1 Corinthians 3
Holman Christian Standard Bible
The Problem of Immaturity
3 Brothers, 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, because you were not yet ready for it. In fact, you are still not ready, 3 because you are still fleshly. For since there is envy(B) and strife[a](C) among you, are you not fleshly and living like unbelievers?[b] 4 For whenever someone says, “I’m with Paul,” and another, “I’m with Apollos,”(D) are you not unspiritual people?[c][d]
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,(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 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.[e] 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, 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(G) than what has been laid down. That foundation is Jesus Christ. 12 If anyone builds on that foundation with gold, silver,(H) costly stones,(I) wood, hay, or straw, 13 each one’s work will become obvious, for the day[f] 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, it will be lost, but he will be saved;(L) yet it will be like an escape through fire.[g](M)
16 Don’t you yourselves know that you are God’s sanctuary(N) and that the Spirit of God lives in you?(O) 17 If anyone destroys God’s sanctuary, God will destroy him;(P) for God’s sanctuary is holy,(Q) and that is what you are.
The Folly of Human Wisdom
18 No one should deceive(R) himself. If anyone among you thinks he is wise in this age,(S) he must become foolish(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;(X)[h] 20 and again, The Lord knows that the reasonings(Y) of the wise are meaningless.(Z)[i] 21 So no one should 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.
Footnotes
- 1 Corinthians 3:3 Other mss add and divisions
- 1 Corinthians 3:3 Lit and walking according to man
- 1 Corinthians 3:4 Other mss read are you not carnal
- 1 Corinthians 3:4 Lit not [just] human
- 1 Corinthians 3:9 Or are coworkers belonging to God
- 1 Corinthians 3:13 The day of Christ’s judgment of believers
- 1 Corinthians 3:15 Lit yet so as through fire
- 1 Corinthians 3:19 Jb 5:13
- 1 Corinthians 3:20 Ps 94:11
1 Corinthians 3
Lexham English Bible
Divisiveness and Immaturity
3 And I, brothers, was not able to speak to you as to spiritual people, but as to fleshly people, as to infants in Christ. 2 I gave you milk to drink, not solid food, for you were not yet able to eat it. But now you are still not able, 3 for you are still fleshly. For where there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not fleshly, and do you not live like unregenerate people?[a] 4 For whenever anyone says, “I am with Paul,” and another, “I am with Apollos,” are you not merely human?
5 Therefore, what is Apollos and what is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, and to each as the Lord gave. 6 I planted, Apollos watered, but God was causing it to grow. 7 So then, neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but God who is causing it to grow. 8 Now the one who plants and the one who waters are one, but each one will receive his own reward according to his own labor. 9 For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, God’s building.
10 According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and another is building upon it. But each one must direct his attention to how he is building upon it. 11 For no one is able to lay another foundation than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 Now if anyone builds upon the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, grass, straw, 13 the work of each one will become evident. For the day will reveal it, because it will be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test the work of each one, of what sort it is. 14 If anyone’s work that he has built upon it remains, he will receive a reward. 15 If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, but he himself will be saved, but so as through fire.
16 Do you not know that you are God’s temple and the Spirit of God dwells in you? 17 If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy this one. For God’s temple is holy, which you are.
18 Let no one deceive himself. If anyone thinks himself to be wise among you in this age, let him become a fool, in order that he may become wise. 19 For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God, for it is written, “The one who catches the wise in their craftiness,”[b] 20 and again, “The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile.”[c] 21 So then, let no one boast in people. For all things are yours, 22 whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or things present or things to come, all things are yours, 23 and you are Christ’s, and Christ is God’s.
Footnotes
- 1 Corinthians 3:3 That is, like people who do not possess the Spirit at all
- 1 Corinthians 3:19 A quotation from Job 5:13
- 1 Corinthians 3:20 A quotation from Ps 94:11
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