Fathers

1 Corinthians 3

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Brothers, I couldn’t speak to you as to spiritual, but as to fleshly, as to babies in Christ. I fed you with milk, not with meat; for you weren’t yet ready. Indeed, you aren’t ready even now, for you are still fleshly. For insofar as there is jealousy, strife, and factions among you, aren’t you fleshly, and don’t you walk in the ways of men? For when one says, “I follow Paul,” and another, “I follow Apollos,” aren’t you fleshly? Who then is Apollos, and who is Paul, but servants through whom you believed, and each as the Lord gave to him? I planted. Apollos watered. But God gave the increase. So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase. Now he who plants and he who waters are the same, but each will receive his own reward according to his own labor. For we are God’s fellow workers. You are God’s farming, God’s building. According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another builds on it. But let each man be careful how he builds on it. For no one can lay any other foundation than that which has been laid, which is Jesus Christ. But if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay, or stubble, each man’s work will be revealed. For the Day will declare it, because it is revealed in fire; and the fire itself will test what sort of work each man’s work is. If any man’s work remains which he built on it, he will receive a reward. If any man’s work is burned, he will suffer loss, but he himself will be saved, but as through fire. Don’t you know that you are a temple of God, and that God’s Spirit lives in you? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him; for God’s temple is holy, which you are. Let no one deceive himself. If anyone thinks that he is wise among you in this world, let him become a fool, that he may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, “He has taken the wise in their craftiness.” And again, “The Lord knows the reasoning of the wise, that it is worthless.” Therefore let no one boast in men. For all things are yours, whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come. All are yours, and you are Christ’s, and Christ is God’s.

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What the Fathers say

1 Corinthians 3:11

Eastern Fathers

John Chrysostom

"For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ." I say, no man can lay it so long as he is a master-builder; but if he lay it, he ceases to be a master-builder. See how even from men's common notions he proves the whole of his proposition. His meaning is this: "I have preached Christ, I have delivered unto you the foundation. Take heed how you build thereon, lest haply it be in vainglory, lest haply so as to draw away the disciples unto men." Let us not then give heed unto the heresies. …

Homily on 1 Corinthians 8 ↗

Theophylact of Ohrid

No one can, so long as he remains a wise master builder. But if someone is not a wise master builder, then he can lay another foundation; hence heresies. Among you, Corinthians, there is one foundation – Christ: therefore you ought to build upon this foundation not that which comes from strife and envy, but works of virtue.

Commentary on 1 Corinthians ↗

Lucius Caecilius Firmianus Lactantius

But let us suppose it possible that any one, by natural and innate goodness, should gain true virtues, such a man as we have heard that Cimon was at Athens, who both gave alms to the needy, and entertained the poor, and clothed the naked; yet, when that one thing which is of the greatest importance is wanting-the acknowledgment of God-then all those good things are superfluous and empty, so that in pursuing them he has laboured in vain. …

The Divine Institutes Book 6 ↗

Western Saints

Augustine of Hippo

It should not be denied that this is the distinctive basis of the orthodox faith, just because it is shared between us and certain heretics as well. For if we think carefully about the meaning of Christ we shall see that among some of the heretics who want to be called Christians, the name of Christ is held in honor, but the reality to which the name points is not.

Enchiridion 2.5 ↗

Thomas Aquinas

Secondly, he answers a tacit question: why he warns them about the superstructure and not the foundations; or rather, he states the reason why he said that the task of others is to build on the foundation. He says: for no other foundation can any man lay, but that which is laid, which is Christ Jesus, Who dwells in your heart by faith: of the foundation it is said (Is 28:16): "Behold, I will lay a stone in the foundations of Sion, a tried stone, a corner stone, a precious stone, founded in the foundation." On the other hand it seems …

Commentary on 1 Corinthians ↗

Bonaventure

The seventh and last column of wisdom is simplicity in intention. Christ is the fountain of wisdom; He Himself is the foundation and completion of this gift. The Apostle, as a wise architect, says: "No one can lay another foundation besides that which has been laid, which is Christ Jesus." As a certain Gloss says, man is related to a tree in the opposite manner with respect to the root: for a tree has its root below, but man above; and a spiritual building has its foundation above, but a corporeal one below. …

Collationes de Septem Donis, Collation 9 ↗