1 Corinthians 3:15
in 1 Corinthians 3If it is burned up, he will suffer loss. He himself will be saved, but only as if through the flames.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as through fire.
KJV
If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.
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This verse in 1 Corinthians 3
Commentary
16 notes on this verseIf you have silver or gold, then your work will survive, and you will receive a reward; but if you have hay and the like, then your work will not withstand the force of the fire (this is what the expression "it will be burned" …
This site's exposition
If anyone builds on this foundation
on 1 Corinthians 3:12-15
The materials, gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, or straw, stand for the quality of a teacher's work on Christ's foundation, and the Day will bring it to light with fire. If the work survives, the builder will receive a reward; if it burns, he will suffer loss. The text keeps the builder apart from his work: He himself will be saved, but only as if through the flames, so the fire tests what he built at Christ's judgment.
This site's exposition
as if through the flames
Readers have long divided over this fire. Jamieson, Fausset and Brown say the builder forfeits his reward and keeps his salvation, which is a free gift, while Bonaventure reads the verse of a purgatorial fire cleansing the just. Caesarius of Arles warns those who hope that serious sins can be burned away by passing flames.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers4 voices
To suffer loss is to endure reproof. For what person, when subjected to punishment, does not lose something thereby? Yet the person himself may be saved. His living soul will not perish in the same way that his erroneous ideas will. Even so, however, he …
There are many people who understand this text incorrectly, deceiving themselves with a false assurance. They believe that if they build serious sins upon the foundation of Christ, those very offenses can be purified by transitory flames, and they themselves can later reach eternal life. …
A commentator
Theodoret of CyrusCOMMENTARY ON THE FIRST EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS 183 · Written before 458.
proposed
The teacher teaches what is right. Some follow him; others do not. Those who follow will be like gold and silver—purified by the fire and shining when they emerge from it. The others will be burned up. But the teacher will not lose anything by …
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 hath no end Christ indeed declared when he said, "Their fire shall not be quenched, and their worm shall not die." But since Paul's saying appears to some to tell the other way, come let us bring it forward also and search it out thoroughly. For having said, "If any man's work abide which he hath built thereon, he shall receive a reward; and if any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss," he adds, "but himself shall be saved, yet so as through fire." What shall we say then to this? Let us consider first what is "the Foundation," and what "the gold," and what "the precious stones," and what "the hay," and what the "stubble." "The Foundation," then, he hath himself plainly signified to be Christ, saying, "For other foundation can no man lay than that which is laid, which," he saith "is Jesus Christ." Next, the building seems to me to be actions. Although some maintain that this also is spoken concerning teachers and disciples and concerning corrupt heresies: but the reasoning doth not admit it. For if this be it, in what sense, while "the work is destroyed," is the "builder" to be "saved," though it be "through fire?" Of right, the author ought rather of the two to perish; but now it will be found that the severer penalty is assigned to him who hath been built into the work. For if the teacher was the cause of the wickedness, he is worthy to suffer severer punishment: how then shall he be "saved?" If, on the contrary, he was not the cause but the disciples became such through their own perverseness, he is no whit deserving of punishment, no, nor yet of sustaining loss: he, I say, who builded so well. […]
The Medieval Church1 voice
The purgatorial fire is a corporeal fire, by which nevertheless the spirits of the just, who in this life did not fulfill condign penance and satisfaction, are afflicted to a greater or lesser degree, according as they carried with them from this life more or …
8 more voices on this verse
The Medieval Church3 voices
For when St. Paul saith, that Christ is the foundation: and by and by addeth: And if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble: the work of every one, of what kind it is, the fire shall try. If any man's work abide which he built thereupon, he shall receive reward; if any man's work burn, he shall suffer detriment, but himself shall be saved, yet so as by fire.
Secondly, he shows the same thing in regard to evil works, saying: If any man's work burn because of any of the above fires, he shall suffer loss for doing them, but not to the point of damnation; hence he adds: but he himself shall …
He himself will not perish in the same way as his works, that is, he will not pass into nothingness, but will be "saved," that is, preserved whole, so that he may burn in the fire. Among us too, regarding wood that does not easily …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
His weakness and corruption will be the lessening of his glory, though he may in the general have been an honest and an upright Christian. This part of his work will be lost, turning no way to his advantage, though he himself may be saved. Observe, Those who hold the foundation of Christianity, though they build hay, wood, and stubble, upon it, may be saved.
If any man's work shall be burnt,....
