At the commencement of this chapter, the sad state of the Corinthian saints is described. The Apostle could not write to them as unto spiritual men. That is to say, they were falling short of what their real privileges and responsibilities were. They were spiritual, for every Christian is. An unconverted man is natural, but a converted one is spiritual. We must not misunderstand the use of the word "spiritual" in this passage. We sometimes hear people speaking of some Christians being more spiritually minded than others, but this is not the sense in which the word is to be understood in this chapter. Every Christian is spiritual, for every Christian has received the Spirit of God. The natural man is a man who has not the Spirit; the spiritual man is a man who has the Spirit.
But the Corinthians were walking in such a manner that the Apostle could not address them as spiritual. He used another word to describe their state; they were carnal, and walking according to man. This carnality showed itself among the Corinthian saints by the envy and strife that raged among them, and the divisions that even then were commencing. Oh, if the Church of God had but heeded the earnest entreaties of the beloved Apostle who was inspired to beseech "by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you," what power of an ungrieved Spirit there would have been in walk, worship, and testimony!
But how quickly man became prominent, when Christ alone should have been exalted! The gifted servant was displayed where the Master only should have been seen. "One saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos." "Are ye not carnal?" is the withering rebuke of the Spirit of God through the Apostle; and may it not be said with equal force and far greater ground in these closing days of the Church's history?
There is such a thing as contending earnestly "for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints." Jude 33Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints. (Jude 3). This is our sacred duty, and all the more called for as the tide of apostasy rises higher and higher. But the exaltation of favorite teachers leads to strife and division among the saints; this is of the flesh and not of the Spirit.
We should thank God for every gift that He has given for the spread of the gospel and the building up of the saints. "Whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas... all are yours." In these evil days, gifts may be found, in ignorance and untroubled conscience, amid associations where it would be sin for those who have greater light to be found; "to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin." Jas. 4:1717Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin. (James 4:17). But we cannot ignore the fact that the ascended Christ, according to His own promises, has given gifts, and will continue to do so unto the end, "For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ." Eph. 4:1212For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: (Ephesians 4:12). And it would be folly to deny that large numbers of these are at work, and are richly blessed of God both in the conversion of sinners, and in the comfort and edification of saints, even though they may be walking in paths that most of our readers judge to be contrary to the Word of God.
"Let no man glory in men" then; let us not despise the gift, or we should despise the Giver; on the other hand, let us not unduly exalt the gift at the expense of the Giver.
The servant, however gifted, is only the instrument used of God to lead another to believe. The instrument is nothing in itself. A Paul may plant, and an Apollos may water, but God alone gives the increase. This is humbling to the pride of our hearts, but it exalts the Lord and glorifies God. He that plants is nothing, he that waters is nothing; and yet, for the servant's encouragement it is said, "Every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labor."
The Foundation Laid
The grace of God enabled Paul, as a wise master builder, to lay the foundation; it was already laid, and none other could be found; Jesus Christ is that foundation. This may seem to be simple truth and yet never was it more important for the soul to be established therein than in these last days. Multitudes are building upon Peter, as though he were the rock alluded to in Matt. 16 But there cannot be any other foundation than Jesus Christ. Peter was a stone; Christ was the Rock.
There are others doctrinally free from the errors of the Ritualistic system, who are far too prone to rely upon other foundations; and when amid the storms of Church trouble and the strife of tongues, their foundation begins to tremble and they imagine that all is over. But Jesus Christ remains; the sure foundation of God stands. Thank God, then, the foundation is laid, and never can be shaken.
Builders at Work
But here the responsibility of each individual servant comes in: "Let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon." The Church is looked at here as a building, and not, in this instance, as the body of Christ-"ye are God's building." In the body of Christ, there are none but true believers united to a glorified Christ by the Holy Spirit.
But the Church is also spoken of as the house of God; moreover, the house is presented in two ways-first, as that which Christ builds; second, as that in which man acts, which man builds.
All that Christ builds must necessarily be perfect; the gates of hades cannot prevail against it (Matt. 16:1818And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. (Matthew 16:18)). It is composed of living stones, and is built up, by divine power, a spiritual house (1 Pet. 2:55Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. (1 Peter 2:5)); it grows into a holy temple in the Lord (Eph. 2:2121In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: (Ephesians 2:21)). In these three passages, there is no builder but Christ. The living stones come, and the building grows-it is not yet complete.
But in 1 Cor. 3, God makes use of man as a builder, and here the responsibility of the servant comes in-"Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble."
The history of Christendom during the ages past illustrates this very point. How frequently doctrines have been introduced by man which are like building with wood, hay, and stubble! Baptismal regeneration, for instance, has introduced masses of lifeless professors into the house of God.
The Work Tested
Three kinds of builders are here contemplated.
1) "If any man's work abide," etc. The testing day is coming. In that day, the fire of God's judgment shall reveal of what sort the servant's work has been. He who in dependence upon the help of God's Spirit has proclaimed the Word of God publicly or from house to house, will then be seen to have built into God's building solid and precious material; his work shall abide; it shall abide through all eternity when earth and heaven shall dissolve away, and he shall receive a reward.
Work on, then, ye beloved laborers in all parts of the world-missionaries amid scenes of heathen violence, toilers amid the slums of our cities, teachers in the Sunday schools, distributors of gospel tracts, and helpers in every variety of work for the Lord-preach the Word, seek the positive conversion of sinners, and the establishing of the children of God in their most holy faith!
"If any man's work shall be burned," etc. Here is a sad and sorrowful matter for reflection, Christendom abounds in this kind of work. Think of the methods of worldly entertainment often resorted to in order to reach the masses-worldly bazaars, concerts, and a host of other things degrading to the dignity of the servant of the Lord, and hateful in the sight of Him who, with eyes of fire, walks amid the candlesticks. How sad if any real believer in the Lord Jesus Christ should lend the sanction of his presence to any such debasing efforts to swell the members of the great house of profession. Such is all wood, hay, and stubble; and when the testing fire of God's judgment sweeps through the building, all such work will be burned up. Here the case supposed is a converted man building worthless material, for it says, "he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire [or through the fire]." The fire which burns up all his work does not touch him, but oh! what loss he sustains. It is terrible to contemplate the rude awakening that awaits many a child of God in that day.
"If any man defile [destroy] the temple of God," etc. Here the case supposed is that of a willful enemy of God and His truth, introducing damnable heresies and doctrines of demons, undermining the faith, and bringing upon his miserable followers swift destruction and eternal perdition. Many such are at work today in the professing church; many a pulpit is occupied by men of this stamp, men who have never experienced the converting power of God's grace, and who, under the name of Christian ministers, are in reality ministers of Satan-"Such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ." 2 Cor. 11:1313For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. (2 Corinthians 11:13).
We are, indeed, living amid the perilous times foretold in the Scriptures of truth.