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Servidores de Dios

Hermanos míos, antes de ahora no les pude hablar como a quienes ya tienen el Espíritu de Dios, porque ustedes se comportaban como la gente pecadora de este mundo. Por eso tuve que hablarles como si apenas comenzaran a creer en Cristo. En vez de enseñarles cosas difíciles, les enseñé cosas sencillas, porque ustedes parecen niños pequeños, que apenas pueden tomar leche y no alimentos fuertes. En aquel entonces no estaban preparados para entender cosas más difíciles. Y todavía no lo están, 3-4 pues siguen viviendo como la gente pecadora de este mundo. Tienen celos los unos de los otros, y se pelean entre ustedes. Porque, cuando uno dice: «Yo soy seguidor de Pablo», y otro contesta: «Yo soy seguidor de Apolo», están actuando como la gente de este mundo. ¿No se dan cuenta de que así se comportan los pecadores?

Después de todo, Apolo y yo sólo somos servidores de Dios para ayudarlos a creer en Jesucristo. Cada uno de nosotros hizo lo que el Señor nos mandó hacer: yo les anuncié a ustedes la buena noticia de Jesucristo, y Apolo les enseñó a seguir confiando en él, pero es Dios quien los ha hecho confiar más en Cristo. Así que lo importante no es quién anuncia la noticia ni quién la enseña; el único importante es Dios, que es quien aumenta nuestra confianza en Cristo. Tanta importancia tienen los que anuncian la noticia como los que la enseñan. Cada uno de ellos recibirá su premio, según el trabajo que haya hecho. Apolo y yo somos servidores de Dios, y ustedes son como un campo de trigo, como un edificio construido por Dios, del cual Dios es el dueño. 10 Dios, por su bondad, me permitió actuar como si yo fuera el arquitecto de ese edificio. Y yo, como buen arquitecto, puse una base firme: les di la buena noticia de Jesucristo. Luego, otros construyeron sobre esa base. Pero cada uno debe tener cuidado de la manera en que construye, 11 porque nadie puede poner una base distinta de la que ya está puesta, y esa base es Jesucristo. 12 A partir de esa base podemos seguir construyendo con oro, plata, piedras preciosas, madera, paja o caña. 13 Pero, cuando llegue el fin del mundo, Dios pondrá a prueba lo que cada uno enseñó. Será como probar con fuego los materiales que usamos para la construcción. 14 Si lo que uno enseñó pasa la prueba del fuego, recibirá un premio. 15 En cambio, si no pasa esa prueba, lo perderá todo, aunque él se salvará como si escapara del fuego.

16 ¿Acaso no saben que ustedes son un templo de Dios, y que el Espíritu de Dios vive en ustedes? 17 Ustedes son el templo santo de Dios. A cualquiera que destruya su templo, Dios también lo destruirá.

18 ¡No se engañen a ustedes mismos! Si alguno cree que es muy sabio, y que sabe mucho de las cosas de este mundo, para ser sabio de verdad debe comportarse como un ignorante. 19 Porque, para Dios, la sabiduría de este mundo es una tontería. Como dice la Biblia: «Dios hace que los sabios caigan en sus propias trampas». 20 Y también dice: «Bien sabe nuestro Dios las tonterías que a los sabios se les ocurren.» 21 Por lo tanto, nadie se llene de orgullo por lo que hacen los simples seres humanos. En realidad, todo es de ustedes: 22 Pablo, Apolo, Pedro, el mundo, la vida, la muerte, el presente y el futuro. Todo es de ustedes, 23 y ustedes son de Cristo, y Cristo es de Dios.

The Church and Its Leaders

Brothers and sisters, I could not address you as people who live by the Spirit(A) but as people who are still worldly(B)—mere infants(C) in Christ. I gave you milk, not solid food,(D) for you were not yet ready for it.(E) Indeed, you are still not ready. You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling(F) among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere humans? For when one says, “I follow Paul,” and another, “I follow Apollos,”(G) are you not mere human beings?

