Predicazioni/1Corinzi/Collaboratori di Dio nell’opera del Suo Regno/English Version
God's Co-Workers in the Work of His Kingdom (1 Corinthians 3:10-15)
The Christian life is not meant to be lived passively, but as a work of construction. The apostle Paul, in his first letter to the Corinthians, reminds us that the foundation is already laid, and it is Christ Jesus, but that each of us must carefully consider how we build upon Him. What materials are we using? Are we building for eternity or just for the present moment? In this reflection, we draw upon 1 Corinthians 3:10-15 to understand how to be God's co-workers, committed with faithfulness and integrity, so that our lives leave a lasting mark and honor the Lord.
Builders
There are skilled people who have built their own homes. It's not common, but I've known them: with patience, with sacrifice, with their own hands, they've seen the walls, the roof, the rooms grow, one after another. And when the work is finished, what joy, what satisfaction: to be able to say, I built this house!
While this hasn't been possible for most of us, we all know what it means to build: it requires a good plan, solid foundations, suitable materials, and a lot of commitment. A house can't be improvised: it requires time, perseverance, attention to detail, and above all, the certainty that it will stand the test of time.
Well, the Sacred Scriptures tell us that God's purpose for this world, which belongs to Him, is to redeem it in Christ Jesus by building His Kingdom. God's people can thus be thought of as a construction company in which we are called to work according to His plan. In it, every disciple of Christ is considered a builder and collaborator with God, carrying out their duties according to the skills, resources, and opportunities they receive from Him. It is an extraordinary privilege to which we are called, an exciting work that demands our fullest commitment.
The Bible uses many images to represent this work of construction, of edification, and our role in it. Jesus himself mentions it in several of his parables, such as the parable of the calling of the workers at different times (Matthew 20:1-16), where no one is left unemployed.
The concept that unites them all is that of diligent work . Although the kingdom of God is the work of God, “who saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before the world began” (2 Timothy 1:9), it inevitably mobilizes us, activates us, makes us committed, never passive.
This is why we are called not to live day by day, to "live off our savings," but always to build, to construct. Not in our own way, but on a solid foundation. What is it? And the Apostle Paul warns us that it's not enough to build "anyhow," but we must build well, with quality, with solid materials that endure. And so the question arises: how should we build? Certainly, the scope of this work is our faith, our sanctification, our family and community, human relationships, evangelistic activity proper, but also—and above all—our broader commitment to the world we live in: in culture, society, public education, politics, and works of solidarity—all of which must conform to God's creative principles. All this because our task is not only to establish and strengthen "our church" (as is sometimes understood), but to promote the Kingdom of God in every area of life.
For this reason, today I would like a biblical text, that of 1 Corinthians 3:10-15, to guide us to understand, however briefly, how and with what spirit we are called to build.
The biblical text
Let us then listen to what the apostle Paul says when writing to the Christians of the city of Corinth:
“According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a skillful master builder, I have laid the foundation; another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it: for other foundation can no one lay than that which is laid, which is Christ Jesus. Now if anyone builds on this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each man's work will be made manifest; for the day of Christ will declare it, for it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test each man's work of what sort it is. If any man's work which he has built thereon abide, he will receive a reward. If any man's work is burned, he will suffer loss, but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire” (1 Corinthians 3:10-15).
The context of these words is very important: the church in Corinth was marked by divisions. Some claimed to "belong" to Paul, others to Apollos, others to Cephas, still others to Christ. "Parties" had formed around people, preaching styles, and human preferences. Paul reacts by reminding us that neither he nor Apollos are the foundation of faith: they are merely servants of God. The only true and stable foundation is Christ Jesus. To clarify this concept, Paul uses the image of a building: he laid the foundation, others build upon it, but each must be careful how he builds upon it. For, one day, each person's work will be tested before God.
