1Brothers and sisters, I could not address you as people who live by the Spirit but as people who are still worldly – mere infants in Christ.2I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready.3You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarrelling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere humans?4For when one says, ‘I follow Paul,’ and another, ‘I follow Apollos,’ are you not mere human beings?5What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe – as the Lord has assigned to each his task.6I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow.7So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow.8The one who plants and the one who waters have one purpose, and they will each be rewarded according to their own labour.9For we are fellow workers in God’s service; you are God’s field, God’s building.10By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as a wise builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should build with care.11For no-one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ.12If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw,13their work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person’s work.14If what has been built survives, the builder will receive a reward.15If it is burned up, the builder will suffer loss but yet will be saved – even though only as one escaping through the flames.16Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives among you?17If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy that person; for God’s temple is sacred, and you together are that temple.18Do not deceive yourselves. If any of you think you are wise by the standards of this age, you should become ‘fools’ so that you may become wise.19For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God’s sight. As it is written: ‘He catches the wise in their craftiness’; (Job 5:13)20and again, ‘The Lord knows that the thoughts of the wise are futile.’ (Ps 94:11)21So then, no more boasting about human leaders! All things are yours,22whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas[1] or the world or life or death or the present or the future – all are yours,23and you are of Christ, and Christ is of God.
1 Corinthians 3
English Standard Version
Divisions in the Church
1But I, brothers,[1] could not address you as spiritual people, but as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ. (Ro 7:14; 1Co 2:6; 1Co 2:14; 1Co 2:15; Heb 5:13)2I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for it. And even now you are not yet ready, (Joh 16:12; Heb 5:12; 1Pe 2:2)3for you are still of the flesh. For while there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not of the flesh and behaving only in a human way? (Ro 13:13; 1Co 1:11; 1Co 11:18; Ga 5:19)4For when one says, “I follow Paul,” and another, “I follow Apollos,” are you not being merely human? (1Co 1:12; 1Co 3:3)5What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, as the Lord assigned to each. (Ro 12:6; 2Co 3:3; 2Co 6:4; Eph 3:7; Col 1:25)6I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. (Ac 18:4; Ac 18:27; 1Co 4:15; 1Co 9:1; 1Co 15:1; 1Co 15:10; 2Co 10:14; Col 1:18)7So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. (2Co 12:11; Ga 2:6; Ga 6:3)8He who plants and he who waters are one, and each will receive his wages according to his labor. (Mt 16:27; Ro 2:6; 1Co 3:14; 1Co 4:5; 1Co 15:58; Ga 6:4; 2Jo 1:8)9For we are God’s fellow workers. You are God’s field, God’s building. (Ps 127:1; Mr 16:20; 1Co 3:16; 2Co 6:1; Eph 2:20; Col 2:7)10According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled[2] master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building upon it. Let each one take care how he builds upon it. (Ro 12:3; Ro 15:20; 1Co 3:11; 1Co 4:15; 2Pe 3:15; Re 21:14)11For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. (Isa 28:16; 2Co 11:4; Ga 1:6; Eph 2:20)12Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw—13each one’s work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. (1Co 3:15; 1Co 4:5; 2Th 1:8; 1Pe 1:7)14If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. (1Co 3:8)15If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire. (Ps 66:12; Isa 43:2; Jud 1:23)16Do you not know that you[3] are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you? (1Co 6:19; 2Co 6:16; Eph 2:21)17If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him. For God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple. (2Co 7:1)18Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you thinks that he is wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise. (Isa 5:21; Jer 8:8; 1Co 8:2; Ga 6:3)19For the wisdom of this world is folly with God. For it is written, “He catches the wise in their craftiness,” (Job 5:13; 1Co 1:20)20and again, “The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile.” (Ps 94:11)21So let no one boast in men. For all things are yours, (Ro 8:28; 1Co 1:12; 1Co 3:4; 1Co 4:6)22whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future—all are yours,23and you are Christ’s, and Christ is God’s. (1Co 11:3; 2Co 10:7; Ga 3:29)