1 Corinthians 3:14–15

1 CORINTHIANS CHAPTER 3

A Reproof of Spiritual Pride. 1 Cor. 3, 1—23.

The building itself: V. 14. If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. V. 15. If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss; but he himself shall be saved, yet so as by fire.

The result of the test is now shown: If the work of any man will remain that he has built, he will receive a reward; if any man's work shall be burned up, he will suffer loss; himself, however, will be saved, but in this manner as through fire.

The statement is very general and refers to every kind of material, to all the various abilities and gifts. For whether a Christian is highly, moderately, or poorly gifted, so far as the work of the Church is concerned, that is of little or no consequence; everything rather depends upon this, that the work in the Church be free from the dross of human reason and vanity, that it rest upon the true foundation, and that it be actuated by love of Christ.

In such measure as any Christian's work will stand the test of the last day he will receive the reward of grace. And whatever part of the work will not stand up under the test of the fire of that day will be consumed.

By so much as the imperfections of every man's work will be revealed, by so much will his reward of mercy be reduced, by so much will he forfeit what he might have possessed, had his work all measured up to the standard set by God. But though such a person will not have the enjoyment of an unusual degree of glory, yet he will have the possession of the heavenly salvation, but so as through fire.

He is like a person that has escaped with his naked life from a fire that threatened death and destruction, or like one that escapes from a shipwreck, but loses both money and goods. The special reward which God promises to faithful and excellent work such people lose, but that which is not the wages of their work, but only Christ's merit, namely, life and salvation, that they inherit, because they retained faith in the forgiveness of their sins, also of their hidden sins, to their end.

Mark that the apostle throughout the passage has in mind especially the teachers of the Church, but that the others, in all their several posts in the Church, are by no means excluded.