Gold, Silver, or Jewels vs. Wood, Hay, or Straw

1 Corinthians 3:5-15 (NLT)

⁵ After all, who is Apollos? Who is Paul? We are only God’s servants through whom you believed the Good News. Each of us did the work the Lord gave us. ⁶ I planted the seed in your hearts, and Apollos watered it, but it was God who made it grow. ⁷ It’s not important who does the planting, or who does the watering. What’s important is that God makes the seed grow. ⁸ The one who plants and the one who waters work together with the same purpose. And both will be rewarded for their own hard work. ⁹ For we are both God’s workers. And you are God’s field. You are God’s building.
¹⁰ Because of God’s grace to me, I have laid the foundation like an expert builder. Now others are building on it. But whoever is building on this foundation must be very careful. ¹¹ For no one can lay any foundation other than the one we already have—Jesus Christ.
¹² Anyone who builds on that foundation may use a variety of materials—gold, silver, jewels, wood, hay, or straw. ¹³ But on the judgment day, fire will reveal what kind of work each builder has done. The fire will show if a person’s work has any value. ¹⁴ If the work survives, that builder will receive a reward. ¹⁵ But if the work is burned up, the builder will suffer great loss. The builder will be saved, but like someone barely escaping through a wall of flames.

•  Christians were created to do good works, which God prepared in advance for them to do.
• Within the body of Christ, some plant “seeds” (lay the foundation) and some water “the seeds” (nurture believers).
• God makes the seeds grow. God alone produces results.
• The Church (us) is responsible to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church.
• Both those who plant and those who water will be rewarded for their hard work.
• Christians need to be careful to make Jesus Christ the foundation of the Gospel.
• On the judgment day, some of our work will survive and some of our work is burned up.
• Salvation is not dependent on works.

I am writing to God’s church in Corinth, to you who have been called by God to be his own holy people. He made you holy by means of Christ Jesus, just as he did for all people everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours. (1 Corinthians 1:2 NLT)

“Reflections on 1 Corinthians” will be continued in future posts.

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