A Wise Master-Builder 1 Corinthians 3:10

Paul the apostle declared to the Corinthians, “we are laborers together with God: you are God's husbandry, you are God's building”, and in chapter three and verse ten of First Corinthians, Paul referred to himself “as a wise master-builder” where we read:

According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise master-builder, I have laid the foundation, and another builds thereon. But let every man take heed how he builds thereupon.

The verse begins, “According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise master-builder,...” Paul began with the words, “According” which means “down from, throughout, toward and along” “to the grace” or “to that which affords joy, pleasure, delight, sweetness, charm, loveliness and unmerited favor” “of God” which refers to “the Godhead bodily and trinity which is comprised of God the Father, Christ the Son and the Holy Spirit”, “which is given” or “that bestowed, furnished, granted or supplied” “unto me” which refers to Paul the apostle, “as a wise” or “like a skilled, expert, cultivated and learned” “master-builder” which refers to “an architect or superintendent in the erection of buildings”. By God's grace Paul was “given” the “wisdom” to “build” His church at Corinth.

The verse goes on to say, “ I have laid the foundation, and another builds thereon. But let every man take heed how he builds thereupon.”. Paul continued with the words, “I have laid” which means “Paul set, put in place and put down” “the foundation” which refers to “the beginnings or the first principles of institution or system of truth”, “and another” or “an other person” “builds” which means “rears up and erects” “thereon” or “on the foundation”. “But” which is a disassociation conjunction that means what is about to be written takes precedence over what was just stated “let” or “see, discern, perceive and discover that” “every man” which means “each person” “take heed” or “see, discern, perceive, and discover” “how” which means “in what way or manner” “he builds” or “rears up and erects” “thereupon” which means “on it”. Paul recognized that he gave the “first principles” of the “gospel” to the Corinthians, and that others would add to them, but he also gave warning to everyone who “builds” upon what he began.

When we consider these words from Paul, we understand once again Paul's desire to set the Corinthians on a correct path concerning he and Apollo's role in the “gospel”. Paul was given “wisdom” to lay the foundation for the Corinthian church by God's “grace”, and Apollos “built” upon it. Each of these roles were “given” by God, and every person who “builds” upon the “foundation” of Jesus Christ and Him “crucified” should take care as to how they “build”.

Next time Paul shares how there is “other foundation can no man lay”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

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