1 Corinthians 3
3
Working Together for God
1My friends, you are acting like the people of this world. That's why I could not speak to you as spiritual people. You are like babies as far as your faith in Christ is concerned. 2#He 5.12,13. So I had to treat you like babies and feed you milk. You could not take solid food, and you still cannot, 3because you are not yet spiritual. You are jealous and argue with each other. This proves you are not spiritual and you are acting like the people of this world.
4 #
1 Co 1.12. Some of you say you follow me, and others claim to follow Apollos. Isn't this how ordinary people behave? 5Apollos and I are merely servants who helped you to have faith. It was the Lord who made it all happen. 6#Ac 18.4-11; Ac 18.24-28. I planted the seeds, Apollos watered them, but God made them sprout and grow. 7What matters isn't those who planted or watered, but God who made the plants grow. 8The one who plants is just as important as the one who waters. And each one will be paid for what they do. 9Apollos and I work together for God, and you are God's garden and God's building.
Only One Foundation
10God treated me with undeserved grace and let me become an expert builder. I laid a foundation on which others have built. But we must each be careful how we build, 11because Christ is the only foundation. 12-13Whatever we build on this foundation will be tested by fire on the day of judgment. Then everyone will find out if we have used gold, silver, and precious stones, or wood, hay, and straw. 14We will be rewarded if our building is left standing. 15But if it is destroyed by the fire, we will lose everything. Yet we ourselves will be saved, like someone escaping from flames.
16 #
1 Co 6.19; 2 Co 6.16. All of you surely know you are God's temple and his Spirit lives in you. 17Together you are God's holy temple, and God will destroy anyone who destroys his temple.
18Don't fool yourselves! If any of you think you are wise in the things of this world, you will have to become foolish before you can be truly wise. 19#Job 5.13. This is because God considers the wisdom of this world to be foolish. It is just as the Scriptures say, “God catches the wise when they try to outsmart him.” 20#Ps 94.11. The Scriptures also say, “The Lord knows that the plans made by wise people are useless.” 21-22So stop bragging about what anyone has done. Paul and Apollos and Peter#3.21,22 Peter: See the note at 1.12. all belong to you. In fact, everything is yours, including the world, life, death, the present, and the future. Everything belongs to you, 23and you belong to Christ, and Christ belongs to God.
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1 Corinthians 3: CEV
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Contemporary English Version, Second Edition (CEV®)
© 2006 American Bible Society. All rights reserved.
1 Corinthians 3
3
1And I, brethren, have not been able to speak to you as to spiritual, but as to fleshly; as to babes in Christ. 2I have given you milk to drink, not meat, for ye have not yet been able, nor indeed are ye yet able; 3for ye are yet carnal. For whereas there are among you emulation and strife, are ye not carnal, and walk according to man? 4For when one says, I am of Paul, and another, I of Apollos, are ye not men?
5Who then is Apollos, and who Paul? Ministering servants, through whom ye have believed, and as the Lord has given to each. 6I have planted; Apollos watered; but God has given the increase. 7So that neither the planter is anything, nor the waterer; but God the giver of the increase. 8But the planter and the waterer are one; but each shall receive his own reward according to his own labour. 9For we are God's fellow-workmen; ye are God's husbandry, God's building. 10According to the grace of God which has been given to me, as a wise architect, I have laid the foundation, but another builds upon it. But let each see how he builds upon it.
11For other foundation can no man lay besides that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12Now if any one build upon this foundation, gold, silver, precious stones, wood, grass, straw, 13the work of each shall be made manifest; for the day shall declare it, because it is revealed in fire; and the fire shall try the work of each what it is. 14If the work of any one which he has built upon the foundation shall abide, he shall receive a reward. 15If the work of any one shall be consumed, he shall suffer loss, but he shall be saved, but so as through the fire.
16Do ye not know that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? 17If any one corrupt the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, and such are ye.
18Let no one deceive himself: if any one thinks himself to be wise among you in this world, let him become foolish, that he may be wise. 19For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God; for it is written, He who takes the wise in their craftiness. 20And again, The Lord knows the reasonings of the wise that they are vain.
21So that 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 coming, all are yours; 23and ye are Christ's, and Christ is God's.
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First published in 1890. This edition is maintained by the British and Foreign Bible Society.