The JCSM Study Center

America's Christian Foundation

Skeptic's Annotated Bible: Corrected and Explained

NKJV Web Hosting and Services

JCSM's Sermons, Debates and the Bible on MP3

The Online Christ-Centered Ministries

Do You Have A Web Site?  Advertise On JCSM!

Seminary Notes and Papers

The Picturesque Photo Albums

Dr. Charles Ray

This passage is the most detailed one we have on the Judgment Seat of Christ. This Judgment Seat, bema is the Greek word, is mentioned in Romans 14:10 (“the judgment seat of God”) and 2 Corinthians 5:10, yet is only implied here.[1] It is this judgment that will determine a Christian’s rewards or loss thereof. Paul’s point concerns the quality of our deeds in the name of Christ. Both our methods and our motives are in view.

However, these verses also speak to the assurance of our salvation. The short answer to our question posed in the title is, “Yes, this passage does teach eternal security,” as do a number of other passages (Matt. 7:23;[2] John 10:28, 29; Rom. 8:35-39; 1 Peter 1:4[3]). Let us now examine this passage to see if this is indeed the right answer.

1 Corinthians 3:11 For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

Almost all English translations begin this verse with the word “for.” That it does so indicates it is associated with the thought of verse 10.

1 Corinthians 3:10 According to the grace of God which was given to me, like a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another is building on it. But each man must be careful how he builds on it.

Paul here is saying that he laid a spiritual foundation (similar to “I planted” in verse 6) in Corinth by preaching Christ (1 Cor. 2:2; cf. Rom. 15:20), yet now each individual believer (“each man,” vv. 10, 13) is responsible for building on that foundation by serving Christ faithfully.

Who this “another” is who “is building on it” has been the subject of much speculation. In keeping with the analogy of the previous passage, some say it is Apollos. That is possible but since Paul left it uncertain, it is more likely a reference to any teacher of God’s Word. By the way, you notice Paul does not get jealous. He expects people to build on the foundation.

In verse 11, “foundation” (themelios) is placed first in the sentence for emphasis. The apostle is making the point that the Lord Jesus is the only foundation that can be laid – the only good foundation anyway.[4] If a person builds his or her life on any other basis, that life will soon fall apart because no other foundation can sustain it. To trust Jesus as Savior and to live for Him is to build one’s life on rock and not on sand (cf. Matt. 7:24-27). “This is still worthy of emphasis in a day when so many build their ‘Christianity’ without Christ, on a foundation of good works, or humanism, or science.”[5]

Barrett observes, “Paul does not mean that it would be impossible to construct a community on a different basis, only that such a community will not be the church.”[6]

Paul’s “argument is ... that if anyone would want to build a less solid building on this good foundation which has once been laid by the apostle's care, the fault for a possible collapse of the building will lie not with the foundation but with the builder.”[7]

Paul’s original readers would have readily identified with such an image. In ancient Corinth, foundations would be laid with the hope that a wealthy benefactor would erect a nice building on it, such as a temple.

Concerning Paul’s warning that “each man must be careful how he builds on it,” Barrett comments, “This can be done well or ill. There are two ways in which it can be done ill. One arises out of an attempt to tamper with the foundation.” Later he writes, “The second way in which a builder may go wrong is by using inferior materials in the superstructure” (vv. 12f.).[8]

The apostle wants the Corinthians to be wise builders (3:18) just as he was (3:10).

Other passages which talk about a spiritual foundation include Romans 15:20; Ephesians 2:20; 1 Timothy 6:19; 2 Timothy 2:19; and Hebrews 6:1.

