1 Corinthians 3:11

Contextual Overview

¹¹For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ.¹¹ For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. ¹¹Do not be misled! This foundation can only be the one that has been there since the beginning—Jesus Christ. ¹¹ For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.¹¹For no one can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. ¹¹ For there is no other base for the building but that which has been put down, which is Jesus Christ. ¹¹ For other foundation can no man lay besides that which [is] laid, which is Jesus Christ. ¹¹ For no one can lay any other foundation than what has been laid down. That foundation is Jesus Christ. ¹¹ For no one can lay any other foundation than that which has been laid, which is Jesus Christ. ¹¹ For other foundation can no man lay, than what is laid, which is Jesus Christ: And if any one build on this foundation, gold, silver, costly stones;

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Isaiah 28:16, Matthew 16:18, Acts 4:11, Acts 4:12, 2 Corinthians 11:2-4, Galatians 1:7-9, Ephesians 2:20, 2 Timothy 2:19, 1 Peter 2:6-8

Reciprocal: 1 Kings 5:17 - costly stones 1 Kings 7:10 - the foundation Psalms 87:1 - His Ezekiel 13:14 - the foundation Zechariah 13:9 - bring Matthew 7:24 - which Luke 14:30 - General Acts 8:5 - preached 1 Corinthians 3:10 - I have 1 Timothy 4:16 - Take Revelation 21:14 - and in

Cross-References

Genesis 4:10
The LORD said, "What have you done? Listen! Your brother's blood cries out to me from the ground.

Genesis 4:10
The Lord said, "What have you done? Listen! Your brother's blood cries out to me from the ground.

Genesis 4:10
And He said, "What have you done? The voice of your brother's blood is crying out to Me from the ground.

Genesis 4:10
He said, "What have you done? The voice of your brother's blood is crying to Me from the ground.

Genesis 4:10
And he sayde: What hast thou done? the voyce of thy brothers blood cryeth vnto me out of the grounde.

Genesis 4:10
Then the Lord said, "What have you done? You killed your brother and the ground opened up to take his blood from your hands. Now his blood is shouting to me from the ground. So you will be cursed from this ground.

Genesis 4:10
And the LORD said, "What have you done? The voice of your brother's blood is crying to me from the ground.

Genesis 4:10
And God seide to Cayn, What hast thou do? the vois of the blood of thi brother crieth to me fro erthe.

Genesis 4:10
And he said, What hast thou done? the voyce of thy brothers blood cryeth vnto me, from the ground.

Genesis 4:10
And he said, What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto me from the ground.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

For other foundation can no man lay,.... Men may attempt to lay other foundations than Christ, and build upon them, but to no purpose; they will be of no avail; all besides him are sandy foundations; such as fleshly privileges, a carnal descent, a religious education, an external profession of religion, a man's own righteousness, and the absolute mercy of God; but men ought to lay no other, nor can they, that will be of any advantage to themselves or others:

than that which is laid; by Jehovah the Father, both in his eternal counsels and covenant, when he set forth and appointed Christ to be the Saviour and Redeemer of his people; and in the fulness of time, when he sent him forth under the same characters; and by the Spirit of God, when he reveals Christ to them, and forms him in them; and by the ministers of the Gospel, who jointly agree to lay him ministerially, as the foundation for souls to build their hope upon: hence he is called the "foundation of the apostles and prophets", as here,

which is Jesus Christ; he is the foundation personally considered, as God-man and Mediator, on which the church, and every believer is built; he is the foundation of the covenant of grace, and of eternal salvation; of the faith and hope, peace, joy, and comfort of all the saints; and of the building of God, that house not made with hands, that city which has foundations, eternal glory in the other world; and he is the foundation, doctrinally considered; or the doctrines of his proper, deity, of his divine and eternal sonship, of his incarnation, of his Messiahship, of his obedience, sufferings, death, and resurrection from the dead, of justification by his righteousness, pardon by his blood, and atonement by his sacrifice, c. are fundamental ones: the Jews were wont to call the principal articles of their religion, יסודי, "foundations": Maimondes has entitled one of his tracts, יסודי התורה "the foundations of the law" but the doctrines respecting the person, offices, and grace of Christ, are the only foundation of the Gospel.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

For other foundation - It is “implied” by the course of the argument here, that This was the foundation which had been laid at Corinth, and on which the church there had been reared. And it is affirmed that no other foundation can be laid. A foundation is that upon which a building is raised; the foundation of a church is the doctrine on which it is established; that is, the doctrines which its members hold - those truths which lie at the basis of their hopes, and by embracing which they have been converted to God.

Can no man lay - That is, there is no other true foundation.

Which is Jesus Christ - Christ is often called the foundation; the stone; the cornerstone upon which the church is reared; Isaiah 28:16; Matthew 21:42; Acts 4:11; Ephesians 2:20; 2 Timothy 2:19; 1 Peter 2:6. The meaning is, that no true church can be reared which does not embrace and hold the true doctrines respecting him - those which pertain to his incarnation, his divine nature, his instructions, his example, his atonement, his resurrection, and ascension. The reason why no true church can be established without embracing the truth as it is in Christ is, that it is by him only that people can be saved; and where This doctrine is missing, all is missing that enters into the essential idea of a church. The fundamental doctrines of the Christian religion must be embraced, or a church cannot exist and where those doctrines are denied no association of people can be recognized as a church of God. Nor can the foundation be modified or shaped so as to suit the wishes of people. It must be laid as it is in the Scriptures; and the superstructure must be raised upon that alone.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 1 Corinthians 3:11. Other foundation can no man lay — I do not speak particularly concerning the foundation of this spiritual building; it can have no other foundation than Jesus Christ: there cannot be two opinions on this subject among the true apostles of our Lord. The only fear is, lest an improper use should be made of this heavenly doctrine; lest a bad superstructure should be raised on this foundation.