1 Corinthians 3
1 My brothers and sisters, I couldn't talk with you as spiritual believers, but as worldly people—like baby Christians.
But I, Brothers, could not speak to you as men with spiritual insight, but only as worldly-minded — mere infants in the Faith of Christ.
2 I gave you milk—I couldn't give you solid food to eat, because you weren't ready for it.
I fed you with milk, not with solid food, for you were not then able to take it. No, and even now you are not able; you are still worldly.
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?
While there exist among you jealousy and party feeling, is it not true that you are worldly, and are acting merely as other men do?
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?
When one says ‘I follow Paul,’ and another ‘I follow Apollos,’ are not you like other men?
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.
What, I ask, is Apollos? or what is Paul? Servants through whom you were led to accept the Faith; and that only as the Lord helped each of you.
6 I did the planting, Apollos did the watering—but it was God who made you grow!
I planted, and Apollos watered, but it was God who caused the growth.
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!
Therefore neither the man who plants, nor the man who waters, is of any account, but only God who causes the growth.
8 The one planting and the one watering have the same goal, and both will be rewarded according to what they've done.
In this the man who plants and the man who waters are one; yet each will receive his own reward in proportion to his own labour.
9 We are workers together with God—and you are God's field, his building.
For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s harvest 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.
In fulfilment of the charge which God had entrusted to me, I laid the foundation like a skilful master-builder; but another man is now building upon it. Let every one take care how he builds;
11 For no one can lay any other foundation than what's already laid—that is Jesus Christ.
for no man can lay any other foundation than the one already laid — Jesus Christ.
12 Those who build on that foundation may use gold, silver, precious stone, wood, hay, or straw—
Whatever is used by those who build upon this foundation, whether gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay, or 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 quality of each man’s work will become known, for the Day will make it plain; because that Day is to be ushered in with fire, and the fire itself will test the quality of every man’s work.
14 Those whose building survives will be rewarded.
If any man’s work, which he has built upon that foundation, still remains, he will gain 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 any man’s work is burnt up, he will suffer loss; though he himself will escape, but only as one who has passed through fire.
16 Don't you know you are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in you?
Do not you know that you are God’s Temple, and that God’s Spirit has his home 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 any one destroys the Temple of God, God will destroy him; for the Temple of God is sacred, and so also are you.
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 any one among you imagines that, as regards this world, he is a wise man, let him become a ‘fool,’ 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,”
For in God’s sight this world’s wisdom is folly. Scripture tells of — ‘One who catches the wise in their own craftiness,’
20 and “The Lord knows the arguments of the wise are pointless.”
And it says again — ‘The Lord sees how fruitless are the deliberations of the wise.’
21 So don't boast about people. For you have everything,
Therefore let no one boast about 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 Kephas, or the world, or life, or death, or the present, or the future — all things are yours!
23 and you are Christ's, and Christ is God's.
But you are Christ’s and Christ is God’s.