1 Corinthians 3:12 Now if any man builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw,

Paul uses an illustration in these verses comparing the building of a house to serving Christ. “This apt illustration would relate well to the Corinthians, who could look around and see all the magnificent examples of public buildings of stone embellished with gold and silver and adorned with costly stones, buildings such as the Temple of Apollo, the Temple of Aphrodite, the Temple of Demeter, the hospital complex of Asklepios (the god of healing), the ancient theater, the Temple of Poseidon at nearby Isthmia, etc.”[9]

It may be that the description of the decorations on the Temple in 1 Chronicles 29:2 inspired Paul to list these particular valuable materials[10] (cf. Exod. 25:3-7; 31:4, 5; 1 Chron. 22:14-16; 2 Chron. 3:6).[11] Indeed, he does speak directly of the Temple in the next passage (vv. 16, 17).[12]

“But if there can be only one foundation it is otherwise with the superstructure. It is all too possible for astonishing varieties to make their appearance here. Paul singles out various materials which may be incorporated into the structure, and sometimes ingenuity has been exercised in trying to find edifying meanings for them all. Such labour is probably vain ...”[13]

Of course no one is going to build a building out of solid gold or silver, but what Paul has in mind are the outer decorations. Houses of the poor were “decorated” with wood and straw which held the mud bricks together.[14] The apostle is likening these decorations to the quality of our service to Christ. Grosheide observes: “Paul is not concerned with the question what the best possible building material would be, for in that respect wood would far exceed gold.”[15]

Every believer is going to build something on his foundation. The question then is, what is the quality of that something? It should be worthy of the foundation.[16]

1 Corinthians 3:13 each man's work will become evident; for the day will show it because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test the quality of each man's work.

Paul admonished Christians in verse 10 to “be careful how” we edify the Church on the foundation of Jesus Christ. Now he explains why we must take care in doing that (cf. Rom. 2:16).

Twice in this verse we have the phrase “each man.” Such an expression tells us that each individual believer has the responsibility to “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3:18) so that he can serve the Lord more effectively. Neither a church nor anyone else can do it for us. We must do it ourselves (cf. Eph. 4:12). As such, we will each have to give an account before the Lord.

Paul stresses in this verse that the quality of our works absolutely cannot be hidden. We might be able to fool other Christians, but God knows the attitude of our heart (cf. 1 Samuel 16:7). This is another reason we should not place our spiritual leaders on a pedestal. They may not be as godly as they appear. By contrast, we should place a high value on doing ministry.[17]

The other side of that coin is a warning to teachers as well.[18] If they know that what they are teaching is unbiblical, they should also know they cannot get away with it. James 3:1 says, “Let not many of you become teachers ... knowing that as such we shall incur a stricter judgment.”

Two different words are used to emphasize the certainty of the judgment: “evident” and “show.” (We will look at the verb “revealed” below.) Both have the same basic meaning of “to be apparent” or “to make known.”

The other verb, “revealed,” does not have “works” as the subject but “day.” In other words, Paul is not saying the works will be revealed, but that the day will reveal itself[19] by the presence of fire. He is so certain this day will come that he writes this verb in the present tense. The verb is apokalupto from which we get the name for the last book of the Bible, the Apocalypse or Revelation.

The association of fire and judgment is seen most vividly in Amos 1, where five times the Lord says He is going to send fire (cf. Isa. 66:15; 2 Thess. 1:7).

Paul expands upon this concept in the next chapter: “Therefore do not go on passing judgment before the time, but wait until the Lord comes who will both bring to light the things hidden in the darkness and disclose the motives of men's hearts; and then each man's praise will come to him from God” (1 Cor. 4:5).[20]

It is from the words “the day” that we know Paul is thinking of an eschatological (end-time) event; namely, the Judgment Seat of Christ. Terms such as “that day” and “the day” are found in prophetic passages throughout the Old and New Testaments to signify that the author is now speaking of the future. A sampling of those passages include Isaiah 11:10, 11; Jeremiah 30:7, 8; 2 Thessalonians 1:10; 2 Timothy 1:12, 4:8.[21] The term “the day” must have been so common in Paul’s teaching that he didn’t need to explain it any further by this time.[22]

Hebrews 10:25 refers to “the day” also. “... not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.” Supporting this conclusion is the fact that three verbs in verse 13 are in the future tense (“will become evident,” “will show,” “will test”).[23]

