1 Corinthians 3-4
English Standard Version
Divisions in the Church
3 But I, brothers,[a] could not address you as (A)spiritual people, but as (B)people of the flesh, as (C)infants in Christ. 2 (D)I fed you with milk, not solid food, for (E)you were not ready for it. And even now you are not yet ready, 3 for you are still of the flesh. For while there is (F)jealousy and strife among you, are you not of the flesh and behaving only in a human way? 4 For (G)when one says, “I follow Paul,” and another, “I follow Apollos,” (H)are you not being merely human?
5 What then is Apollos? What is Paul? (I)Servants through whom you believed, (J)as the Lord assigned to each. 6 (K)I planted, (L)Apollos watered, (M)but God gave the growth. 7 So (N)neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. 8 He who plants and he who waters are one, and each (O)will receive his wages according to his labor. 9 For we are (P)God's fellow workers. You are God's field, (Q)God's building.
10 (R)According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled[b] master builder I laid a (S)foundation, and (T)someone else is building upon it. Let each one take care how he builds upon it. 11 For no one can lay a (U)foundation other (V)than that which is laid, (W)which is Jesus Christ. 12 Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw— 13 (X)each one's work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed (Y)by fire, and (Z)the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. 14 If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, (AA)he will receive a reward. 15 If anyone's work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, (AB)but only as through fire.
16 (AC)Do you not know that you[c] are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you? 17 If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him. For (AD)God's temple is holy, and you are that temple.
18 (AE)Let no one deceive himself. (AF)If anyone among you thinks that he is wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise. 19 For (AG)the wisdom of this world is folly with God. For it is written, (AH)“He catches the wise in their craftiness,” 20 and again, (AI)“The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile.” 21 So (AJ)let no one boast in men. For (AK)all things are yours, 22 whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future—all are yours, 23 and (AL)you are Christ's, and (AM)Christ is God's.
The Ministry of Apostles
4 This is how one should regard us, as servants of Christ and (AN)stewards of the mysteries of God. 2 Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found faithful. 3 But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by any human court. In fact, I do not even judge myself. 4 (AO)For I am not aware of anything against myself, (AP)but I am not thereby acquitted. It is the Lord who judges me. 5 Therefore (AQ)do not pronounce judgment before the time, (AR)before the Lord comes, (AS)who will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the purposes of the heart. (AT)Then each one will receive his commendation from God.
6 I have applied all these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit, brothers,[d] that you may learn by us not to go beyond what is written, that none of you may (AU)be puffed up in favor of one against another. 7 For who sees anything different in you? (AV)What do you have that you did not receive? If then you received it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it?
8 Already you have all you want! Already you have become rich! Without us you have become kings! And would that you did reign, so that we might share the rule with you! 9 For I think that God has exhibited us apostles as last of all, (AW)like men sentenced to death, because we (AX)have become a spectacle to the world, to angels, and to men. 10 (AY)We are fools for Christ's sake, but (AZ)you are wise in Christ. (BA)We are weak, but you are strong. You are held in honor, but we in disrepute. 11 To the present hour (BB)we hunger and thirst, we are poorly dressed and (BC)buffeted and (BD)homeless, 12 and we (BE)labor, working with our own hands. (BF)When reviled, we bless; (BG)when persecuted, we endure; 13 when slandered, we entreat. (BH)We have become, and are still, like the scum of the world, (BI)the refuse of all things.
14 I do not write these things (BJ)to make you ashamed, but to admonish you (BK)as my beloved children. 15 For (BL)though you have countless[e] guides in Christ, you do not have many fathers. For (BM)I became your father in Christ Jesus through the gospel. 16 I urge you, then, (BN)be imitators of me. 17 That is why (BO)I sent[f] you Timothy, (BP)my beloved and faithful child in the Lord, to remind you of my ways in Christ,[g] (BQ)as I teach them everywhere in every church. 18 Some are (BR)arrogant, (BS)as though I were not coming to you. 19 But (BT)I will come to you soon, if the Lord wills, and I will find out not the talk of these arrogant people but their power. 20 For (BU)the kingdom of God does not consist in talk but in power. 21 What do you wish? (BV)Shall I come to you with a rod, or with love in a spirit of gentleness?
Footnotes
- 1 Corinthians 3:1 Or brothers and sisters
- 1 Corinthians 3:10 Or wise
- 1 Corinthians 3:16 The Greek for you is plural in verses 16 and 17
- 1 Corinthians 4:6 Or brothers and sisters
- 1 Corinthians 4:15 Greek you have ten thousand
- 1 Corinthians 4:17 Or am sending
- 1 Corinthians 4:17 Some manuscripts add Jesus
1 Corinthians 3-4
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.
4 Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God.
2 Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.
3 But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged of you, or of man's judgment: yea, I judge not mine own self.
4 For I know nothing by myself; yet am I not hereby justified: but he that judgeth me is the Lord.
5 Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God.
6 And these things, brethren, I have in a figure transferred to myself and to Apollos for your sakes; that ye might learn in us not to think of men above that which is written, that no one of you be puffed up for one against another.
7 For who maketh thee to differ from another? and what hast thou that thou didst not receive? now if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it?
8 Now ye are full, now ye are rich, ye have reigned as kings without us: and I would to God ye did reign, that we also might reign with you.
9 For I think that God hath set forth us the apostles last, as it were appointed to death: for we are made a spectacle unto the world, and to angels, and to men.
10 We are fools for Christ's sake, but ye are wise in Christ; we are weak, but ye are strong; ye are honourable, but we are despised.
11 Even unto this present hour we both hunger, and thirst, and are naked, and are buffeted, and have no certain dwellingplace;
12 And labour, working with our own hands: being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we suffer it:
13 Being defamed, we intreat: we are made as the filth of the world, and are the offscouring of all things unto this day.
14 I write not these things to shame you, but as my beloved sons I warn you.
15 For though ye have ten thousand instructers in Christ, yet have ye not many fathers: for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel.
16 Wherefore I beseech you, be ye followers of me.
17 For this cause have I sent unto you Timotheus, who is my beloved son, and faithful in the Lord, who shall bring you into remembrance of my ways which be in Christ, as I teach every where in every church.
18 Now some are puffed up, as though I would not come to you.
19 But I will come to you shortly, if the Lord will, and will know, not the speech of them which are puffed up, but the power.
20 For the kingdom of God is not in word, but in power.
21 What will ye? shall I come unto you with a rod, or in love, and in the spirit of meekness?
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
