TRV
Translation
King James Version
Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is.
Complete Jewish Bible
But each one’s work will be shown for what it is; the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire — the fire will test the quality of each one’s work.
Berean Standard Bible
his workmanship will be evident, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will prove the quality of each man’s work.
American Standard Version
each man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it is revealed in fire; and the fire itself shall prove each man’s work of what sort it is.
World English Bible Messianic
each man’s work will be revealed. For the Day will declare it, because it is revealed in fire; and the fire itself will test what sort of work each man’s work is.
Geneva Bible (1599)
Euery mans worke shalbe made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shalbe reueiled by the fire: and the fire shall trie euery mans worke of what sort it is.
Young's Literal Translation
of each the work shall become manifest, for the day shall declare it , because in fire it is revealed, and the work of each, what kind it is, the fire shall prove;
See also
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In the KJVVerse 28,424 of 31,102
Study This Verse
Commentary on 1 Corinthians 3 verses 11–15
11 ¶ For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
12 Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble;
13 Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is.
14 If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.
15 If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.
Here the apostle informs us what foundation he had laid at the bottom of all his labours among them - even Jesus Christ, the chief corner-stone, Eph 2:20. Upon this foundation all the faithful ministers of Christ build. Upon this rock all the Christians found their hopes. Those that build their hopes of heaven on any other foundation build upon the sand. Other foundation can no man lay besides what is laid - even Jesus Christ. Note, The doctrine of our Saviour and his mediation is the principal doctrine of Christianity. It lies at the bottom, and is the foundation, of all the rest. Leave out this, and you lay waste all our comforts, and leave no foundation for our hopes as sinners. It is in Christ only that God is reconciling a sinful world to himself, Co2 5:19. But of those that hold the foundation, and embrace the general doctrine of Christ's being the mediator between God and man, there are two sorts: -
I. Some build upon this foundation gold, silver, and precious stones (Co1 3:12), namely, those who receive and propagate the pure truths of the gospel, who hold nothing but the truth as it is in Jesus, and preach nothing else. This is building well upon a good foundation, making all of apiece, when ministers not only depend upon Christ as the great prophet of the church, and take him for their guide and infallible teacher, but receive and spread the doctrines he taught, in their purity, without any corrupt mixtures, without adding or diminishing.
II. Others build wood, hay, and stubble, on this foundation; that is, though they adhere to the foundation, they depart from the mind of Christ in many particulars, substitute their own fancies and inventions in the room of his doctrines and institutions, and build upon the good foundation what will not abide the test when the day of trial shall come, and the fire must make it manifest, as wood, hay, and stubble, will not bear the trial by fire, but must be consumed in it. There is a time coming when a discovery will be made of what men have built on this foundation: Every man's work shall be made manifest, shall be laid open to view, to his own view and that of others. Some may, in the simplicity of their hearts, build wood and stubble on the good foundation, and know not, all the while, what they have been doing; but in the day of the Lord their own conduct shall appear to them in its proper light. Every man's work shall be made manifest to himself, and made manifest to others, both those that have been misled by him and those that have escaped his errors. Now we may be mistaken in ourselves and others; but there is a day coming that will cure all our mistakes, and show us ourselves, and show us our actions in the true light, without covering or disguise: For the day shall declare it (that is, every man's work), because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work, of what sort it is, Co1 3:13. The day shall declare and make it manifest, the last day, the great day of trial; see Co1 4:5. Though some understand it of the time when the Jewish nation was destroyed and their constitution thereby abolished, when the superstructure which judaizing teachers would have raised on the Christian foundation was manifested to be no better than hay and stubble, that would not bear the trial. The expression carries in it a plain allusion to the refiner's art, in which the fire separates and distinguishes the dross from the gold and silver; as it also will silver and gold and precious stones, that will endure the fire, from wood and hay and stubble, that will be consumed in it. Note, There is a day coming that will as nicely distinguish one man from another, and one man's work from another's, as the fire distinguishes gold from dross, or metal that will bear the fire from other materials that will be consumed in it. In that day, 1. Some men's works will abide the trial - will be found standard. It will appear that they not only held the foundation, but that they built regularly and well upon it - that they laid on proper materials, and in due form and order. The foundation and the superstructure were all of a piece. The foundation-truths, and those that had a manifest connection with them, were taught together. It may not be so easy to discern this connection now, nor know what works will abide the trial then; but that day will make a full discovery. And such a builder shall not, cannot fail of a reward. He will have praise and honour in that day, and eternal recompence after it. Note, Fidelity in the ministers of Christ will meet with a full and ample reward in a future life. Those who spread true and pure religion in all the branches of it, and whose work will abide in the great day, shall receive a reward. And, Lord, how great! how much exceeding their deserts! 2. There are others whose works shall be burnt (Co1 3:15), whose corrupt opinions and doctrines, or vain inventions and usages in the worship of God, shall be discovered, disowned, and rejected, in that day - shall be first manifested to be corrupt, and then disapproved of God and rejected. Note, The great day will pluck off all disguises, and make things appear as they are: He whose work shall be burnt will suffer loss. If he have built upon the right foundation wood and hay and stubble, he will suffer loss. 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. This may help to enlarge our charity. We should not reprobate men for their weakness: for nothing will damn men but wickedness. He shall be saved, yet so as by fire, saved out of the fire. He himself shall be snatched out of that flame which will consume his work. This intimates that it will be difficult for those that corrupt and deprave Christianity to be saved. God will have no mercy on their works, though he may pluck them as brands out of the burning. On this passage of scripture the papists found their doctrine of purgatory, which is certainly hay and stubble: a doctrine never originally fetched from scripture, but invented in barbarous ages, to feed the avarice and ambition of the clergy, at the cost of those who would rather part with their money than their lusts, for the salvation of their souls. It can have no countenance from this text, (1.) Because this is plainly meant of a figurative fire, not of a real one: for what real fire can consume religious rites or doctrines? (2.) Because this fire is to try men's works, of what sort they are; but purgatory-fire is not for trial, not to bring men's actions to the test, but to punish for them. They are supposed to be venial sins, not satisfied for in this life, for which satisfaction must be made by suffering the fire of purgatory. (3.) Because this fire is to try every man's works, those of Paul and Apollos, as well as those of others. Now, no papists will have the front to say apostles must have passed through purgatory fires.
