Foundations for Living
1 And I, brothers and sisters, could not speak to you as spiritual people, but only as fleshly, as to infants in Christ. 2 I gave you milk to drink, not solid food; for you were not yet able to consume it. But even now you are not yet able, 3 for you are still fleshly. For since there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not fleshly, and are you not walking like ordinary people? 4 For when one person says, "I am 3:4 Lit ofwith Paul," and another, "I am3:4 Lit ofwith Apollos," are you not ordinary people?
5 What then is Apollos? And what is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, even as the Lord gave opportunity to each one. 6 I planted, Apollos watered, but God was causing the growth. 7 So then neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but God who causes the growth. 8 Now the one who plants and the one who waters are one; but each will receive his own 3:8 Or wagesreward according to his own labor. 9 For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s 3:9 Or cultivated landfield, God’s building.
10 According to the grace of God which was given to me, like a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another is building on it. But each person must be careful how he builds on it. 11 For no one can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, or straw, 13 each one’s work will become evident; for the day will show it because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test 3:13 Lit of what sort each man’s work isthe quality of each one’s work. 14 If anyone’s work which he has built on it remains, he will receive a reward. 15 If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet only so as through fire.
16 Do you not know that you are a 3:16 Or sanctuarytemple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? 17 If anyone destroys the 3:17 Or sanctuarytemple of God, God will destroy 3:17 Lit thisthat person; for the 3:17 Or sanctuarytemple of God is holy, 3:17 Lit who you areand that is what you are.
18 Take care that no one deceives himself. If anyone among you thinks that he is wise in this age, he must become foolish, so that he may become wise. 19 For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in the sight of God. For it is written: "He isthe one who catches the wise by their craftiness"; 20 and again, "The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are useless." 21 So then, no one is to be boasting in people. For all things belong to you, 22 whether Paul or Apollos or 3:22 Peter’s Aramaic nameCephas, or the world or life or death, or things present or things to come; all things belong to you, 23 and you belong to Christ, and Christ belongs to God.