1 Corinthians 3:10-17--The Bible in Context

It is amazing really how often scriptures are lifted from their context. A case in point is 1 Corinthians 3:10-17. Here are the verse from the HCSB:

^"According to God’s grace that was given to me, as a skilled master builder I have laid a foundation, and another builds on it. But each one must be careful how he builds on it, ¹¹ because no one can lay any other foundation than what has been laid—that is, Jesus Christ. ¹² If anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay, or straw, ¹³ each one’s work will become obvious, for the day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire; the fire will test the quality of each one’s work. ¹⁴ If anyone’s work that he has built survives, he will receive a reward. ¹⁵ If anyone’s work is burned up, it will be lost, but he will be saved; yet it will be like an escape through fire. ¹⁶ Don’t you know that you are God’s sanctuary and that the Spirit of God lives in you? ¹⁷ If anyone ruins God’s sanctuary, God will ruin him; for God’s sanctuary is holy, and that is what you are."

Often these verses have been used in sermons and Bible studies which deal with the day Christians stand before the Lord in judgment. The preacher emphasizes the fact that Christians need to live their lives by buiding good works upon the foundation of Christ [gold, silver, and costly stones]. If a person does not do that, his/her works will be burned but he/she will be saved.

While it is certain that we will stand before Christ in judgment, the fact of the matter is that Paul is dealing not with Christians in general but ministers in particular. The larger context of the passage is the fact of factions in the church. One reason for the factions is that the church did not understand Christian ministry. In chapter 3, Paul begins to compare his ministry with that of Apollos. Each of them, he writes, is servant of the Lord, who Himself causes the growth of the body. Each minister [Paul and Apollos] will receive his own reward based upon his own labor [vv. 5-9]. Paul then warns the minister of God's church to build well upon the foundation of Christ. However he builds, Paul writes the minister's work will be become evident in the Last Day [vv. 10-15]. The sternest warning is found in vv. 16-17: If someone who calls himself a minister of God destroys the temple of God [the church], God will destroy him.

"But let each man be careful how he builds upon it" [v. 10].