'For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus

Christ' (1 Cor. 3:11).

All service subsequent to the initial service of the apostle Paul, is

related to his work, as the work of the builder is to that of the architect.

'As a wise architect ("master builder": Greek, architekton), I have laid the

foundation, and another buildeth thereon' (1 Cor. 3:10).  No service that we

can render can be acceptable unless we build upon the one Foundation laid by

God's architect, which Foundation is Christ Himself.

The building.  Our chief concern is in the building; God Himself

has secured the Foundation.  If we are to serve acceptably, not only must we

build upon God's Foundation, but we must see that what we build is God's

building, for any other erection is unwarranted:

'For we are labourers together with God: ye are God's husbandry, ye are

God's building' (1 Cor. 3:9).

How much service is rendered useless by the one fact that what is being

built is not 'God's building'.  Each reader who reads these words of God,

should review the work he has in hand, and ask himself whether or not his

energies are engaged in 'God's building'?  This inquiry must not be limited

to social and philanthropic service, for the highest service, even the

preaching of His Word, may fail in relation to 'God's building', as did that

of those who preached Christ 'even of envy and strife' (Phil. 1:15).

The materials.  In any building scheme, quite

apart from spiritual things, the material used is of great importance, as can

be seen by inspecting the architect's specifications for a large building.

Supposing that we are building upon the true Foundation, and that we are

occupied with God's building, all will be in vain if our material is not

according to specification.  It is evident from 1 Corinthians 3 that the

building material represents the builder's work and that it is to be tried by

'Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious

stones, wood, hay, stubble; every man's work shall be made manifest:

for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and

the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is' (1 Cor.

Enough has been said, we trust, under this heading, to throw some light

upon service viewed as building.  We now close with a reference to the third

'Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ' (Gal.

'We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and

not to please ourselves' (Rom. 15:1).

'Support the weak, be patient toward all men' (1 Thess. 5:14).

The first thought is that of burden -sharing.  Galatians 6:2 does not

exhort that the strong should bear the burdens of the weak, but that each

should bear the other's burdens.  How far do we respond to this?  Perhaps our

own burdens would be lightened if we thought more of the burdens of others.