Building Together on God’s Foundation
3 And I, brothers and sisters, could not speak to you as Spirit-filled but as worldly[a]—as infants in Messiah. 2 I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready. Indeed, even now you are not yet ready, 3 for you are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and strife among you, aren’t you worldly and walking in a human way? 4 For when one says, “I follow Paul,” and another, “I follow Apollos,” are you not mere humans[b]?
5 What then is Apollos? And what is Paul? Servants through whom you came to trust—and to each as the Lord gave. 6 I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase. 7 So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God who makes things grow. 8 Now he who plants and he who waters work as one, but each will receive his own reward according to his own labor. 9 For we are God’s co-workers; you are God’s field, God’s building.
10 According to the grace of God which was given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and another builds on it. But let each consider carefully how he builds on it. 11 For no one can lay any other foundation than what is already laid[c]—which is Yeshua the Messiah. 12 Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, 13 each one’s work will become clear. For the Day will show it, because it is to be revealed by fire; and the fire itself will test each one’s work—what sort it is. 14 If anyone’s work built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. 15 If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss—he himself will be saved, but as through fire.
16 Don’t you know that you are God’s temple and that the Ruach Elohim dwells among you? 17 If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him; for God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple.
18 Let no one deceive himself. If anyone thinks he is wise in this age, let him become a fool so he may become wise. [d] 19 For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in the sight of God. For it is written, “He catches the clever in their craftiness.” [e] 20 And again, “The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are useless.” [f] 21 So let no one boast about men. For all things are yours— 22 whether Paul or Apollos or Kefa, or the world or life or death, or things present or things to come. All are yours, 23 and you are Messiah’s, and Messiah is God’s.
Footnotes
- 1 Corinthians 3:1 Lit. fleshly.
- 1 Corinthians 3:4 Some mss. say fleshly.
- 1 Corinthians 3:11 cf. Isa. 28:16.
- 1 Corinthians 3:19 cf. Isa. 5:21; Jer. 8:8–9.
- 1 Corinthians 3:20 Job 5:13.
- 1 Corinthians 3:21 cf. Ps. 94:11(Ps. 93:11 LXX).