1 Corinthians 3

1 Brothers, I couldn’t speak to you as to spiritual, but as to fleshly, as to babies in Christ.

And as for myself, brethren, I found it impossible to speak to you as spiritual men. It had to be as to worldlings--mere babes in Christ.

2 I fed you with milk, not with solid food, for you weren’t yet ready. Indeed, you aren’t ready even now,

I fed you with milk and not with solid food, since for this you were not yet strong enough. And even now you are not strong enough:

3 for you are still fleshly. For insofar as there is jealousy, strife, and factions among you, aren’t you fleshly, and don’t you walk in the ways of men?

you are still unspiritual. For so long as jealousy and strife continue among you, can it be denied that you are unspiritual and are living and acting like mere men of the world?

4 For when one says, “I follow Paul,” and another, “I follow Apollos,” aren’t you fleshly?

For when some one says, "I belong to Paul," and another says, "I belong to Apollos," is not this the way men of the world speak?

5 Who then is Apollos, and who is Paul, but servants through whom you believed, and each as the Lord gave to him?

What then is Apollos? And what is Paul? They are just God's servants, through whose efforts, and as the Lord granted power to each, you accepted the faith.

6 I planted. Apollos watered. But God gave the increase.

I planted and Apollos watered; but it was God who was, all the time, giving the increase.

7 So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase.

So that neither the planter nor the waterer is of any importance. God who gives the increase is all in all.

8 Now he who plants and he who waters are the same, but each will receive his own reward according to his own labor.

Now in aim and purpose the planter and the waterer are one; and yet each will receive his own special reward, answering to his own special work.

9 For we are God’s fellow workers. You are God’s farming, God’s building.

Apollos and I are simply fellow workers for and with God, and you are God's field-- God's building.

10 According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another builds on it. But let each man be careful how he builds on it.

In discharge of the task which God graciously entrusted to me, I--like a competent master-builder--have laid a foundation, and others are building upon it. But let every one be careful how and what he builds.

11 For no one can lay any other foundation than that which has been laid, which is Jesus Christ.

For no one can lay any other foundation in addition to that which is already laid, namely Jesus Christ.

12 But if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay, or straw,

And whether the building which any one is erecting on that foundation be of gold or silver or costly stones, of timber or hay or straw--

13 each man’s work will be revealed. For the Day will declare it, because it is revealed in fire; and the fire itself will test what sort of work each man’s work is.

the true character of each individual's work will become manifest. For the day of Christ will disclose it, because that day is soon to come upon us clothed in fire, and as for the quality of every one's work-- the fire is the thing which will test it.

14 If any man’s work remains which he built on it, he will receive a reward.

If any one's work--the building which he has erected--stands the test, he will be rewarded.

15 If any man’s work is burned, he will suffer loss, but he himself will be saved, but as through fire.

If any one's work is burnt up, he will suffer the loss of it; yet he will himself be rescued, but only, as it were, by passing through the fire.

16 Don’t you know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you?

Do you not know that you are God's Sanctuary, and that the Spirit of God has His home within you?

17 If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him; for God’s temple is holy, which you are.

If any one is marring the Sanctuary of God, him will God mar; for the Sanctuary of God is holy, which you all are.

18 Let no one deceive himself. If anyone thinks that he is wise among you in this world, let him become a fool that he may become wise. (aiōn g165)

Let no one deceive himself. If any man imagines that he is wise, compared with the rest of you, with the wisdom of the present age, let him become "foolish" so that he may be wise. (aiōn g165)

19 For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, “He has taken the wise in their craftiness.”

This world's wisdom is "foolishness" in God's sight; for it is written, "He snares the wise with their own cunning."

20 And again, “The Lord knows the reasoning of the wise, that it is worthless.”

And again, "The Lord takes knowledge of the reasonings of the wise--how useless they are."

21 Therefore let no one boast in men. For all things are yours,

Therefore let no one boast about his human teachers.

22 whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come. All are yours,

For everything belongs to you--be it Paul or Apollos or Peter, the world or life or death, things present or future--everything belongs to you;

23 and you are Christ’s, and Christ is God’s.

and you belong to Christ, and Christ belongs to God.