Christ the Foundation
And what is the growth that comes from Christ, if not the strengthening given through the Spirit and the rising up “to a mature man” (Ephesians 4:13), granted in proportion to each one’s diligence and eagerness?
“You are God’s field, God’s building” (1 Corinthians 3:9). Since Christ redeemed us with his precious blood (1 Peter 1:19), having endured the death of the flesh, we surely belong to him who bought us, and to no others, even if some have become for us ministers, reconcilers, mediators, and teachers of the mysteries of the grace that comes from him. That is why we are named after no others, but after Christ alone, who is also our Lord.
“Like a wise master builder I laid a foundation” (1 Corinthians 3:10). Since he called believers the house of God, he fittingly names Christ the foundation. There had been many teachers among the Corinthians, but Paul boasts that he was the first of them all, a kind of firstfruits among those who preached to them the mystery of Christ. Christ is the unshakable foundation. He holds up those who are built upon him and shows them to be temples, fitted together with one another through faith (Ephesians 2:21) and brought together into one mind by the grace of the Holy Spirit. Of this foundation God the Father spoke through the prophet: “Behold, I lay in the foundations of Zion a costly stone, a precious cornerstone, in her foundations; and whoever believes in him shall not be put to shame” (Isaiah 28:16).
So Paul says, and very rightly, that he himself laid the foundation, and that others can work on it and build upon it, but can no longer lay another beside the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 3:11). “For there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). “For there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things, and we for him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things, and we through him” (1 Corinthians 8:6), “and he is the head of the body, the church” (Colossians 1:18). If anyone, then, denies the foundation and refuses the rock, he does not build on it but on the sand (Matthew 7:24–27), and so he will very easily be shaken down. For what Christ does not hold up will surely be moved, since it has no firm footing.
“Some have become puffed up, as though I were not coming to you” (1 Corinthians 4:18). There were some in Corinth who thought themselves sufficient and in no need of teachers, and who thought they surpassed Paul in the wisdom of worldly eloquence. For this reason they were puffed up to the point of contempt and rose up against the others, though they themselves were not blameless in their lives. Paul means: Since some have become puffed up while I am away, and think that I stay away because I am afraid to come and face them in argument, which is not so, I will come, if God wills and permits.
“But I will come to you soon, if the Lord wills” (1 Corinthians 4:19). He promised to come, yet not without condition. As was fitting, he modestly added the needful words, “if the Lord wills.” For we must think and speak in this way, and in no other.
“And I will find out not the talk of those who are puffed up, but their power” (1 Corinthians 4:19). What is the use of brilliant speech that holds nothing good, such as the speech of the pagan Greeks? But the speech of the inspired Scripture is simple and ordinary, yet it gives rich profit and carries one splendidly to the true knowledge of him who is God by nature. It also makes people diligent in every admirable work. And when this has come about, a person may be enriched with the grace of the gifts given through the Spirit, a grace worth receiving. “For the kingdom of heaven is not in word but in power” (1 Corinthians 4:20). As for “in power,” if it is said of the holy apostles themselves, you will understand it as the strength and working that comes through the Spirit, by which they also work wonders. But if it is said of us, you will take it to mean the power of a holy and sincere life.
“What do you wish? Shall I come to you with a rod, or in love?” (1 Corinthians 4:21).
