1 Corinthians 3:11-23

New Testament for Everyone

¹¹ Nobody can lay any foundation, you see, except the one which is laid, which is Jesus the Messiah!

The coming day, the coming fire

¹² If anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, grass or straw— ¹³ well, everyone’s work will become visible, because the Day will show it up, since it will be revealed in fire. Then the fire will test what sort of work everyone has done. ¹⁴ If the building work that someone has done stands the test, they will receive a reward. ¹⁵ If someone’s work is burned up, they will be punished by bearing the loss; they themselves will be saved, however, but only as though through a fire.

¹⁶ Don’t you see? You are God’s Temple! God’s spirit lives in you! ¹⁷ If anyone destroys God’s Temple, God will destroy them. God’s Temple is holy, you see, and that is precisely what you are.

Everything belongs to you

¹⁸ Don’t let anyone deceive themselves. If anyone among you supposes they are wise in the present age, let them become foolish, so that they can become wise. ¹⁹ The wisdom of this world, you see, is folly with God. This is what the Bible says: “He catches the wise in their trickery.” ²⁰ And again, “The Lord knows the thinking of the wise—and he knows that it’s all a sham!”

²¹ So don’t let anyone boast about mere human beings. For everything belongs to you, ²² whether it’s Paul or Apollos or Cephas, whether it’s the world or life or death, whether it’s the present or the future—everything belongs to you! ²³ And you belong to the Messiah; and the Messiah belongs to God.