present ignorance ; but the great day, the day of judgment, or, as it is so often called, the day of the Lord. That day shall make manifest the truth or falsehood of the doctrines taught, because it is (i. e. is certainly to be) revealed hy jire ; literally, in or with fire {Iv Trvpi). In 2 Thess. 1, 8, it is said, "The Lord Jesus shall be revealed in flaming fire," i. e. in the midst of flaming fire. Fire is the constant symbol of trial and judg- ment. The meaning therefore is, that the day of the Lord will be a day of severe trial. Every work will then be sub- jected to a test which nothing impure can stand. The con- text shows that the word day^ and not work^ is the nominative to revealed. ' The day of judgment shall declare every man's work, because that day shall be revealed with fire.'
And the Jire shall try every man^s work of what sort it is. The figure is that of a building on which many workmen are engaged. Some use proper materials, others wood, hay and stubble. The building is to be subjected to the test of fire. The wood, hay and stubble will be burnt up ; only the solid materials will stand. False doctrine can no more stand the test of the day of judgment, than hay or stubble can stand a raging conflagration.
14. 15. If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss : but he himself shall be saved ; yet so as by fire.
This is an amplification of what precedes. If the materials employed by a spiritual builder stand the test of the day of judgment, he shall receive the reward of a faithful servant. Which he hath built thereupon, i. e. upon the foundation. Comp. V. 12. If any man^s work shall be burned (KaraKai^a-i- Ttti for KaraKav^iyo-eTat) ; that is, if the materials used by any builder shall not stand the test of that day, he shall suffer loss (a-r]fx,io)Sr}cr€Tai, see 2 Cor. 7, 9. Phil. 3, 8). That is, he will lose his reward.
£ut he himself shall be saved. Just as a man who has built his house of combustible materials, though he may escape when the fire comes, his property is lost, and all his labour comes to nothing. The apostle is here speaking of those teachers who, although they retain the fundamental doctrines of the gospel, yet combine them with error. This is plain from V. 12, "If any man shall build on this foundation." It is 3*