What, after all, is Apollos?(H) And what is Paul? Only servants,(I) through whom you came to believe—as the Lord has assigned to each his task. I planted the seed,(J) Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow. So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. The one who plants and the one who waters have one purpose, and they will each be rewarded according to their own labor.(K) For we are co-workers in God’s service;(L) you are God’s field,(M) God’s building.(N)

10 By the grace God has given me,(O) I laid a foundation(P) 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.(Q) 12 If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, 13 their work will be shown for what it is,(R) because the Day(S) will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person’s work.(T) 14 If what has been built survives, the builder will receive a reward.(U) 15 If it is burned up, the builder will suffer loss but yet will be saved—even though only as one escaping through the flames.(V)

16 Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple(W) and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst?(X) 17 If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy that person; for God’s temple is sacred, and you together are that temple.

18 Do not deceive yourselves. If any of you think you are wise(Y) by the standards of this age,(Z) you should become “fools” so that you may become wise. 19 For the wisdom of this world is foolishness(AA) in God’s sight. As it is written: “He catches the wise in their craftiness”[a];(AB) 20 and again, “The Lord knows that the thoughts of the wise are futile.”[b](AC) 21 So then, no more boasting about human leaders!(AD) All things are yours,(AE) 22 whether Paul or Apollos(AF) or Cephas[c](AG) or the world or life or death or the present or the future(AH)—all are yours, 23 and you are of Christ,(AI) and Christ is of God.

Footnotes

  1. 1 Corinthians 3:19 Job 5:13
  2. 1 Corinthians 3:20 Psalm 94:11
  3. 1 Corinthians 3:22 That is, Peter

Chapter 3

You Are Still Infants in Christ. Brethren, I could not talk to you as spiritual people, but as worldly, as infants in Christ. I fed you with milk, rather than with solid food that you were not ready to digest. Indeed, even now you are still not ready to receive it, for you are still of the flesh.

As long as jealousy and rivalry continue among you, are you not of the flesh and acting as mere mortals? Whenever someone says, “I belong to Paul,” and another asserts, “I belong to Apollos,” are you not acting in a merely human fashion?

Missionaries and Servants of Christ[a]

God’s Coworkers. What then is Apollos? What is Paul? We are only servants through whom you have come to believe, as the Lord assigned each to accomplish. I planted the seed, and Apollos watered it, but God caused it to grow.

Therefore, neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is of any importance but only God who causes the growth. The one who plants and the one who waters have a common end, and each will be rewarded in accordance with his labor. For we are God’s coworkers; you are God’s field, God’s building.

10 By the grace that God has given to me, I laid a foundation like a skilled master builder, and someone else is building on that foundation. But each one must be careful how he builds on it. 11 For no one can lay any foundation other than the one that has already been laid, namely, Jesus Christ.

12 Now if anyone builds on that foundation with gold, silver, and precious stones, or with wood, hay, and straw, 13 the work of each person will come to light. For the Day[b] will disclose it, because it will be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test the worth of each person’s work 14 If what has been built survives, the builder will be rewarded. 15 If it burns down, that person will suffer loss. The person will be saved, though only by passing through fire.[c]

16 You Belong to Christ. Do you not realize that you are God’s temple, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? 17 If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy that person. For the temple of God is holy, and you are that temple.

18 Let no one delude himself. If anyone among you considers himself to be wise by worldly standards, he must become a fool in order to be truly wise. 19 For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. It is written,

“He catches the wise in their own craftiness,”

20 and again,

“The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise,
    that they are futile.”

21 And so, let no one boast about human beings. For everything belongs to you, 22 whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas, the world or life or death, the present or the future. All belong to you, 23 and you belong to Christ, and Christ belongs to God.

Footnotes

  1. 1 Corinthians 3:5 The apostles are not inventors of foreign mysteries and strange secrets. They are sent to build up the community of God, and are therefore subject to the Lord’s judgment. This is one of the main texts in which Paul gives a glimpse of how he understood his personal mission.
  2. 1 Corinthians 3:13 The Day: the day of judgment—to the joy of the righteous and the gloom of the wicked. Fire: an element that destroys but also purifies.
  3. 1 Corinthians 3:15 Many theologians see in this verse an implicit reference to purgatory.