1 Corinthians Week 6: 1 Corinthians 3:10-23

¹⁰ 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. ¹¹ For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. ¹² Now if any man builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, ¹³ each man’s work will become evident; for the day will show it because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test the quality of each man’s work. ¹⁴ If any man’s work which he has built on it remains, he will receive a reward. ¹⁵ If any man’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.

¹⁶ Do you not know that you are a temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? ¹⁷ If any man destroys the temple of God, God will destroy him, for the temple of God is holy, and that is what you are.

¹⁸ Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you thinks that he is wise in this age, he must become foolish, so that he may become wise. ¹⁹ For the wisdom of this world is foolishness before God. For it is written, “He is the one who catches the wise in their craftiness”; ²⁰ and again, “The Lord knows the reasonings of the wise, that they are useless.” ²¹ So then let no one boast in men. For all things belong to you, ²² whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or things present or things to come; all things belong to you, ²³ and you belong to Christ; and Christ belongs to God.

—1 Corinthians 3:10-23

Sermon Outline

1. You are God’s (MULTILINE)
2. You are God’s (MULTILINE)
3. You are God’s (MULTILINE)

Weekly Study Guide

You can really feel Paul’s pastoral heart as he pleads for his spiritual children to actively seek to grow their faith. In the second half of 1 Corinthians chapter three, Paul addresses this church he founded, expressing his heartfelt desire for unity, spiritual maturity, and a steadfast focus on Jesus Christ as the foundation of their faith. And here, he begins an interesting discussion of works and rewards, which merits further exploration.

In this passage, Paul employs the metaphor of a building to describe the church and its members. The use of metaphors is a technique Paul uses throughout the New Testament to explain what it means to be a member of the church. The church is so complex that scripture must use many, many metaphors to help us understand what it is all about. One analogy simply wouldn’t suffice. The church is a multifaceted, beautiful, powerful, and sometimes baffling assembly of all the followers of Messiah who exist between His first coming and His second. In exploring these various metaphors, we discover that the church’s design was intricately and ingeniously crafted, and that God’s love for His redeemed is boundless.

Just as a diamond has many facets, the beauty and complexity of the church prompts both Jesus and Paul to use many pictures and illustrations to help us grasp all that it contains. Each one adds more vivid color and texture to our understanding of Christ’s church. But this image was not original with Paul. In Matthew 16:18, when Jesus announced for the first time to His followers that He was going to build a magnificent organism—not an organization, but a living, breathing representation of Himself here on earth—He called it His church. He used imagery and analogies to define and explain this church. He was beginning to paint, in the minds of His followers, pictures of what this organism would look like.

Jesus began by declaring that this church would be built upon a rock, a solid foundation. He used an analogy everyone would understand. Buildings must be built on solid and true foundations, starting with the cornerstone—the keystone by which all others are laid. In Matthew 21:42, Jesus quoted Psalm 118:22 and said that the stone which the builders rejected became the chief cornerstone. Peter later reaffirms in Acts 4:11 that Jesus was indeed that cornerstone. In Ephesians 2:20-22, Paul elaborated on that first word-picture Jesus used and taught that upon this cornerstone of Christ, God would continue to build His church. It would be built upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets—which he called “a holy habitation for God”.

Here, in 1 Corinthians chapter three, Paul identifies himself as a “wise master builder” who has laid the foundation, which is Jesus Christ (3:10-11). Others would build upon this foundation, but they must be careful how they build. The quality of each person’s work will be tested by fire on the Day of Judgment. This powerful imagery underscores the importance of sound doctrine and faithful ministry. Those who build with enduring materials—gold, silver, and precious stones—will see their work remain, while those who build with wood, hay, and straw will suffer loss. This passage serves as a warning to teachers, leaders, and all believers to ensure that their work for the Lord is built on truth and not on human wisdom or superficial efforts—and that their works are not done for selfish motives.