Greek
4 πιστεύσαντος νοῦν ἵνα φαίνοιτο καὶ καρποφόρος; τίς δὲ ἡ αὔξησις ἡ παρὰ Χριστοῦ ἢ διὰ Πνεύματος στερέωσις καὶ "εἰς ἄνδρα τέλειον" ἀναδρομὴ ἀναλόγως ταῖς ἑκάστου σπουδαῖς τε καὶ προθυμίαις χορηγουμένη; 259 Θεοῦ γεώργιον, Θεοῦ οἰκοδομή ἐστε. Ἐπειδὴ Χριστὸς ἡμᾶς ἐξηγόρασεν τῷ τιμίῳ αὐτοῦ αἵματι τὸν τῆς σαρκὸς ἀνατλὰς θανατὸν, τοῦ ἀγοράσαντος πάντως ἐσμὲν, οὐχ ἑτέρων, εἰ καὶ γεγόνασιν εἰς ἡμᾶς τινες διάκονοι καὶ διαλλάκται καὶ μεσίται καὶ μυσταγωγοὶ τῆς παρ' αὐτοῦ χάριτος· διὸ οὐχ ἑτέρων ὀνομαζόμεθα ἀλλὰ μόνου Χριστοῦ ὃς καὶ κυριεύει ἡμῶν. Ὡς σοφὸς ἀρχιτέκτων θεμέλιον τέθεικα. Ἐπειδὴ οἶκον ὠνόμασεν Θεοῦ τοὺς πεπιστευκότας, θεμέλιον εἰκότως ὀνομάζει Χριστόν· καὶ πολλοὶ μὲν διδάσκαλοι γεγόνασι παρὰ Κορινθίοις, αὐχεῖ δὲ ὁ Παῦλος τὸ πρῶτος εἶναι τῶν ἄλλων, καὶ οἷόν τις ἀπαρχὴ τῶν εὐαγγελισαμένων αὐτοῖς τὸ Χριστοῦ μυστήριον, ὅς ἐστι θεμέλιος ἀκατάσειστος, ἀνέχων τοὺς ἐποικοδομουμένους αὐτῷ, καὶ ναοὺς ὑποφαίνων, συναρμολογουμένους τε ἀλλήλοις διὰ τῆς πίστεως καὶ τῇ τοῦ Ἁγίου Πνεύματος χάριτι συμβαίνοντος εἰς ὁμοψυχίαν· περὶ τούτου τοῦ θεμελίου ἔφασκεν ὁ Θεὸς καὶ Πατὴρ διὰ προφήτου "Ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ ἐμβάλλω εἰς τὰ θεμέλια Σιὼν "λίθον πολυτελῆ ἀκρογωνιαῖον ἔντιμον, εἰς τὰ θεμέλια "αὐτῆς, καὶ ὁ πιστεύων ἐπ' αὐτῷ οὐ μὴ καταισχυνθῇ." Τεθεικέναι τοίνυν ὁ Παῦλος εὖ μάλα φησὶ τὸν θεμέλιον αὐτὸς, καὶ δύνασθαι μὲν ἑτέρους ἐπεργάζεσθαί τε καὶ οἰκοδομεῖν, οὐ μὴν ἔτι καταθεῖναι καὶ ἕτερον παρὰ τὸν ἤδη κείμενον ὅς ἐστιν Ἰησοῦς Χριστός· "οὐ γάρ ἐστιν ἕτερον ὄνομα "ὑπὸ τὸν οὐρανὸν τὸ δεδομένον ἐν ἄνθρωποις, ἐν ᾧ δεῖ "σωθῆναι ἡμᾶς." "Εἷς γὰρ Θεὸς καὶ Πατὴρ, ἐξ οὗ τὰ 260 "πάντα καὶ ἡμεῖς εἰς αὐτὸν, καὶ εἷς Κύριος Ἰησοῦς Χριστὸς, "δι' οὗ τὰ πάντα καὶ ἡμεῖς δι' αὐτοῦ, καὶ αὐτός ἐστιν ἡ "κεφαλὴ τοῦ σώματος τῆς ἐκκλησίας." εἴ τις οὖν ἀρνεῖται τὸν θεμέλιον καὶ παραιτεῖται τὴν πέτραν, οὐκ οἰκοδομεῖ ἐπ' αὐτῇ ἀλλ' εἰς τὴν ἄμμον· ταύτῃτοι καὶ λίαν εὐκόλως κατασεισθήσεται· ὃ γὰρ μὴ ἀνέχῃ Χριστὸς, τοῦτο δὴ πάντως κινηθήσεται, οὐχ ἑδραίαν ἔχων τὴν στάσιν. Ὡς μὴ ἐρχομένου δέ μου πρὸς ὑμὰς ἐφυσιώθησάν τινες. Ἐπειδή τινες ἦσαν ἐν Κορίνθῳ οἰόμενοι ἀρκεῖν ἑαυτοῖς καὶ μὴ δεῖσθαι διδασκάλων, καὶ ὑπεραίρειν ἐν σοφίᾳ κοσμικῆς εὐγλωττίας τὸν Παῦλον· καὶ διὰ τοῦτο ἀνεφυσῶντο πρὸς ὑπεροψίαν κατεξανιστάμενοι τῶν ἄλλων, ὅμως οὐκ ἀνεπίληπτοι κατὰ τὸν βίον. ἐπεὶ οὖν πεφυσίωνταί τινες ἀπόντος μου καὶ νομίζουσι διὰ τοῦτό με ἀπολιμπάνεσθαι ὡς δεδιότα τοῦ ἐλθεῖν αὐτοῖς εἰς λόγους, ὅπερ οὐχ οὕτως ἔχει, ἥξω θέλοντος καὶ ἐπιτρέποντος Θεοῦ. Ἐλεύσομαι δὲ ταχέως πρὸς ὑμᾶς, ἐὰν ὁ Κύριος θελήσῃ. Ἐπηγγείλατο μὲν ἀφίξεσθαι πλὴν οὐ πάντως, ἀλλ' ὡς πρέπον ἦν ἐπιεικῶς προσθεὶς τὸ ἀναγκαῖον τό Ἐὰν ὁ Κύριος θελήσῃ· δεῖ γὰρ ἡμᾶς οὐχ ἑτέρως ἢ φρονεῖν ἢ λέγειν ἢ ὧδέ τε καὶ μόνος. Καὶ γνώσομαι οὐ τὸν λόγον τῶν πεφυσιωμένων, ἀλλὰ τὴν δύναμιν. Τίς ἡ ὄνησις λέξεως λαμπρᾶς ἐχούσης τῶν ἀγαθῶν οὐδὲν, ὁποῖα ἡ τῶν ἑλλήνων ἐστίν; ἡ δέ γε τῆς θεοπνεύστου γραφῆς ἁπλὴ μέν ἐστι καὶ κατειθισμένη, πλουσίως γεμὴν ὀνίνησι καὶ ἀποφέρει λαμπρῶς εἰς ἐπίγνωσιν ἀληθῆ τοῦ 261 κατὰ φύσιν ὄντος Θεοῦ· ἀποτελεῖ δὲ πρὸς τοῦτο καὶ παντὸς ἀξια[γασ]τοῦ πράγματος ἐπιμελητάς· οὗ δὴ γεγονότος, καταπλουτήσειεν ἄν τις καὶ τῶν διὰ Πνεύματος χαρισμάτων τὴν ἀξιόληπτον χάριν· οὐ γὰρ ἐν λόγῳ ἡ βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν, ἀλλ' ἐν δυνάμει· τὸ δέ Ἐν δυνάμει νοήσεις, εἰ μὲν ἐπ' αὐτῶν φέροιτο τῶν ἁγίων ἀποστόλων, ὡς ἐν ἰσχύϊ τε καὶ ἐνεργείᾳ τῇ διὰ τοῦ Πνεύματος, καθ' ἥν εἰσι καὶ θαυματουργοί· εἰ δ' ἐφ' ἡμῶν αὐτῶν, ὡς ἐν δυνάμει ζωῆς τῆς ἁγίας καὶ εἰλικρινοῦς ἐκδέξῃ τὸ εἰρημένον. Τί θέλετε; ἐν ῥάβδῳ ἔλθω πρὸς ὑμᾶς ἢ