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.
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 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 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 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?
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 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?
When one says ‘I follow Paul,’ and another ‘I follow Apollos,’ are not you like other men?
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.
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 planted and Apollos watered; but it was God who was, all the time, giving the increase.
I planted, and Apollos watered, but it was God who caused the growth.
7 So that neither the planter nor the waterer is of any importance. God who gives the increase is all in all.
Therefore neither the man who plants, nor the man who waters, is of any account, but only God who causes the growth.
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.
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 Apollos and I are simply fellow workers for and with God, and you are God's field-- God's building.
For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s harvest 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.
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 in addition to that which is already laid, namely Jesus Christ.
for no man can lay any other foundation than the one already laid — 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--
Whatever is used by those who build upon this foundation, whether gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay, or 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 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 If any one's work--the building which he has erected--stands the test, he will be rewarded.
If any man’s work, which he has built upon that foundation, still remains, he will gain 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 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 Do you not know that you are God's Sanctuary, and that the Spirit of God has His home within you?
Do not you know that you are God’s Temple, and that God’s Spirit has his home 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 any one destroys the Temple of God, God will destroy him; for the Temple of God is sacred, and so also are you.
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 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 "foolishness" in God's sight; for it is written, "He snares the wise with their own cunning."
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 again, "The Lord takes knowledge of the reasonings of the wise--how useless they are."
And it says again — ‘The Lord sees how fruitless are the deliberations of the wise.’
21 Therefore let no one boast about his human teachers.
Therefore let no one boast about 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 Kephas, or the world, or life, or death, or the present, or the future — all things are yours!
23 and you belong to Christ, and Christ belongs to God.
But you are Christ’s and Christ is God’s.
