Did Paul claim to be the foundation?
No, Paul did not claim to be the foundation. He said that by the grace of God, as a wise master builder, he laid the foundation. The context clarifies that he does not say he is the foundation; he distinguishes his role as builder from the foundation itself.
Les teaches that Paul's statement might sound egotistical, but every word Paul writes is Holy Spirit inspired, not from his own feeling or bragging. The Holy Spirit inspired him to claim that because of God's grace, as a wise master builder, he laid the foundation. Les emphasizes that Paul does not say he is the foundation. Paul had to defend his apostleship, which was under constant attack, and the Corinthian church had divisions over following different leaders. Yet Paul's role was that of a builder who laid the foundation, not the foundation itself.