1Corinthians:3:12

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rwp @1Corinthians:3:12 @{Gold , silver , precious stones , wood , hay , stubble } (\chrusion , argurion , lithous timious , xula , chorton , kalam ˆn \). The durable materials are three (gold , silver , marble or precious stones ), perishable materials (pieces of wood , hay , stubble ), "of a palace on the one hand , of a mud hut on the other " (Lightfoot ). Gold was freely used by the ancients in their palaces . Their marble and granite pillars are still the wonder and despair of modern men . The wooden huts had hay (\chortos \, grass , as in strkjv @Mark:6:39 |) and stubble (\kalam ˆ\, old word for stubble after the grain is cut , here alone in the N .T ., though in LXX as strkjv @Exodus:5:12 |) which were employed to hold the wood pieces together and to thatch the roof . It is not made clear whether Paul 's metaphor refers to the persons as in God 's building in verse 9 | or to the character of the teaching as in verse 13 |. Probably both ideas are involved , for look at the penalty on shoddy work (verse 15 |) and shoddy men (verse 17 |). The teaching may not always be vicious and harmful . It may only be indifferent and worthless . A co-worker with God in this great temple should put in his very best effort .

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