I recently posted the following sharing my thoughts on this text in another forum. God Bless!
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I have heard I Cor. Chapter 3 as sometimes being a reference to each individual's salvation (particularly verse 15). However, I don't think this is what is being discussed. I think these Scriptures are addressing the effectiveness of the various ministries and not the individual believers.
1. The Chapter as a whole is addressing the issue of people esteeming one ministry over another. Paul starts out addressing this issue (verses 1-9) and he ends addressing this issue (verses 21-23).
2. In verses 6-9, Paul is speaking of the different roles that he and Apollos have served in ministering to the body of the church (he plants, Apollos waters). He says that while they each were responsible for different areas, God alone should get any glory for the increase that has been seen in the church. Look at verse 8 which states "Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour." Here, Paul is affirming that each of their ministries are of equal importance, they are one. However, look to the very next part of that verse. Paul also says that each of these ministers will "receive his own reward according to his own labor." While each role in the church is of equal importance (planting and watering) the effectiveness of each ministry will be judged and rewarded by God. Paul then goes on to explain how each ministry will be judged/rewarded by God.
3. To discuss how each minister's labour will be judged by God, Paul uses the metaphor of the body of believers being a building. He does this in verse 9 which states, "For we are labourers together with God: ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building." He says "we are labourers" and it is clear from the previous verses that the "we" are the ministers (Paul and Apollos). Paul then says "you are God's husbandry." It also seems apparent that the "you" are the body of believers. In this verse, Paul is distinguishing between "we" and "you" or IOW between "us in ministry" and "you members." The ministers are laboring together to bring in the harvest which is the body of believers. He then states that you "the body of believers" are also considered God's building. Paul does not assert that the "building" is a different metaphor altogether (i.e. referring to individuals vs. the body as a whole). But he phrases it in a way that we can see the "building" reference is consistent with his reference to us as God's "husbandry."
4. In verse 10, Paul states that his particular ministry calling by God is to be a masterbuilder. Strong's defines this as "a master builder, an architect, the superintendent in the erection of buildings." This is consistent with Paul's responsibility as an Apostle in setting-up/establishing churches. Remember, Paul starts this off by saying that we (the body of believers) are God's building. So, we are not talking about physical buildings here, but the body of believers in general. He then says that while he has laid the foundation for this body of believers, but that others will be responsible for building upon or adding to that foundation.
5. In verse 12, Paul begins to address what he referred to in verse 8 which is how each minister will be rewarded for the effectiveness of his ministry. He begins by describing the types of building materials that his fellow builders will use to add to the church. Here is where we see the individual believers. If the body of believers as a whole are God's building (as Paul states in verse 9), then the individual components of that building represent the individual believers. This is also consistent with I Peter 2:5 which states, "Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ." Individual believers are the building materials or stones that built together comprise of God's spiritual building.
Although Paul describes a varying quality of believers that are added to the church, he says that each man's work will be made manifest. We also know that Paul similarly describes the Corinthian people in I Cor. 9:1 when he states that they (the body of believers) are his "work" in the Lord. This is also consistent with II Timothy 2:20, where we see that in a great house (God's house) there are vessels (members) of varying quality.
6. Paul then goes on to say in verse 13 that every man's "work" shall be revealed by fire. This fire seems to refer to the same fiery trial that every believer goes through as God purges us into vessels fit for His use. Some additional Scriptures that we see addressing believers being tried with fire are I Peter 1:7 and I Peter 4:12-13.
7. In verses 14-15, Paul describes how God will judge/reward the work of each ministry as referred to in verse 8. Minister's will be rewarded for those "works" (believers) who endure the fiery trial and abide in the faith. Minister's will suffer loss (not be rewarded as highly) for those "works" that do not abide and are burned. We know from other Scriptures, that those who do not abide in Christ will be burned.
So, this is why I believe the rewards being discussed here are rewards for the works of ministry and not the works of individual believers. In a nutshell, Paul states that these are the rewards in which he speaks in verse 8. Paul ends the Chapter by telling the people not to glory in men and not to concern themselves with which ministry is more effective. Why? Because he has already shown that God alone will judge these things. Also, their eyes should be on Christ alone and not on individual ministers.
