Do not deceive yourselves. 1 Cor 3:18
Paul told us in verse 10 that ‘he laid a foundation as an expert builder and someone else is building on it. But each one should be careful how they build’.
I once met a couple of Inuit men from Greenland, one was a bit older than the other. The senior brother Niels, worked as an apostle among his people(he also worked among the Inuit people in Canada); he started a new church every two years and trained a younger believer to take over after him as pastor. Paul and Niels always had someone building on the foundations they’d laid because they kept moving. Interestingly, Derek Prince stated that when an apostle stops travelling and settles, they revert to the position of a local elder, something to consider in today’s church where titles seem so prevalent.
If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones(first three were valuable), wood, hay or straw(last three poor value) their work would be shown for what it is, because the day would bring it to light. 1 Cor 3:12
Paul is saying that the building on the foundation can be of different quality but it will be revealed. The Lord identified problems in the majority of the churches in Revelation 2&3.
At various stages in a construction project different skills and trades will be needed as the work progresses. The people who build the walls or put on the roof won’t do the fit out. We need to realise that there will be different seasons to the work and be willing to adapt as the work develops.
Paul again tells the Corinthians not to judge the Church by the standards of this age. ‘Do not deceive yourselves. If any of you think you are wise by the standards of this age (today’s wisdom), you should become “fools” so that you may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God’s sight’.
So then, no more boasting about men! All things are yours, whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future – all are yours and you are of Christ, and Christ is of God.
Paul wants to finish this once and for all, no more boasting about men(who are only servants v5). It’s a real blessing to have wise and Godly spiritual leaders, but Paul is pointing out that we limit(short change) ourselves when we boast about people. Everything is ours in Christ and we need to be focused on Him and not just people.
Remember Paul’s words, ‘Don’t deceive yourselves’. Our boast is to be in the Lord, He alone died for us all.
God bless and keep you today.