[b-greek] 1 Cor 3:15 (The force of the future indicative)

From: Matt Eby (ebymatt@yahoo.com)
Date: Mon Apr 01 2002 - 00:22:13 EST


Greetings again Moon...

> The future statement AUTOS DE SWQHSETAI is qualified
> by hOUTWS DE hWS DIA PUROS.
>
> If we understand DIA PUROS to mean "barely", does it make
> the future statement a possibility which may not be realized
> or does not affect the validity of the future statement?
>
> It seems to have to do with the force of the future statement.
> My question seems to come down to:
> Can we understand SWQHSETAI to mean WOULD BE SAVED?

Interestingly, John Crysostom (_hom. 9 in 1 Cor._) asserted this verse
to mean that the man will be preserved in the fire of hell, so that he
will not experience annihilation! I would actually agree with your
conclusion concerning the meaning of this verse, albeit a bit
differently. I don't think the solution lies in the force of the
future indicative alone, but rather in the force of the future
indicative *when qualified by an adverb*. Take Jesus' statement in
Matthew 19:23:

AMHN LEGW hUMIN hOTI PLOUSIOS DUSKOLWS EISELEUSETAI EIS THN BASILEIAN
TWN OURANWN ("Truly I say to you that a rich [man] will enter into the
kingdom of heaven with difficulty [lit. as an adverb, 'hardly'--or even
'difficultly']").

Jesus here is *not* asserting that a rich man *will* in fact enter the
kingdom of heaven. He is rather asserting the *manner* in which such a
man will--*if* indeed he does: *with difficulty*. (Jesus goes on to
pronounce this to be impossible with men in fact [v. 26])! Thus the
adverb DUSKOLWS is a very powerful qualifier to the future EISELEUSETAI
in this passage--it functions practically as a conditional clause.

Now look again at 1 Cor 3:15:

AUTOS DE SWQHSETAI hOUTWS DE hWS DIA PUROS ("And he himself will be
saved but thusly: as through fire").

hOUTWS here acts as a proleptic adverb, refering to the adverbial
phrase hWS DIA PUROS, qualifying AUTOS DE SWQHSETAI (as you said). But
I don't think at all that Paul is assuring that such a man (whose
"work" is burnt up) will be saved. Rather, he is asserting the
*manner* in which such a man will be--*if* indeed he is: he himself
must survive the test of fire (not just his "work"). And the
implication of vv. 16-17 is that such a man *will not* pass the test.

I have yet to find a commentary that deals satisfactorily with Paul's
clear allusion to the LXX of Malachi 3:2-5, 19-24 (NA27 notes the
parallel in the margin of v. 13). There the prophet talks about the
coming "Day" (judgment) in terms of a refiner's fire--wherein it is the
*righteous* who are tested as gold and silver (Mal 3:3) and the wicked
who are regarded as stubble to be consumed (3:19). Paul mentions the
same elements in his metaphor (the "Day," "fire," etc.).

What do I think Paul is saying? He is mixing the Old-Testament
"temple" and "refiner's fire" metaphors. Those involved in the
ministry of the gospel should be careful how they build alleged
converts onto God's temple, the church. Jesus Christ himself is the
foundation. If Apollos (or anyone else) accepts (or presents the
gospel in such a way that it allows/draws) false brothers into the
church, they are corrupting God's temple, which in the end will be
(metaphorically) tested with fire at the final judgment. Those who are
found to have corrupted God's temple via introducing false disciples
will find their "work" (i.e. their converts) "burnt up." Subsequently
they themselves will be put to the fiery test, which they will
inevitably fail; since they corrupted God's temple, God will "corrupt"
them (3:17). (It is not at all unusual to refer to people as building
materials in the church [cf. Matt 16:18; Gal 2:9; Eph 2:19-22; 1 Peter
2:4-8; Rev 3:12; 21:14]. Elsewhere Paul refers to the Corinthians as
his "work" [1 Cor 9:1] and is quite concerned about the church's purity
[1 Cor 5:1-13; 2 Cor 11:2-3; etc.]).

So what is the "wage/reward" (1 Cor 3:14)? IMO, nothing other than
eternal life--the "crown that will last forever" (1 Cor 9:25). Paul
elsewhere denies his entitlement to any wage/reward other than the
grace of apostleship--which for Paul is its own reward (1 Cor
9:16-18)--and also speaks of his congregations themselves as his
"crown" (1 Thess 2:19-20; Phil 4:1). The man who "suffers loss" finds
the product of his earthly labors (his supposed converts) burnt up,
while he himself is then tested (and ultimately judged) by the fire.
This interpretation is also consistent with James' statement that those
who are teachers "will be judged more strictly" (James 3:1).

Anyway, I could say more, but it's getting late. I hope I have been
clear. Let me know what you think...

My (fairly exhaustive) thoughts... :)

Matt Eby
Student, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary

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