1 Corinthians 3:11
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What does 1 Corinthians 3:11 mean?
For other foundation can no man lay
Men may attempt to lay other foundations than Christ, and build
upon them, but to no purpose; they will be of no avail; all
besides him are sandy foundations; such as fleshly privileges, a
carnal descent, a religious education, an external profession of
religion, a man's own righteousness, and the absolute mercy of
God; but men ought to lay no other, nor can they, that will be of
any advantage to themselves or others:
than that which is laid;
by Jehovah the Father, both in his eternal counsels and covenant,
when he set forth and appointed Christ to be the Saviour and
Redeemer of his people; and in the fulness of time, when he sent
him forth under the same characters; and by the Spirit of God,
when he reveals Christ to them, and forms him in them; and by the
ministers of the Gospel, who jointly agree to lay him
ministerially, as the foundation for souls to build their hope
upon: hence he is called the "foundation of the apostles and
prophets", as here,
which is Jesus Christ;
he is the foundation personally considered, as God-man and
Mediator, on which the church, and every believer is built; he is
the foundation of the covenant of grace, and of eternal
salvation; of the faith and hope, peace, joy, and comfort of all
the saints; and of the building of God, that house not made with
hands, that city which has foundations, eternal glory in the
other world; and he is the foundation, doctrinally considered; or
the doctrines of his proper, deity, of his divine and eternal
sonship, of his incarnation, of his Messiahship, of his
obedience, sufferings, death, and resurrection from the dead, of
justification by his righteousness, pardon by his blood, and
atonement by his sacrifice, &c. are fundamental ones: the
Jews were wont to call the principal articles of their religion,
(ydwoy) , "foundations":
Maimondes has entitled one of his tracts, (hrwth ydwoy) "the foundations of the law"; but
the doctrines respecting the person, offices, and grace of
Christ, are the only foundation of the Gospel.
