This is Part 3 in our building series.
The New Testament gives us several pictures of how Jesus intended the church to look. There are several relational metaphors, including a body (1 Corinthians 12:12-31, Ephesians 5:22-23, Colossians 1:18, Ephesians 4:15), the family of God (1 Timothy 3:15, Ephesians 2:19, John 1:12, Galatians 4:6-7), the bride of Christ (2 Corinthians 11:2, Ephesians 5:22-32, Revelation 21:9), and a royal priesthood (1 Peter 2:9, Hebrew 10:19-21). The New Testament also uses agricultural pictures such as branches on a vine (John 15:5), and olive tree (Romans 11:17-24), and a field of crops (1 Corinthians 3:6-9).
Another metaphor that was used by both Peter and Paul was that of a building. For the next three weeks, we are going to look at the building metaphors in the New Testament as found in 1 Peter, Ephesians, and 1 Corinthians.
In each of these passages, followers of Christ are described simultaneously as God’s workmanship and his workmen, and we will explore in these passages what it means to be pliable in his hands and the role we can play in the construction of his Kingdom.
We have already focused on 1 Peter and Ephesians, and today we will explore 1 Corinthians 3:9-17.
For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, God’s building.
By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as an expert builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should be careful how he builds. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man’s work. If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames.
Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him; for God’s temple is sacred, and you are that temple.
This passage hits on a number of key issues that we have already explored:
- We are the temple of God, and he lives in us individually and corporately.
- We are both God’s workmanship and his workers.
- We must build on a firm foundation.
In particular, this passage highlights the role that Jesus plays as the chief cornerstone. Scripture refers to Jesus as the cornerstone on at least seven different occasions. Today, cornerstones are largely ceremonial or symbolic, but in ancient architecture the cornerstone was critical to the structural integrity of the building. It was the first stone set in the foundation of a building, and all other stones were set in reference to the it, thus determining the position and direction of the structure. The cornerstone of our faith is Jesus Christ. In Ephesians, Jesus is the one who connected the bickering Jews and Gentiles. In Corinthians, Jesus is the only firm foundation on which we can build.
The passage also highlights some of our responsibilities, such as building well for God and not ourselves, building on a foundation of Christ and good doctrine, building things that will last, and accepting the sacred challenge of being a temple of God.
Building Well
In verse 10, Paul refers to himself as an “expert builder,” which can also be translated “architect.” Architects know how to build solid structures based on the laws of physics and on principles of art and aesthetics. To be expert builders in the kingdom of God, we must pay attention to both the laws of our faith, found in good doctrine, and in the works of our faith, which result in either gold, silver, and jewels or wood, hay, and straw.
Building Physics
Doctrine may sound like a scary word, but it’s simply the intellectual framework for our faith. It’s important because the way we think affects the way we act, and right thinking leads to right action. Paul warns that whoever builds must be careful because the only foundation is Jesus Christ. We must base our ministry, leadership, and teaching on Scriptures and our relationship with Christ. Author and theologian Wayne Grudem said, “Today, the Bible contains all the words of God that a person needs to become a Christian, live as a Christian, and grow as a Christian.” What kind of foundation are we building upon? Are we building on the foundation that Christ laid and that the first century church built upon? Or are we building on a foundation of our own making?
Building Aesthetics
Paul also encourages us to consider how our building looks. He acknowledges that we can build out of a number of different materials but that only a few materials will comply with the eternal fire codes. Sometimes I look at my Christian life and realize that I am stressfully building a structure that is made out of wood or hay. Christian activity does not necessarily equate to good building practices.
Our Sacred Challenge
Once again, the Scriptures tell us that this whole building project is ultimately about us becoming, creating, and protecting a temple for God’s presence. Ultimately, our lives and our ministries should point to one thing– God and his glory.
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