Does 1 Corinthians 3:10-15 Teach Purgatory?
Recently, some of my friends were troubled by 1 Corinthians 3:10-15. They did not understand the passage, and they thought it seemed like Paul's teaching in this passage was very close to the Catholic doctrine of Purgatory. So I decided to work through this passage to see how to understand it. A careful understanding of the passage shows that it is not teaching the Catholic doctrine of Purgatory.
1 Corinthians 3:10-15 (NIV)
10By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as a wise builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should build with care. 11For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, 13their work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person’s work. 14If what has been built survives, the builder will receive a reward. 15If it is burned up, the builder will suffer loss but yet will be saved—even though only as one escaping through the flames.
Context
Notice what is going on in chapter 3. The Corinthian church has divided over which "church leader" they follow. In 1 Cor. 3:1-4, Paul accuses them of this. He directly says that this is immature of them. Their division is a spiritual problem. But he then moves to address the problem directly in verses 5-9. He is continuing to discuss the topic he addressed 1 Cor. 1:10-17. So Paul is thinking about ministry workers and how to appropriately view their work.
That context is important for when we get to verses 10-15. Paul is not talking about the everyday deeds of each Christian. He is talking about the Kingdom work of ministry workers.
To underline this, notice that in 3:9, Paul emphasizes that the worker does not matter; God matters. Each worker has his role and God provides their work with success. Paul then says this in verse 9, "For we are God's co-workers in God's service; you are God's fields, God's building." He is stressing that the individual ministry leader (Paul, Apollos, etc.) does not matter; they are merely laborers in God's farm.
To clearly see that Paul is not talking about every Christian in 3:10-15, pay close attention to verse 9. Who are the co-workers? Every Christian? No. Apollos and Paul are the co-workers. How does Paul refer to the congregation in this passage? As the fields and buildings in and among whom the laborers (the ministry leaders) work.
So let's go into 1 Cor. 3:10ff. understanding that Paul is talking about Christian leaders and the humble, God-centered perspective that we should see their work.
Purgatory
I don't want to confuse things, but I'm not just trying to explain 1 Cor. 3:10-15. I am trying to explain why I don't think that it is a description of the Catholic teaching on Purgatory.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church (#1030) defines Purgatory this way: "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."
Notice a few things about this:
This applies to most Christians. Most Christians die without being imperfectly purified. That's not explicit in this quotation, but my understanding is that the Catholic Church believes most Christians will go through Purgatory.
The fire is a fire of purification of the person.
Understanding 1 Cor. 3:10-15
So, with the context and the Catholic teaching on Purgatory before us, let's go through 1 Cor. 3:10-15 to understand it better.
By the grace God has given me: Paul has a broad understanding of grace. Grace can give forgiveness, but it can also empower. In Romans 12:6ff., Paul uses "grace" to talk about the "spiritual gifts" (as we might call them) that God gives to Christians. In Eph. 4:7, he uses it again to talk about spiritual gifts, or, more accurately, ministry roles. Specifically, he talks about leadership roles like a prophet, an elder, etc. So when Paul says "by the grace God has given me," he's not directly talking about forgiveness. He's talking about the role he was given as an apostle.
I laid a foundation as a wise builder: Paul means that he planted that congregation. Paul was the one who started the Corinthian church through his missionary efforts. Paul uses this same language -- laying a foundation as a builder to talk about beginning a church -- in Romans 15:20. Paul was a wise builder in starting the Corinthian church.
and someone else is building on it. In other words, Paul started a work that he was not finish. He was leaving it to others to do. Others were tending to the Corinthian congregation.
But each one should build with care. Obviously, whoever is building, that is, whoever is working in the Corinthian church to grow it and spiritually mature it, needs to do so carefully. They are working at God's work. Ministry leaders should never take lightly the responsibility they have to work among God's people.
11 For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. Why should the workers take care? It's because they there is already one foundation laid. They should neither undermine Christ or build anything on top of such a great foundation that does not belong on it. Paul has already (in 1 Corinthians 1) argued that the divisions arising in the church at Corinth were actually reflections on Jesus Christ. ("Was Christ divided?" Paul asked.)
12If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, Again, Paul is talking about the work of Christian ministers, people working in the church for God. Since he is using the metaphor of building, he keeps with that metaphor to describe how many workers can build onto the foundation. And their contributions are of different types and different qualities. (Remember that what is being built here is a local congregation.)
13their work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. The work is of a different quality. But that is not always obvious. We know this from experience. It is sometimes hard to see if Christians ministers and leaders are building up the church or harming the church. Sometimes the truth of what the minister is doing is hidden within their own hearts, their own intentions. But Paul writes that there will be a time when the worth of everyone's work will be revealed: the Day (of Judgment). Now, let's keep in mind that the Corinthian church is divided among people following different leaders. And Paul reminds them that every Christian leader will have their work revealed. It won't be hidden. We will see what it is truly worth, what they have actually accomplished.