“As ‘day’ brings everything ‘to light,’ so a great Day is lying before all, when everyone’s work will be exposed and seen from the divine perspective.”[24]

The last part of verse 13 reads: “the fire itself will test the quality of each man's work.” “’Fire’ is figurative for judgment – more specifically, the absolutely righteous judgment of God.”[25] One thing not clear is exactly how a fire can test our works since they are usually not physical objects. It seems, therefore, that this “quality” has to do with (1) the Christian’s methods and motives (and only God is capable of evaluating those things), and (2) the lasting effect of his works.[26]

Too, the word “quality” is sometimes translated “what kind of” or “what sort of.” The ESV has: “the fire will test what sort of work each one has done.”

Let us look at this idea a little more closely. By “methods” we mean the “tools” that are used in ministry. A general rule of thumb is this: we don’t use the devil’s tools to do the Lord’s work. Is it acceptable to use rock music to attract the young people? Should a church utilize marketing techniques to bring in more people? Many Christians say “no” to both questions, but ultimately it is up to the Lord to decide that.[27]

The word “motive” is easier to define (but much more difficult for humans to evaluate). Motivation has to do with what is prompting someone to do a particular thing. As followers of Christ, we need to ask ourselves some questions. Am I doing this for the Lord or for me? What is my main purpose and reason for doing it? At the Judgment Seat of Christ we will find out the answers to these questions.

Notice as well that it is the quality, not the quantity, of our deeds that will be tested. A large amount of good works will not guarantee that we will receive rewards at the Judgment Seat. We know also that since this passage has to do with rewards and not salvation, it is not teaching that we can earn our way into heaven (Rom. 3:20, 28; Gal. 2:16; Eph. 2:8, 9; Titus 3:5).

In summary, verse 13 is teaching that at the Judgment Seat of Christ, God will determine the quality of our methods and motives while serving Him. Quality works will have a lasting effect on the Church.

1 Corinthians 3:14 If any man's work which he has built on it remains, he will receive a reward.

Not just some, but all of our works will be put through the fire. If the Lord is not pleased with a certain work for some reason, it will be burned up just as if it were made out of wood, hay, or straw. But our quality works, things done with proper methods and pure motives, will endure the flames and a reward will follow (2 John 8). Of course, even though these rewards will have been earned in some sense, they should still be looked upon as gifts of grace.[28]

The New Testament usually speaks of rewards as related to crowns and ruling in Christ’s coming Kingdom. Those passages which speak of crowns are 2 Timothy 4:8 (“the crown of righteousness”), James 1:12 (“the crown of life;” cf. Rev. 2:10), 1 Peter 5:4 (“the crown of glory”), and Revelation 3:11 (“crown”). Later on in 1 Corinthians, Paul talks about an imperishable wreath (9:25).

According to Revelation 20:6, believers in the Millennium “will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with Him for a thousand years.” Several other verses in Revelation speak to this matter (2:26; 3:21; 5:10; 20:4; 22:5). Second Timothy 2:12 declares, “If we endure, we shall also reign with Him ...” See also Matthew 19:28 and Mark 10:37.

Part of our reward will be praise from God (1 Cor. 4:5; cf. Matt. 25:21).

Second Corinthians 5:10 is similar to the ideas expressed in verses 14 and 15. “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.”

A more significant verse is found just a few verses back. “Now he who plants and he who waters are one; but each will receive his own reward according to his own labor” (1 Cor. 3:8).

One other matter needs to be cleared up here. Some see a conflict between the fact that what we are given is “according to grace” (1 Cor. 3:10) and this verse (and with verse 8 above) which teaches our rewards are earned (in fact misthos (“reward”) is sometimes translated “wages,” as in Matthew 20:8 and Luke 10:7).

