Commentaries:
Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown
Every man's work--each teacher's superstructure on the foundation.
the day--of the Lord (1 Corinthians 1:8; Hebrews 10:25; 1 Thessalonians 5:4). The article is emphatic, "The day," that is, the great day of days, the long expected day.
declare it--old English for "make it clear" (1 Corinthians 4:4).
it shall be revealed by fire--it, that is, "every man's work." Rather, "He," the Lord, whose day it is (2 Thessalonians 1:7-8). Translate literally, "is being revealed (the present in the Greek implies the certainty and nearness of the event, Revelation 22:10, Revelation 22:20) in fire" (Malachi 3:3; Malachi 4:1). The fire (probably figurative here, as the gold, hay, etc.) is not purgatory (as Rome teaches, that is, purificatory and punitive), but probatory, not restricted to those dying in "venial sin"; the supposed intermediate class between those entering heaven at once, and those dying in mortal sin who go to hell, but universal, testing the godly and ungodly alike (2 Corinthians 5:10; compare Mark 9:49). This fire is not till the last day, the supposed fire of purgatory begins at death. The fire of Paul is to try the works, the fire of purgatory the persons, of men. Paul's fire causes "loss" to the sufferers; Rome's purgatory, great gain, namely, heaven at last to those purged by it, if only it were true. Thus this passage, quoted by Rome for, is altogether against, purgatory. "It was not this doctrine that gave rise to prayers for the dead; but the practice of praying for the dead [which crept in from the affectionate but mistaken solicitude of survivors] gave rise to the doctrine" [WHATELY].
Other commentary entries containing this verse:
Isaiah 4:4
1 Corinthians 3:7
1 Corinthians 4:3
Philippians 1:15
1 Timothy 3:13
2 Timothy 2:20
Hebrews 10:25
2 Peter 1:16
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