1Brothers and sisters, I couldn’t speak to you as people who live by the Holy Spirit. I had to speak to you as people who were still following the ways of the world. You aren’t growing as Christ wants you to. You are still like babies.2The words I spoke to you were like milk, not like solid food. You weren’t ready for solid food yet. And you still aren’t ready for it.3You are still following the ways of the world. Some of you are jealous. Some of you argue. So aren’t you following the ways of the world? Aren’t you acting like ordinary human beings?4One of you says, ‘I follow Paul.’ Another says, ‘I follow Apollos.’ Aren’t you acting like ordinary human beings?5After all, what is Apollos? And what is Paul? We are only people who serve. We helped you to believe. The Lord has given each of us our own work to do.6I planted the seed. Apollos watered it. But God has been making it grow.7So the one who plants is not important. The one who waters is not important. It is God who makes things grow. He is the important one.8The one who plants and the one who waters have the same purpose. The Lord will give each of them a reward for their work.9We work together to serve God. You are like God’s field. You are like his building.10God has given me the grace to lay a foundation as a wise builder. Now someone else is building on it. But each one should build carefully.11No one can lay any other foundation than what has already been laid. That foundation is Jesus Christ.12A person may build on it using gold, silver, jewels, wood, hay or straw.13But each person’s work will be shown for what it is. On judgment day it will be brought to light. It will be put through fire. The fire will test how good each person’s work is.14If the building doesn’t burn up, God will give the builder a reward for the work.15If the building burns up, the builder will lose everything. The builder will be saved, but only like one escaping through the flames.16Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple? Don’t you know that God’s Spirit lives among you?17If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy that person. God’s temple is holy. And you all together are that temple.18Don’t fool yourselves. Suppose some of you think you are wise by the standards of the world. Then you should become ‘fools’ so that you can become wise.19The wisdom of this world is foolish in God’s eyes. It is written, ‘God catches wise people in their own evil plans.’ (Job 5:13)20It is also written, ‘The Lord knows that the thoughts of wise people don’t amount to anything.’ (Ps 94:11)21So no more boasting about human leaders! All things are yours.22That means Paul or Apollos or Peter or the world or life or death or the present or the future. All are yours.23You are joined to Christ and belong to him. And Christ is joined to God.
1 Corinthians 3
English Standard Version
Divisions in the Church
1But I, brothers,[1] could not address you as spiritual people, but as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ. (Ro 7:14; 1Co 2:6; 1Co 2:14; 1Co 2:15; Heb 5:13)2I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for it. And even now you are not yet ready, (Joh 16:12; Heb 5:12; 1Pe 2:2)3for you are still of the flesh. For while there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not of the flesh and behaving only in a human way? (Ro 13:13; 1Co 1:11; 1Co 11:18; Ga 5:19)4For when one says, “I follow Paul,” and another, “I follow Apollos,” are you not being merely human? (1Co 1:12; 1Co 3:3)5What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, as the Lord assigned to each. (Ro 12:6; 2Co 3:3; 2Co 6:4; Eph 3:7; Col 1:25)6I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. (Ac 18:4; Ac 18:27; 1Co 4:15; 1Co 9:1; 1Co 15:1; 1Co 15:10; 2Co 10:14; Col 1:18)7So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. (2Co 12:11; Ga 2:6; Ga 6:3)8He who plants and he who waters are one, and each will receive his wages according to his labor. (Mt 16:27; Ro 2:6; 1Co 3:14; 1Co 4:5; 1Co 15:58; Ga 6:4; 2Jo 1:8)9For we are God’s fellow workers. You are God’s field, God’s building. (Ps 127:1; Mr 16:20; 1Co 3:16; 2Co 6:1; Eph 2:20; Col 2:7)10According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled[2] master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building upon it. Let each one take care how he builds upon it. (Ro 12:3; Ro 15:20; 1Co 3:11; 1Co 4:15; 2Pe 3:15; Re 21:14)11For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. (Isa 28:16; 2Co 11:4; Ga 1:6; Eph 2:20)12Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw—13each one’s work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. (1Co 3:15; 1Co 4:5; 2Th 1:8; 1Pe 1:7)14If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. (1Co 3:8)15If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire. (Ps 66:12; Isa 43:2; Jud 1:23)16Do you not know that you[3] are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you? (1Co 6:19; 2Co 6:16; Eph 2:21)17If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him. For God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple. (2Co 7:1)18Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you thinks that he is wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise. (Isa 5:21; Jer 8:8; 1Co 8:2; Ga 6:3)19For the wisdom of this world is folly with God. For it is written, “He catches the wise in their craftiness,” (Job 5:13; 1Co 1:20)20and again, “The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile.” (Ps 94:11)21So let no one boast in men. For all things are yours, (Ro 8:28; 1Co 1:12; 1Co 3:4; 1Co 4:6)22whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future—all are yours,23and you are Christ’s, and Christ is God’s. (1Co 11:3; 2Co 10:7; Ga 3:29)