Divisions in the Church

But I, brothers,[a] could not address you as (A)spiritual people, but as (B)people of the flesh, as (C)infants in Christ. (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, for 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? For (G)when one says, “I follow Paul,” and another, “I follow Apollos,” (H)are you not being merely human?

What then is Apollos? What is Paul? (I)Servants through whom you believed, (J)as the Lord assigned to each. (K)I planted, (L)Apollos watered, (M)but God gave the growth. So (N)neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. He who plants and he who waters are one, and each (O)will receive his wages according to his labor. For 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. 11 For no one can lay a (U)foundation other (V)than that which is laid, (W)which is Jesus Christ. 12 Now 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. 14 If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, (AA)he will receive a reward. 15 If 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? 17 If 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. 19 For (AG)the wisdom of this world is folly with God. For it is written, (AH)“He catches the wise in their craftiness,” 20 and again, (AI)“The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile.” 21 So (AJ)let no one boast in men. For (AK)all things are yours, 22 whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future—all are yours, 23 and (AL)you are Christ's, and (AM)Christ is God's.

Footnotes

  1. 1 Corinthians 3:1 Or brothers and sisters
  2. 1 Corinthians 3:10 Or wise
  3. 1 Corinthians 3:16 The Greek for you is plural in verses 16 and 17

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.

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.

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?

For, whenever anyone says, "I am of Sha’ul," but another, "I am of Apollos," are you not as anshei shechichim (ordinary men)?

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.

I planted, Apollos watered, but Hashem gave the increase.

Therefore, neither is the one planting anything nor the one watering, but it is the One giving the increase—Hashem!

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]

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.