SERMON: “The Now and Future Building” (1 Cor. 3:10–15)
“The
Now and Future Building”
(1 Cor. 3:10–15)
Series: “1 Cor: Holiness from Messes” #11 Text: 1
Corinthians 3:10–15
By: Shaun Marksbury Date: December 14, 2025
Venue: Living Water Baptist Church Occasion: AM Service
I.
Introduction
It’s amazing to see the detail previous generations put into
architecture. I thought about reflecting
on a few different cities, but really, nothing compares to some of the historic
churches throughout Europe. For
instance, on the outside of some, flying buttresses served both as supports as
well as to point the eye heavenward toward God.
Adorning the façade were often gargoyles, which functioned as elaborate
waterspouts to divert rainwater while mocking and repelling demonic influences. Stained glass windows served to illuminate
interiors with both physical and biblical light, displaying divine narratives.
Sometimes, the building became too much of a focus, and some
Reformers wanted to move away from much of the Roman Catholic influences. Yet, Protestants still brought the lofty over
into American churches. Strong stonework
would remind people of the anchor of our souls.
Tall doors and high ceilings would remind people of the transcendence of
God. Sometimes, three windows in the
front would be a subtle reminder of the Trinity. High pulpits would remind the congregation to
look upward — not at the preacher, but at the preached word.
Yet, the sad reality today is that many of these lovely churches,
built to endure the test of time, lacked something inside. While they may have started strong, they went
astray in various ways. It seems like a beautiful
church is often a sign of ugly theology. And that sad reality reminds us that there is
a deeper magnificence that we should be striving for in our churches.
Paul has just been talking about divisions in the church,
warning that they are carnal and worldly.
He challenged the Corinthian believers to see themselves as unified
around the work of the Lord, which he now compares to a building. He continues that metaphor for a while here,
even calling believers “a sanctuary of God” or a temple in vv. 16–17. Anywhere the Spirit of the Lord is, whether
in Christ, in the universal body of Christ, or in the individual Christians,
can properly be described as a temple.[1]
The most important building project is what the Lord is
doing in and through His people. This building
project began with the apostles, it continues today to be an eternal edifice. If that is the case, then both ministers and
members of the church must carefully consider how to build, as we see in two
points here. First, we must build on the
foundation of Christ (vv. 10–11). Second,
our work will be inspected by Christ one day (vv. 12–15). Let’s consider the first point.
II.
First, We Must Build On the Foundation of Christ (vv.
10–11)
According to the
grace of God which was given to me, like a wise master builder I laid a
foundation, and another is building on it. But each man must be careful how he
builds on it. For no one can lay a
foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
Paul never viewed his ministry as coming from himself. As he testified later: “But by the grace of
God I am what I am, and His grace toward me did not prove vain; but I labored
even more than all of them, yet not I, but the grace of God with me” (1 Cor.
15:10). This isn’t merely the saving
grace which converted his soul, but a grace that enabled him for ministry.[2]
He was saying that God uniquely equipped
him to plant churches — particularly in pagan, Gentile cities like Corinth.
Thus, Paul could call himself “a wise master builder.” The Greek term Paul uses here is the root of
our word architect.[3]
It refers not merely to someone who
builds, but to one who designs and oversees construction.[4] Paul understood his unique apostolic role and
is saying he has a God-given expertise for what he’s doing.[5] He was not boasting, for he’s saying that the
grace is external to him, but he was acknowledging responsibility.
Consider the term “wise.”
His wisdom was not worldly wisdom, but God-given wisdom — the wisdom of
the cross he has been defending since chapter one. During the eighteen months he spent in Corinth
(Acts 18:11), Paul preached Christ faithfully and exclusively.[6]
As he said earlier, “I determined to
know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified” (1 Cor. 2:2). That is what made him a wise builder.
So, the foundation he laid was not philosophy, rhetoric, or
cultural relevance. It was Christ
crucified. The finished work of Christ
is the bedrock of all that we are as a people.
So, what happens when another is building on it? Paul won’t be around forever, and he acknowledges
that ministry does not stop with him. Others
— like Apollos[7]
— came alongside to water what Paul had planted (to use the previous agricultural
metaphor). This could refer to good or
bad teachers; Paul simply notes that there is edification happening, building a
structure on the foundation, which can be praiseworthy. As Christ is proclaimed, and believers are
baptized and discipled, the work of building continues.
Maybe you’ve heard and used the term, “edifying.” You might say that of a teacher on the radio,
or perhaps of a conversation you have with a saint here. This is the term for constructing a building,[8]
and hopefully, you are also joining in the process of building up fellow
believers in love.[9] The key is to build on the foundation of
Jesus Christ.
That’s why Paul’s tone shifts slightly here. As a “skilled master builder,”[10]
Paul cautions that each “must be careful how he builds on it.” As one study notes, “This primarily refers to
evangelists and pastor-teachers.”[11] The elders in any congregation must ensure
that the ministry is not drifting into a Christless Christianity or adopting
unbiblical wisdom.
