Perishable and Imperishable?: Reconsidering the Building Materials in 1 Corinthians 3:12

The purpose of this book is to re-examine Paul’s list of building materials in 1 Cor 3:12 in order to propose that all of the materials should be understood as good and necessary for adequately building in Paul’s construction metaphor (1 Cor 3:9-17). Contra the traditional interpretation, which argues that the materials should be broken into two groups of three, namely, three imperishable building materials (gold, silver, and precious stones) and three perishable building materials (wood, hay, and stubble), Paul’s argument concerning the building materials listed in 1 Cor 3:12 is not focused on which materials one uses to build (perishable or imperishable), but rather how one builds (i.e., quality construction with the materials/church members one has). This reading helps the church (and its leaders) understand that all the building materials (church members) are absolutely essential to building of the church. It also emphasizes that leaders of the church must seek to build well with the “folly” of the gospel and not build their ministries upon themselves.

W. Tyler Sykora is the chief of staff in the office of the president and assistant professor of biblical studies at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. He is also a pastor at Liberty Baptist Church in Liberty, Missouri.