1 Corinthians 3:12-13
Ps Paul Cheng
Dear Bethelites,
In our last pastoral chat, we had considered that it is inevitable that some people will evaluate the minister or ministry? It is not wrong to evaluate one’s ministry, otherwise how would we know if the minister or ministry is faithful or not. But one needs to evaluate biblically, and firstly, we need to consider the guidelines we ought to follow, and secondly we need to consider that ultimately God will evaluate our work.
II. The Evaluation
1 Corinthians 3:12, Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble;
When we read of things like gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay and stubble, we tend to think of physical things, but here Paul was not talking about a church building but a metaphor. He was still on the analogy of constructing a building, and here he was focusing on the building materials.
Though there is only one foundation and that is Jesus Christ, nonetheless there are many kinds of materials people may use to build. God wants us to build with only the best materials that are worthy of Him, but sadly; some people would use inferior materials.
By way of illustration, some dishonest building contractors would use inferior materials instead of high-quality materials to build your house. Most certainly, you would be frustrated and disappointed. Can you fathom how God would feel when His beloved children would do likewise?
The first category - gold, silver and precious stones represents high-quality materials.
The second category - wood, hay and stubble represents inferior materials. In this verse, there is no comparison between gold, silver and precious stones, because they are all equally valuable. In ancient times, precious stones were considered more valuable than gold, and there were things silver could buy but not with gold. Just as wood, hay and stubble, they are equally worthless.
Men may not be able to tell the difference, but God is able to. Though God allows men to utilize their materials, one day, He will judge. As long as the believers are alive, they are contributing toward the building whether more or less. They are building and contributing through their lives, worshipping, serving, giving, Christian fellowship, etc. The question is not about the believers building or not, but what kind of materials they are using; high-quality or worthless materials.
1 Corinthians 3:13, Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is.
Dear friend, there will come a day when all our Christian works will be evaluated for what they really are. Our works may appear to be good, but are they real or not? Are they gold, silver and precious stones which are real, or are they wood, hay and stubble which are painted and decorated to look like the real things but are they real? In the church, everyone worships, sings, gives and serves, but are his/her works considered as real like gold, silver and precious stones?
How will God judge? God will judge the materials we use; as in our services and even the motives and intentions behind our services. Let’s say we visit the elderly residents in the Monash Gardens as part of our gospel outreach program.
When we visit them because of compulsion: that would be wood. But when we visit those same people because of love and we want to encourage them for Christ: that would be gold. Or when we sing in the church to impress the people with our good voices: that would be hay. But when we sing to glorify the Lord: that would be silver. Or when we give toward the tithes and offerings because of duty and obligation or to show off our wealth: that would be stubble. But when we give generously and cheerfully so that the gospel of Christ can be advanced, that would be precious stones.
For the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire. When will that day of judgment be? According to 1 Corinthians 1:7-8; that is the day when Christ returns. 2 Corinthians 5:10 says, For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad. Bad means worthless, like the wood, hay and stubble. The judgment seat of Christ is also known as the bema seat of Christ, or the tribunal of Christ, where the believers would be judged for their rewards (not for their salvation because they are already saved, but it is a judgment for their rewards).
How will Christ do it? And the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is. Please take note that the fire does not test the man but the work. There is no evaluation of the person, only an evaluation of his work; his ministry, giving, services, etc. Of what sort it is means what kind of material it is.
The fire is not meant to destroy or punish. Fire has a purifying effect; it will purify the metal and remove all the impurities. The question is, will our works be burnt up or will they withstand the fire?
With love in Christ,
Pastor Paul Cheng
(To be continued in the next pastoral chat)