Yet, Paul’s warning doesn’t stop there. The repeated language of “each man” and
“anyone” throughout this passage broadens the application; we “all have the
same responsibility.”[12]
If every believer is to be edifying with one
another, then we must each think of ourselves as part of the edification or
building process. Let us take care that
we’re each utilizing the same grace of God and using the blueprint of Scripture
as we work!
Why? Because we can’t
change the foundation, as v. 11 notes. The
foundation is already laid. Paul was
doing the work of an apostle, as were Peter and the others. Ultimately, God Himself laid this foundation
when He sent His Son into the world. Paul
did not invent it, then; he proclaimed Christ the foundation.[13]
Jesus Christ is the foundation of the universal church, and
He should be the foundation of every local church. Elsewhere Paul will speak of the apostles and
prophets as foundational, with Christ as the cornerstone (Eph. 2:20). He’s not contradicting himself; the apostles
laid Christ before the church through their faithful proclamation. We encounter Christ through the written word
of His apostles, the Bible.
Any ministry that shifts the foundation—by adding to Christ,
subtracting from Christ, or replacing Christ—ceases to be Christian ministry. Paul is emphasizing that Jesus Christ is the
foundation to keep false teachers from distracting the church, shifting the
foundation from Christ and making the building unstable.[14] Others were preaching a different gospel (2
Cor. 11:4)![15]
The foundation is laid, and there is only one. All that remains is for believers to continue
building on it. We do so knowing that
our work will be evaluated one day — not by Paul, but by Christ Himself. That
brings us to the next point:
III.
Second, Our Work Will Be Inspected by Christ One Day
(vv. 12–15)
Now if anyone
builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each
man’s work will become evident, for the day will indicate it because it is
revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test the quality of each man’s
work. If any man’s work which he has
built on it remains, he will receive a reward. If any man’s work is burned up, he will suffer
loss, but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.
It’s here we unexpectedly get into some eschatology, some
study of the end times. He’s having us
consider how our present efforts will play out in the future. The question is what he’s talking about!
Some have read this and thought it might refer to purgatory. That’s mainly a doctrine that the Roman
Catholic church, and some see it in this passage among others (though not all
Catholic scholars). This was a doctrine
that evolved over time, as some in the early church began praying for the dead
like some did in Judaism (though they probably
didn’t have a purgatory-like state in mind when they did). Only a few of the early church fathers
thought that the soul needed to be “purged” of sin (and some thought the soul
slept while this happened!). It wasn’t until
Gregory the Great and into the Middle Ages that the doctrine became a widely
taught. However, Protestants have rightly
rejected the idea as unbiblical, affirming that Christ paid for all our sins.[16]
In fact, as we read this, it is describing something quite
different. First, Paul is describing the
work of building. As such, he lays out six
building materials, divided naturally into two groups.
First, he lists gold, silver, and precious stones. The first two are obvious, and the third might
refer to gems. Yet, it also might represent
durable, valuable materials such as marble.[17] These would be all appropriate materials for a
temple, and in the Old Testament, such appeared in the construction of God’s
sanctuary (1 Chr. 22:14–16).[18]
Now, if we only take that literally, we might think that it
is essential that we have gold, silver, and precious stones in our church
building! As nice as that would be,
remember that we are talking about people as the sanctuary, and these represent
works. This would be the person who
ensures that everything he does in the body of Christ aligns with the building
code in front of us.
Wood, hay, and straw, by contrast, were common, temporary
materials. For instance, one might mix
hay and straw with mud, place it on a wooden frame, and construct simple
dwellings. These were functional, but they
would not endure.
Again, this is talking about works. Some ministry is shallow, such as the
entertainment-driven shows served by so many churches on Sunday mornings. This also may talk about the service some Christians
provide one another, programs or counsel that never talks about Christ. It’s not that any of this is evil, and it may
even be helpful. But, it lacks in
quality, and it proves unenduring.
If it’s not clear in this life, it becomes clear on the day
of judgment. Note already that we are
talking about something quite different from purgatory, but it is also
different from the coming judgment of unbelievers. This is actually a judgment of believers sometimes
called the Bema Judgment or the
Judgment Seat of Christ (2 Cor. 5:10). [19] This not where sins are purged, but works will
be evaluated.
In the ancient world, just like today, work needed approval.[20] This is where Christ will judge the quality
of our service, to see if it was worldly or heavenly in origin.[21] Motives, methods, and faithfulness will be
revealed. As Paul reminds the
Corinthians in the next chapter, “The Lord… will bring to light the things
hidden in the darkness and disclose the motives of hearts” (1 Cor. 4:5). Jesus will expose all Christian service for
what it truly is.
The Lord will test it with His holy fire. Obviously, a fire will burn through wood, hay,
and straw and while leaving everything else. As we are inconsistent, there is likely much
we’ve done that is worthless, and there is some that is worthwhile by God’s
grace, and the fire will burn away the stubble.
Now, as everything else here is symbolic of work, this fire must also be. This isn’t talking about fire burning a body,
but an evaluation process of the work of earth.
The goal is to see the quality of work.