Nowadays, in our desire to avoid even the appearance of reliance upon works for our salvation, we often downplay the role of works in the life of the believer. Without a doubt, we are saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. But we are saved FOR good works. This chapter helps us to see that not all the works we do have eternal value. We must examine our motives. We must evaluate the goals in our works. And we must humbly focus our energy on the only worthy object of our faith and efforts, Yeshua Ha’Meshiach—Jesus Christ, our Messiah.

Among the many takeaways from this chapter, Paul encourages us to build on the right foundation, pursue spiritual maturity, embrace godly wisdom, foster unity in the church, and be diligent in evaluating our work’s eternal impact.

(MULTILINE)

Discussion Questions

1. What kinds of things did you enjoy making/building as a kid?
2. What does the image of the church as a building clarify about its identity and purpose? What do the materials Paul mentions (gold, silver, precious stone, wood, hay, and stubble) represent? What do we learn about the role of works in the life of the believer by the use of this image? Why does Paul say that the quality of each person’s work will be revealed by fire? What do we learn here about the eternal rewards God has laid up for us? (MULTILINE)
3. How are we temples of the Holy Spirit? What is God’s role as the true builder of His church? Where do we see the sovereignty of God emphasized in this passage? What do we learn about God’s holiness, and where do we see His judgment on display in this passage? What prompts the judgment mentioned? What else do we learn about God from this chapter? (MULTILINE)
4. Why do you think the topic of “works” is such a sensitive one for Christians? Why do you think people struggle with the idea that our works will be tested? How do people today build their lives on foundations other than Jesus Christ? What are some examples of wood, hay, and straw in the modern church? How does our world promote self-reliance over dependence on God? (MULTILINE)
5. What do we learn about wisdom in this passage? What do we learn about personal accountability? How does this expectation of divine evaluation make you feel? How might we use this as motivation in our pursuit of holiness? What are some ways in which we can nurture spiritual maturity in ourselves and in others? What is one step you can take this week to allow the truths of this passage to affect how you live? (MULTILINE)

Going Deeper

1. What does Paul mean when he says that “if any man’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire” (v. 15)? What is a proper understanding of works as it relates to our salvation? What does the book of James highlight about faith and works (Jam 2:14-26)? What does Paul highlight (Rom 3:28)? How are these perspectives complementary? (MULTILINE)
2. Read James 1:12; Matthew 5:12, 16:27, 25:21; Revelation 22:12; and 2 Corinthians 5:10. What does the Bible say about eternal rewards? What is the purpose of these rewards in the life of the believer? What are some practical ways in which we can ensure that our work for God stands the test of fire? What does it look like to live with eternity in mind? (MULTILINE)

Transformational Activity

Community

In this passage, Paul says, “Do you not know that you are a temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If any man destroys the temple of God, God will destroy him, for the temple of God is holy, and that is what you are” (3:16-17). The “you” here is in the plural—meaning that “you all” together make up the temple of God. How does this understanding help us see the value of Christian community in our lives? How does this help promote unity within our community? Take some time this week to meditate on the role that Christian community has in our lives. Come back next time ready to share what the Holy Spirit revealed to you.

Family Focus

Read this passage together as a family! 1 Corinthians 3:10-23

Worth a Note: This section of Scripture is about building the church on the foundation of Jesus Christ, not on human wisdom or personal preferences. Paul uses the metaphor of building a house to illustrate how Christians should work together to build the church. 

Discussion Questions:

1. Paul speaks of the work he did planting the Corinthian church. What is the significance of his saying “I laid a foundation…”? What does that refer to? Based on verse 11, what is the “foundation” that Paul laid? (vv. 10-11) (MULTILINE)
2. What does Paul mean when he says we are God’s temple? How does the indwelling Spirit of God make it so? What warning does Paul give to the enemies of Christ (and Christ’s church) in verse 17? (vv. 16-17) (MULTILINE)
3. Remember that Paul is talking to his friends about their problem with criticizing some leaders/teachers and bragging about following others. It was creating division. Here he tells them how to think about the place of teachers in the work of God. What do you see? (MULTILINE)

Memorize this verse together as a family this week:

Do you not know that you are a temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? (1 Cor 3:16)

Focused Family Prayer: Thank God for the men and women who have helped you grow in your walk with Jesus.