Matthew Henry (1662–1714) — Commentary on the Whole Bible. This section covers verses 11–15. Public domain.
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Clement of RomeAD 99
Letter to the Corinthians (Clement)
Take up the epistle of the blessed Apostle Paul. What did he write to you at the time when the gospel first began to be preached? Truly, under the inspiration of the Spirit, he wrote to you concerning himself, and Cephas, and Apollos, because even then parties had been formed among you. But that inclination for one above another entailed less guilt upon you, inasmuch as your partialities were then shown towards apostles, already of high reputation, and towards a man whom they had approved. But now reflect who those are that have perverted you, and lessened the renown of your far-famed brotherly love. It is disgraceful, beloved, yea, highly disgraceful, and unworthy of your Christian profession, that such a thing should be heard of as that the most steadfast and ancient church of the Corinthians should, on account of one or two persons, engage in sedition against its presbyters. And this rumour has reached not only us, but those also who are unconnected with us; so that, through your infatuation, the name of the Lord is blasphemed, while danger is also brought upon yourselves.
CyprianAD 258
Epistle LI
And do not think, dearest brother, that either the courage of the brethren will be lessened, or that martyrdoms will fail for this cause, that repentance is relaxed to the lapsed, and that the hope of peace is offered to the penitent. The strength of the truly believing remains unshaken; and with those who fear and love God with their whole heart, their integrity continues steady and strong. For to adulterers even a time of repentance is granted by us, and peace is given. Yet virginity is not therefore deficient in the Church, nor does the glorious design of continence languish through the sins of others. The Church, crowned with so many virgins, flourishes; and chastity and modesty preserve the tenor of their glory. Nor is the vigour of continence broken down because repentance and pardon are facilitated to the adulterer. It is one thing to stand for pardon, another thing to attain to glory: it is one thing, when cast into prison, not to go out thence until one has paid the uttermost farthing; another thing at once to receive the wages of faith and courage. It is one thing, tortured by long suffering for sins, to be cleansed and long purged by fire; another to have purged all sins by suffering. It is one thing, in fine, to be in suspense till the sentence of God at the day of judgment; another to be at once crowned by the Lord.
Lucius Caecilius Firmianus LactantiusAD 325
The Divine Institutes Book 7
These things are near to the truth. For the soul, when separated from the body, is, as the same poet says, "No vision of the drowsy night, No airy current half so light," because it is a spirit, and by its very slightness incapable of being perceived, but only by us who are corporeal but capable of being perceived by God, since it belongs to Him to be able to do all things.
AmbrosiasterAD 384
COMMENTARY ON PAUL’S EPISTLES
In the fire, bad teaching will become clear to everyone, though for the moment it is deceiving some.
John ChrysostomAD 407
Homily on 1 Corinthians 9
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. In what sense then doth he say, "he shall suffer loss?"
From this it is plain that the discourse is about actions. For since he means next in course to put out his strength against the man who had committed fornication, he begins high up and long beforehand to lay down the preliminaries.
John ChrysostomAD 407
Homily on 1 Corinthians 9
"He calleth it, however, "Salvation," you will say; why, that is the cause of his adding, "so as by fire:" since we also used to say, "It is preserved in the fire," when we speak of those substances which do not immediately burn up and become ashes. For do not at sound of the word fire imagine that those who are burning pass into annihilation. And though he call such punishment Salvation, be not astonished. For his custom is in things which have an ill sound to use fair expressions, and in good things the contrary. For example, the word "Captivity" seems to be the name of an evil thing, but Paul has applied it in a good sense, when he says, "Bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ." And again, to an evil thing he hath applied a good word, saying, "Sin reigned," here surely the term "reigning" is rather of auspicious sound. And so here in saying, "he shall be saved," he hath but darkly hinted at the intensity of the penalty: as if he had said, "But himself shall remain forever in punishment."
