¹Brothers and sisters, I couldn’t talk to you as spiritual people but as people still influenced by your corrupt nature. You were infants in your faith in Christ. ²I gave you milk to drink. I didn’t give you solid food because you weren’t ready for it. Even now you aren’t ready for it ³because you’re still influenced by your corrupt nature.

When you are jealous and quarrel among yourselves, aren’t you influenced by your corrupt nature and living by human standards? ⁴When some of you say, “I follow Paul” and others say, “I follow Apollos,” aren’t you acting like ⸤sinful⸥ humans? ⁵Who is Apollos? Who is Paul? They are servants who helped you come to faith. Each did what the Lord gave him to do. ⁶I planted, and Apollos watered, but God made it grow. ⁷So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is important because ⸤only⸥ God makes it grow. ⁸The one who plants and the one who waters have the same goal, and each will receive a reward for his own work. ⁹We are God’s coworkers. You are God’s field.

You are God’s building. ¹⁰As a skilled and experienced builder, I used the gift^athat God gave me to lay the foundation ⸤for that building⸥. However, someone else is building on it. Each person must be careful how he builds on it. ¹¹After all, no one can lay any other foundation than the one that is already laid, and that foundation is Jesus Christ. ¹²People may build on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, or straw. ¹³The day will make what each one does clearly visible because fire will reveal it. That fire will determine what kind of work each person has done. ¹⁴If what a person has built survives, he will receive a reward. ¹⁵If his work is burned up, he will suffer ⸤the loss⸥. However, he will be saved, though it will be like going through a fire.

¹⁶Don’t you know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you? ¹⁷If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him because God’s temple is holy. You are that holy temple!

¹⁸Don’t deceive yourselves. If any of you think you are wise in the ways of this world, you should give up that wisdom in order to become really wise. ¹⁹The wisdom of this world is nonsense in God’s sight. That’s why Scripture says, “God catches the wise in their cleverness.” ²⁰Again Scripture says, “The Lord knows that the thoughts of the wise are pointless.”

²¹So don’t brag about people. Everything belongs to you. ²²Whether it is Paul, Apollos, Cephas, the world, life or death, present or future things, everything belongs to you. ²³You belong to Christ, and Christ belongs to God.

4TH CHAPTER

The Work of the Apostles

¹People should think of us as servants of Christ and managers who are entrusted with God’s mysteries. ²Managers are required to be trustworthy.

³It means very little to me that you or any human court should cross-examine me. I don’t even ask myself questions. ⁴I have a clear conscience, but that doesn’t mean I have God’s approval. It is the Lord who cross-examines me. ⁵Therefore, don’t judge anything before the appointed time. Wait until the Lord comes. He will also bring to light what is hidden in the dark and reveal people’s motives. Then each person will receive praise from God.

⁶Brothers and sisters, I have applied this to Apollos and myself for your sake. You should learn from us not to go beyond what is written in Scripture. Then you won’t arrogantly place one of us in opposition to the other.

⁷Who says that you are any better than other people? What do you have that wasn’t given to you? If you were given what you have, why are you bragging as if it weren’t a gift?

⁸You already have what you want! You’ve already become rich! You’ve become kings without us! I wish you really were kings so that we could be kings with you.

⁹As I see it, God has placed us apostles last in line, like people condemned to die. We have become a spectacle for people and angels to look at. ¹⁰We have given up our wisdom for Christ, but you have insight because of Christ. We are weak, but you are strong. You are honored, but we are dishonored. ¹¹To this moment, we are hungry, thirsty, poorly dressed, roughly treated, and homeless. ¹²We wear ourselves out doing physical labor. When people verbally abuse us, we bless them. When people persecute us, we endure it. ¹³When our reputations are attacked, we remain courteous. Right now we have become garbage in the eyes of the world and trash in the sight of all people.

¹⁴I’m not writing this to make you feel ashamed but to instruct you as my dear children. ¹⁵You may have countless Christian guardians, but you don’t have many ⸤spiritual⸥ fathers. I became your father in the Christian life by telling you the Good News about Christ Jesus. ¹⁶So I encourage you to imitate me. ¹⁷That’s why I’ve sent Timothy to you to help you remember my Christian way of life as I teach it everywhere in every church. Timothy is my dear child, and he faithfully does the Lord’s work.

¹⁸Some of you have become arrogant because you think I won’t pay you a visit. ¹⁹If it’s the Lord’s will, I’ll visit you soon. Then I’ll know what these arrogant people are saying and what power they have. ²⁰God’s kingdom is not just talk, it is power.

²¹When I come to visit you, would you prefer that I punish you or show you love and a gentle spirit?

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Footnotes

a 3:10 Or “grace.”