What is meant by "wood, hay and stubble"?

that believers in Jesus are as living stones and we are being built up as a spiritual house for God we are God's building we are told in the 3rd chapter of 1 Corinthians the foundation is Jesus Christ the passage goes on to say if anyone builds on the foundation with gold silver precious stones wood hay stubble each one's work will become evident for the day we'll show it because it will be revealed in fire and the fire will test the quality of each one's work if the work that anyone has built remains they will receive a reward if anyone's work is burned up they will suffer loss yet they will be saved but only as through fire there are two groups of people on view one group builds with what is called gold silver and precious stones the other group builds with what is called wood hay and stubble note that both groups build on the foundation of Jesus Christ both groups believe in Jesus both groups are people who will come into salvation but a fire is going to come the gold silver and precious stones will last the wood hay and stubble will be burned up those who built with wood hay and stubble will have nothing to show for their work for the Lord in this life they will make it to heaven but they will suffer loss for all eternity a wise person surely wants to be in the group that builds with gold silver and precious stones a wise person wants to avoid being in the category of believers who build with wood hay and stubble which raises the question what is meant by wood hay and stubble what is symbolized by the expression the text doesn't spell it out we have to work it out first thing that can be said is that there is a contrast on view gold silver and precious stones represent enduring qualities wood hay and stubble represent what is temporary Gold in the Bible is a symbol for faith in God silver is a symbol for redemption and that redemption is the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross Jesus bought us with his blood precious stones are a symbol for the teaching of the Apostles the goal of our instruction is love love for one another fulfills the requirements of the law in Chapter 13 it says that all that will remain forever is faith hope and love faith in God the hope that we have in the redemption that is in Christ and the love that we have for one another these are everlasting qualities and then there is the wood hay and stubble wood hay and stubble won't last they are temporary just like flesh flesh the desires of man won't endure whatever is done out of self-interest out of personal ambition out of competition and envy is in this category and the thought is supported by the wider context of the passage because the context is division the Bible is saying that the community of believers should not be separated into factions in the first chapter of 1 Corinthians Paul writes I exhort you that you all agree and that there be no divisions among you and he continues one says I follow Paul another says I follow a policy another says I follow Cephas has Christ being divided we have unity in Christ we should not distinguish ourselves otherwise as followers of the particular doctrines of a particular person or group that brings division in Chapter three the chapter starts with more on this principle Paul writes there is jealousy and strife among you when one says I follow Paul and another says I follow a policy you are not being spiritual and the chapter closes with the exhortation let no one boast in men and in between is the passage about wood hay and stubble so wood hay and stubble must refer to believers who cause division by competing for a following and drawing people to themselves we are one body there are many different members but it is still one body and we need each other

Channel: thelivingword

Views: 6,252

Rating: 4.879518 out of 5

Keywords: 1 Corinthians 3, New Testament

Id: JNccbuJCWK0

Length: 5min 57sec (357 seconds)

Published: Wed Jun 13 2018