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
If any man’s work shall be burned - If it shall not be found to hear the test of the investigation of that Day - as a cottage of wood, hay, and stubble would not bear the application of fire. If his doctrines have not been true; if he has had mistaken views of piety; if he has nourished feelings which he thought were those of religion; and inculcated practices which, however well meant, are not such as the gospel produces; if he has fallen into error of opinion, feeling, practice, however conscientious, yet he shall suffer loss.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
If . . . be burnt--if any teacher's work consist of such materials as the fire will destroy [ALFORD]. suffer loss--that is, forfeit the special "reward"; not that he shall lose salvation (which is altogether a free gift, not a "reward" or wages), for he remains still on the foundation (1Co 3:12;
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss - If he have preached the necessity of incorporating the law with the Gospel, or proclaimed as a doctrine of God any thing which did not proceed from heaven, he shall suffer loss - all his time and labor will be found to be uselessly employed and spent. Some refer the loss to the work, not to the man; and understand the passage thus: If any man’s work be burned, It shall suffer loss - much shall be taken away from it; nothing shall he left but the measure of truth and uprightness which it may have contained. But he himself shall be saved - If he have sincerely and conscientiously believed what he preached, and yet preached what was wrong, not through malice or opposition to the Gospel, but through mere ignorance, he shall be saved; God in his mercy will pass by his errors; and he shall not suffer punishment because he was mistaken. Yet, as in most erroneous teachings there is generally a portion of wilful and obstinate ignorance, the salvation of such erroneous teachers is very rare; and is expressed here, yet so as by fire, i.e. with great difficulty; a mere escape; a hair’s breadth deliverance; he shall be like a brand plucked out of the fire. The apostle obviously refers to the case of a man, who, having builded a house, and begun to dwell in it, the house happens to be set on fire, and he has warning of it just in time to escape with his life, losing at the same time his house, his goods, his labor, and almost his own life. […]
The words behind it
14 Greek wordsEvery Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Greek | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| εἴ | ei | If | G1487 → | 508 times |
| τινος | tinos | of anyone | G5100 → | 528 times |
| τὸ | to | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἔργον | ergon | work | G2041 → | 168 times |
| κατακαήσεται, | katakaesetai | will be burned up, | G2618 → | |
| ζημιωθήσεται, | zemiothesetai | he will suffer loss, | G2210 → | |
| αὐτὸς | autos | he himself | G846 → | 5565 times |
| δὲ | de | however | G1161 → | 2765 times |
| σωθήσεται | sothesetai | will be saved | G4982 → | 105 times |
| οὕτως | houtos | so | G3779 → | 208 times |
| δὲ | de | however | G1161 → | 2765 times |
| ὡς | hos | as | G5613 → | 500 times |
| διὰ | dia | through | G1223 → | 664 times |
| πυρός.¶ | puros | fire. | G4442 → | 70 times |
εἴIf
eiG1487 →508 times
τινοςof anyone
tinosG5100 →528 times
τὸthe
toG3588 →19766 times
ἔργονwork
ergonG2041 →168 times
κατακαήσεται,will be burned up,
katakaesetaiG2618 →
ζημιωθήσεται,he will suffer loss,
zemiothesetaiG2210 →
αὐτὸςhe himself
autosG846 →5565 times
δὲhowever
deG1161 →2765 times
σωθήσεταιwill be saved
sothesetaiG4982 →105 times
οὕτωςso
houtosG3779 →208 times
δὲhowever
deG1161 →2765 times
ὡςas
hosG5613 →500 times
διὰthrough
diaG1223 →664 times
πυρός.¶fire.
purosG4442 →70 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
1 Peter 4:18And, “If it is hard for the righteous to be saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?”
it leads to
- Proverbs 11:31
If the righteous receive their due on earth, how much more the ungodly and the sinner!
- Ezekiel 18:24
But if a righteous man turns from his righteousness and practices iniquity, committing the same abominations as the wicked, will he live? None of the righteous acts he did will be remembered. Because of…
- Proverbs 11:31
Through
Jude 1:23save others by snatching them from the fire; and to still others show mercy tempered with fear, hating even the clothing stained by the flesh.
it leads to
- 1 Timothy 4:16
Pay close attention to your life and to your teaching. Persevere in these things, for by so doing you will save both yourself and those who hear you.
- 1 Corinthians 15:33
Do not be deceived: “Bad company corrupts good character.”
- Revelation 3:4
But you do have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their garments, and because they are worthy, they will walk with Me in white.
- 1 Timothy 4:16
Through
Revelation 3:18I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, white garments so that you may be clothed and your shameful nakedness not exposed, and salve to…
it leads to
- Revelation 16:15
“Behold, I am coming like a thief. Blessed is the one who remains awake and clothed, so that he will not go naked and let his shame be exposed.”
- 1 Peter 1:7
so that the proven character of your faith—more precious than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
- Revelation 16:15
Through
2 John 1:8Watch yourselves, so that you do not lose what we have worked for, but that you may be fully rewarded.
it leads to
- Hebrews 10:35
So do not throw away your confidence; it holds a great reward.
- Hebrews 10:35
Where this verse is studied
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About 1 Corinthians
This page draws on 15 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the First Epistle to the Corinthians; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Ambrosiaster, COMMENTARY ON PAUL'S EPISTLES; Bonaventure, Breviloquium, Part 7; Caesarius of Arles, SERMONS 179.1; Gregory the Dialogist, Dialogues, Book 4, Chapter 41; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Calvin, Commentary on the Epistles of Paul the Apostle to the Corinthians; John Chrysostom, Homily on 1 Corinthians 9; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Theodoret of Cyrus, COMMENTARY ON THE FIRST EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS 183; Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on 1 Corinthians and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on 1 Corinthians.