Now if any man build This is a hard place, says St. Augustine, lib. de fid. Per. chap. xvi. tom. 6. p. 180. The interpreters are divided, as to the explication and application of this metaphorical comparison, contained in these four verses. St. Paul speaks of a building, where it is evident, says St. Augustine, that the foundation is Christ, or the faith of Christ, and his faith working by charity. The difficulties are 1. Who are the builders. 2. What is meant by gold, silver, precious stones, and what by wood, hay, stubble. 3. What is meant by the day of the Lord. 4. What by fire, how every one's work shall be tried, and how some shall be saved by fire. As to the first, by the builders, as St. Paul had before called himself the first architect, who had laid the foundation of the faith of Christ among the Corinthians, interpreters commonly understand those doctors and preachers who there succeeded St. Paul: but as it is also said, that every man's works shall be made manifest, St. Augu...
5. If any man build upon this foundation, gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay, stubble. For after the faith there is need of edification: and therefore he says elsewhere, Edify one another with these words. perhaps 1 Thessalonians 5:11; 4:5 For both the artificer and the learner contribute to the edifying. Wherefore he says, But let every man take heed how he builds thereon. 1 Corinthians 3:10 But if faith had been the subject of these sayings, the thing affirmed is not reasonable. For in the faith all ought to be equal, since there is but one faith; Ephesians 4:5 but in goodness of life it is not possible that all should be the same. Because the faith is not in one case less, in another more excellent, but the same in all those who truly believe. But in life there is room for some to be more diligent, others more slothful; some stricter, and others more ordinary; that some should have done well in greater things, others in less; that the errors of some should have been more grievou...
This is no small subject of enquiry which we propose, but rather about things which are of the first necessity and which all men enquire about; namely, whether hell fire have any end. For that it has no end Christ indeed declared when he said, Their fire shall not be quenched, and their worm shall not die. [Mark 8:44, 46, 48.]
Well: I know that a chill comes over you (ναρκᾶτε) on hearing these things; but what am I to do? For this is God's own command, continually to sound these things in your ears, where He says, Charge this people; Fors. Exodus 19:10, 20. διαμαρτύραι, Septuagint. here διάστειλαι and ordained as we have been unto the ministry of the word, we must give pain to our hearers, not willingly but on compulsion. Nay rather, if you will, we shall avoid giving you pain. For says He, Romans 13:3, in substance if you do that which is good, fear not: so that it is possible for you to hear me not only without ill-will, but even with pleasure.
As I said then; that it has no en...
Our faith is the foundation, and it is the same for everyone. But in life, not everyone is the same. Some are diligent, others lazy. Some are high achievers, others more average. Some do well in greater things, others shine in lesser matters. Some people’s mistakes are more serious than others’. This is why we find the variety here. Furthermore, the judgment applies to the effort, not to the results. A teacher cannot be faulted merely because his pupils refuse to listen.
