For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, you are God’s building.  (10) According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds in it.  But let each one take heed how he builds on it.  (11) for no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

(16) Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?  (17) If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him.  For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are.

The Apostle Paul wrote the first letter to the Christians in Corinth.  There were many problems there but our verses today concerns division in the Church.  The problem in Corinth was that the new Christians didn’t mature but instead yielded to the prideful temptation to turn to the teaching and “wisdom” of men.  They developed a cult of personality and depended on the charisma of certain leaders — saying I am of Paul or I am of Peter.  Worse, they also depended on false teachers.

Paul addresses this in today’s verses by speaking of the Church as a building under construction.  He (Paul) is the master builder who laid the foundation and he says that in all humility as he reminds the Corinthians in other verses of this letter that he came to them in fear and trembling.  He may not have been the most facile messenger but his gospel was the means to salvation.  Paul preached the wisdom of God by which He revealed His plan through the Holy Spirit.  Natural man without the Spirit will never know this truth.  Men are only instruments God uses for His purposes and plan.  In Christ’s Church there is unity and diversity in different members – each serves the same master, the same task – but each has his own calling and contribution according to his or her own gift and talent.

In viewing the Church as under construction Paul is saying that no believer belongs to any leader but all faithful belong to God.  The foundation that Paul and the Apostles laid has Christ Jesus as the cornerstone – this is the unique role of the Apostles and Paul is reminding the Corinthians of his authority and the Apostolic foundation of the Church which is of a one time, once and for all foundation in Christ Jesus.

The whole building in these verses is God’s dwelling place and while we are not the temple, we are a temple – a place where God dwells.  As such we are and must remain holy.