1 Corinthians 3:10 - Printer Friendly

ESV: According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building upon it. Let each one take care how he builds upon it.

NIV: By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as a wise builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should build with care.

NASB: 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 person must be careful how he builds on it.

CSB: According to God’s grace that was given to me, I have laid a foundation as a skilled master builder, and another builds on it. But each one is to be careful how he builds on it.

NLT: Because of God’s grace to me, I have laid the foundation like an expert builder. Now others are building on it. But whoever is building on this foundation must be very careful.

KJV: According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon.

NKJV: According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it.

The previous verse completed a metaphor about planting a field. Paul pictured himself and Apollos as simple laborers among the field of the Corinthians, echoing something of Jesus' parable of the sower (Matthew 13:1–9, 18–23). The field belongs to God and that's where the Corinthians should focus their allegiance, not on any human leader.

Now Paul has shifted to the metaphor of constructing a building, with a closely related point in mind. He pictures himself as a skilled or wise master builder by God's grace. In that role, he is the one who laid the foundation. The building is the church, the community of Christians, in Corinth. The following verse will show that the foundation Paul put in place was Jesus Christ.

In other words, Paul is the one who introduced Christ and the gospel to the Corinthians. He began the work, providing the stable, supporting "starting point" for everything meant to come after. Now others have come to build on the foundation as the church grows both in numbers and, hopefully, in spiritual maturity.

Paul warns that those who continue the work be careful how they build in their teaching and leadership. He doesn't seem to be calling out a problem with the current teachers and leaders. He is cautioning these leaders about the building work yet to be done. One cannot haphazardly throw materials into a stack—some building work is better than others.

First Corinthians 3:10–15 expands on Paul's earlier point that only God, not any fallible human being, is worthy. Each person must build their ''works'' on a foundation of Christ. Those works will be subject to judgment, to see what has eternal value. Lasting works are based in valuable, durable, precious things like wisdom and truth. Cheap and fragile materials won't stand the fire of God's judgment.

Paul cannot call the Corinthian Christians ''spiritual'' people. Though they are in Christ, they continue to live to the flesh. They are spiritual infants, not ready for solid food. Divisions among them prove they are still serving themselves, picking sides in a senseless debate between Christian teachers. Paul insists that both he and Apollos are mere servants of the Lord and co-workers. They are not in competition. Those who lead the Corinthians must build carefully because their work will be tested on the day of the Lord. Christian leaders who build the church will have their work judged by Christ to see if they have built on the foundation of Christ. All human wisdom will be shown to be futile and worthless.

First Corinthians 3 follows Paul's teaching that only spiritual people can understand the wisdom of God. Paul cannot fully call the Corinthian Christians spiritual people, though, because they continue to live of the flesh, as if they were still infants trapped in an immature condition. Evidence includes the divisions among them. Paul insist that he and Apollos are both servants of the same master. The Corinthians should follow God, not them. Those whose work is worthless will suffer loss, but they will be saved. After this, Paul will expound on the idea that believers ought to set Christ as their example, rather than being defined in terms of their earthly leaders.

First Corinthians is one of the more practical books of the New Testament. Paul writes to a church immersed in a city associated with trade, but also with corruption and immorality. These believers are struggling to properly apply spiritual gifts and to resist the ungodly practices of the surrounding culture. Paul's letter gives instructions for real-life concerns such as marriage and spirituality. He also deals with the importance of unity and gives one of the Bible's more well-known descriptions of love in chapter 13.