1 Corinthians 3–4

Divisions in the Church

3But I, brothers,¹ could not address you as ^aspiritual people, but as ^bpeople of the flesh, as ^cinfants in Christ. ^2dI fed you with milk, not solid food, for ^eyou were not ready for it. And even now you are not yet ready, ³for you are still of the flesh. For while there is ^fjealousy and strife among you, are you not of the flesh and behaving only in a human way? ⁴For ^gwhen one says, “I follow Paul,” and another, “I follow Apollos,” ^hare you not being merely human?

⁵What then is Apollos? What is Paul? ⁱServants through whom you believed, ^jas the Lord assigned to each. ^6kI planted, ^lApollos watered, ^mbut God gave the growth. ⁷So ⁿneither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. ⁸He who plants and he who waters are one, and each ^owill receive his wages according to his labor. ⁹For we are ^pGod’s fellow workers. You are God’s field, ^qGod’s building.

^10rAccording to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled² master builder I laid a ^sfoundation, and ^tsomeone else is building upon it. Let each one take care how he builds upon it. ¹¹For no one can lay a ^ufoundation other ^vthan that which is laid, ^wwhich is Jesus Christ. ¹²Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw— ^13xeach one’s work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed ^yby fire, and ^zthe fire will test what sort of work each one has done. ¹⁴If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, ^ahe will receive a reward. ¹⁵If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, ^bbut only as through fire.

^16cDo you not know that you³ are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you? ¹⁷If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him. For ^dGod’s temple is holy, and you are that temple.

^18eLet no one deceive himself. ^fIf anyone among you thinks that he is wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise. ¹⁹For ^gthe wisdom of this world is folly with God. For it is written, ^h“He catches the wise in their craftiness,” ²⁰and again, ⁱ“The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile.” ²¹So ^jlet no one boast in men. For ^kall things are yours, ²²whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future—all are yours, ²³and ^lyou are Christ’s, and ^mChrist is God’s.

The Ministry of Apostles

4This is how one should regard us, as servants of Christ and ⁿstewards of the mysteries of God. ²Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found faithful. ³But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by any human court. In fact, I do not even judge myself. ^4oFor I am not aware of anything against myself, ^pbut I am not thereby acquitted. It is the Lord who judges me. ⁵Therefore ^qdo not pronounce judgment before the time, ^rbefore the Lord comes, ^swho will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the purposes of the heart. ^tThen each one will receive his commendation from God.

⁶I have applied all these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit, brothers,¹ that you may learn by us not to go beyond what is written, that none of you may ^ube puffed up in favor of one against another. ⁷For who sees anything different in you? ^vWhat do you have that you did not receive? If then you received it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it?

⁸Already you have all you want! Already you have become rich! Without us you have become kings! And would that you did reign, so that we might share the rule with you! ⁹For I think that God has exhibited us apostles as last of all, ^wlike men sentenced to death, because we ^xhave become a spectacle to the world, to angels, and to men. ^10yWe are fools for Christ’s sake, but ^zyou are wise in Christ. ^aWe are weak, but you are strong. You are held in honor, but we in disrepute. ¹¹To the present hour ^bwe hunger and thirst, we are poorly dressed and ^cbuffeted and ^dhomeless, ¹²and we ^elabor, working with our own hands. ^fWhen reviled, we bless; ^gwhen persecuted, we endure; ¹³when slandered, we entreat. ^hWe have become, and are still, like the scum of the world, ⁱthe refuse of all things.

¹⁴I do not write these things ^jto make you ashamed, but to admonish you ^kas my beloved children. ¹⁵For ^lthough you have countless² guides in Christ, you do not have many fathers. For ^mI became your father in Christ Jesus through the gospel. ¹⁶I urge you, then, ⁿbe imitators of me. ¹⁷That is why ^oI sent³ you Timothy, ^pmy beloved and faithful child in the Lord, to remind you of my ways in Christ,^{4 q}as I teach them everywhere in every church. ¹⁸Some are ^rarrogant, ^sas though I were not coming to you. ¹⁹But ^tI will come to you soon, if the Lord wills, and I will find out not the talk of these arrogant people but their power. ²⁰For ^uthe kingdom of God does not consist in talk but in power. ²¹What do you wish? ^vShall I come to you with a rod, or with love in a spirit of gentleness?