Expositor's Greek Testament (Nicoll)

1 Corinthians 3:10

Κατὰ τὴν χάριν κ. τ. λ.: while “the grace of God” has been given to all Christians, constituting them such (see 1 Corinthians 1:4), to the Ap. a special and singular “grace was given,” “according to” which he “laid a foundation,” whereon the Church at Cor [528] rests: see the like contrast in Ephesians 3:2-9; Ephesians 4:7-16; and for Paul's specific gift as founder, 1 Corinthians 15:10; 2 Corinthians 3:5 ff., Romans 1:1-5; Romans 15:15 ff. The office of the founder is his own, and incommunicable: “you have not many fathers” (1 Corinthians 4:15).

[528] Corinth, Corinthian or Corinthians.

σοφὸς is a correct attributive to ἀρχιτέκτων : see σοφία (τ. ἀρχόντων), 1 Corinthians 2:6, and note; so in the LXX, Exodus 35:31; Isaiah 3:3, it characterizes the craftsman's skill; in Arist., Eth. Nic., σοφία is the ἀρετὴ τέχνης indeed this was its primitive sense (see Ed [529]). The Church architect (Christ, in the first instance, Matthew 16:18) is endowed with the σοφία τοῦ Θεοῦ, the νοῦς Χριστοῦ (1 Corinthians 2:6-16; cf. 2 Corinthians 3:4-6; Romans 15:16-20). The Gr [530] ἀρχιτέκτων was not a designer of plans on paper; he was like the old cathedral builders, the master-mason, developing his ideas in the material. “As a wise master-builder, I laid a foundation (θεμέλιον ἔθηκα), but another builds thereupon” (ἄλλος δὲ ἐποικοδομεῖ): P. knew that by God's grace his part was done wisely; let his successors see to theirs. Not “ the foundation” that will be defined immediately (1 Corinthians 3:11 b): P. contrasts himself as foundation-layer with later workmen; hence the vbs. are respectively past and pr [531] The θεμέλιον, laid out once for all by the ἀρχιτέκτων, determines the site and ground-plan of the edifice (cf. Ephesians 2:20). With the distributive ἄλλος cf. ἕκαστος (1 Corinthians 3:11): if Apollos, by himself, were intended, ἐποικοδομεῖ would have to be read as impf [532] (for ἐπῳκ., was building cf. aor [533], 1 Corinthians 3:14), since he is not now at Cor [534] Many Christian teachers are busy there (1 Corinthians 4:15). For this indef. ἄλλος, cf. 1 Corinthians 12:8 ff., 1 Corinthians 15:39; and for ἐγώ … ἄλλος δέ, Luke 9:19; John 4:37; John 14:16; John 21:18. For the compound vb [535], see parls.; ἐπ - points to the basis, which gives the standard and measure to all subsequent work. Hence the warning, ἕκαστος δὲ βλεπέτω πῶς κ. τ. λ.: “But let each man see (to it) how he is building thereupon!” Working upon the foundation, he must follow the lines laid down; he must use fit material. Not “how he is to build ” (as in 1 Corinthians 7:32, aor [536] sbj [537]), but “how he is a-building ” (pr [538] ind [539]) the work is going on. For the moods of the Indirect Question, see Wr [540], pp. 373 ff., Bn [541], §§ 341 356.

[529] T. C. Edwards' Commentary on the First Ep. to the Corinthians. 2

[530] Greek, or Grotius' Annotationes in N.T.

[531] present tense.

[532]mpf. imperfect tense.

[533] aorist tense.

[534] Corinth, Corinthian or Corinthians.

[535] verb

[536] aorist tense.

[537] subjunctive mood.

[538] present tense.

[539] indicative mood.

[540] Winer-Moulton's Grammar of N.T. Greek (8th ed., 1877).

[541] E. Burton's Syntax of the Moods and Tenses in the N.T. (1894).

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Expositor's Greek Testament (Nicoll)

1 Corinthians 3:10

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