Passage Resources Hebrew/Greek Your Content
Previous Next
Add parallel Print Page Options
Close NABRE

1 Corinthians 3:2-23
New American Bible (Revised Edition)

2 I fed you milk, not solid food, because you were unable to take it. Indeed, you are still not able, even now,(A) 3 for you are still of the flesh. While there is jealousy and rivalry among you,[a] are you not of the flesh and behaving in an ordinary human way?(B) 4 Whenever someone says, “I belong to Paul,” and another, “I belong to Apollos,” are you not merely human?(C)

The Role of God’s Ministers.[b] 5 What is Apollos, after all, and what is Paul? Ministers[c] through whom you became believers, just as the Lord assigned each one. 6 I planted, Apollos watered, but God caused the growth.(D) 7 Therefore, neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who causes the growth. 8 The one who plants and the one who waters are equal, and each will receive wages in proportion to his labor. 9 For we are God’s co-workers; you are God’s field, God’s building.(E)

10 [d]According to the grace of God given to me, like a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another is building upon it. But each one must be careful how he builds upon it, 11 for no one can lay a foundation other than the one that is there, namely, Jesus Christ. 12 If anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, or straw, 13 the work of each will come to light, for the Day[e] will disclose it. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire [itself] will test the quality of each one’s work.(F) 14 If the work stands that someone built upon the foundation, that person will receive a wage. 15 But if someone’s work is burned up, that one will suffer loss; the person will be saved,[f] but only as through fire. 16 Do you not know that you are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?(G) 17 If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy that person; for the temple of God, which you are, is holy.[g]

18 Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you considers himself wise in this age, let him become a fool so as to become wise.(H) 19 For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in the eyes of God, for it is written:(I)

“He catches the wise in their own ruses,”

20 and again:

“The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain.”(J)

21 [h]So let no one boast about human beings, for everything belongs to you,(K) 22 Paul or Apollos or Cephas, or the world or life or death, or the present or the future: all belong to you, 23 and you to Christ, and Christ to God.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. 3:3–4 Jealousy, rivalry, and divisions in the community are symptoms of their arrested development; they reveal the immaturity both of their self-understanding (1 Cor 3:4) and of the judgments about their apostles (1 Cor 3:21).
  2. 3:5–4:5 The Corinthians tend to evaluate their leaders by the criteria of human wisdom and to exaggerate their importance. Paul views the role of the apostles in the light of his theology of spiritual gifts (cf. 1 Cor 12–14, where the charism of the apostle heads the lists). The essential aspects of all spiritual gifts (1 Cor 12:4–6 presents them as gifts of grace, as services, and as modes of activity) are exemplified by the apostolate, which is a gift of grace (1 Cor 3:10) through which God works (1 Cor 3:9) and a form of service (1 Cor 3:5) for the common good (elsewhere expressed by the verb “build up,” suggested here by the image of the building, 1 Cor 3:9). The apostles serve the church, but their accountability is to God and to Christ (1 Cor 4:1–5).
  3. 3:5 Ministers: for other expressions of Paul’s understanding of himself as minister or steward to the church, cf. 1 Cor 4:1; 9:17, 19–27; 2 Cor 3:6–9; 4:1; 5:18; 6:3–4; and 2 Cor 11:23 (the climax of Paul’s defense).
  4. 3:10–11 There are diverse functions in the service of the community, but each individual’s task is serious, and each will stand accountable for the quality of his contribution.
  5. 3:13 The Day: the great day of Yahweh, the day of judgment, which can be a time of either gloom or joy. Fire both destroys and purifies.
  6. 3:15 Will be saved: although Paul can envision very harsh divine punishment (cf. 1 Cor 3:17), he appears optimistic about the success of divine corrective means both here and elsewhere (cf. 1 Cor 5:5; 11:32 [discipline]). The text of 1 Cor 3:15 has sometimes been used to support the notion of purgatory, though it does not envisage this.
  7. 3:17 Holy: i.e., “belonging to God.” The cultic sanctity of the community is a fundamental theological reality to which Paul frequently alludes (cf. 1 Cor 1:2, 30; 6:11; 7:14).
  8. 3:21–23 These verses pick up the line of thought of 1 Cor 1:10–13. If the Corinthians were genuinely wise (1 Cor 3:18–20), their perceptions would be reversed, and they would see everything in the world and all those with whom they exist in the church in their true relations with one another. Paul assigns all the persons involved in the theological universe a position on a scale: God, Christ, church members, church leaders. Read from top to bottom, the scale expresses ownership; read from bottom to top, the obligation to serve. This picture should be complemented by similar statements such as those in 1 Cor 8:6 and 1 Cor 15:20–28.
Listen to 1 Corinthians 3:2-23
Close NIV

1 Corinthians 3:2-23
New International Version

2 I gave you milk, not solid food,(A) for you were not yet ready for it.(B) Indeed, you are still not ready. 3 You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling(C) among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere humans? 4 For when one says, “I follow Paul,” and another, “I follow Apollos,”(D) are you not mere human beings?

5 What, after all, is Apollos?(E) And what is Paul? Only servants,(F) through whom you came to believe—as the Lord has assigned to each his task. 6 I planted the seed,(G) Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow. 7 So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. 8 The one who plants and the one who waters have one purpose, and they will each be rewarded according to their own labor.(H) 9 For we are co-workers in God’s service;(I) you are God’s field,(J) God’s building.(K)

10 By the grace God has given me,(L) I laid a foundation(M) as a wise builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should build with care. 11 For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ.(N) 12 If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, 13 their work will be shown for what it is,(O) because the Day(P) will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person’s work.(Q) 14 If what has been built survives, the builder will receive a reward.(R) 15 If it is burned up, the builder will suffer loss but yet will be saved—even though only as one escaping through the flames.(S)

16 Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple(T) and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst?(U) 17 If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy that person; for God’s temple is sacred, and you together are that temple.

18 Do not deceive yourselves. If any of you think you are wise(V) by the standards of this age,(W) you should become “fools” so that you may become wise. 19 For the wisdom of this world is foolishness(X) in God’s sight. As it is written: “He catches the wise in their craftiness”[a];(Y) 20 and again, “The Lord knows that the thoughts of the wise are futile.”[b](Z) 21 So then, no more boasting about human leaders!(AA) All things are yours,(AB) 22 whether Paul or Apollos(AC) or Cephas[c](AD) or the world or life or death or the present or the future(AE)—all are yours, 23 and you are of Christ,(AF) and Christ is of God.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. 1 Corinthians 3:19 Job 5:13
  2. 1 Corinthians 3:20 Psalm 94:11
  3. 1 Corinthians 3:22 That is, Peter
Next
1 Corinthians 2
1 Corinthians 4
Next
dropdown
New American Bible (Revised Edition) (NABRE)

Scripture texts, prefaces, introductions, footnotes and cross references used in this work are taken from the New American Bible, revised edition © 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc., Washington, DC All Rights Reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

New International Version (NIV)

Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.

July Summer Surge

More on the NIV