How Does a Catholic Read: 1 Corinthians 3:10-15

If you listen to Catholic Q&A shows for any length of time, you will hear the topic of Purgatory brought up repeatedly.  The questions usually fall into one of three categories:

1. What is it?
2. Where is it taught in Scripture?
3. How is it reconciled with this Bible passage which I think contradicts it?

Today I wanted to look more closely at the passage most often cited by Catholics to answer the second question.  Namely, I want to examine 1Corinthians 3:10-15 and see if it is reasonable to draw the doctrine of Purgatory from the text.

[I previously made a post explaining the very concept of Purgatory.  You can find that here.]

 Context:

Before we get into the passage itself,  let’s scoot back a few sentences and get a sense of what Paul is talking about here.

Verses 3-4:

"While there is jealousy and rivalry among you, are you not of the flesh, and behaving in an ordinary human way? Whenever someone says, 'I belong to Paul,' and another, 'I belong to Apollos,' are you not merely human?" 

One theme which runs throughout the entire first letter to the Corinthians is Christian unity.  Paul draws attention to how the Corinthians were dividing into factions based upon who baptized them.  This, he points out, is an example of both private and corporate wrongdoing.


Verses 5-9:

"What is Apollos, after all, and what is Paul? Ministers through whom you became believers, just as the Lord assigned each one. I planted, Apollos watered, but God caused the growth. Therefore, neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who causes the growth. The one who plants and the one who waters are equal, and each will receive wages in proportion to his labor. For we are God's co-workers; you are God's field, God's building." 

Paul then tries to diffuse these divided loyalties by putting the roles of the different ministers in their proper context.  He says they are each like day laborers working in a field.  Or perhaps like construction workers making a building.  It is foolish to focus on them.  The real focus should be on the one they are working for – God.


The Passage:

Now for the passage itself.

Verses 10-11:

"According to the grace of God given to me, like a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another is building upon it. But each one must be careful how he builds upon it, for no one can lay a foundation other than the one that is there, namely, Jesus Christ."

Paul once again reiterates how - despite having been the one who started the church at Corinth – the object of that community is not Paul but Jesus.

One ambiguity in this section comes with the phrase “another is building upon it”.  Does that refer to current pastor of that church?  Or to every individual as well?

I would argue that it refers to both.  The pastor contributes to the building of the church in one very important way, but everyone is contributing to the church in their own way.

That is, the lay people are contributing their own spiritual lives, gifts, and deeds.  This is why the letter goes on in subsequent chapters about how the personal morality of each person affects the corporate integrity of the church.  (see 1Cor 6:15 and 1Cor 12:12-31)


Verses 12-13:

"If anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, or straw, the work of each will come to light, for the Day will disclose it. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each one's work." 

Here is the key part.

Paul says the work of “each” will be tested on the “Day”.  What day is that?   Well, this is very similar to the way Paul uses the word “Day” in his other letters.  And in those contexts he intends either the day of a person’s death or the judgment day of the whole world. (Whichever comes first)

Therefore, Paul says here that on the day of judgment (either individual or corporate), the quality of each person’s contribution – his spiritual life, his fruits – will be tested.


Verses 14-15:

"If the work stands that someone built upon the foundation, that person will receive a wage. But if someone's work is burned up, that one will suffer loss; the person will be saved, but only as through fire." 

Paul then notes that if a person built with superior materials – personal virtue, good works – he will receive a reward for this.  That is consistent with what Paul says in his letter to the Romans:

“For He will render to every man according to his works; to those who by patience and well-doing seek glory and honor and immortality, He will give eternal life.” – Romans 2:6

However, Paul says if a person has built with inferior materials, he will experience some kind of suffering and loss.  He’ll still end up in Heaven, but his entry will be like passing through a fire.

The Catholic Church understands this fire with reference to two other Biblical images.  The first is the refiner’s fire mentioned in Zechariah 13:9. The second is Hebrews 12:28-29, which describes God as a consuming fire.  In other words, this fire which one passes through is the purifying fire of God's love.

What Could that Be?

So what does this give us?

Well, Paul is describing how the quality of our contributions to the Church – namely our virtue and fruits – will be tested on the day of our judgment.  Then he says those who are found with sub-optimal materials will undergo some kind of fiery ordeal, but will nonetheless be saved through this experience.

And that… is a good functional description of what the Catholic Church calls “Purgatory”.

Thus, the Catholic Catechism states:

“All who die in God's grace and friendship, but still imperfectly purified, are indeed assured of their eternal salvation; but after death they undergo purification, so as to achieve the holiness necessary to enter the joy of heaven.   

The Church gives the name ‘Purgatory’ to this final purification of the elect, which is entirely different from the punishment of the damned.  The tradition of the Church, by reference to certain texts of Scripture, speaks of a cleansing fire.” - CCC 1030-1031