1 Corinthians 3:10-17
The Church - Established and Revealed By God
There are two Greek words for ‘temple’, hieron, which includes all the temple precincts, and naos (used here) which denotes the shrine proper, the sanctuary. It points to the very presence of God.
Paul ascribes his work at Corinth to the grace God has given. Grace means more than ‘commission’ (Moffatt, Goodspeed), or ‘gift’ (GNB), or ‘kindness’ (LB). Such translations miss the thought of God’s enabling power. Paul insists on the primacy of God and the insignificance of God’s ministers. He speaks of himself as an expert builder, where expert translates sophos, ‘wise’ (which recalls the discussion of ‘wisdom’ in chs. 1, 2). Builder is architektōn, the man who superintends the work of building. Plato differentiates him from the ergastikos, ‘workman’, as one who contributes knowledge rather than labour (Robertson and Plummer). Paul laid the foundation, but someone else was carrying on the work of building. Paul cautions every builder to be careful. Each one (hekastos, twice more in v. 13) points to individual responsibility. Many commentators restrict the application of this passage to the work of teachers, and it surely has special reference to their work. But the words seem capable of more general application and vv. 16–17 certainly refer to a wider circle. It is true of every believer that he is building on the one foundation. Let him be careful how he builds. Exactly what is being built? Some, impressed by the emphasis on right teaching, think it is sound doctrine. Others see a reference to building the church, or building up Christian character. Probably none is completely out of mind, and it is best to see the reference as quite general.
