In addition to the illustration of being farmers or gardeners within 1 Corinthians 3:5-9, Paul compares himself and Apollos in verse 9 to being co-workers, whether as laborers in a field or builders of a building. Unlike the wrong idea of human-focused factions that the Corinthian church apparently held, Paul and Apollos are on the same team, working together for their Lord God.
Building upon his comment about the church being “God’s building”, Paul expands on that further.
By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as a wise builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should build with care.
For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ.
1 Corinthians 3:10-11 NIV
https://bible.com/bible/111/1co.3.10-11.NIV
Let’s process this insight from Paul (as inspired by God) with a couple of questions. First, Does every building need to be built from the ground up? If someone wanted to be obnoxious (and I’ve been like that), they might refer to mobile homes or prefabricated houses that get driven to their site and plunked down. However, even these constructions often get set onto foundations, and I don’t know of any pre-built building that gets constructed from the ceiling down.
Next question: Why do we have foundations? As an engineer, I can attest that there are several reasons, but many of these fall under the categories of stability and strength. A good foundation helps to keep a building from sinking – from settling and breaking apart. It can also help prevent a building from being taken apart by external forces. We might remember the parable of two builders, and what happened to the one who built his house upon the sand (see Matthew 7:24-27).
So, one more question for today: What is the foundation that we should build upon, per verse 11? That foundation is Jesus Christ!
In contrast to this, think about other things that people build their purpose upon, without involving Jesus. These range from personal gain to social justice. Sometimes, human beings choose to build their lives upon the belief that people are able to save themselves from problems that range from addiction to environmental destruction to just being at each other’s throats.
To be clear, some of these goals aren’t all wrong, but when we try to build solutions to them without the right foundation, they tend to fall apart over time and under stress.
In the same way, if Paul or Apollos or Peter or any other leader were to build their message and ministry on anything other than Jesus Christ, we would expect the results to crumble. How many others claimed to be a Messiah in the past, and either lived to see their movement go away or were killed? How many human ideas (without a foundation in the truth of Jesus) have been relegated to history as mistakes and errors? How many well-meaning organizations have started with noble goals, but fell apart over time, whether due to human corruption, the inability to really change things without Jesus, or a lack of divine support to keep things going?
So, if what you’ve built in this world seems a little shaky, like you’ve done all of the “right things” but they don’t seem to be firmly grounded, take a look at your foundation. Have your plans been built on what someone (other than God) told you to do? Are they built around a personal (rather than divine) goal? Or, are your short- and long-term decisions all built upon the foundation of Jesus Christ: His teaching, His example, and His authority? If the latter is true, I congratulate you for making good choices. I’m personally still working on it!
From Sunday School lesson prepared for March 10, 2024
References:
- The Lookout, March 10, 2024, © 2024 Christian Standard Media.
- Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
- The College Press NIV Commentary – 1 Corinthians, by Richard E. Oster, Jr. © 1995 College Press Publishing Co.
Those Who Sin Differently 