1 Corinthians 3-4

New American Standard Bible 1995

Foundations for Living

3 And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to ^(A)spiritual men, but as to ^(B)men of flesh, as to ^(C)infants in Christ. ² I gave you ^(D)milk to drink, not solid food; for you ^(E)were not yet able to receive it. Indeed, even now you are not yet able, ³ for you are still fleshly. For since there is ^(F)jealousy and strife among you, are you not fleshly, and are you not walking ^[a](G)like mere men? ⁴ For when ^(H)one says, “I am of Paul,” and another, “I am of Apollos,” are you not mere ^(I)men?

⁵ What then is Apollos? And what is Paul? ^(J)Servants through whom you believed, even ^(K)as the Lord gave opportunity to each one. ^6 (L)I planted, ^(M)Apollos watered, but ^(N)God was causing the growth. ⁷ So then neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but God who causes the growth. ⁸ Now he who plants and he who waters are one; but each will ^(O)receive his own ^[b]reward according to his own labor. ⁹ For we are God’s ^(P)fellow workers; you are God’s ^[c](Q)field, God’s ^(R)building.

¹⁰ According to ^(S)the grace of God which was given to me, like a wise master builder ^(T)I laid a foundation, and ^(U)another is building on it. But each man must be careful how he builds on it. ¹¹ For no man can lay a ^(V)foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. ¹² Now if any man builds on the foundation with gold, silver, ^[d]precious stones, wood, hay, straw, ^13 (W)each man’s work will become evident; for ^(X)the day will show it because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test ^[e]the quality of each man’s work. ¹⁴ If any man’s work which he has built on it remains, he will ^(Y)receive a reward. ¹⁵ If any man’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet ^(Z)so as through fire.

^16 (AA)Do you not know that ^(AB)you are a ^[f]temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? ¹⁷ If any man destroys the ^[g]temple of God, God will destroy him, for the ^[h]temple of God is holy, and ^[i]that is what you are.

^18 (AC)Let no man deceive himself. ^(AD)If any man among you thinks that he is wise in ^(AE)this age, he must become foolish, so that he may become wise. ¹⁹ For ^(AF)the wisdom of this world is foolishness before God. For it is written, “He is ^(AG)the one who catches the wise in their craftiness”; ²⁰ and again, “^(AH)The Lord knows the reasonings of the wise, that they are useless.” ²¹ So then ^(AI)let no one boast in men. For ^(AJ)all things belong to you, ^22 (AK)whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or ^(AL)life or death or things present or things to come; all things belong to you, ²³ and ^(AM)you belong to Christ; and ^(AN)Christ belongs to God.

Servants of Christ

4 Let a man regard us in this manner, as ^(AO)servants of Christ and ^(AP)stewards of ^(AQ)the mysteries of God. ² In this case, moreover, it is required ^[j]of stewards that one be found trustworthy. ³ But to me it is a very small thing that I may be examined by you, or by any human ^[k]court; in fact, I do not even examine myself. ⁴ For I ^(AR)am conscious of nothing against myself, yet I am not by this ^(AS)acquitted; but the one who examines me is the Lord. ⁵ Therefore ^(AT)do not go on ^[l]passing judgment before ^[m]the time, but wait ^(AU)until the Lord comes who will both ^(AV)bring to light the things hidden in the darkness and disclose the motives of men’s hearts; and then each man’s ^(AW)praise will come to him from God.

⁶ Now these things, brethren, I have figuratively applied to myself and Apollos for your sakes, so that in us you may learn not to exceed ^(AX)what is written, so that no one of you will ^(AY)become ^[n]arrogant ^(AZ)in behalf of one against the other. ⁷ For who regards you as superior? ^(BA)What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it?

⁸ You are ^(BB)already filled, you have already become rich, you have become kings without us; and indeed, I wish that you had become kings so that we also might reign with you. ⁹ For, I think, God has exhibited us apostles last of all, as men ^(BC)condemned to death; because we ^(BD)have become a spectacle to the world, ^[o]both to angels and to men. ¹⁰ We are ^(BE)fools for Christ’s sake, but ^(BF)you are prudent in Christ; ^(BG)we are weak, but you are strong; you are distinguished, but we are without honor. ¹¹ To this present hour we are both ^(BH)hungry and thirsty, and are poorly clothed, and are roughly treated, and are homeless; ¹² and we toil, ^(BI)working with our own hands; when we are ^(BJ)reviled, we bless; when we are ^(BK)persecuted, we endure; ¹³ when we are slandered, we try to ^[p]conciliate; we have ^(BL)become as the scum of the world, the dregs of all things, even until now.

¹⁴ I do not write these things to ^(BM)shame you, but to admonish you as my beloved ^(BN)children. ¹⁵ For if you were to have countless ^(BO)tutors in Christ, yet you would not have many fathers, for in ^(BP)Christ Jesus I ^(BQ)became your father through the ^(BR)gospel. ¹⁶ Therefore I exhort you, be ^(BS)imitators of me. ¹⁷ For this reason I ^(BT)have sent to you ^(BU)Timothy, who is my ^(BV)beloved and faithful child in the Lord, and he will remind you of my ways which are in Christ, ^(BW)just as I teach everywhere in every church. ¹⁸ Now some have become ^[q](BX)arrogant, as though I were not ^(BY)coming to you. ¹⁹ But I ^(BZ)will come to you soon, ^(CA)if the Lord wills, and I shall find out, not the ^[r]words of those who are ^(CB)arrogant but their power. ²⁰ For the kingdom of God does ^(CC)not consist in ^[s]words but in power. ²¹ What do you desire? ^(CD)Shall I come to you with a rod, or with love and a spirit of gentleness?