1 Corinthians 3
3
The Church and Its Leaders
1Brothers and sisters, I couldn’t speak to you as people who live by the Holy Spirit. I had to speak to you as people who were still following the ways of the world. You aren’t growing as Christ wants you to. You are still like babies. 2The words I spoke to you were like milk, not like solid food. You weren’t ready for solid food yet. And you still aren’t ready for it. 3You are still following the ways of the world. Some of you are jealous. Some of you argue. So aren’t you following the ways of the world? Aren’t you acting like ordinary human beings? 4One of you says, “I follow Paul.” Another says, “I follow Apollos.” Aren’t you acting like ordinary human beings?
5After all, what is Apollos? And what is Paul? We are only people who serve. We helped you to believe. The Lord has given each of us our own work to do. 6I planted the seed. Apollos watered it. But God has been making it grow. 7So the one who plants is not important. The one who waters is not important. It is God who makes things grow. He is the important one. 8The one who plants and the one who waters have the same purpose. The Lord will give each of them a reward for their work. 9We work together to serve God. You are like God’s field. You are like his building.
10God has given me the grace to lay a foundation as a wise builder. Now someone else is building on it. But each one should build carefully. 11No one can lay any other foundation than what has already been laid. That foundation is Jesus Christ. 12A person may build on it using gold, silver, jewels, wood, hay or straw. 13But each person’s work will be shown for what it is. On judgment day it will be brought to light. It will be put through fire. The fire will test how good each person’s work is. 14If the building doesn’t burn up, God will give the builder a reward for the work. 15If the building burns up, the builder will lose everything. The builder will be saved, but only like one escaping through the flames.
16Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple? Don’t you know that God’s Spirit lives among you? 17If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy that person. God’s temple is holy. And you all together are that temple.
18Don’t fool yourselves. Suppose some of you think you are wise by the standards of the world. Then you should become “fools” so that you can become wise. 19The wisdom of this world is foolish in God’s eyes. It is written, “God catches wise people in their own evil plans.” (Job 5:13) 20It is also written, “The Lord knows that the thoughts of wise people don’t amount to anything.” (Psalm 94:11) 21So no more bragging about human leaders! All things are yours. 22That means Paul or Apollos or Peter or the world or life or death or the present or the future. All are yours. 23You are joined to Christ and belong to him. And Christ is joined to God.
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1 Corinthians 3: NIrV
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1 Corinthians 3
3
1Brothers, I couldn’t speak to you as to spiritual, but as to fleshly, as to babies in Christ. 2I fed you with milk, not with solid food, for you weren’t yet ready. Indeed, you aren’t ready even now, 3for you are still fleshly. For insofar as there is jealousy, strife, and factions among you, aren’t you fleshly, and don’t you walk in the ways of men? 4For when one says, “I follow Paul,” and another, “I follow Apollos,” aren’t you fleshly?
5Who then is Apollos, and who is Paul, but servants through whom you believed, and each as the Lord gave to him? 6I planted. Apollos watered. But God gave the increase. 7So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase. 8Now he who plants and he who waters are the same, but each will receive his own reward according to his own labor. 9For we are God’s fellow workers. You are God’s farming, God’s building.
10According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another builds on it. But let each man be careful how he builds on it. 11For no one can lay any other foundation than that which has been laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12But if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay, or straw, 13each man’s work will be revealed. For the Day will declare it, because it is revealed in fire; and the fire itself will test what sort of work each man’s work is. 14If any man’s work remains which he built on it, he will receive a reward. 15If any man’s work is burned, he will suffer loss, but he himself will be saved, but as through fire.
16Don’t you know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you? 17If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him; for God’s temple is holy, which you are.
18Let no one deceive himself. If anyone thinks that he is wise among you in this world, let him become a fool that he may become wise. 19For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, “He has taken the wise in their craftiness.”#Job 5:13 20And again, “The Lord knows the reasoning of the wise, that it is worthless.”#Psalms 94:11 21Therefore let no one boast in men. For all 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 you are Christ’s, and Christ is God’s.
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