1 Corinthians 3:12

1 Corinthians 3:12. Now if any man buildeth upon the foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble. The highly artistic form of this statement should be noted.

Two triplets of materials are supposed to be built on the same true foundation. The one set of materials as incombustible as they are valuable-represent those ministers of Christ whose teaching is sound and faithful; the other as inflammable as they are inferior in value represent those whose teaching is the reverse of the former; The figure is an old biblical one, used in Psalms 118:22, “The stone which the builders refused is become the head (stone) of the corner.” This our Lord appropriates to Himself, as rejected by the builders of His day (Matthew 21:42). And as Peter alludes to these same unworthy builders in Acts 4:11, “This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders,” so, in his following words, we have the very point before us, “Neither is there salvation in any other,” etc. Now, since in all these places the foundation is “Jesus Christ,” it follows that what is “built thereupon” must mean what is taught regarding Him considered as sound or unsound, wholesome or noxious. If so, then, those critics who led away by a different set of passages, in which believers themselves are viewed as stones of the spiritual temple understand the apostle to be treating of the admission of improper persons to Church privileges, misunderstand this passage. No doubt important lessons on that subject may be got from such a view of the passage. But it is not the subject here treated.