The Role of God’s Servants

⁵ What then is Apollos? And what is Paul? They are servants through whom you believed, and each has the role the Lord has given. ⁶ I planted,^(A) Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. ⁷ So then neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. ⁸ Now the one planting and the one watering are one in purpose, and each will receive his own reward according to his own labor. ⁹ For we are God’s coworkers.^[a] You are God’s field, God’s building.^{(B) 10} According to God’s grace that was given to me, I have laid a foundation as a skilled master builder, and another builds on it. But each one must be careful how he builds on it. ¹¹ For no one can lay any other foundation^(C) than what has been laid down. That foundation is Jesus Christ. ¹² If anyone builds on that foundation with gold, silver,^(D) costly stones,^(E) wood, hay, or straw, ¹³ each one’s work will become obvious, for the day^[b] will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire;^(F) the fire will test the quality of each one’s work.^{(G) 14} If anyone’s work that he has built survives, he will receive a reward. ¹⁵ If anyone’s work is burned up, it will be lost, but he will be saved;^(H) yet it will be like an escape through fire.^[c](I)

¹⁶ Don’t you yourselves know that you are God’s sanctuary^(J) and that the Spirit of God lives in you?^{(K) 17} If anyone destroys God’s sanctuary, God will destroy him;^(L) for God’s sanctuary is holy,^(M) and that is what you are.