According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise master builder, I have laid the foundation, and another builds thereon. But let every man take heed how he builds thereupon.
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Ambrosiaster
AD 400
The wise master builder is one who preaches the same gospel as that which was preached by the Savior. Afterward other people build on the foundation, sometimes well and sometimes badly. We need to pay attention to make sure that what we build coheres with the foundation, because if it is crooked or lightweight it will collapse, though the foundation itself will remain intact. Even when people have taught badly, the name of Christ endures, because it is the foundation, although the bad teaching collapses. Commentary on Paul’s Epistles.
"According to the grace "it is said, "given to me as a wise master builder, I have laid the foundation. And another buildeth on it gold and silver, precious stones."
According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise master-builder I have laid the foundation. Not mine is this building, not mine the works; for although I, as the first architect, laid the foundations, by my preaching, of the Church at Corinth, yet whatever I did, and brought to perfection there, was done, not by my strength, but by the grace of God. Let, then, this building of God"s Church be attributed to His grace, not to my efforts.
I have laid the foundation well, as a wise architect, not of myself, but according to the grace of God, and the gifts he bestowed upon me: and another, or several others, build upon it, continue the building.
But let every man take heed how he buildeth, and that it be always upon the same foundation, which is Christ Jesus, his faith, and his doctrine. (Witham)
Paul is not exalting himself by taking the example of a skilled master builder, because whatever skill he possesses comes entirely from the grace of God that has been given to him. Furthermore, because it is grace, it is not divided but rests securely on the one foundation, which is Christ.
In this place he calls himself wise, not exalting himself, but to give them an ensample, and to point out that this is a wise man's part, to lay a foundation. You may observe as one instance of his modest bearing, that in speaking of himself as wise, he allowed not this to stand as though it were something of his own; but first attributing himself entirely unto God, then and not till then calls himself by that name. For, according to the Grace of God, says he, which was given unto me. Thus, at once he signifies both that the whole is of God; and that this most of all is Grace, viz. the not being divided, but resting on One Foundation.
7. Another builds thereon; but let each man take heed how he builds thereon.
Here, I think, and in what follows, he puts them upon their trial concerning practice, after that he had once for all knit them together and made them one.
, among the Jews from Jerusalem "among the other things named, "the wise architect "too.
What has he also to do with illustrations from our God? For when (the apostle) calls himself "a wise master-builder"