Again, this doesn’t
just apply to ministers; all Christians will face this judgment. Second Corinthians 5:10 talks about this
judgment, and Paul says there, “For we must all appear before the judgment seat
of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body,
according to what he has done, whether good or bad.” We are all part of the church, and we are all
part of the building process; we must give an account.
Yet, this is not a punitive
judgment. No one is going to hell as a
result of this judgment, for instance — “There is now no condemnation
for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Rom. 8:1). Rather, this is about testing,
purification, and preparation for the wedding supper of the Lamb. The Lord is ensuring that only the most
precious things remain from our work on earth.
Now, there are two
possible outcomes for this judgment. First,
you may find that you get a reward for your labor. Scripture speaks often of rewards for
faithful service — not materialistic prizes, but eternal commendation,
responsibility, and joy.[22] There may also be responsibilities in the
coming kingdom that our Lord shares with us, based on our work. May we hear, “Well done, good and
faithful slave” (Matt. 25:21) at the
end of our building project![23]
However, some may
have the fire burn everything away, leaving nothing precious. This is perhaps the most sobering aspect in
the passage. A believer can be saved,
yet finish life with nothing to show of eternal value. His salvation stands, but his labor does not.
This is loss of
reward. There will be aspects of the
coming kingdom that are not shared by everyone, and some may lose out on
something regrettable (if regret is the proper term for that time). Those who live carelessly,[24] who ignore the word of the
Lord today in almost every area,[25] will be deprived of
something. [26] It
is escaping like a man fleeing a burning house — alive, but empty-handed.[27]
IV.
Conclusion
We see here that we should think about how we build the
church. Now, we could focus solely on
the building around us, thinking of improvements. While there’s sometimes a place for that,
that obviously isn’t Paul’s challenge here.
We should think about how to edify one another, the living
building. Evaluate your ministry, and
ensure it’s focused on Christ and love for one another. Ensure that everything we do is always
biblical, and never worldly. And that
should, of course, be the aim of every ministry, as the church worldwide continues
to grow today.
That isn’t just a message for the ministers here,
though. That’s also a message for you who don’t hold a
position. Each person here contributes
in some way to the ministry of the Lord, so you should evaluate your
conversations and your service to make sure you are glorifying God. Some of you may even consider getting more involved.
Understand that your work will be considered
in the end — not for the sake of salvation, but for reward.
In everything, though, remember that this is not our
effort. We are God’s fellow workers, and
we rest in His grace. Prayerfully seek
His guidance and power in all things, and may he be glorified in the living
church of Living Water!
[1] David K. Lowery, The
Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, 1985, 2, 511.
[2] John D. Barry, Douglas Mangum, Derek R. Brown, Michael
S. Heiser, Miles Custis, Elliot Ritzema, Matthew M. Whitehead, Michael R.
Grigoni, and David Bomar, Faithlife Study
Bible, (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2012, 2016), 1 Co 3:10.
[3] John MacArthur Jr., Ed., The MacArthur Study Bible, electronic ed., (Nashville, TN: Word
Pub., 1997), 1732.
[4] Barry, et. al.
[5] F. Alan Tomlinson, CSB
Study Bible: Notes, 2017, 1815.
[6] John F. MacArthur Jr., 1 Corinthians, MacArthur New Testament Commentary, (Chicago: Moody
Press, 1984), 80.
[7] Tomlinson.
[8] Alan N. Winkler, Evangelical
dictionary of biblical theology, 1996, 76.
[9] Ibid.
[10] Tomlinson.
[11] MacArthur, The
MacArthur Study Bible.
[12] MacArthur, 1
Corinthians, 80–81.
[13] MacArthur, The
MacArthur Study Bible.
[14] Andrew David Naselli, Romans–Galatians, 2020, X, 243.
[15] David K. Lowery, The
Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, 1985, 2, 511.
[16] Jack Kilcrease, Lexham
Survey of Theology, 2018.
[17] Ronald Trail, An Exegetical Summary of 1 Corinthians 1–9,
(Dallas, TX: SIL International, 2008), 127.
[18] John D. Barry, Douglas Mangum, Derek R. Brown, Michael
S. Heiser, Miles Custis, Elliot Ritzema, Matthew M. Whitehead, Michael R.
Grigoni, and David Bomar, Faithlife Study Bible, (Bellingham,
WA: Lexham Press, 2012, 2016), 1 Co 3:12.
[19] MacArthur, The
MacArthur Study Bible, 1733.
[20] Tomlinson.
[21] Lowery, 512.
[22] Wesley L. Gerig, Evangelical
dictionary of biblical theology, 1996, 685–686.
[23] Barry, et. al., 1 Co 3:14.
[24] Tomlinson.
[25] Barry, 1 Co 3:15.
[26] Roy E. Ciampa and Brian S. Rosner, The First Letter to the Corinthians, The
Pillar New Testament Commentary, (Grand Rapids, MI; Cambridge, U.K.: William B.
Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2010), 156–157.
[27] Ronald Trail, An
Exegetical Summary of 1 Corinthians 1–9, (Dallas, TX: SIL International,
2008), 133.