1 Corinthians 3:1-4:6

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, ³for 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? ⁴For ^(G)when one says, “I follow Paul,” and another, “I follow Apollos,” ^(H)are you not being merely human?

⁵What 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. ⁷So ^(N)neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. ⁸He who plants and he who waters are one, and each ^(O)will receive his wages according to his labor. ⁹For 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. ¹¹For no one can lay a ^(U)foundation other ^(V)than that which is laid, ^(W)which is Jesus Christ. ¹²Now 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. ¹⁴If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, ^(AA)he will receive a reward. ¹⁵If 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? ¹⁷If 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. ¹⁹For ^(AG)the wisdom of this world is folly with God. For it is written, ^(AH)“He catches the wise in their craftiness,” ²⁰and again, ^(AI)“The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile.” ²¹So ^(AJ)let no one boast in men. For ^(AK)all things are yours, ²²whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future—all are yours, ²³and ^(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. ²Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found faithful. ³But 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. ⁵Therefore ^(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.

⁶I 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.