1 Corinthians 3  Christian Standard Bible

The Problem of Immaturity

3 For my part, brothers and sisters, I was not able to speak to you as spiritual people but as people of the flesh, as babies in Christ.^{(A) 2} I gave you milk to drink, not solid food, since you were not yet ready for it. In fact, you are still not ready, ³ because you are still worldly. For since there is envy^(B) and strife^[a](C) among you, are you not worldly and behaving like mere humans? ⁴ For whenever someone says, “I belong to Paul,” and another, “I belong to Apollos,”^(D) are you not acting like mere humans?

The Role of God’s Servants

⁵ What then is Apollos? What is Paul? They are servants through whom you believed, and each has the role the Lord has given. ⁶ I planted,^(E) 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 he who plants and he who waters are one,^[b] and each will receive his own reward according to his own labor. ⁹ For we are God’s coworkers.^[c] You are God’s field, God’s building.^(F)

¹⁰ According to God’s grace that was given to me, I have laid a foundation as a skilled master builder,^[d] and another builds on it. But each one is to be careful how he builds on it. ¹¹ For no one can lay any foundation^(G) other than what has been laid down. That foundation is Jesus Christ. ¹² If anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver,^(H) costly stones,^(I) wood, hay, or straw, ¹³ each one’s work will become obvious. For the day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire;^(J) the fire will test the quality of each one’s work.^{(K) 14} If anyone’s work that he has built survives, he will receive a reward. ¹⁵ If anyone’s work is burned up, he will experience^[e] loss, but he himself will be saved^(L)—but only as through fire.^(M)

¹⁶ Don’t you yourselves know that you are God’s temple^(N) and that the Spirit of God lives in you?^{(O) 17} If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him;^(P) for God’s temple is holy,^(Q) and that is what you are.

The Folly of Human Wisdom

¹⁸ Let no one deceive^(R) himself. If anyone among you thinks he is wise in this age,^(S) let him become a fool^(T) so that he can become wise.^{(U) 19} For the wisdom of this world is foolishness^(V) with God, since it is written,^(W) He catches the wise in their craftiness;^{[f](X) 20} and again, The Lord knows that the reasonings^(Y) of the wise are futile.^{[g](Z) 21} So let no one boast in human leaders, for everything is yours^(AA)— ²² whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas^(AB) or the world or life^(AC) or death^(AD) or things present or things to come^(AE)—everything is yours, ²³ and you belong to Christ,^(AF) and Christ belongs to God.