No, they are not. This is not subject to debate or interpretation. The man who plants the field is not the field, and the builder of a building is not the building itself. If you believe otherwise, we have no basis for discussion since words apparently have no meaning.
I’m not the one debating what the meaning of the word “are” is. Verse 8 clearly shows that St Paul, while indeed addressing the entire community of Corinth as a whole, is addressing each individual of that community as well (Planter and waterer are alike insignificant, though EACH shall be rewarded according to his PARTICULAR work.)
Then onward, notwithstanding verse 9 itself, St Paul is clearly describing what each man does, what happens to each man, etc unless one wishes to make the bizarre claim that “the Church” (as a whole body) is “tested by fire” all at once at one event in the future (verse 13).
Words truly have no meaning if one makes that claim.
Nevermind, I withdraw my objections raised previously because I can now see I was in error. I apologize for the confusion I caused. The “works” described in this passage are “works” done by each man to build up “the Church” and thus the “building” (or “field”) is the Church, not each individual member’s life. Again I was wrong and you were right and I ask for your forgiveness and the forgiveness of any one else misled by my words.
I still humbly submit though that the passage describes a particular judgement of those works, and this judgement is a future event that is a trial by fire (or like it anyway) and even the “saved” go through it. I don’t see why the concept of “Purgatory” is antithetical to that passage (esp verse 13).