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Priscilla: I Corinthians 3:9-15
Building on the Foundation of Christ

9 For of God we are fellow-workers, a field of God, and you are a building of God.

10 According to God’s grace given to me, as a wise master builder, I laid a foundation, but another builds on it. But let each one be careful how he builds.

11 For no one is able to lay any other foundation beside the One having been laid, who is Jesus Christ.

12 And if anyone builds on this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, grass, straw,

13 the work of each will be revealed; for the Day will make it known, because it is revealed in fire; and the fire will prove the work of each, what sort it is.

14 If the work of anyone which he built remains, he will receive a reward.

15 If the work of anyone shall be consumed, he shall suffer loss; but he will be saved, but so as through fire.

[Literal Translation of the Holy Bible]

Dear God, my Beloved Father, today I offer You my meditation on the Word of God in I Corinthians 3:9-15 about building on the foundation of Christ.

I understand verse 9 as follows: Paul, the apostle, and his fellow workers are fellow laborers with the Triune God in building up the Church. Paul likens God’s people to a field and a building of God. The Church is the spiritual field of God, cultivated by the apostles, pastors, and elders who nurture the spiritual life and growth of God’s people, resulting in a bountiful harvest. The Church is the spiritual building of God, where people worship Him and honor Him through their works for Him.

I understand verses 10 and 11 as follows: Through God’s grace, Paul laid the foundation of faith for the Church in Corinth. The foundation is the truth about the redemptive death of the Lord Jesus Christ and His teachings. Those who truly repent of their sins and have complete faith in the redemptive death of Christ will be saved and become part of the Church. Paul carried out the task entrusted to him by God, as a wise master builder, to guide others in the work of building on the foundation that had been laid. But each member of the Church must choose how to build their own spiritual life on the foundation of Christ.

I understand verses 12 to 15 as follows: The true people of God in the Church have only one foundation of faith, which is Christ. He is the solid rock on which the Church can build the faith of each person. Those who belong to God know how to live a holy life based on faith in the Living Word of God. Therefore, their lives and service to God are valuable, like gold, silver, and precious stones. Their lives are beneficial to the Church, build up the Church, and glorify God. Therefore, these works will last forever.

I understand that those who do not wholeheartedly live a holy life according to God’s Word, or those who serve God without sincerity, or those who preach the Gospel to seek their own glory, their works are like wood, hay, and straw. These works will not endure when they are judged by God. Those who do these works are saved because they have faith in the salvation of the Lord Jesus Christ, but they will not receive rewards for their works.

Father, I thank You for granting salvation to me and giving me the understanding to place my complete faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, so I can wholeheartedly live according to the Word of God to build a life of faith for myself and for the Church. Amen!

In the grace of Jesus Christ, my Lord.

Priscilla Christian Huynh
04/25/2023