It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person’s work. How will it be revealed? With fire. In the Bible, the imagery of fire is used often. Sometimes fire destroys. Sometimes it punishes. Sometimes it purifies. Here, the fire destroys. It doesn't destroy the worker, though -- it destroys their work! Again, follow Paul's train of thought. Many people contribute to the building up of the church, but the quality of their work differs. Some minister's work is not a good quality. It doesn't help the church. And that will be revealed (and their work destroyed) on the Day of Judgment.How will it be revealed? With fire. In the Bible, the imagery of fire is used often. Sometimes fire destroys. Sometimes it punishes. Sometimes it purifies. Here, the fire tests. The valuable materials survive. The poor materials are burned up. It doesn't destroy the worker, though -- it destroys their work! Again, follow Paul's train of thought. Many people contribute to the building up of the church, but the quality of their work differs. Some minister's work is not a good quality. It doesn't help the church. And that will be revealed (and their work destroyed) on the Day of Judgment.
How does this work? I'm not sure. Paul could mean that the negative effects of a bad or bad-intentioned minister will be destroyed on the last day. The church will be purified of the effects of these ministers' labors. The good quality work of a minister survives for eternity; the bad quality work of a minister is destroyed.
14If what has been built survives, the builder will receive a reward. It's the good quality work of a minister that gets rewarded. The mature Christians in the church. The new converts. The close community. The bad work (for example, divisiveness) will be destroyed, and the minister who did that work will not be rewarded for it.
15If it is burned up, the builder will suffer loss but yet will be saved—even though only as one escaping through the flames. The bad minister's work gets burned up, and so he will suffer the loss of what he build. His work will not last for eternity. But the builder will be saved. But he will be saved even though his work was burned up; he escaped those flames.The bad minister's work gets burned up, and so he will suffer the loss of what he build. His work will not last for eternity. But the builder will be saved. But he will be saved even though his work was burned up; he escaped those flames. The flames aren't flames that are purifying him or even testing him. The imagery seems to be of a worker standing among his work when his work (a room of a house, say) is consumed by flames. He runs out and is saved from the flames burning his work. It is not imagery of the worker being purified by passing through flames.
How This Differs From Purgatory
So let's notice how this differs from purgatory. I'll just enumerate them so that it will be easier to reference each point.
The trial by fire is something that Christian leaders (or minister, elders, etc.) go through. Paul does not indicate that it is for every Christian. That differs from the Catholic doctrine on Purgatory, because Purgatory is not limited just to Christian leaders.
Some people endure the fire of 1 Cor. 3:10-15, but nothing is burned up. It's only the bad work that is burned up. In Purgatory, everyone in it is purged of their unholiness. That's not happening here.
The fire of 1 Cor. 3:10-15 is dealing with ministry work, not unholiness. Though the bad work might be caused by unholiness, what is purged is not the unholiness of the worker but the poor quality work that was the result of their labors. That's different than Purgatory, where it is the individual's unholiness that is purged. The British scholar C. K. Barrett wrote, "There is thus no hint in the context that the fire has the effect of purifying an unworthy workman." (First Epistle to the Corinthians, 89)
This is not as clear, because the Catholic Church has not dogmatically declared exactly when Purgatory would be. I have heard Catholic apologists claim that Purgatory could take place in a moment -- in the blink of the eye -- on Judgment Day. But their practices at various times in history (the selling of indulgences, for example) show that Purgatory is often thought of as happening now. But the fires that Paul talks about in 1 Cor. 3:10-15 are simply on Judgment Day.
Conclusion
I don't know if what I have written fully explains 1 Cor. 3:10-15. But I hope it is enough for you to see that what Paul writes cannot be used as support for the Catholic Doctrine of Purgatory.
Counter Arguments for Purgatory
Here are a few things that stand out that particularly undermine the argument against the passage applying to purgatory.
Some of this article is based on a key false premise about the Catholic view: in purgatory, the person is burning, not their work.
This isn't in the catechism (CCC) quote ... because it's not the catholic teaching!
It's only in the author’s bullet point- re-read the ccc quote and the 2 bullets after it.
Purification - burns away the impurities, leaving the 'good', as gold is purified in fire
you don't burn up the gold!
It would be silly. What’s left to go to heaven?
Note much of the article falls apart then. Because it is about the work for purgatory.
Additionally: about the Ministry-only argument: sometimes the bad minister is kinda destroyed, too, not just his work.
Foundation vs. the work. Paul said he a laid foundation of Christ. But he built nothing on it? He certainly did if the 'ministry only' argument is true. This undermines that argument.
