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1 Corinthians 3:4-11
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
1 Corinthians 3:4-11
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
4 Whenever someone says, “I belong to Paul,” and another, “I belong to Apollos,” are you not merely human?(A)
The Role of God’s Ministers.[a] 5 What is Apollos, after all, and what is Paul? Ministers[b] through whom you became believers, just as the Lord assigned each one. 6 I planted, Apollos watered, but God caused the growth.(B) 7 Therefore, neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who causes the growth. 8 The one who plants and the one who waters are equal, and each will receive wages in proportion to his labor. 9 For we are God’s co-workers; you are God’s field, God’s building.(C)
10 [c]According to the grace of God given to me, like a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another is building upon it. But each one must be careful how he builds upon it, 11 for no one can lay a foundation other than the one that is there, namely, Jesus Christ.
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- 3:5–4:5 The Corinthians tend to evaluate their leaders by the criteria of human wisdom and to exaggerate their importance. Paul views the role of the apostles in the light of his theology of spiritual gifts (cf. 1 Cor 12–14, where the charism of the apostle heads the lists). The essential aspects of all spiritual gifts (1 Cor 12:4–6 presents them as gifts of grace, as services, and as modes of activity) are exemplified by the apostolate, which is a gift of grace (1 Cor 3:10) through which God works (1 Cor 3:9) and a form of service (1 Cor 3:5) for the common good (elsewhere expressed by the verb “build up,” suggested here by the image of the building, 1 Cor 3:9). The apostles serve the church, but their accountability is to God and to Christ (1 Cor 4:1–5).
- 3:5 Ministers: for other expressions of Paul’s understanding of himself as minister or steward to the church, cf. 1 Cor 4:1; 9:17, 19–27; 2 Cor 3:6–9; 4:1; 5:18; 6:3–4; and 2 Cor 11:23 (the climax of Paul’s defense).
- 3:10–11 There are diverse functions in the service of the community, but each individual’s task is serious, and each will stand accountable for the quality of his contribution.
1 Corinthians 3:4-11
New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition
1 Corinthians 3:4-11
New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition
4 For when one says, “I belong to Paul,” and another, “I belong to Apollos,” are you not merely human?
5 What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you came to believe, as the Lord assigned to each. 6 I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. 7 So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. 8 The one who plants and the one who waters have a common purpose, and each will receive wages according to the labor of each. 9 For we are God’s servants, working together; 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 someone else is building on it. Each builder must choose with care how to build on it. 11 For no one can lay any foundation other than the one that has been laid; that foundation is Jesus Christ.
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1 Corinthians 3:4-11
Good News Translation
1 Corinthians 3:4-11
Good News Translation
4 (A)When one of you says, “I follow Paul,” and another, “I follow Apollos”—aren't you acting like worldly people?
5 After all, who is Apollos? And who is Paul? We are simply God's servants, by whom you were led to believe. Each one of us does the work which the Lord gave him to do: 6 (B)I planted the seed, Apollos watered the plant, but it was God who made the plant grow. 7 The one who plants and the one who waters really do not matter. It is God who matters, because he makes the plant grow. 8 There is no difference between the one who plants and the one who waters; God will reward each one according to the work each has done. 9 For we are partners working together for God, and you are God's field.
You are also God's building. 10 Using the gift that God gave me, I did the work of an expert builder and laid the foundation, and someone else is building on it. But each of you must be careful how you build. 11 For God has already placed Jesus Christ as the one and only foundation, and no other foundation can be laid.
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1 Corinthians 3:4-11
New American Standard Bible
1 Corinthians 3:4-11
New American Standard Bible
4 For when (A)one person says, “I am [a]with Paul,” and another, “I am [b]with Apollos,” are you not ordinary (B)people?
5 What then is Apollos? And what is Paul? (C)Servants through whom you believed, even (D)as the Lord gave opportunity to each one. 6 (E)I planted, (F)Apollos watered, but (G)God was causing the growth. 7 So then neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but God who causes the growth. 8 Now the one who plants and the one who waters are one; but each will (H)receive his own [c]reward according to his own labor. 9 For we are God’s (I)fellow workers; you are God’s [d](J)field, God’s (K)building.
10 According to (L)the grace of God which was given to me, like a wise master builder (M)I laid a foundation, and (N)another is building on it. But each person must be careful how he builds on it. 11 For no one can lay a (O)foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
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- 1 Corinthians 3:4 Lit of
- 1 Corinthians 3:4 Lit of
- 1 Corinthians 3:8 Or wages
- 1 Corinthians 3:9 Or cultivated land
1 Corinthians 3:4-11
New International Version
1 Corinthians 3:4-11
New International Version
4 For when one says, “I follow Paul,” and another, “I follow Apollos,”(A) are you not mere human beings?
5 What, after all, is Apollos?(B) And what is Paul? Only servants,(C) through whom you came to believe—as the Lord has assigned to each his task. 6 I planted the seed,(D) Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow. 7 So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. 8 The one who plants and the one who waters have one purpose, and they will each be rewarded according to their own labor.(E) 9 For we are co-workers in God’s service;(F) you are God’s field,(G) God’s building.(H)
10 By the grace God has given me,(I) I laid a foundation(J) as a wise builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should build with care. 11 For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ.(K)
New American Bible (Revised Edition) (NABRE)
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New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (NRSVCE)
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Good News Translation (GNT) 
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New American Standard Bible (NASB) 
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
New International Version (NIV) 
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