1 Corinthians 3

The Problem of Immaturity

3Brothers, I was not able to speak to you as spiritual people but as people of the flesh, as babies in Christ. ^j2I gave you milk to drink, not solid food, because you were not yet ready for it. In fact, you are still not ready, ³because you are still fleshly. For since there is envy ^kand strife ^lmamong you, are you not fleshly and living like unbelievers? ⁿ⁴For whenever someone says, “I’m with Paul,” and another, “I’m with Apollos,” ^oare you not unspiritual people? ^pq

The Role of God’s Servants

⁵What then is Apollos? And what is Paul? They are servants through whom you believed, and each has the role the Lord has given. ⁶I planted, ^rApollos watered, but God gave the growth. ⁷So then neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. ⁸Now the one planting and the one watering are one in purpose, and each will receive his own reward according to his own labor. ⁹For we are God’s coworkers. ^sYou are God’s field, God’s building. ^t10According to God’s grace that was given to me, I have laid a foundation as a skilled master builder, and another builds on it. But each one must be careful how he builds on it. ¹¹For no one can lay any other foundation ^uthan what has been laid down. That foundation is Jesus Christ. ¹²If anyone builds on that foundation with gold, silver, ^vcostly stones, ^wwood, hay, or straw, ¹³each one’s work will become obvious, for the day ^xwill disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire; ^ythe fire will test the quality of each one’s work. ^z14If anyone’s work that he has built survives, he will receive a reward. ¹⁵If anyone’s work is burned up, it will be lost, but he will be saved; ^ayet it will be like an escape through fire. ^bc

¹⁶Don’t you yourselves know that you are God’s sanctuary ^dand that the Spirit of God lives in you? ^e17If anyone destroys God’s sanctuary, God will destroy him; ^ffor God’s sanctuary is holy, ^gand that is what you are.

The Folly of Human Wisdom

¹⁸No one should deceive ^hhimself. If anyone among you thinks he is wise in this age, ⁱhe must become foolish ^jso that he can become wise. ^k19For the wisdom of this world is foolishness ^lwith God, since it is written: ^mHe catches the wise in their craftiness; ^no20and again, The Lord knows that the reasonings ^pof the wise are meaningless. ^qr21So no one should boast in human leaders, for everything is yours ^s— ²²whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas ^tor the world or life ^uor death ^vor things present or things to come ^w—everything is yours, ²³and you belong to Christ, ^xand Christ belongs to God.