1 Corinthians 3

1 And as for myself, brethren, I found it impossible to speak to you as spiritual men. It had to be as to worldlings--mere babes in Christ.

Brothers, I was not able to address you as spiritual, but as fleshly, as infants in Christ.

2 I fed you with milk and not with solid food, since for this you were not yet strong enough. And even now you are not strong enough:

I gave you milk and not solid food, because you were not ready yet. Alas, you are still not ready,

3 you are still unspiritual. For so long as jealousy and strife continue among you, can it be denied that you are unspiritual and are living and acting like mere men of the world?

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 For when some one says, "I belong to Paul," and another says, "I belong to Apollos," is not this the way men of the world speak?

For when one says, “I am of Paul,” and another, “I am of Apollos,” are you not carnal?

5 What then is Apollos? And what is Paul? They are just God's servants, through whose efforts, and as the Lord granted power to each, you accepted the faith.

Who then is Paul, who is Apollos, but ministers through whom you believed, as the Lord has given to each one?

6 I planted and Apollos watered; but it was God who was, all the time, giving the increase.

I planted, Apollos watered, but God keeps making it grow.

7 So that neither the planter nor the waterer is of any importance. God who gives the increase is all in all.

So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who makes it grow.

8 Now in aim and purpose the planter and the waterer are one; and yet each will receive his own special reward, answering to his own special work.

Now he who plants and he who waters are at one, but each will receive his own reward according to his own labor.

9 Apollos and I are simply fellow workers for and with God, and you are God's field-- God's building.

Yes, we are God's coworkers; you are God's ‘field’, God's ‘building’.

10 In discharge of the task which God graciously entrusted to me, I--like a competent master-builder--have laid a foundation, and others are building upon it. But let every one be careful how and what he builds.

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 in addition to that which is already laid, namely Jesus Christ.

for no one can lay any foundation other than what is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

12 And whether the building which any one is erecting on that foundation be of gold or silver or costly stones, of timber or hay or straw--

Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw,

13 the true character of each individual's work will become manifest. For the day of Christ will disclose it, because that day is soon to come upon us clothed in fire, and as for the quality of every one's work-- the fire is the thing which will test it.

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 If any one's work--the building which he has erected--stands the test, he will be rewarded.

If the work that anyone built endures, he will receive a reward.

15 If any one's work is burnt up, he will suffer the loss of it; yet he will himself be rescued, but only, as it were, by passing through the fire.

If anyone's work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, albeit so as through fire.

16 Do you not know that you are God's Sanctuary, and that the Spirit of God has His home within you?

Do you (pl) not know that you are a temple of God and the Spirit of God dwells in you?

17 If any one is marring the Sanctuary of God, him will God mar; for the Sanctuary of God is holy, which you all are.

If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him; because God's temple, which you are, is holy.

18 Let no one deceive himself. If any man imagines that he is wise, compared with the rest of you, with the wisdom of the present age, let him become "foolish" so that he may be 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 "foolishness" in God's sight; for it is written, "He snares the wise with their own cunning."

Because the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written: “He catches the wise in their craftiness”;

20 And again, "The Lord takes knowledge of the reasonings of the wise--how useless they are."

and again, “The Lord knows the reasonings of the wise, that they are futile.”

21 Therefore let no one boast about his human teachers.

So then, let no one boast in men, for all things are yours:

22 For everything belongs to you--be it Paul or Apollos or Peter, the world or life or death, things present or future--everything belongs to you;

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 belong to Christ, and Christ belongs to God.

and you are Christ's, and Christ is God's.