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
Kehillah in Corinth I 3
Orthodox Jewish Bible
3 Achim b’Moshiach, I was not able to speak to you as to men of hitkhadshut and ruchaniyut; I had to speak to you as bnei basar, as olalim b’Moshiach.
2 Cholov I gave you to drink, not solid okhel (food), for you were not yet able to receive it, but neither yet are you able now.
3 For still you are bnei basar (carnally-minded believers). For als (since) there is still kinah and merivah (strife) among you [1:11], are you not bnei basar, by the standards of Bnei Adam?
4 For, whenever anyone says, "I am of Sha’ul," but another, "I am of Apollos," are you not as anshei shechichim (ordinary men)?
5 What then is Apollos? And what is Sha’ul? Klei kodesh ministers of Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach, through whom you came to emunah, even as to each one a task was given by Adoneinu.
6 I planted, Apollos watered, but Hashem gave the increase.
7 Therefore, neither is the one planting anything nor the one watering, but it is the One giving the increase—Hashem!
8 Now the one planting and the one watering are be’ichud (united), and, each one will receive his own sachar (reward) according to his own amal (toil). [TEHILLIM 18:20; 62:12]
9 For we are fellow po’alim (workers) of Hashem, you are the sadeh Hashem (field of G-d), you are Hashem’s binyan (building). [YESHAYAH 61:3]
10 According to the Chen v’Chesed Hashem having been given to me as a bannai chacham (wise builder), I laid a yesod (foundation), and another builds on it. But, let each one beware how he builds on it.
11 For no other yesod other than the one that has been laid can be laid: Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach. [YESHAYAH 28:16]
12 Now if anyone builds on the yesod with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble
13 The ma’aseh (work) of each bannai will become evident, for, haYom [Yom haDin] will make it have its hisgalus, because by Eish (Fire) it is revealed; and the Eish (Fire) itself will test the quality of each one’s ma’aseh. [BAMIDBAR 31:22,23; YIRMEYAH 23:28,29; MALACHI 3:3]
14 If anyone’s ma’aseh he built on the yesod will survive (Yn 15:16), a sachar (reward BERESHIS 15:1) he will receive;
15 If anyone’s ma’aseh will be consumed, he will suffer loss, but he himself will be saved (Ep 2:8-9), yet so as through Eish (fire).
16 Do you not have da’as that you are a Heikhal Hashem and the Ruach Hakodesh of Hashem dwells in you?
17 If anyone attempts to cause churban to the Heikhal Hashem, G-d will destroy this man, for the Heikhal Hashem is kadosh, and you (pl.) are that Heikhal.
18 Let no one deceive himself: if anyone presumes to be chacham among you in the Olam Hazeh, let him become a kesil (fool), that he may become chacham. [YESHAYAH 5:21]
19 For the chochmah (wisdom) of Olam Hazeh is narrishkait (foolishness) with Hashem. For it has been written, LOCHED CHACHAMIM BE’ARMAM ("He catches the wise in their own craftiness" IYOV 5:13).
20 And again, HASHEM YODE’A MACHSH’VOT ADAM KI HEMAH HEVEL ("The L-rd knows the thoughts of the wise that they are empty vanity"‖TEHILLIM 94:11).
21 So let no one boast in Bnei Adam, for all things belong to you,
22 Whether Sha’ul or Apollos or Kefa or HaOlam (the world) or Chayyim (Life) or Mavet (Death) or things present or things to come; all things are yours,
23 And you are Moshiach’s and Moshiach is G-d’s.
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