1 Corinthians 2:9-3:12

English Standard Version

⁹ But, as it is written,

¹⁰ these things ^(D)God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even ^(E)the depths of God. ¹¹ For who knows a person's thoughts ^(F)except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. ¹² Now ^(G)we have received not ^(H)the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God. ¹³ And we impart this ^(I)in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, ^(J)interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual.^[a]

¹⁴ The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are ^(K)folly to him, and ^(L)he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. ¹⁵ The ^(M)spiritual person judges all things, but is himself to be judged by no one. ^16 (N)“For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” But ^(O)we have the mind of Christ.

Divisions in the Church

3 But I, brothers,^[b] could not address you as ^(P)spiritual people, but as ^(Q)people of the flesh, as ^(R)infants in Christ. ^2 (S)I fed you with milk, not solid food, for ^(T)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 ^(U)jealousy and strife among you, are you not of the flesh and behaving only in a human way? ⁴ For ^(V)when one says, “I follow Paul,” and another, “I follow Apollos,” ^(W)are you not being merely human?

⁵ What then is Apollos? What is Paul? ^(X)Servants through whom you believed, ^(Y)as the Lord assigned to each. ^6 (Z)I planted, ^(AA)Apollos watered, ^(AB)but God gave the growth. ⁷ So ^(AC)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 ^(AD)will receive his wages according to his labor. ⁹ For we are ^(AE)God's fellow workers. You are God's field, ^(AF)God's building.

^10 (AG)According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled^[c] master builder I laid a ^(AH)foundation, and ^(AI)someone else is building upon it. Let each one take care how he builds upon it. ¹¹ For no one can lay a ^(AJ)foundation other ^(AK)than that which is laid, ^(AL)which is Jesus Christ. ¹² Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw—