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With Eternity in Mind

1 Corinthians 3:10-15

While Jesus was the master of metaphors and storytelling in His teaching, the apostle Paul used powerful illustrations in his teaching as well—like the human body as an illustration of spiritual gifts in the Church (1 Corinthians 12:12-31). His illustration of the Christian life as a type of building may have its roots in one of Jesus' parables (Matthew 7:24-27).

Like Jesus, Paul compared two different houses (1 Corinthians 3:10-15). But unlike Jesus' parable, the difference is not in the kind of foundation that is laid but in the kind of structure that is erected on the same foundation. Paul clearly says there is only one foundation for a Christian: Jesus Christ (verse 10). The question then becomes, what kind of faith-life do we build on our faith in Christ? Is it a life of "gold, silver, precious stones" or "wood, hay, straw" (verse 12)? Paul's warning finds its reason in verse 13: A day is coming when our life in Christ will be "revealed by fire." Obviously, precious metals can withstand the heat and will prove eternal; wood, hay, and straw will be consumed. The life that withstands the judgment "will receive a reward" (verse 14).

This is not a judgment concerning salvation—the lives being judged are built on a foundation of faith in Christ. Rather it is a judgment for dispensing rewards for faithfulness. A life that has been lived for Christ's sake will be rewarded, whereas a life lived for self "will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire" (verse 15).

This judgment experience is called the judgment seat of Christ, where the lives of Christians are evaluated in light of eternal rewards for faithfulness (see also Romans 14:10; 2 Corinthians 5:10). Paul employed the well-known image of a Roman "judgment seat" (Greek bema) to illustrate the idea of Christians being evaluated by Christ (John 19:13; Acts 25:6, 10, 17).

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