 |  |
It is a blessed truth that all true ministry is co-operation with God Who alone gives the
growth. This is expressed in the A.V. of I Cor. 3: 9:
"For we are labourers together with God."
The workers, and the work are all `of God', consequently, how foolish must be that
partisan spirit that boasts in man! The transition from planting and watering to building,
leads on to the antonym of the foundation and the building. The foundation once laid is
Christ. This the Apostle as a wise master builder had laid once and for all. There could
be no thought of any other. All subsequent building was the erection of the servants of
God, whose individual work might differ as much as a temple or palace built of gold,
silver and costly stones differs from a hovel built of wood and stubble. Salvation is
nowhere in view, it is `work' that is to be manifested and of what `sort' it is (verse 13); it
is the `work' that will either `abide' or be `burned' (verses 14,15); it is service that will
either receive a `reward' or involve the worker in `loss'.
"But he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire" (3: 15).
In this connection we remind ourselves of Kipling's words:
"If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools",
Although we would substitute a less opprobrious title than `knaves' for those with whom
we fundamentally differ in this connection. We speak of the essential difference between
the `hope' and the `prize', `living' and `reigning', `gift' and `reward', `salvation' and
`service', which is so evidently in mind in I Cor. 3: When we read an article which
distorts Phil. 3:, with its running for `the prize of the high calling', into an endeavour to
attain to membership of the church of the Mystery, a sphere of blessing from which every
atom of effort is excluded and only grace and gift are operative, we are tempted to reply
perhaps with over vigorous language, but by grace, we have found it more in line with
our calling:
"To watch the things you gave your life to broken
And stoop and build them up again with worn out tools."
And so, we commend the teaching of the Apostle here in I Cor. 3: to all who
confuse `foundation' with `superstructure', and fail to distinguish the fundamental grace
of Ephesians with its `boldness of access', from the exhortation of Philippians, with its
`fear and trembling'. At the close of this third chapter the Apostle reverts to the divisions
at Corinth saying:
"Therefore let no man glory in men. For all things are yours; whether Paul, or
Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come;
all are yours; and ye are Christ's; and Christ is God's" (I Cor. 3: 21-23).
With the opening of I Cor. 4:, the Apostle applies the teaching of the builder to
himself and Apollos: