IN HIS FIRST LETTER to the church in Corinth, Paul addresses a point of division that exists in various factions within that assembly. Some are holding tightly to the teaching of Apollos; some are Paul’s followers. We get the sense that Paul has founded the church, Apollos has come and followed Paul with further teachings, and now Paul is back. He is disturbed by what he hears and sees. “You are still worldly. For when one says, ‘I follow Paul,’ and another, ‘I follow Apollos,’ are you not mere human beings?” (1 Cor. 3:3-4)
Paul’s concern is not one of jealousy, as though he has been supplanted by Apollos. His distress is in regard to the carnal nature underlying the division; the spiritual origins of this pubescent body of Christ are in question. Their truth-claims are based more upon the human teacher that they are listening to than the principles of truth being taught. Their faith is on shaky ground.
During the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus uses a parable about building a home as a metaphor for life in the kingdom of heaven. It is an allegory with several layers of meaning about the importance of this life as a determinant for the life to come, but it is not restricted to eternity. He first says, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.” (Matt. 7:21) The standards for entering the kingdom are quite high, and therefore the preparations, the putting of first things first, are incredibly important. A builder himself, Jesus says, “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.” (Matt. 7:24-25) He compares that with a foolish man who builds his house on sand, which then could not withstand the storm, and “fell with a great crash.” (Matt. 7:27) The lesson is literally foundational and clear: Listen, and obey—your very life hangs in the balance.
Somehow in the church in Corinth, the idea of the foundation, and all that is built upon it, has been confused. People are dissembling about the way the interior doors swing and the color of the rugs. Their conscious or unconscious self-deceit has made them blind to the most basic thing. One ‘follows Paul,’ another ‘follows Apollos.’ Paul reminds them that neither he nor Apollos are the foundation of their faith in Jesus, but that both are merely “servants through whom you came to believe—as the Lord has assigned to each his task.” (1 Cor. 3:5)
Paul avoids any implied contentious attitude on his own, nor on Apollos’ part in the current controversy. Instead, he clarifies the building process. “By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as a wise builder, and someone else is building on it.” (1 Cor. 3:10) He uses an easily understood agricultural metaphor to make his point. “I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow.” (1 Cor. 3:6) And he makes the foundational point: “For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ.” (1 Cor. 3:11)
Jesus speaks of our future place in heaven. “My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you?” (John 14:2) But the kingdom of heaven is both now and then, now but not yet. Our preparations for entering that promised kingdom begin with our responsibility in the here’n’now. “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.” (Matt. 7:24) You and I should carefully consider how our ‘house’ is constructed. It starts with the foundation and goes up, phase by phase and piece by piece, from there. Everything built upon the foundation “will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person’s work. If what has been built survives, the builder will receive a reward.” (1 Cor. 3:13-14)
We are the builders of our own spiritual house. The foundation is laid by the Lord, but we must dig it. When the foundation is in place, others may help us assemble the various components, but we are responsible for the finished product. If we rely only on our own efforts, the ‘house’ may be rather small and poorly built. If we rely on the efforts of others, the house may be large, and even look good to the eye, but can have serious construction defects. However it turns out, one great fact is at the bottom of it all, and that is not just the foundation, but the ground upon which it is built. David, whom God raised up from shepherd to king, sings a universal song of emancipation: “The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer.” (Psa. 18:2) Another translation says, “God is bedrock under my feet, the castle in which I live.” (Psa. 18:2, MSG)
Q. Are there any cracks in my foundation?
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