Better to be the Third Pig

1 Corinthians 3:10-23

If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, their work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person’s work.
1 Corinthians 3:12-12

The Three Little Pigs is quite the cautionary tale. A cute warning to be vigilant and not simply take the first, easiest option (cute, if you don’t think about it too much; a bit terrifying if you do). Building a shelter with flimsy materials might be easy, but it won’t keep the wolf out—you’ll be eaten. Only the third pig built something that could sustain the testing of the wolf’s strong breath. Better to be the third pig, then.

It forces us to ask a question, though, that’s not so dissimilar from the question Paul wants us to ask: will what we are building stand against the test? Have we taken care, like the third pig, to pick our building materials with prudence?

There are a couple important things to keep straight when we’re dealing with metaphors—basically, the who’s who in this situation. First, the thing being built is the church. In verse 9, Paul says, “You are…God’s building.” He says later in this section, “You yourselves are God’s temple… you together are the temple.” His reference to gold, silver, and costly stones confirms this, as these are the sorts of items used to build the temple of God. Second, Paul has been contrasting the wisdom of God with the wisdom of the world in the opening two chapters. He calls himself a wise builder (verse 10), and reminds the Corinthians in verses 18-20 about the foolishness of the world’s wisdom.

So, this passage is not so much about the personal piety of an individual Christian, but about the way by which Christians participate in building up the church. Any Christian who participates in the life of the church shares in building up the church, and ought to pay heed to Paul’s warning. Let us not build up the church with the wisdom of the world, because in reality, it is actually foolishness. Instead, let us build with the wisdom of God.

The wisdom of the world will perish, so anything built with that wisdom will also perish. It doesn’t last. Better to be the third pig, then. Better to build with something that lasts. That which lasts isn’t determined by how popular, successful is it. It isn’t the appraisal of mere humans that counts. It is not the fancy programs or buildings or spectacles that so many flock to see. In fact nothing that you build out of yourself—nothing based on the world’s wisdom—will last.

What we need, then, is the Spirit. He is the one who reveals the wisdom of God. That which is led by God’s Spirit and is done for his benefit and glory will last. As we participate in the life of the church, what are we building? What are you building? Are you seeking and following God’s Spirit? If you’re looking for a place to start, consider the fruit of the spirit. Love. Joy. Peace. Patience. Kindness. Goodness. Faithfulness. Self-control. Better to build with these. Better to be the third pig.