1 Corinthians 3
1 My brothers and sisters, I couldn't talk with you as spiritual believers, but as worldly people—like baby Christians.
Brothers, I was not able to address you as spiritual, but as fleshly, as infants in Christ.
2 I gave you milk—I couldn't give you solid food to eat, because you weren't ready for it.
I gave you milk and not solid food, because you were not ready yet. Alas, you are still not ready,
3 Even now you're not ready for it, because you're still worldly. Since you're still jealous and argumentative, doesn't that show you're worldly, behaving just like ordinary people do?
because you are still fleshly! For since there is envy, strife and divisions among you, are you not carnal and acting like ordinary people?
4 When one of you says, “I follow Paul,” while another says, “I follow Apollos,” doesn't that show you're being so very human?
For when one says, “I am of Paul,” and another, “I am of Apollos,” are you not carnal?
5 Who is Apollos, anyway? And who is Paul? We're just servants through whom you believed. Each of us does the work God gave us to do.
Who then is Paul, who is Apollos, but ministers through whom you believed, as the Lord has given to each one?
6 I did the planting, Apollos did the watering—but it was God who made you grow!
I planted, Apollos watered, but God keeps making it grow.
7 So the one who does the planting doesn't count for anything, any more than the one who does the watering. The only one who matters is God who is growing you!
So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who makes it grow.
8 The one planting and the one watering have the same goal, and both will be rewarded according to what they've done.
Now he who plants and he who waters are at one, but each will receive his own reward according to his own labor.
9 We are workers together with God—and you are God's field, his building.
Yes, we are God's coworkers; you are God's ‘field’, God's ‘building’.
10 Through the grace of God that he gave to me, I laid down the foundation like a skilled building supervisor. Now someone else is building on it. Whoever does the building needs to watch what they're doing.
According to the grace of God that was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid a foundation, while another builds on it. But let each one be careful how he builds;
11 For no one can lay any other foundation than what's already laid—that is Jesus Christ.
for no one can lay any foundation other than what is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
12 Those who build on that foundation may use gold, silver, precious stone, wood, hay, or straw—
Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw,
13 but whatever is used to build with will be exposed. For on the Day of Judgment fire will reveal it and test it. Everyone's work will be shown for what it is.
the work of each will become evident; because the Day will make it clear, because it will be revealed by fire. Yes, the fire will test each one's work, of what sort it is.
14 Those whose building survives will be rewarded.
If the work that anyone built endures, he will receive a reward.
15 Those whose building is burned up will lose out. They will still be saved, but it will be like passing through fire!
If anyone's work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, albeit so as through fire.
16 Don't you know you are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in you?
Do you (pl) not know that you are a temple of God and the Spirit of God dwells in you?
17 Anyone who destroys God's temple will be destroyed by God, for God's temple is holy, and you are the temple.
If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him; because God's temple, which you are, is holy.
18 Don't deceive yourselves. If there's anyone of you who thinks they're worldly wise, they should become fools so they can become truly wise! (aiōn g165)
Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you seems to be wise in this age, let him become ‘foolish’ so that he may become wise. (aiōn g165)
19 This world's wisdom is plain foolishness to God. As Scripture says, “He uses the cleverness of the wise to catch them out,”
Because the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written: “He catches the wise in their craftiness”;
20 and “The Lord knows the arguments of the wise are pointless.”
and again, “The Lord knows the reasonings of the wise, that they are futile.”
21 So don't boast about people. For you have everything,
So then, let no one boast in men, for all things are yours:
22 whether it's Paul or Apollos or Peter—or the world, or life, or death, or the present, or the future. You have everything—
whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas, whether the world or life or death, whether things present or things to come—all are yours,
23 and you are Christ's, and Christ is God's.
and you are Christ's, and Christ is God's.
