Replies

>The point is what the judgment is for, the reward being entrance into Heaven or crowns to greater glorify God with<

It is clear from verses 14 and 15 that both kinds enter heaven (the damned ones are not in focus at all, as the presumtion is that the works of either kind are done on the solid foundation of faith, v.12), but one survives the fire unscathed and with a reward and the other loses the accumulated imperfections and sees no particular reward.

It is clear that if this was purgatory then all would need to have the dross of venial sins burned off (as you say, of “his accumulated imperfections”) to enter Heaven, and thus the 1^st class would need to have works consumed to enter glory. In addition, the suffering would be the burning, versus the loss of reward which is what 3:15 says it is, and purgatorial suffering would gain them Heaven, rather than being saved despite this loss. And this is described as all one event.

>but the fire is not purging them so they can enter Heaven<

The purifying fire is a necessity for those whose works contain stubble. Read the scripture: "he himself shall be saved, yet so as by fire." The implication is clear that the fire enables his entry into heaven. However, it is true that both kinds enter heaven eventually.

No, as again, all in purgatory have stubble, else they would not be there, and so you still have two classes, and in Scripture all stand before this judgment of Christ , (Rm. 10-12; 2Cor. 5:10) and which is at His return, as shown. And in 1Cor 3 you have souls who survived the fire unscathed (although it is their works which do) while in context of "he himself shall be saved, yet so as by fire," these are saved despite having had their works burned, not because of them.

>Instead this is speaking about reward for service, for those who are already in Heaven.<

No because the entrance into heaven "he is saved" does not occure till he has gone through the purifying fire "saved as if by fire".

Again your construct is contrary to purgatory as those who are said to be in purgatory are suffering until they are made fit for Heaven, which is where those without corruption already are, whilst in 1Cor. 3 all believers would also be awaiting final salvation,* including those who survived the fire unscathed. And once gain, ,the contrast between the two classes describes the latter as being saved despite his works being burned up. The fire did not save him, but it burned up that which should have remained, as they did for the first class.

However, i would allow that this is not speaking of two entirely distinct classes, as that the 1^st are those who entirely escape the fire unscathed, as you have them, nor that the latter class have absolutely no fruit, which seems to define one who is not a believer, whose fruit withered, and is cast into outer darkness, in which case the suffering only seems punitive, not purgative. (Mt. 25:24-30; cf. Mt. 8:12; 21:43; 22:13) But besides other things, the judgment of 1Cor. 3 is that of the day of Christ, not an ongoing one commencing at death, nor the suffering being purgative for holiness to enter glory.

>it best “speaks” of in context and by typology is converts<

That may be one example of "man's work", but the passage is written intentionally in the broadest of terms: "every man's work", with "every" repeated four times and "any" also four times.

It was intentionally written in context so as to define “work” (singular) as that of building the church, as shown, the Corinthians themselves being “God's building,” and which material Scripture defines as persons, as shown. But as works manifest faith and the heart, one can say the latter was being judged indirectly, but as the work is the fruit, thus the giving of reward is to those whose work remained, while the 2^nd class lost that which should have remained, which is not character defects, nor did this loss save them, but it did not prevent their salvation.

>if was character defects that were lost in order to gain entrance to Heaven, that being the Reward, then those whose works were consumed would receive the reward, rather than being saved even though those they built the church with failed.<

Sorry, I cannot parse the meaning of this.

If the reward was that of entering Heaven, and which is given as a result of their character defects having been purified through the fire, then those whose works were consumed would receive the reward, rather than those who survived the fire unscathed, with the latter class being saved despite suffering loss of reward. And even if “reward” means something else, the first class would not be in purgatory anyway waiting to enter Heaven, and the latter who be saved because of the fire, which causes them a loss of what was valuable for reward.

In your attempt to make 1Cor. 3 conform to purgatory you are again making purgatory more conformable to 1Cor. 3

Some differences are:

Subject	Purgatory	1 Cor. 3
Purpose and Theology	Purifying of accumulated imperfections which imperfect believers experience in order to be fit to enter Heaven. Believers are forgiven and initially justified by pure grace without works (as in paedobaptism), but grace through faith means one does works by grace by which one is accounted worthy of eternal life, in God's His grace and in faithfulness to His promises. One must also provide satisfaction for sins not compensated for on earth, and attain unto that holiness without which no man can see the Lord.	A judgment of works for all believers for giving rewards according to how one built the church. Being acquitted and saved by God-granted repentant faith, by which the unGodly are justified without works, this effects holiness and works thereof which attest to true saving faith. But as acceptance with God is on Christ's account and imputed righteousness, then perfect practical moral perfection as an attribute of faith is not required for eternal life and entrance to Heaven (though the kind of faith which justifies is one that will effect righteousness). Eternal life is a free gift appropriated by such faith, versus the wages of sin which is death, but as promised, faith and works are recompensed by God in His grace and faithfulness, but not as owed as morally deserved	Lk. 18:1-0-14; Jn. 5:24; Acts 10:43-47; 11:8; 15:7-9; 16:14; Rm. 2:13; 3:8 — 5:1; 6:23; Heb. 5:9; 6:9; 10:17; Ja. 2:17,26; Mt. 16:2; 25:31ff; Eph. 6:8; Col. 3:24; Lk. 17:10; Gn. 32:10
Place	Outside Heaven but not in Hell	With the Lord	2Cor. 5:7,8; Phil 1:21,23; 1Thes. 4:17
Period	Commencing at death, and lasting potentially thousands of years	In the future day of Christ/the Lord/God, at the judgment seat of Christ	1Cor. 1:8; 4:5 (cf. 2Tim. 4:1,8); Rev. 11:18; 22:12; 2Thess. 2:2; Phil. 1:6,10; 2:16 (cf. Mt. 25:2)
Persons	Imperfect believers (versus saints) in need of purification, versus those who have no such imperfections, who go directly to Heaven	All believers, who being saints, will stand before the judgment seat of Christ and to be recompensed according to their works which they did as believers	^ Rm. 10-12; 2Cor. 5:10
Possessions	Accumulated imperfections, dross of sins.	Building material of the church, which is built upon a Person, and persons, with believers being living stones, and the Corinthian being Paul's work, this being a fruit of his faith.	Eph. 2:20 (cf. 1Cor. 3:11); 1Cor. 3:9; 1Pt. 2:5
Method and Results	“fire and torments or purifying' punishments” resulting in expiation and cleansing of the dross of sins, imperfections, and resulting in gaining entrance into Heaven	Testing as of by fire of their manner of work resulting in a positive reward or the suffering of loss of reward of that which was valuable. This giving of rewards leads to both classes of believers entering into their eternal inheritance in the Holy City, with those who lost works being fully saved despite suffering loss. But one cannot be without some fruit at all.	1Cor. 3:8-15; Mt. 25:14-30

*the full realization of their redemption, that of the “resurrection of life,” (Jn. 5:29) and “the time of the dead,” (Rv. 11:!8) and revelation of the manner of one's work, and motives, “when every man have praise of God,” (1Cor. 4:5; Rv. 22:12; ) and the revelation and entry into the Holy City, and of seeing God's face, (Rv. 21, 22) which occurs at the end for all believers.