1 Corinthians 3:10
1 Corinthians 3:1010By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as an expert builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one must be careful how he builds.
JWs read Paul's description of himself as "a wise director of works" who "laid a foundation" as supporting the concept of an authoritative governing body that oversees the construction of God's spiritual temple. The apostolic foundation is understood as the pattern for a continuing organisational structure — the Governing Body inherits Paul's oversight role.
First Corinthians 3:10-11 reads: "I laid a foundation as a wise director of works, but someone else is building on it. Let each one keep watching how he is building on it. For no one can lay any other foundation than what is laid, which is Jesus Christ." Paul describes himself, not a continuing institution. The verse is addressed to every Christian teacher, warning that their work will be tested by fire (vv. 12-15). Crucially, the person whose work is burned up is still saved — "yet as through fire" (v. 15). Salvation is settled; what is evaluated is the quality of ministry. The very next verses (3:16-17) say that every believer is God's temple and that the Spirit dwells in every believer — the opposite of a single institutional channel. The foundation is Christ, not an organisation; the builders are all Christian teachers, not a governing body.