1 Corinthians 3:1-23
3 And so, brothers, I was not able to speak to YOU as to spiritual men,+ but as to fleshly men, as to babes+ in Christ.
2 I fed YOU milk, not something to eat,+ for YOU were not yet strong enough. In fact, neither are YOU strong enough now,+
3 for YOU are yet fleshly.+ For whereas there are jealousy and strife among YOU,+ are YOU not fleshly and are YOU not walking as men do?+
4 For when one says: “I belong to Paul,” but another says: “I to A·polʹlos,”+ are YOU not simply men?
5 What, then, is A·polʹlos?+ Yes, what is Paul? Ministers*+ through whom YOU became believers, even as the Lord granted each one.
6 I planted,+ A·polʹlos watered,+ but God kept making [it] grow;+
7 so that neither is he that plants anything+ nor is he that waters, but God who makes [it] grow.+
8 Now he that plants and he that waters are one,*+ but each [person] will receive his own reward according to his own labor.+
9 For we are God’s fellow workers.+ YOU people are God’s field under cultivation,+ God’s building.+
10 According to the undeserved kindness+ of God that was given to me, as a wise director of works I laid a foundation,+ but someone else is building on it. But let each one keep watching how he is building on it.+
11 For no man can lay any other foundation+ than what is laid, which is Jesus Christ.+
12 Now if anyone builds on the foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood materials, hay, stubble,
13 each one’s work will become manifest, for the day will show it up, because it will be revealed by means of fire;+ and the fire itself will prove what sort of work each one’s is.
14 If anyone’s work that he has built on it remains,+ he will receive a reward;+
15 if anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, but he himself will be saved;+ yet, if so, [it will be] as through fire.+
16 Do YOU not know that YOU people are God’s temple,*+ and that the spirit of God dwells in YOU?+
17 If anyone destroys the temple of God, God will destroy him;+ for the temple of God is holy,+ which [temple]+ YOU people are.+
18 Let no one be seducing himself: If anyone among YOU thinks he is wise+ in this system of things,* let him become a fool, that he may become wise.+
19 For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God;+ for it is written: “He catches the wise in their own cunning.”+
20 And again: “Jehovah* knows that the reasonings of the wise men are futile.”+
21 Hence let no one be boasting in men; for all things belong to YOU,+
22 whether Paul or A·polʹlos+ or Ceʹphas or the world or life or death or things now here or things to come,+ all things belong to YOU;
23 in turn YOU belong to Christ;+ Christ, in turn, belongs to God.+
Footnotes
^ Or, “Servants.” Gr., di·aʹko·noi; Lat., mi·niʹstri (from miʹnus, “less”); J18,22(Heb.), mesha·rethimʹ, “attendants.”
^ Or, “divine habitation (dwelling).” Gr., na·osʹ; Lat., temʹplum; J17,22(Heb.), heh·khalʹ, “palace (temple) of.”
^ See App 1D.
