Paul is
addressing those who are currently working and building in Corinthian church. Apollos and Peter are not there.
epoikodomei “epoikodomei”
is “builds on” and is in the present tense giving it the meaning of continual action. This is contrast to Paul’s “laid” a
foundation which is aorist.
“Each
one should be careful how he builds.”
“Each one” is “hekastos” (‘ekastoV
1) It speaks of
individual responsibility
2) “Each one”
refers to:
a. the Corinthian
teachers
b. the church
leaders
c. the individual
church members
3:11
The only true foundation of the
Christian faith, the Christian church, the Christian believer is Jesus Christ.
The Corinthians (teachers, leaders,
members) are replacing Jesus Christ with the
foundation of worldly wisdom.
1:23 – “Christ crucified”
2:2 – “I resolved to know nothing while
I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.”
Acts 4:12, “Salvation is found in no
one else, for there is no other name under heaven
given to men by which we must be saved.”
3:12
“If
any man builds on this foundation”
“using
gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw”
“costly stone” is “liqous timiouV” (“stones precious”) means:
1) here valuable
stones for building structures such as granite and marble
2) It can also
refer to stones used for ornamentation
“Wood, hay or straw” were all building
materials also.
- cortoV is “grass or hay”
“Straw” - kalamH is “stalk, straw” which was used as a
roofing material for
thatching
roofs.
3:13
“His
work will be shown for what it is”
“The
Day will bring it to light.”
“The Day” is ‘h gar ’hmera is “the for
day” and refers to a specific well-known
day.
1 Thessalonians 5:4; Hebrews 10:25 – refer to “the Day”
This “Day” is the day of judgment
Malachi 3:1-4 – “who can endure the day
of his coming?”
Malachi 4:1 – “the day is coming; it
will burn like a furnace.”
Romans 4:10 – “bema seat”
Romans 14:12 – “each of us will give an
account (“logos” a word or saying which one
gives by word of mouth)
2 Cor. 5:10 – komisotai – to receive back. It is rewarding or
punishing by giving back
the deeds (Col. 3:23-25)
Rev. 22:12 – reward is
“It
will be revealed with fire”
“The
fire will test the quality of ach man’s work.”
3:14
“If
what he has built survives”
“If” is in the first-class condition
and the statement is assumed to be true.
“He
will receive his reward.”
“reward” is misqov and refers to the
wages if the building worker whose work has been
approved.
This word is also used in Rev. 22:12
Luke19:16-19
3:15
“If
it is burned up”
“burned up” means it is burned up
completely
“He
will suffer loss”
“He
himself will be saved”
“But
only as one escaping through the flames.”
3:16
“Don’t
you know that you yourselves are God’s temple”
This is a rebuke.
This negative questioning and expecting
a postive answer “yes, we do know” is used
by Paul 10 times in this letter. (only one other time outside of 1 Cor.)
Two words for
1) hieron – the
temple shrine including all the buildings, etc. in the complex.
2) Naos – the
sanctuary or the shrine were the deity was present. Used in 1 Cor. 3:16.
“God’s
Spirit lives in you”
“
“you” is plural and refers to the
individual as the temple as also in 1 Cor. 6:19
3:17
“If
anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him”
“destroy” means “to corrupt, to ruin,
to spoil”
“God’s
temple is sacred, and you are that temple.”