1 Corinthians 3

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.