1 Corinthians 3
International Children’s Bible
Following Men Is Wrong
3 Brothers, in the past I could not talk to you as I talk to spiritual people. I had to talk to you as I would to people of the world—babies in Christ. 2 The teaching I gave you was like milk, not solid food. I did this because you were not ready for solid food. And even now you are not ready. 3 You are still not spiritual. You have jealousy and arguing among you. This shows that you are not spiritual. You are acting like people of the world. 4 One of you says, “I follow Paul,” and another says, “I follow Apollos.” When you say things like this, you are acting like worldly people.
5 Is Apollos important? No! Is Paul important? No! We are only servants of God who helped you believe. Each one of us did the work God gave us to do. 6 I planted the seed of the teaching in you, and Apollos watered it. But God is the One who made the seed grow. 7 So the one who plants is not important, and the one who waters is not important. Only God is important, because he is the One who makes things grow. 8 The one who plants and the one who waters have the same purpose. And each will be rewarded for his own work. 9 We are workers together for God. And you are like a farm that belongs to God.
And you are a house that belongs to God. 10 Like an expert builder I built the foundation of that house. I used the gift that God gave me to do this. Others are building on that foundation. But everyone should be careful how he builds. 11 The foundation has already been built. No one can build any other foundation. The foundation that has already been laid is Jesus Christ. 12 Anyone can build on that foundation, using gold, silver, jewels, wood, grass, or straw. 13 But the work that each person does will be clearly seen, because the Day[a] will make it plain. That Day will appear with fire, and the fire will test every man’s work. 14 If the building that a man puts on the foundation still stands, he will get his reward. 15 But if his building is burned up, he will suffer loss. The man will be saved, but it will be as if he escaped from a fire.
16 You should know that you yourselves are God’s temple. God’s Spirit lives in you. 17 If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him, because God’s temple is holy. You yourselves are God’s temple.
18 Do not fool yourselves. If anyone among you thinks he is wise in this world, he should become a fool. Then he can become truly wise, 19 because the wisdom of this world is foolishness to God. It is written in the Scriptures, “He catches wise men in their own clever traps.”[b] 20 It is also written in the Scriptures, “The Lord knows what people think. He knows they are just a puff of wind.”[c] 21 So you should not brag about men. All things are yours: 22 Paul, Apollos and Peter; the world, life, death, the present, and the future—all these things are yours. 23 And you belong to Christ, and Christ belongs to God.
Footnotes
- 3:13 Day The day Christ will come to judge all people and take his people home to live with him.
- 3:19 “He . . . traps.” Quotation from Job 5:13.
- 3:20 “The Lord . . . wind.” Quotation from Psalm 94:11.
1 Corinthians 3
King James Version
3 And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ.
2 I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.
3 For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?
4 For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal?
5 Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man?
6 I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.
7 So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase.
8 Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour.
9 For we are labourers together with God: ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building.
10 According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon.
11 For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
12 Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble;
13 Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is.
14 If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.
15 If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.
16 Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?
17 If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.
18 Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise.
19 For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness.
20 And again, The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain.
21 Therefore let no man glory in men. For all things are your's;
22 Whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are your's;
23 And ye are Christ's; and Christ is God's.
The Holy Bible, International Children’s Bible® Copyright© 1986, 1988, 1999, 2015 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission.
