Getting back on topic here-- a commentary on 1 Cor. 3:13 from Things Hard To Be Understood by David Cloud
1Co. 3:13
“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.” – 1Co 3:13
WHAT IS THE FIRE? I believe the fire is the Holy Scriptures by which men will be judged.
(1) Scripture is likened to fire (Jer 23:29).
(2) Scripture will be the judge (Ps 96:13; Joh 12:48).
(3) Scripture is the complete revelation we have from God (Revelation 22).
(4) Scripture is sufficient to perfect the man of God (2Ti 3:16-17).
(5) Scripture is the mind of God (1Co 2:9-16).
(6) Scripture is capable (Ac 20:32; 2Pe 1:4-11). We do not have to wait for the judgment seat of Christ before we can know the mind of God. We have His judgments today in the Bible, and it is this same Book which will test our work in that day.
WHAT SHALL BE REVEALED?
(1) The character of our work for Christ will be revealed. The fire will try the work to demonstrate “what sort it is.” Was the work hot, cold, or lukewarm (Re 3:15-16)?
Was it faithful (1Co 4:2)? Was it abounding (1Co 15:58)? Was it self-denying (Lu 9:23)? Was it careful? Was it pure (2Co 7:1)? Was it loving? Was it done in the fear of God (Heb 12:28; 1Pe 1:17).
(2) The motives of our work for Christ will also be revealed (1Co 4:5). The hidden things and the counsels of the heart will be tested in that day. The Bible warns that there are many devices in a man’s heart, but it is only the counsel of the Lord that shall stand (Pr 19:21). The Pharisees did great religious works, but they did them not for the glory of God but to be seen of men (Mt 6:5; 23:5).
CAN THIS PASSAGE REFER TO PURGATORY? Roman Catholic theologians have attempted to find the doctrine of purgatory in 1Co 3:13-15, but this is an exercise in futility. The judgment described in 1 Corinthians 3 is contradictory in every way to the Catholic doctrine of purgatory.
(1) The purpose of 1 Corinthians 3 is different from purgatory --— The judgment of 1 Corinthians 3 is a judgment of works to determine reward or loss pertaining to our Christian service, whereas purgatory is a judgment of persons to purge those persons of sins and to prepare them for Heaven. Vatican Council II defined purgatory in these words: “In fact, in purgatory the souls of those who died in the charity of God and truly repentant, but who had not made satisfaction with adequate penance for their sins and omissions are cleansed after death with punishments designed to purge away their debt" (Vatican II, Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, Apostolic Constitution on the Revision of Indulgences, chap. 1, 3, p. 75). This Catholic doctrine is definitely not found in 1 Corinthians 3. The fire of 1 Corinthians 3 will test the Christian’s work; it will not be applied to his person for the purpose of expiating his sins. We praise God that our sins were completely atoned by the cross-work of the Lord Jesus Christ (Ro 5:9-11; Heb 1:3; 10:10,12,14).
(2) The persons of 1 Corinthians 3 are different from those of purgatory --— The judgment of 1 Corinthians 3 involves EVERY child of God (v. 13), whereas purgatory is only for certain Catholics who die without having made satisfaction for all their sins.
(3) The certainty of 1 Corinthians 3 is different from that of purgatory --— The judgment of 1 Corinthians 3 promises eternal security to the believer, whereas the Catholic church does not promise eternal security to any person. In 1 Corinthians 3 EVERY believer’s work shall be examined (v. 13) and EVERY believer shall be saved, even if his work is unsatisfactory (v. 15). How can this be? It is because our eternal salvation is not based upon our works in any sense whatsoever. We are saved by the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, which is the free, unmerited blessings purchased by Christ in our stead (Ro 3:24-28; 4:1-8; Eph 2:8-9; Tit 3:4-7). The believer serves the Lord Jesus Christ out of a heart of gratitude for his salvation, not in order to earn salvation.
(4) The details of 1 Corinthians 3 are different from those of purgatory --— It is impossible for 1 Corinthians 3 to be used as the biblical foundation for the Catholic doctrine of purgatory, because it lacks any of the details surrounding that doctrine. There is no mention of atoning for sin, no mention of suffering, no mention of prayers or masses on earth being able to hasten the judgment. Contrast 1 Corinthians 3 with what the New Catholic Catechism says about purgatory: “1032 From the beginning the Church has honoured the memory of the dead and offered prayers in suffrage for them, above all the Eucharistic sacrifice, so that, thus purified, they may attain the beatific vision of God. The Church also commends almsgiving, indulgences and works of penance undertaken on behalf of the dead.”
****************************************
The Judgment/Bema Seat of Christ is for BELIEVERS/SAVED/BODY OF CHRIST only! There will be NOBODY cast into outer darkness at this Judgment. There is a literal hellfire, but it is NOT for the "purging" of the saved, no matter how unfaithful they may have been in their life on earth. The Body of Christ is NOT divided into the "haves" and "have nots", the "overcomers" and the "non overcomers".