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
3
Fellow Servants of God
1#Ro 7:14; 1Co 2:14–15Brothers, I could not speak to you as to spiritual men, but as to worldly, even as to babes in Christ. 2#Jn 16:12; 1Pe 2:2I have fed you with milk and not with solid food. For to this day you were not able to endure it. Nor are you able now, 3#1Co 1:11; 11:18for you are still worldly. Since there is envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not worldly and behaving as mere men? 4#1Co 1:12For while one says, “I am of Paul,” and another, “I am of Apollos,” are you not worldly?
5#2Co 6:4; 1Co 3:10Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom you believed, even as the Lord gave to each one? 6#Ac 18:4–11; 1Co 9:1I have planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase. 7#Gal 6:3So then neither is he who plants nor he who waters anything, but God who gives the increase. 8#Ps 62:12; Mt 16:27Now he who plants and he who waters are one, and each one will receive his own reward according to his own labor. 9#2Co 6:1; Eph 2:20–22For we are laborers together with God: You are God’s vineyard; you are God’s building.
10#Ro 12:3; 15:20According to the grace of God which has been given to me, as a wise master builder, I have laid the foundation, but another builds on it. Now let each one take heed how he builds on it. 11#Eph 2:20; Isa 28:16; Mt 16:18For no one can lay another foundation than that which was laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, or stubble, 13#1Co 4:5; 2Th 1:7–10each one’s work will be revealed. For the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each has done. 14#1Co 3:8; 4:5If anyone’s work which he has built on the foundation endures, he will receive a reward. 15#Jude 1:23If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss. But he himself will be saved, still going through the fire.
16#1Co 6:19; 2Co 6:16Do you not know that you are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? 17If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy. And you are His temple.
18#Isa 5:21; Gal 6:3Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you seems to be wise in this world, let him become a fool that he may be wise. 19#Job 5:13For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, “He catches the wise in their own craftiness,”#Job 5:13. 20#Ps 94:11and again, “The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain.”#Ps 94:11. 21#1Co 4:6; Ro 8:32Therefore 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, 23#2Co 10:7; Gal 3:29and you are Christ’s, and Christ is God’s.
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