The assembly was carnal and were "babes in Christ," as to spiritual intelligence. They had to be fed with milk; they were not able to eat meat. They had not judged the divisions and the moral evil among them.
The saints, however, were laboring together with God, building upon the foundation the Apostle Paul had laid, and that foundation was Christ.
Paul spoke of the way in which each one would build upon this foundation and of the material used: gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, and stubble.
The judgment seat of Christ will declare every man's work of what sort it is. Only the gold, silver, and precious stones, only that which is taught by the Word, will withstand the fire. Man's reasonings have no place here. In the fire (God's character) is the test; we find out what sort the work is. Will it stand the fire?
In heaven all things will be of God. The result of our work must be of God or it will be destroyed. For those whose work abides, there will be a reward, otherwise the work will be burned up.
The assembly is the temple of God, and one who defiles it by disseminating false doctrine will be destroyed.
The apostle warned about depending upon the wisdom of the flesh.