- God will test each one’s work: The fire will test each one’s work. When our work is tested by God, it will be revealed as what kind of work it was. Just as fire will destroy wood, hay, and straw, but not gold, silver, and precious stones, so the work of some will be revealed as nothing on that Day of the judgement. The unworthy work will be burned. Paul says the work will be tested to see what sort of it is. If one did a lot of the wrong sort of work, it will be as if he did nothing. His work will be burned and will vanish. Paul also says: “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad” (2 Cor.5:10). When our work is tested before the Lord, we will be rewarded according to what it contains.
Ex: Many people who believe they are serving God, but are doing it in an unworthy manner or with unworthy materials will come to find in eternity that they have in reality, done nothing for the Lord. Some will be saved, but with a life that was wasted, and receive no crown to give to Jesus, for His glory (Rev.4:10-11). That person only will be saved and all that he does when passes through the fire, everything gone.
The church as a temple : (3:16-17): When Paul calls the church a temple, he is speaking of our bodies as the temple of the Holy Spirit (6:19), the local church or Christian community is God’s temple. When Godly people meet in a place, we figuratively refer it as the Church. But the word used for the temple refers to the actual sanctuary just like Jewish temple i.e. Synagogue. God wants our physical bodies to be holy without any sin or without any defilement so that when such people actually meet for the prayer and worship, the place would be filled with God’s presence it becomes the temple of God. If we defile the church, in other words if we imbibe false doctrine or tempted to any looseness of life and conversation which is very prevalent these days, God will destroy us. In the days of Paul also as we studied, there were many false preachers who led the church to destruction and decay. So it is a matter of utmost importance that our bodies must remain holy, filled with the Holy Spirit, continually feeding on the right word of God. The presence of such believers or saints would become a God’s sanctuary or His holy temple.
Godly wisdom and worldly wisdom: (3:18-21):
Paul was not telling the Corinthians to stop pursuing the knowledge. Paul knew that Corinthians considered themselves wiser than others. If the worldly wisdom holds them back from God, it is not wisdom at all. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness to God. He catches the wise in their own craftiness and the Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile. So Paul says: become a fool so that he may truly become wise with God’s wisdom. God considers the wisdom of this world as foolishness, craftiness and futile. So no one can boast in human wisdom, but we can glorify God through God’s wisdom. The message of Cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us (the believers), who are being saved, it is the power of God (1:18). So let us glorify God by pursuing the real wisdom which comes from our obedience and studying the Word of God. Therefore the Psalmist says: “the fear of the Lord is the beginning of the wisdom” (Ps.111:10; Pro.9:10).
Glorify God: (3:21-23):
Paul says all things are yours which means both life and death are ours. Believers can use the life well because they understand its true purpose, where as non-believers live in the fear of death. Many times we are more excited about being with the influential and famous of this world than about being with God. We value the gifts and honours of men more than the gifts and honours God gives. Paul rebukes the Corinthians that let no one glory in men! He clarifies to all the believers, that though some say they belong to Paul or Apollos or Cephas, all belong to Christ. Making such groups is too narrow-minded. We are all the children of the same God and get the inheritance from Christ. “All are yours and you are in Christ” means all believers have the Christian liberty. We all belong to Christ and Christ is God.