PelagiusAD 418
COMMENTARY ON THE FIRST EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS 3
Gold, silver and precious stones will survive the fire of judgment, but wood, hay and straw will be burned up.
Augustine of HippoAD 430
CITY OF GOD 21
The fire will try the quality of everyone’s work. If his work remains, he will receive his reward. If his work burns, he will lose his reward, but he himself will be saved. In this fire neither man will be lost forever, though the fire will profit the one and harm the other, being a test for both.
Source: Quotations drawn from early Church Fathers and historical Christian theologians (AD 100–1500). Some quotes address the surrounding passage context rather than this verse alone.
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SUMMARY
First Corinthians 3:13 declares that a future "day" will reveal the true nature and quality of every believer's work for God, subjecting it to the purifying and discerning test of "fire." This verse emphasizes divine accountability, highlighting that all service, whether built with enduring materials like gold and silver or perishable ones like wood, hay, and stubble, will be fully exposed and evaluated for its inherent worth and motive, not merely its outward appearance.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Paul masterfully employs Metaphor throughout this passage, particularly in the imagery of building. The church is a building, believers are builders, and their service is represented by various construction materials. The most prominent and powerful metaphor is that of fire, which symbolizes a divine, purifying, and revealing test. It is not a literal fire, but a figurative agent that discerns and exposes the true nature of one's spiritual labor. The "day" itself is given a degree of Personification, as it "shall declare" the work, implying an active role in the revelation process. This vivid imagery serves to impress upon the Corinthians, and all believers, the seriousness and certainty of the coming divine assessment.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
1 Corinthians 3:13 stands as a profound theological statement on the nature of Christian service and divine accountability. It underscores that while salvation is by grace through faith in Christ alone, the works performed by believers after conversion are subject to a distinct evaluation. This evaluation is not for salvation, but for the quality and motive behind our service, determining the presence or absence of eternal reward. The "fire" symbolizes God's holy scrutiny, which refines and reveals, separating what is of lasting value, built in accordance with His will and for His glory, from what is merely human effort, self-serving, or superficial. This concept aligns with the broader biblical teaching that God sees not as man sees, but looks at the heart and motives behind actions.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
1 Corinthians 3:13 offers both a sobering warning and a powerful encouragement for every believer. It compels us to live with an eternal perspective, recognizing that our actions, attitudes, and the very motives behind our service to God are not inconsequential. This verse challenges us to move beyond superficial religiosity or service driven by human applause, urging us instead to cultivate a deep-seated integrity in all we do for Christ. It calls us to examine our hearts regularly, asking if we are building with "gold, silver, and precious stones"—works rooted in genuine love for God, obedience to His Word, and reliance on the Holy Spirit—or with "wood, hay, and stubble"—works that might appear impressive but are ultimately fueled by self-interest, human wisdom, or a desire for worldly recognition. The knowledge that our work will be tested by fire should motivate us to prioritize eternal values, invest in what truly matters to God, and serve Him with purity of heart, knowing that only what is built for His glory will endure the refining fire of His presence.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Is the "fire" in 1 Corinthians 3:13 referring to hell or a punitive judgment for believers?
Answer: No, the "fire" in 1 Corinthians 3:13 is not referring to the fires of hell or a punitive judgment for the believer's salvation. The context of the passage, particularly 1 Corinthians 3:11 which states that Jesus Christ is the only foundation, establishes that salvation is secure for those who build on Him. The fire here is a metaphor for a refining and revealing process, a divine test of the quality of a believer's works, not their salvation. Just as fire refines gold and consumes dross, this "fire" will expose the true nature of one's service. The outcome is not eternal condemnation, but rather the loss of reward for works that do not endure, while the believer themselves will "be saved, yet so as by fire" (1 Corinthians 3:15). This is typically understood as the "Bema Seat" judgment for believers, a review of their service, not a judgment for sin leading to damnation.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
While 1 Corinthians 3:13 speaks to the testing of believers' works, its ultimate fulfillment and significance are profoundly rooted in Christ. The "foundation" upon which all work is built is explicitly stated to be Jesus Christ himself. Any enduring work, any "gold, silver, or precious stones," is only possible because it is built upon His perfect life, atoning death, and resurrection. Our ability to perform works of lasting value is not from our own strength but is a direct outflow of His indwelling Spirit, who empowers us to bear fruit for God's glory (John 15:5). Furthermore, Christ himself is the ultimate example of perfect work, whose life was entirely pleasing to the Father and endured every test without blemish (Hebrews 4:15). The "fire" that tests our works foreshadows the ultimate judgment where Christ, as the righteous Judge, will discern all things (John 5:22). Ultimately, any reward received for enduring works will be cast at the feet of Christ, acknowledging that all glory belongs to Him, the one who both enables and evaluates our service (Revelation 4:10-11). Thus, the testing of works in 1 Corinthians 3:13 serves to magnify the sufficiency and supremacy of Christ in all things.