1 Corinthians 3:10–11:16

10 lAccording 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. 11 For no other foundation can anyone lay than nthat which is laid, owhich is Jesus Christ. 12 Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, 13 each 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. 14 If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. 15 If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.

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

Avoid Worldly Wisdom

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

Stewards of the Mysteries of God

4 Let a man so consider us, as aservants of Christ band stewards of the mysteries of God. 2 Moreover it is required in stewards that one be found faithful. 3 But 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. 4 For I know of nothing against myself, yet I am not justified by this; but He who judges me is the Lord. 5 cTherefore 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

6 Now 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. 7 For 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?

8 You 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! 9 For 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. 10 We 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! 11 To the present hour we both hunger and thirst, and we are poorly clothed, and beaten, and homeless. 12 lAnd we labor, working with our own hands. mBeing reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we endure; 13 being defamed, we 6entreat. nWe have been made as the filth of the world, the offscouring of all things until now.

Paul’s Paternal Care

14 I do not write these things to shame you, but oas my beloved children I warn you. 15 For 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. 16 Therefore I urge you, qimitate me. 17 For 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.

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

Immorality Defiles the Church

5 It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and such sexual immorality as is not even 1named among the Gentiles—that a man has his father’s awife! 2 bAnd you are 2puffed up, and have not rather cmourned, that he who has done this deed might be taken away from among you. 3 dFor I indeed, as absent in body but present in spirit, have already judged (as though I were present) him who has so done this deed. 4 In the ename of our Lord Jesus Christ, when you are gathered together, along with my spirit, fwith the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, 5 gdeliver such a one to hSatan for the destruction of the flesh, that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord 3Jesus.

6 iYour glorying is not good. Do you not know that ja little leaven leavens the whole lump? 7 Therefore 4purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed kChrist, our lPassover, was sacrificed 5for us. 8 Therefore mlet us keep the feast, nnot with old leaven, nor owith the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

Immorality Must Be Judged

9 I wrote to you in my epistle pnot to 6keep company with sexually immoral people. 10 Yet I certainly did not mean with the sexually immoral people of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or idolaters, since then you would need to go qout of the world. 11 But now I have written to you not to keep company rwith anyone named a brother, who is sexually immoral, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner—snot even to eat with such a person.

12 For what have I to do with judging those also who are outside? Do you not judge those who are inside? 13 But those who are outside God judges. Therefore t“put away from yourselves the evil person.”

Do Not Sue the Brethren

6 Dare any of you, having a matter against another, go to law before the unrighteous, and not before the asaints? 2 Do you not know that bthe saints will judge the world? And if the world will be judged by you, are you unworthy to judge the smallest matters? 3 Do you not know that we shall cjudge angels? How much more, things that pertain to this life? 4 If then you have 1judgments concerning things pertaining to this life, do you appoint those who are least esteemed by the church to judge? 5 I say this to your shame. Is it so, that there is not a wise man among you, not even one, who will be able to judge between his brethren? 6 But brother goes to law against brother, and that before unbelievers!

7 Now therefore, it is already an utter failure for you that you go to law against one another. dWhy do you not rather accept wrong? Why do you not rather let yourselves be cheated? 8 No, you yourselves do wrong and cheat, and you do these things to your brethren! 9 Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. eNeither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor 2homosexuals, nor 3sodomites, 10 nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And such were fsome of you. gBut you were washed, but you were 4sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.

Glorify God in Body and Spirit

12 hAll things are lawful for me, but all things are not 5helpful. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of 6any. 13 iFoods for the stomach and the stomach for foods, but God will destroy both it and them. Now the body is not for jsexual immorality but kfor the Lord, land the Lord for the body. 14 And mGod both raised up the Lord and will also raise us up nby His power.

15 Do you not know that oyour bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a harlot? Certainly not! 16 Or do you not know that he who is joined to a harlot is one body with her? For p“the two,” He says, “shall become one flesh.” 17 qBut he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him.

18 rFlee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins sagainst his own body. 19 Or tdo you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, uand you are not your own? 20 For vyou were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body 7and in your spirit, which are God’s.

Principles of Marriage

7 Now concerning the things of which you wrote to me:

aIt is good for a man not to touch a woman. 2 Nevertheless, because of sexual immorality, let each man have his own wife, and let each woman have her own husband. 3 bLet the husband render to his wife the affection due her, and likewise also the wife to her husband. 4 The wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does. And likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does. 5 cDo not deprive one another except with consent for a time, that you may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again so that dSatan does not tempt you because of your lack of self-control. 6 But I say this as a concession, enot as a commandment. 7 For fI wish that all men were even as I myself. But each one has his own gift from God, one in this manner and another in that.

8 But I say to the unmarried and to the widows: gIt is good for them if they remain even as I am; 9 but hif they cannot exercise self-control, let them marry. For it is better to marry than to burn with passion.

Keep Your Marriage Vows

10 Now to the married I command, yet not I but the iLord: jA wife is not to depart from her husband. 11 But even if she does depart, let her remain unmarried or be reconciled to her husband. And a husband is not to divorce …