1 Corinthians 3

The Problem of Immaturity

1 For my part, brothers and sisters, I was not able to speak to you as spiritual people but as people of the flesh, as babies in Christ.  * 3:1 1Co 14:20; Heb 5:13; 1Pt 2:22 I gave you milk to drink, not solid food, since you were not yet ready for it. In fact, you are still not ready, 3 because you are still worldly. For since there is envy  * 3:3 Jms 3:14,16 and strife  * 3:3 Other mss add and divisions,* 3:3 Ti 3:9 among you, are you not worldly and behaving like mere humans? 4 For whenever someone says, "I belong to Paul," and another, "I belong to Apollos,"  * 3:4 Ti 3:13 are you not acting like mere humans?

The Role of God’s Servants

5 What then is Apollos? What is Paul? They are servants through whom you believed, and each has the role the Lord has given. 6 I planted,  * 3:6 Ac 18:4–11; 1Co 4:15; 9:1; 15:1 Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. 7 So, then, neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. 8 Now he who plants and he who waters are one,  * 3:8 Or of equal status, or united in purpose and each will receive his own reward according to his own labor. 9 For we are God’s coworkers.  * 3:9 Or are coworkers belonging to God You are God’s field, God’s building.  * 3:9 1Pt 2:5

10 According to God’s grace that was given to me, I have laid a foundation as a skilled master builder,  * 3:10 Or wise master builder and another builds on it. But each one is to be careful how he builds on it. 11 For no one can lay any foundation  * 3:11 Is 28:16; Rm 15:20; 2Co 10:16; 11:4; Gl 1:6–9 other than what has been laid down. That foundation is Jesus Christ. 12 If anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver,  * 3:12 Jms 5:3 costly stones,  * 3:12 Rv 17:4 wood, hay, or straw, 13 each one’s work will become obvious. For the day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire;  * 3:13 2Th 1:8; 1Pt 1:7 the fire will test the quality of each one’s work.  * 3:13 Ps 62:12; Pr 24:12; Mt 16:27; 2Co 5:10; 1Pt 1:1714 If anyone’s work that he has built survives, he will receive a reward. 15 If anyone’s work is burned up, he will experience  * 3:15 Or suffer loss, but he himself will be saved  * 3:15 Mt 9:22; Ac 16:30; Eph 2:8  — but only as through fire.  * 3:15 Jd 23

16 Don’t you yourselves know that you are God’s temple  * 3:16 Lk 1:21 and that the Spirit of God lives in you?  * 3:16 Lv 26:11; Jms 4:517 If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him;  * 3:17 Heb 6:8 for God’s temple is holy,  * 3:17 Ps 20:6; 1Co 7:14 and that is what you are.

The Folly of Human Wisdom

18 Let no one deceive  * 3:18 2Co 11:3 himself. If anyone among you thinks he is wise in this age,  * 3:18 Lk 16:8 let him become a fool  * 3:18 Mt 5:22 so that he can become wise.  * 3:18 Is 5:21; Jr 8:8–9; Gl 6:319 For the wisdom of this world is foolishness  * 3:19 1Co 1:18 with God, since it is written,  * 3:19 Ac 15:15; Gl 4:22He catches the wise in their craftiness;  * 3:19 Jb 5:13,* 3:19 Jb 5:13; Lk 20:2320 and again, The Lord knows that the reasonings* 3:20 Mt 15:19; 1Tm 2:8of the wise are futile.* 3:20 Ps 94:11,* 3:20 Ps 94:1121 So let no one boast in human leaders, for everything is yours  * 3:21 Rm 8:32  —  22 whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas  * 3:22 Jn 1:42 or the world or life  * 3:22 1Jn 5:12 or death  * 3:22 Mt 10:21; Jn 8:51; Php 3:10 or things present or things to come  * 3:22 Rm 8:38  — everything is yours, 23 and you belong to Christ,  * 3:23 Nm 3:12 and Christ belongs to God.