I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, as the Lord assigned to each. Look at how Paul tackles this problem in 3:5-9. So there were factions growing in this church, factions built around personalities. 4) “'I follow Paul,' and another, 'I follow Apollos'”. How was this evident? Because some were saying (v. If you look back to verse 3, you'll notice that Paul is admonishing the church for the “jealousy and strife among you”. When we pull in the context here, we discover that Paul has been talking about both himself and a brother named Apollos.

One of the first questions we might ask about a passage like this is, “Who is Paul addressing with these words? Or, who is he talking about?” Well, I think we could say that this is. If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire. If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw- each one’s work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Let each one take care how he builds upon it. Keep those chapters in mind as we consider what the Apostle Paul writes to Christians in the city of Corinth:Īccording to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building upon it. If you were following that schedule, you would have read the first four chapters I Corinthians. The Passage: “Let Each One Take Care How He Builds” (3:10-15)Īs most of you know, this chapter is from Our Bible Reading Plan for last week. Let's see if we can sort out this apparent contradiction by looking together at I Corinthians 3. įor we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.įrom these verses, it would seem the answer to our question is “yes. Why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God for it is written, “As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.” So then each of us will give an account of himself to God. Christians will not be judged by God.” But listen to the words of the Apostle Paul in Romans 14:10-12. In light of that verse, it would seem the answer to our question is “no. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life. Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. Take for example the words of Jesus in John 5:24. When we bring that question to the Scriptures, to what God himself has revealed, the answer is not obvious at first.

“ When all is said and done, will Christians be judged by God?”Įver ask yourself that question? “Will Christians be judged?” It's a good question.

I corinthians 3 judgment seat of christ