1. Christ the only foundation
The apostle Paul is very clear: "No one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Christ Jesus." A building without a solid foundation may appear imposing on the outside, but sooner or later it will collapse. So it is with human life: if it doesn't rest on Christ, if it doesn't find meaning, direction, and strength in Him, it remains fragile and destined to crumble. We can try to build on the sands of success, ideologies, money, and fleeting sentiments, but at the first shock, everything crumbles. Only Christ, with His person, His Word, and His redemptive work, is a foundation that endures.
Christ is the foundation because He is the Son of God made man, the center of divine revelation. He is the foundation because His Word offers us certain truth amid the confusion of the world. He is the foundation because His work, accomplished on the cross and in the resurrection, reconciles us with God and gives us new life. It is not our religious traditions, however well-intentioned, our abilities, or our merits that sustain us, but He alone. Every authentic spiritual edifice, every true work that endures through time and eternity, can only rest on Him, as Scripture proclaims and explains.
And this is why we are called to examine our lives: are we truly building on Christ, or on something else? A generic religious sentiment is not enough, good intentions are not enough, not even moral commitment is enough. Everything that does not have Christ as its center and ultimate foundation is unstable. He alone gives unity and consistency to the edifice of our life and our service. Therefore, our first commitment is not to do much, but to remain firmly united to Him, to abide in Him, allowing Him to be the support and rock of all that we are and do.
2. The construction work and materials
After reiterating that Christ is the foundation, Paul invites us to reflect on what we are building upon Him. He speaks of different materials: gold, silver, precious stones on the one hand, and wood, hay, straw on the other. The image is very eloquent: not all materials have the same value and the same resistance. The same is true for our works: we can build with things that have eternal value and weight, or with what is fragile, temporary, superficial, and destined to vanish. It's true: there are those who do nothing, or worse yet, with various justifications... they let others do the work! But it's not enough to work hard, falling into self-serving activism. What matters is quality, solidity, and consistency with Christ.
This leads us to consider that our "building," as we've already mentioned, involves various areas of Christian life: our personal faith and sanctification, family and community, relationships with those around us, and evangelistic commitment. But not only that: building also extends to culture, education, and the society in which we live—according to the talents and calling God has given us. A cartoon I recently saw shows a person saying to another, "You know, I have many hidden talents." The other responds, "What are they?" To which the first replies, "I don't know! They're hidden!" Our task is to discover and enhance the gifts God has entrusted to us, and then to bring them, in Christlike style, to the service of the Kingdom of God. The risk, however, is to reduce Christian commitment to a merely individual or exclusively communal effort, without considering that God calls us to have a much broader, all-encompassing, 360-degree perspective.
3. The fire test
The apostle Paul then reminds us that one day our work will be tested: " The day of Christ will reveal it, for it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test each person's work, of what sort it is ." This is not the fire of hell... but the fire that tests materials. The image is clear: gold and precious stones endure, while wood, hay, and straw turn to ashes. Today we can delude ourselves that everything we do has value, but it will be God who reveals its true substance. And this is not to humiliate us, but to give us the right perspective: it is not so much appearance that counts, but rather substance before Him.
This perspective frees us from two extremes: on the one hand, superficiality, living day by day without thinking about how we spend our time and our gifts; on the other, discouragement, when we think our work has no visible results. Many works that in the eyes of the world seem insignificant, in the eyes of God have eternal value. Conversely, activities that seem great and successful may be just "straw." The test of fire therefore invites us to live each day with seriousness, but also with trust: God knows how to distinguish what endures from what fades.
4. The reward or the loss
- The apostle, however, speaks not only of verification, but also of consequences. Those who have built with solid materials will receive a reward. We must not think of earthly rewards or honorific titles, but of the joy of hearing from the Lord: "Well done, good and faithful servant." It is the satisfaction of seeing that our life has not been in vain, that what we have done in Christ has left an eternal mark. This is a very great motivation: we do not run in vain, we do not waste our strength for nothing, but we know that God collects and preserves every act of faithfulness, even the smallest. The Apostle, in that same letter also writes: "Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord" (1 Corinthians 15:58).
