Gold or Straw

1 Corinthians 3:10-15

¹⁰ According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building upon it. Let each one take care how he builds upon it. ¹¹ For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. ¹² Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw— ¹³ each one’s work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. ¹⁴ If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. ¹⁵ If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire.

As Paul continues his discussion that which is based on Godly wisdom and that which is based on worldly foolishness, we find him using the construction of a building as an analogy. We have been horrified over the last few weeks to watch as the state of California burns. Entire neighborhoods have disappeared into ash. It is horrifying. Those pictures blazed across my mind as I read these words about building that which is permanent.

The building products mentioned fall into two categories. The first three, gold, silver, and precious stone are noncombustible. The last three, wood, hay, and straw all burn very quickly.

The precious, noncombustible materials represent preaching, teaching, and pastoral care that rest upon the Gospel. The combustible items signify teaching and methods motivated by human “wisdom” and therefore at odds with God’s “wisdom” — the doctrine of Christ. The OT refers to gold, silver, and precious stones as building materials used in the tabernacle and the temple.

Lockwood, G. J. ©2000. 1 Corinthians (p. 118). Saint Louis: CPH.

The admonition to accomplish the work of Kingdom building needs to be done using God’s wisdom, not our foolish plans, for that which I build on my own will simply disappear in The End. Of what use is that? I know a lady who once described The Last Day when she said she would grab the hands of those she had shared the Gospel with as Jesus returned because that was the only thing she had of value to take with her into the Kingdom of Heaven. It was an apt picture and one I have never forgotten, for indeed that all we will have left are the people who join us in the presence of God for all eternity.

The prophet Daniel speaks of those souls with whom we have shared the Gospel and he names them as that which with “shine like stars” in heaven. That’s pretty cool.

Daniel 12:3

And those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky above; and those who turn many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever.

Who among us wants to see our earthly efforts burn to the ground? No one. But that is what will happen to those are trusting in their own earthly efforts to gain them reward. They will be holding onto a fist full of ash. Instead I am thinking of those with whom I have been privileged to share the Gospel. Those are the building products made of gold, silver, and precious stones.