The Ministry-only argument ignores the 'multivalency' of the bible. Many passages are about multiple things. This could be one. Simply showing that a passage is about one thing doesn't mean it’s not about other things, making this a non-argument. It might not be about the other things, in truth, but this argument is meaningless to that point. The analogy of people building personally on the foundation works, too. (note: Multivalency (many ways, many meanings) isn't a strange bible-only thing. Poetry is like that too).
'Fire' means destruction, not Fire. Again, per previous point, it can mean those other things, but it can also mean literally fire (although the CCC quote doesn’t specifically mention fire, the Cor. quote works lockstep with ‘purgatory style purification’ either way)
Note about the AI summary following: it talks about Judgement Day as a future only thing. "Judgement day" or "He's coming back" means multiple things:
events that happened in the past, for example, destruction of the temple (judgement), the resurrection (he came back, and, yes scripture definitely says after this as well).
Ongoing events. When you die, it's judgement day for you. He also comes back for you at that time!
Future events - eschatology, the end of the world. Trumpet blares and fire from the sky and stuff, that happens for everybody.
In this context. For both 'ministers take care' and 'purgatory' interpretations - it's talking about (2), ongoing events, not 3. Why? (1) and (3) don't make sense. (there's hell to pay TODAY for church leader misconduct [unfortunately the faithful are usually the ones hurt. But its all in this era]) The author even admits this doesn't make sense for (3) "How does this work? I'm not sure ..." If he had caught that it applies to the Now (2), it would make sense.
Paul is certainly complaining about the problems in Corinth. But they were in scripture because they apply to all, like everything else, especially in the letters. The actual events of the early church are gone, judged, and done; their stories are there because the early (Catholic) church decided that the Holy Spirit would speak through those letters forever, and does. And those complaints certainly apply to ministers today, however, this is no reason you couldn’t make the argument they apply to every one of us and our daily worship of the Lord (which is on the foundation which is Christ) - or that that argument isn’t even stronger than an admonishment of ministers.
I could nitpick more.
For example the comment on vs. 14 (‘It's the good quality work of a minister that gets rewarded.’): a lot of times, the good ministers are just martyred.
And vs. 15 (‘But the builder will be saved…’) Pretty sure a few of those pedophile priests were NOT saved :-/ even though their bad works would be burned, too. (but who am I to judge?).
However, I’ll leave you with this …
AI summary from Copilot:
Please provide a counter refutation of this web page, from a catholic sympathetic viewpoint, thanks.
Certainly! Here is a counter refutation of the web page from a Catholic sympathetic viewpoint:
Refutation of the Argument Against Purgatory in 1 Corinthians 3:10-15
Contextual Misinterpretation:
The author argues that Paul is only addressing ministry leaders in 1 Corinthians 3:10-15. However, Catholic interpretation sees this passage as applicable to all Christians, emphasizing the purification process that every believer undergoes. The Catholic Church teaches that all who die in God's grace but are not yet perfectly purified will undergo purification, which aligns with the broader context of Christian life and sanctification.
Nature of Fire:
The author claims that the fire mentioned in 1 Corinthians 3:13 is not purifying the individual but rather testing the quality of their work. Catholic doctrine, however, interprets this fire as both a test and a means of purification. The Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC 1030) describes Purgatory as a state where souls undergo purification to achieve the holiness necessary to enter heaven. This purification process can be seen as analogous to the fire testing and refining the quality of one's life and deeds.
Judgment Day Timing:
The author suggests that the fire of 1 Corinthians 3:10-15 occurs only on Judgment Day, whereas Purgatory is often thought to occur immediately after death. Catholic teaching does not strictly define the timing of Purgatory, allowing for the possibility that purification could occur at the final judgment. The key point is the necessity of purification before entering heaven, which can be harmonized with the concept of a final purification at Judgment Day. See handwritten
Purification of Work vs. Individual:
The author differentiates between the purification of work and the individual, stating that 1 Corinthians 3:10-15 deals with the former. Catholic interpretation sees the purification of one's work as inherently linked to the purification of the individual. The quality of one's deeds reflects their spiritual state, and thus, the purification of deeds is part of the individual's sanctification process.
Historical and Theological Consistency:
The Catholic Church's understanding of Purgatory is rooted in a long tradition of theological reflection and scriptural interpretation. Early Church Fathers, such as St. Augustine and St. Gregory the Great, spoke of a purifying fire after death. This historical context supports the Catholic interpretation of passages like 1 Corinthians 3:10-15 as describing a purification process that aligns with the doctrine of Purgatory.
Conclusion
While the author's interpretation of 1 Corinthians 3:10-15 presents a non-Catholic viewpoint, the Catholic Church offers a broader and historically grounded understanding of this passage. The purification process described in Catholic doctrine is seen as essential for achieving the holiness required to enter heaven, and 1 Corinthians 3:10-15 can be interpreted as supporting this belief.