1 Corinthians 3
3
Laying a true foundation
1And yet, I myself, brethren, did not speak to you as spiritually minded beings, possessing the mind of Christ, but I spoke to you as to carnal men, still entangled in the mind of the flesh, and in Christ the merest babes, 2needing milk, not real meat. That was your condition. You were not able to receive what I might have told you. And that is still your state. 3The mind of the flesh works in you still. You are not spiritual, you are the human being, the human rent by division and strife, 4one of you saying that he is Paul’s disciple, another that he is Apollos’. 5-6That is not the divine unity, wherein Paul planted and Apollos watered, and wherein all life and growth is of God. What is Paul or Apollos? Servants of your faith, each one according to the task assigned by God. 7-9In this great oneness each receives the fulfilment and reward of his own function, sower and tiller all belong to one unity which is God’s field and harvest, or God’s building. In ourselves we are nothing. 10What if I, resembling a good and skilful architect, laid a foundation on which another is building? My function was an expression of God’s own grace imparted to me, and all the building similarly is of God, its parts expressing the grace which He confers. 11If a man misapply his own mission, and attempt to lay a foundation other than that already laid which is Christ Jesus, let him be sure he will receive the appropriate reward for such a corruption and reversal of the grace God gave him. 12Or if, instead of building on this foundation gold and silver and costly marble and stone, he build wood, thatch, straw, 13he shall certainly receive the appropriate reward of this faithlessness. The fire will burn up his work. 14-15The great day of truth will dawn, and reveal his faithless evil work, and the havoc he has made of the Church. It will all be destroyed, all pass away, yet shall he himself thereby be saved. 16For this is God’s temple, God’s building, the Spirit of God dwells here, 17and you yourselves are the one building of God, and therefore not one shall perish though the evil doer reap his own destruction.
Self-deception to be guarded against
18Cleverness and the wisdom of the world are not sufficient for these things. Thereby you may become self-deceived. 19And if one must become a fool in order to be wise, this is the wisest course, for the world’s wisest is a species of folly. “He taketh the wise in their own craftiness” (Job v. 13.). 20“The Lord knoweth the thoughts of man that they are vanity” (Ps. 94:11.). 21There is nothing in merely human wisdom, and why? because you already have the wisdom that includes all, 22that includes Paul, Apollos and Cephas, yes, and the world, life, death, the present and the future; 23it is yours because it and you are Christ’s, who is of God, and who therefore includes it all.
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Translated in 1916, published in 1937.
1 Corinthians 3
3
1And I could not speake vnto you, brethren, as vnto spirituall men, but as vnto carnall, euen as vnto babes in Christ. 2I gaue you milke to drinke, and not meat: for yee were not yet able to beare it, neither yet nowe are yee able. 3For yee are yet carnall: for whereas there is among you enuying, and strife, and diuisions, are ye not carnall, and walke as men? 4For when one sayeth, I am Pauls, and another, I am Apollos, are yee not carnall? 5Who is Paul then? and who is Apollos, but the ministers by whome yee beleeued, and as the Lord gaue to euery man? 6I haue planted, Apollos watred, but God gaue the increase. 7So then, neither is hee that planteth any thing, neither hee that watreth, but God that giueth the increase. 8And he that planteth, and he that watreth, are one, and euery man shall receiue his wages, according to his labour. 9For we together are Gods labourers: yee are Gods husbandrie, and Gods building. 10According to the grace of God giuen to mee, as a skilfull master builder, I haue laide the foundation, and another buildeth thereon: but let euery man take heede how he buildeth vpon it. 11For other foundation can no man laie, then that which is laied, which is Iesus Christ. 12And if any man builde on this foundation, golde, siluer, precious stones, timber, haye, or stubble, 13Euery mans worke shalbe made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shalbe reueiled by the fire: and the fire shall trie euery mans worke of what sort it is. 14If any mans worke, that he hath built vpon, abide, he shall receiue wages. 15If any mans worke burne, he shall lose, but he shalbe saued himselfe: neuerthelesse yet as it were by the fire. 16Knowe ye not that ye are the Temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? 17If any man destroy the Temple of God, him shall God destroy: for the Temple of God is holy, which ye are. 18Let no man deceiue himselfe: If any man among you seeme to be wise in this world, let him be a foole, that he may be wise. 19For the wisdome of this worlde is foolishnesse with God: for it is written, He catcheth the wise in their owne craftinesse. 20And againe, The Lord knoweth that the thoughtes of the wise be vaine. 21Therefore let no man reioyce in men: for all things are yours. 22Whether it be Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death: whether they be things present, or thinges to come, euen all are yours, 23And ye Christes, and Christ Gods.
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