But there is also another possibility: "... if his work is burned, he will suffer loss; yet he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire." The image is powerful: like someone who emerges from a burning house, safe but empty. It is a shocking warning: salvation is certainly a free gift, earned through the redemptive work of Christ Jesus, but what we do with our lives matters greatly. It is not enough to "reach heaven," but we want to get there with a wealth of works that honor the Lord and are a testimony to His grace. They will not be the works that in themselves save us, but they are and will be an expression of the genuineness of our faith and gratitude. Our works can be "burned" because they are insubstantial. This should not inspire fear in us, but rather a sense of responsibility and a desire to spend wisely the time and resources we have been given. We will be among those the book of Revelation speaks of when it says: “Write: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on. 'Yes,' says the Spirit, 'so they will rest from their labors, for their works follow them.'” ( Revelation 14:13)
5. The Kingdom of God is greater than the church
Finally, it is often worth repeating, when we think of building, we limit ourselves to our spiritual life or to the local church: prayers, Bible studies, services, community activities. All this is certainly important, but Paul reminds us that our commitment must not have narrow boundaries. The Kingdom of God is not the church: it encompasses every area of life, from family to culture, from education to politics, from solidarity to the promotion of justice. We are called to bring Christ's way to every sphere, to be God's collaborators in the world, faithfully and carefully building what will last over time.
This requires awareness of our talents and vocations, and the courage to put them to good use. We cannot hide or squander them, as in the cartoon of the "hidden talents": God calls us to discover, appreciate, and use all that He has given us, so that our lives leave a mark of goodness and glory to His name. Thus, by building with quality, consistency, and dedication, we truly contribute to the Kingdom of God and live our vocation as Christians as a broad, concrete, and lasting commitment.
Conclusion
If we now return to the image of the house, we can clearly see what Paul wanted to teach us. As Christians, we are called to build, day after day, our lives and our commitment to the world, but on a solid foundation: Christ Jesus. It doesn't matter how big or small what we do may seem: what matters is its quality, its solidity, its coherence with Him. As in a true building, fragile and superficial materials will not withstand the heat of time and testing, while what is precious, authentic, and guided by the Spirit of God will endure and bear fruit.
And so the final question is inevitable: what are we building? We don't live day by day, we don't live off our savings, but we are called to build with care and responsibility. Let us discover and value the gifts God has entrusted to us; let us commit ourselves with fidelity and dedication to our spiritual life, our family, our community, and let us also make our contribution to society, culture, and solidarity. Let us not procrastinate, let us not hide our talents under a false sense of humility, and let us not limit ourselves to what is convenient or immediately visible. Every day is an opportunity to build with love, wisdom, and commitment.
Ultimately, true joy will be being able to say that our life has not been in vain, that God was able to use our hands, our hearts, our gifts to build something that endures and honors His Name. And it will be an even greater joy to hear from the Lord Himself: "Well done, good and faithful servant"—because what we have built, for His glory, will endure forever.
Let us pray . Our Lord and eternal God, we thank you for having called us to collaborate in your work and for having given us a sure foundation: Jesus Christ, your Son and our Savior. In him we have found life, grace, and truth. We confess that too often we build thoughtlessly, seeking what appears to the world but does not hold up before you. Forgive our superficiality and realign our hearts with your Word. Grant us, O Holy Spirit, to build with fidelity, wisdom, and love: in our families, in our communities, in the society in which we live. Help us to recognize the gifts you have entrusted to us and to use them without fear, without pride, but with humble dedication. Grant, Lord, that everything we build with our hands and our hearts may not be for our glory, but for yours. So, when the fire of trials comes, what remains will be a work that bears the mark of your presence and your faithfulness. To You be honor, praise, and glory, now and forever. Amen.
Paolo Castellina, September 25, 2025