1 Corinthians 3
3
The Church and Its Leaders
1Brothers and sisters, I couldn’t speak to you as people who were led by the Holy Spirit. I had to speak to you as people who were still following their own wrong desires. You’re not growing as Christ wants you to. You’re still like babies. 2The words I spoke to you were like milk, not solid food. You weren’t ready for solid food, and you’re still not ready for it. 3You’re still following your own wrong desires. If you’re jealous and you’re arguing, aren’t those desires in charge? Aren’t you acting like ordinary human beings? 4When one of you says, “I follow Paul,” and another says, “I follow Apollos,” aren’t you acting like ordinary human beings?
5After all, what is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants who helped you to believe. The Lord has given each of us our own work to do. 6I planted the seed, and Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow. 7So the one who plants doesn’t matter, and neither does the one who waters. It’s God who matters. He makes things grow. 8The one who plants and the one who waters have the same goal, and the Lord will give each of them a reward for their work. 9We’re working together to serve God. You’re like God’s field and God’s 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 the one that has already been laid, and that foundation is Jesus Christ. 12A person might build on it using gold, silver, jewels, wood, hay, or straw. 13Every person’s work will be recognized for what it is, because the Day of Judgment will expose it. Everyone’s work will be put through fire to test how good it is. 14If what a person has built doesn’t burn up, God will give them a reward for their work. 15If what a person has built does burn up, they’ll lose everything. They’ll still be saved, but only like someone escaping from a fire.
16Don’t you know that together you 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 together are that temple.
18Don’t fool yourselves. If any of you think you’re wise by the standards of the world, you should become “fools” so that you can become truly wise. 19The wisdom of this world is foolish in God’s eyes. It is written, “God catches wise people in their own clever plans.” 20It is also written, “The Lord knows that the thoughts of wise people don’t really amount to anything.” 21So don’t brag any more about human leaders! Everything is yours, 22including Paul and Apollos and Peter, and the world and life and death and the present and the future. All these things are yours, 23and you belong to Christ, and Christ belongs to God.
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1 Corinthians 3
3
Foundations for Living
1However, brothers and sisters, I could not talk to you as to spiritual people, but [only] as to #Lit fleshly.worldly people [dominated by human nature], mere infants [in the new life] in Christ! 2I fed you with milk, not solid food; for you were not yet able to receive it. Even now you are still not ready. 3You are still #Lit fleshly.worldly [controlled by ordinary impulses, the sinful capacity]. For as long as there is jealousy and strife and discord among you, are you not #Lit fleshly.unspiritual, and are you not walking like ordinary men [unchanged by faith]? 4For when one of you says, “I am [a disciple] of Paul,” and another, “I am [a disciple] of Apollos,” are you not [proving yourselves unchanged, just] ordinary people?
5What then is Apollos? And what is Paul? Just servants through whom you believed [in Christ], even as the Lord appointed to each his task. 6I planted, Apollos watered, but God [all the while] was causing the growth. 7So neither is the one who plants nor the one who waters anything, but [only] God who causes the growth. 8He who plants and he who waters are one [in importance and esteem, working toward the same purpose]; but each will receive his own reward according to his own labor. 9For we are God’s fellow workers [His servants working together]; you are God’s cultivated field [His garden, His vineyard], God’s building.
10According to the [remarkable] grace of God which was given to me [to prepare me for my task], like a skillful master builder I laid a foundation, and now another is building on it. But each one must be careful how he builds on it, 11for no one can lay a foundation other than the one which is [already] laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12But if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, 13each one’s work will be clearly shown [for what it is]; for the day [of judgment] will disclose it, because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality and character and worth of each person’s work. 14If any person’s work which he has built [on this foundation, that is, any outcome of his effort] remains [and survives this test], he will receive a reward. 15But if any person’s work is burned up [by the test], he will suffer the loss [of his reward]; yet he himself will be saved, but only as [one who has barely escaped] through fire.
16 # Paul repeats “Do you not know” nine more times, each time followed by an important truth (cf 5:6; 6:2, 3, 9, 15, 16, 19; 9:13, 24). Do you not know and understand that you [the church] are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells [permanently] in you [collectively and individually]? 17If anyone destroys the temple of God [corrupting it with false doctrine], God will destroy the destroyer; for the temple of God is holy (sacred), and that is what you are.
18Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you thinks that he is wise in this age, let him become a fool [discarding his worldly pretensions and acknowledging his lack of wisdom], so that he may become [truly] wise. 19For the wisdom of this world is foolishness (absurdity, stupidity) before God; for it is written [in Scripture], “[He is] The one who catches the wise and clever in their craftiness;” 20and again, “The Lord knows the thoughts of the [humanly] wise, that they are useless.” 21So let no one boast in men [about their wisdom, or of having this or that one as a leader]. For all things are yours, 22whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas (Peter) or the world or life or death or things present or things to come; all things are yours, 23and you belong to Christ; and Christ belongs to God.
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