The resolution lies in the understanding that salvation is indeed a gift of grace, but that part of that gift is the reward. How much reward depends on the quality of our works. “For Paul righteousness is both a ... gift and responsibility. Without the latter, one might surely question the reality of the former.”[29] Barrett states the position well. “The idea of reward is certainly not absent from Paul’s thought, though the notion that men can put God in their debt is; ... the pay is not mentioned so much for its own sake as to signify God’s approval.”[30]

Finally, Jesus did tell us to “lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven” (Matt. 6:20). All these passages should spur us on to do more in edifying the body of Christ.

1 Corinthians 3:15 If any man's work is burned up, he shall suffer loss; but he himself shall be saved, yet so as through fire.

This verse is the heart of this article.

Paul may have written this verse in this way because Corinth was burned to the ground in 146 BC and stayed in that condition for 100 years.

Some ancient contracts indicate a builder could be fined (“suffer loss”) if the building was not of a good quality. “Suffer loss” (zemioo) can be translated “be punished” or “suffer loss.” The latter is much more common in the New Testament. “The fire is not retributive, but testing.”[31] Of course, the two concepts cannot be completely separated. To suffer loss is a form of punishment.

One example is Matthew 16:26 (and its parallels Mark 8:36 and Luke 9:25): “For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits (“lose,” KJV) his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?” This verb also occurs in 2 Corinthians 7:9 and Philippians 3:8.

For most Christians, the scene at the Judgment Seat will be as described in the previous verse. Some works will burn up but some will remain. The other possibility is described here. Not one of the person’s works will be left. All rewards will be lost.

However, Paul is careful to bring out one particular truth. Even though all of his works will be incinerated, the person will not lose his salvation. He still gets to enjoy the presence of the Lord forever.

The doctrine of purgatory cannot be sustained here for three reasons. First, in the phrase “as through fire,” the fire is not the same as just mentioned. This is a separate figure of speech, and that thought takes us to the second reason. These words are not teaching theology but are a figure of speech which have the idea of “making it by the skin of one’s teeth” (cf. Zech. 3:2). Third, it is not people who are passing through the fire but people’s works (cf. Prov. 17:3). If the verse read, “after he goes through the fire he will be saved,” that would be a different story.

The fire’s “purpose in this context is not to punish (Jude 7; Rev. 18:8; 19:20; 21:8; and many texts in the OT), or to destroy (Matt. 3:10; 13:40, 42, 50; Heb. 10:27), or to refine (Zech. 13:9; 1 Pet. 1:7), but to disclose the quality of the work of Christians.”[32]

Those who believe Christians can lose their salvation have a difficult time with this verse. Usually they believe one great sin or the accumulation of sins has caused them to forfeit their salvation in Christ. But think about this verse. Here we have a person who has no good works. All the deeds that he performed were bad in the eyes of the Lord. Another way to say that is he had much sin in his life. Nevertheless, he is still going to heaven!

Consider 1 Corinthians as a whole. From this letter we know the Church in Corinth had numerous problems. There were divisions (1:10). They were gluttonous at the Lord’s Table (11:21, 34). They had the wrong attitude about their spiritual gifts (12-14). Yet what did Paul say about them? “And such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and in the Spirit of our God” (1 Cor. 6:11). They had a multitude of transgressions yet Paul said they were sanctified!

Mitchell’s remarks are worth noting. 

If a person's work does not endure and it is consumed in the fire, that person will experience "loss." Everything the person has been devoted to in this life shall be suddenly swept away. "But he himself shall be saved, yet so as through fire" (v. 15). It is important to notice that such a one does not suffer the loss of salvation, but the loss of reward. The stress in this entire passage is not on an individual's relationship to Christ, but on service. It does not suggest that one might be in danger of losing his or her salvation, but it does give a stern warning with respect to their ultimate accountability (see also Amos 4:11; Jude 1:23).[33] 

Believers cannot lose their salvation because it was not theirs in the first place. By that I mean that since they did not earn their salvation by good works, they cannot lose it by bad works. From the time of the fall of man until now, salvation has always been obtained in the same way – by faith in the true God.