1. It appears to me that in the context, Paul is not talking about individual believers’ works as being the “building materials” of their own lives and testimonies, but rather about how believers contribute to building up the church. The foundation of the church is Jesus Christ, and the apostles and prophets built upon that; now others are contributing to the life and work of the church in ways that may either be of lasting value and find a reward in eternity (gold, silver, precious jewels), or may prove to be worthless (wood, hay, stubble).

    However, I think it’s still worth asking ourselves if what we are doing as writers is actually building up the church and contributing to the work of discipling, equipping and encouraging fellow believers, or whether our writing is really just “building” our own reputation for our own pleasure and glory. And I think that’s a question we have to keep asking ourselves on a regular basis, with every new story or novel we write.

    • OK, I really like this explanation, RJ. Thanks. I think it fits with the 1 Cor. 15:58 passage too. And with what we as writers—or believers of any stripe—must consider. Really good stuff. Thank you!

      Becky

What do you think?