1 Corinthians 3–4

Sectarianism is Carnal

3And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal, as to ^ababes in Christ. ²I fed you with ^bmilk and not with solid food; ^cfor until now you were not able to receive it, and even now you are still not able; ³for you are still carnal. For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and ¹behaving like mere men? ⁴For when one says, “I am of Paul,” and another, “I am of Apollos,” are you not carnal?

Watering, Working, Warning

⁵Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ^dministers through whom you believed, as the Lord gave to each one? ^6eI planted, ^fApollos watered, ^gbut God gave the increase. ⁷So then ^hneither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase. ⁸Now he who plants and he who waters are one, ⁱand each one will receive his own reward according to his own labor.

⁹For ^jwe are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, you are ^kGod’s building. ^10lAccording to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid ^mthe foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it. ¹¹For no other foundation can anyone lay than ⁿthat which is laid, ^owhich is Jesus Christ. ¹²Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, ¹³each one’s work will become clear; for the Day ^pwill declare it, because ^qit will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is. ¹⁴If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. ¹⁵If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.

^16rDo you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? ¹⁷If anyone ²defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are.

Avoid Worldly Wisdom

^18sLet no one deceive himself. If anyone among you seems to be wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise. ¹⁹For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, ^t“He catches the wise in their own craftiness”; ²⁰and again, ^u“The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile.” ²¹Therefore let no one boast in men. For ^vall things are yours: ²²whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas, or the world or life or death, or things present or things to come—all are yours. ²³And ^wyou are Christ’s, and Christ is God’s.

Stewards of the Mysteries of God

4Let a man so consider us, as ^aservants of Christ ^band stewards of the mysteries of God. ²Moreover it is required in stewards that one be found faithful. ³But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by a human ¹court. In fact, I do not even judge myself. ⁴For I know of nothing against myself, yet I am not justified by this; but He who judges me is the Lord. ^5cTherefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord comes, who will both bring to ^dlight the hidden things of darkness and ^ereveal the ²counsels of the hearts. ^fThen each one’s praise will come from God.

Fools for Christ’s Sake

⁶Now these things, brethren, I have figuratively transferred to myself and Apollos for your sakes, that you may learn in us not to think beyond what is written, that none of you may be ³puffed up on behalf of one against the other. ⁷For who ⁴makes you differ from another? And ^gwhat do you have that you did not receive? Now if you did indeed receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it?

⁸You are already full! ^hYou are already rich! You have reigned as kings without us—and indeed I could wish you did reign, that we also might reign with you! ⁹For I think that God has displayed us, the apostles, last, as men condemned to death; for we have been made a ⁱspectacle ⁵to the world, both to angels and to men. ¹⁰We are ^jfools for Christ’s sake, but you are wise in Christ! ^kWe are weak, but you are strong! You are distinguished, but we are dishonored! ¹¹To the present hour we both hunger and thirst, and we are poorly clothed, and beaten, and homeless. ^12lAnd we labor, working with our own hands. ^mBeing reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we endure; ¹³being defamed, we ⁶entreat. ⁿWe have been made as the filth of the world, the offscouring of all things until now.

Paul’s Paternal Care

¹⁴I do not write these things to shame you, but ^oas my beloved children I warn you. ¹⁵For though you might have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet you do not have many fathers; for ^pin Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel. ¹⁶Therefore I urge you, ^qimitate me. ¹⁷For this reason I have sent ^rTimothy to you, ^swho is my beloved and faithful son in the Lord, who will ^tremind you of my ways in Christ, as I ^uteach everywhere ^vin every church.

^18wNow some are ⁷puffed up, as though I were not coming to you. ^19xBut I will come to you shortly, ^yif the Lord wills, and I will know, not the word of those who are puffed up, but the power. ²⁰For ^zthe kingdom of God is not in word but in ^apower. ²¹What do you want? ^bShall I come to you with a rod, or in love and a spirit of gentleness?