New Jerusalem is Built with the Triune God as its Precious Materials
Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 3:10-11 that “According to the grace of God given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid a foundation…which is Jesus Christ.”
In the next two verses he speaks about our portion in the building work, “If anyone builds upon the foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, grass, stubble, the work of each will become manifest.” The first three materials typify the Triune God; the last three materials typify every human effort apart from God.
This city is built with the divine materials. First Corinthians 3:12 tells us that in this age, the church age, we should build the church with gold, silver, and precious stones. In the coming age, silver becomes pearl, and the materials in the New Jerusalem are gold, pearl, and precious stones. Paul surely does not mean for us to build the church with actual, literal pieces of gold. If this were the case, no one could afford to build the church. Paul laid the unique foundation of Christ, and now we need to build on the foundation.*
Jesus Christ is the foundation of the church and our experiences of the Triune God build upon this foundation. Gold is the Father’s divine nature, silver is the redemption accomplished by Jesus, and precious stones symbolize the transforming work of the Spirit (2 Cor. 3:18).
New Jerusalem is the enriched, expanded, and eternal outcome of the building of the church.
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* From chapter 27, Witness Lee, God’s New Testament Economy, published by Living Stream Ministry, © Witness Lee, 1986.
Posted by Don on November 18, 2022
New Jerusalem is Built with the Triune God as its Precious Materials
