The spiritual Temple of God is to be built with choice materials, sparing no expense when it comes to construction. This, of course, is usually the mindset of someone building their own house. The only reason one would willingly use inferior materials is because the cost of superior ones is too high. In architecture, this can provide an immediate solution but will likely pose problems years down the road or during a trying event. The same is true with the Church as the Temple of God. If Christians use inferior materials to build, compromising integrity for a false sense of harmony, that building will not stand under the trials and testing God has in store. Paul ties this engineering metaphor with his previous argument: the inferior is the wisdom of this age; the superior is the wisdom of God. This contrast is startlingly sharp for 21st century Christians. Too many churches have allowed or invited in worldly wisdom, setting aside the more challenging yet superior Godly wisdom. Paul makes clear that the wisdom of this world is foolishness to God, while the wisdom of God is foolishness to the world.
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Paul ties together the imagery of building on the right foundation by highlighting what it is that’s being built. That, of course, is the Temple of God. This is no physical edifice, but a spiritual one. It is not marked by physical boundaries but by holiness. It’s architect and architecture are known and loved by builders. It’s supports are godly wisdom rather than profane folly. These are the precious stones, gold, and silver with which the believer ought to build. Doing so produces a humility and submission to the Triune God, who is present and active in our justification and sanctification. While pastors and preachers will get a closer scrutiny, this does not mean the rest of the congregation is off the hook. Paul begins now to drive home the very weighty matter of the work all Christians are to put into building the Temple of God. No building will be able to stand without a solid, firm foundation. If the foundation is cracked, it cannot stand. If the foundation is made of varying materials, it cannot stand. If the foundation is made of shifting sand, it cannot stand. As the wise master builder, it was Paul who laid the foundation of Christ alone for the church in Corinth. No other foundation will do. The foundation isn’t the only part of the building. A house is not a house if it’s just a cement slab. Without the right foundation, a house cannot be built, and a house must be built. This then is the responsibility of the church as a whole. Every member of a congregation is tasked with building on the right foundation of Christ, and Paul knows each person will bring different things to the table. He encourages us to build with materials that will last: gold, silver, precious stones; as opposed to relying heavily on wood, hay, and straw, which are easily consumed by fire. Party distinctions are normative under worldly wisdom but are unwelcome in the church. The reason such divisions have no place under godly wisdom is because Paul, Apollos, and any other preacher or pastor is quite simply a servant of God. This is a strong word of warning to churches today that have a tendency to create a cult of personality around a particularly charismatic leader. Likewise, preachers and pastors cannot let success (or the lack there of) distract them from their true calling, which is simply to preach the gospel in season and out of season. More striking is Paul’s agreement with James that teachers of the Word will incur a stricter judgment. Each planter or waterer will receive a reward proportionate to his labor. This hits personally, for my responsibility as under-shepherd of minister of the Word is first and foremost to God my master. The problem with the church in Corinth is believers who are supposed to be in Christ but are exhibiting worldly wisdom over and against Godly wisdom. Specifically, this double-mindedness manifests in partisanship. Claiming to be “of Paul” or “of Apollos” is dividing the body of Christ. While the names have changed, the divisions have not. In the 21st Century there are too many Christians who say “I am a Republican” or “I am a Democrat” or “I am of this Pastor” or “I am of that Theologian.” Paul sees this divisive partisanship as immaturity of faith. |
About the SeriesPaul’s First Epistle to the church in Corinth is a letter full of love and sorrow. Love for God’s Word and His Church is present on every page and sorrow for a church that has given over to the divisive wantonness of a real-world “Vanity Fair.” Categories
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