1 Corinthians 3

1 And I, brethren, was not able to speak to you as to spiritual, but as to fleshly — as to babes in Christ;

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.

2 with milk I fed you, and not with meat, for ye were not yet able, but not even yet are ye now able,

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:

3 for yet ye are fleshly, for where [there is] among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not fleshly, and in the manner of men do walk?

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?

4 for when one may say, 'I, indeed, am of Paul;' and another, 'I — of Apollos;' are ye not fleshly?

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?

5 Who, then, is Paul, and who Apollos, but ministrants through whom ye did believe, and to each as the Lord gave?

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.

6 I planted, Apollos watered, but God was giving growth;

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

7 so that neither is he who is planting anything, nor he who is watering, but He who is giving growth — God;

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

8 and he who is planting and he who is watering are one, and each his own reward shall receive, according to his own labour,

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.

9 for of God we are fellow-workmen; God's tillage, God's building ye are.

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

10 According to the grace of God that was given to me, as a wise master-builder, a foundation I have laid, and another doth build on [it],

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.

11 for other foundation no one is able to lay except that which is laid, which is Jesus the Christ;

For no one can lay any other foundation in addition to that which is already laid, namely Jesus Christ.

12 and if any one doth build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw —

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--

13 of each the work shall become manifest, for the day shall declare [it], because in fire it is revealed, and the work of each, what kind it is, the fire shall prove;

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.

14 if of any one the work doth remain that he built on [it], a wage he shall receive;

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

15 if of any the work is burned up, he shall suffer loss; and himself shall be saved, but so as through fire.

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.

16 have ye not known that ye are a sanctuary of God, and the Spirit of God doth dwell in you?

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

17 if any one the sanctuary of God doth waste, him shall God waste; for the sanctuary of God is holy, the which ye are.

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

18 Let no one deceive himself; if any one doth seem to be wise among you in this age — let him become a fool, that he may become wise, (aiōn g165)

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)

19 for the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God, for it hath been written, 'Who is taking the wise in their craftiness;'

This world's wisdom is "foolishness" in God's sight; for it is written, "He snares the wise with their own cunning."

20 and again, 'The Lord doth know the reasonings of the wise, that they are vain.'

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

21 So then, let no one glory in men, for all things are yours,

Therefore let no one boast about his human teachers.

22 whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things about to be — all are yours,

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;

23 and ye [are] Christ's, and Christ [is] God's.

and you belong to Christ, and Christ belongs to God.