Shared Word Translation
1 Corinthians 3
Divisions in the Church
And I, brothers, was not able to speak to you as to spiritual people, but as to fleshly, as to infants in Christ. I gave you milk to drink, not solid food, for you were not yet able; but even now you are still not able, for you are still fleshly. For since there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not fleshly and walking according to man?
For when one says, “I am of Paul,” and another, “I am of Apollos,” are you not merely human?
God Gives the Growth
What then is Apollos? And what is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, as the Lord assigned to each. I planted, Apollos watered, but God was causing the growth.
So then neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but God who causes the growth. Now the one who plants and the one who waters are one, but each will receive his own reward according to his own labor.
For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, God’s building.
Builders on the Foundation
According to the grace of God given to me, as a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another builds upon it; but let each one take care how he builds upon it. For no one is able to lay another foundation besides the one that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
Now if anyone builds upon the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each one’s work will become evident; for the day will disclose it, because it is revealed in fire, and the fire itself will test what sort of work each one has done.
If anyone’s work which he built remains, he will receive a reward; if anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.
God’s Temple
Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him; for the temple of God is holy, which you are.
The Folly of Human Wisdom
Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you thinks that he is wise in this age, let him become foolish so that he may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, “He catches the wise in their craftiness,” and again, “The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile.”
So then let no one boast in men. For all things are yours, whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or things present or things to come—all are yours, and you are Christ’s, and Christ is God’s.