THE FIRST EPISTLE OF PAUL THE APOSTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS

CHAPTER 3

BUILDING A FOUNDATION IN CHRIST

          It’s a pleasure to have you back again to join in for another great study session here at Daily Bread. We’ve been learning about spiritual matters in this part of Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians, and he was explaining how the wisdom of God is spiritually perceived, not mortally.

          Are there times when you feel more spiritual than other times? Are there times when you feel more “in tune” with the Holy Spirit than at other times? Watch how Paul explains that if you’re in a carnal state of mind, you can’t grasp what the Holy Spirit may be revealing to you.

WHY IS BUILDING A FOUNDATION IN CHRIST ESSENTIAL AND HOW DOES BUILDING A FOUNDATION IN CHRIST AFFECT YOU?

And I, brethren, could not speak to you as unto spiritual men,
but as unto carnal, like to babes in Christ.
I have fed you with milk, and not with meat,
because before now, you were not able to bear (understand) it,
neither yet now are you able.
For you are still carnal, since there is still envying, and strife,
and divisions among you, are you not carnal, and walk as men (mortals)?
While one of you says, I am of Paul; and another says, I am of Apollos;
are you not carnal?

          (Remember in the first chapter, Paul mentioned that the people in Corinth were bragging about who they were baptized by, as though one was different or better than another, when all are baptized into Christ.)

BUILDING A FOUNDATION IN CHRIST WARNING OF BUILDING A FOUNDATION IN CHRIST CONCERNS AND BUILDING A FOUNDATION IN CHRIST DANGERS

          This is a good time to be reminded of what happened to Herod. In Acts 12:21-23 you can read about how the angel of the Lord killed him because he took credit for helping other countries during a famine instead of giving the glory to God. And when Moses struck the rock in Meribah to bring forth water, without honoring God in the eyes of the children of Israel, the Lord wouldn’t permit him to enter the Promised Land (Numbers 20:8-12). Never take God’s credit for yourself. This is what Paul is expressing here.

Okay now, it’s time to put on your architect hat, and picture what Paul is describing here:

BUILDING A FOUNDATION IN CHRIST TRUTH OF BUILDING A FOUNDATION IN CHRIST BLESSINGS AND BUILDING A FOUNDATION IN CHRIST CURSES

According to the Grace of God which is given to me,
as a wise master builder,
I have laid the foundation,
and another builds upon it.
But let every man be careful how he builds thereupon.
Because no man can lay another foundation than what is laid,
which is Jesus Christ.
Now if any man builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, or
stubble, every man's work will be made known,
for the day (end result) shall declare it,
because it shall be revealed by fire;
and the fire shall test every man's work, of what sort it is.
If any man's work remains,
which he has built thereupon,
he shall receive a reward.
If any man's work shall be burned,
he shall suffer loss:
but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.

          We’re going to combine the planting and watering concept with the building concept that Paul is talking about. Did you picture what he was talking about? Someone introduced you to Jesus at sometime in your life. That was the person who “planted” the seeds of your Faith, or laid the foundation of your building. Jesus is the seed or the foundation. He’s the cornerstone that you’ve heard of so many times before. When you think of a foundation, you think of it as unmovable, solid, strong. Sooooo, Jesus is our foundation.

          Now, other contractors (God’s prophets, saints, ministers, servants, etc.) will build upon the foundation. They will enlighten you about spiritual things, they’ll help you to understand things that might be confusing to you, they put up the walls, the cabinets, the fixtures, and everything else that depends on your strong foundation. They do the watering. Now, if they don’t use righteous materials, or in other words, if they use anything but TRUTH, on the day when your building is tested with fire, it’ll be clear what kind of work each contractor provided and TRUTH will remain, but anything else will be burned and the contractor will not profit, but the building will be saved, even though it went through fire.