1 Corinthians 3

Young's Literal Translation

3 And I, brethren, was not able to speak to you as to spiritual, but as to fleshly -- as to babes in Christ;

²with milk I fed you, and not with meat, for ye were not yet able, but not even yet are ye now able,

³for yet ye are fleshly, for where [there is] among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not fleshly, and in the manner of men do walk?

⁴for when one may say, `I, indeed, am of Paul;' and another, `I -- of Apollos;' are ye not fleshly?

⁵Who, then, is Paul, and who Apollos, but ministrants through whom ye did believe, and to each as the Lord gave?

⁶I planted, Apollos watered, but God was giving growth;

⁷so that neither is he who is planting anything, nor he who is watering, but He who is giving growth -- God;

⁸and he who is planting and he who is watering are one, and each his own reward shall receive, according to his own labour,

⁹for of God we are fellow-workmen; God's tillage, God's building ye are.

¹⁰According to the grace of God that was given to me, as a wise master-builder, a foundation I have laid, and another doth build on [it],

¹¹for other foundation no one is able to lay except that which is laid, which is Jesus the Christ;

¹²and if any one doth build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw --

¹³of each the work shall become manifest, for the day shall declare [it], because in fire it is revealed, and the work of each, what kind it is, the fire shall prove;

¹⁴if of any one the work doth remain that he built on [it], a wage he shall receive;

¹⁵if of any the work is burned up, he shall suffer loss; and himself shall be saved, but so as through fire.

¹⁶have ye not known that ye are a sanctuary of God, and the Spirit of God doth dwell in you?

¹⁷if any one the sanctuary of God doth waste, him shall God waste; for the sanctuary of God is holy, the which ye are.

¹⁸Let no one deceive himself; if any one doth seem to be wise among you in this age -- let him become a fool, that he may become wise,

¹⁹for the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God, for it hath been written, `Who is taking the wise in their craftiness;'

²⁰and again, `The Lord doth know the reasonings of the wise, that they are vain.'

²¹So then, let no one glory 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 about to be -- all are yours,

²³and ye [are] Christ's, and Christ [is] God's.

1 Corinthians 3

New International Version

The Church and Its Leaders

3 Brothers and sisters, I could not address you as people who live by the Spirit^(A) but as people who are still worldly^(B)—mere infants^(C) in Christ. ²I gave you milk, not solid food,^(D) for you were not yet ready for it.^(E) Indeed, you are still not ready. ³You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling^(F) among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere humans? ⁴For when one says, “I follow Paul,” and another, “I follow Apollos,”^(G) are you not mere human beings?

⁵What, after all, is Apollos?^(H) And what is Paul? Only servants,^(I) through whom you came to believe—as the Lord has assigned to each his task. ⁶I planted the seed,^(J) Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow. ⁷So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. ⁸The one who plants and the one who waters have one purpose, and they will each be rewarded according to their own labor.^(K) ⁹For we are co-workers in God’s service;^(L) you are God’s field,^(M) God’s building.^(N)

¹⁰By the grace God has given me,^(O) I laid a foundation^(P) as a wise builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should build with care. ¹¹For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ.^(Q) ¹²If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, ¹³their work will be shown for what it is,^(R) because the Day^(S) will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person’s work.^(T) ¹⁴If what has been built survives, the builder will receive a reward.^(U) ¹⁵If it is burned up, the builder will suffer loss but yet will be saved—even though only as one escaping through the flames.^(V)

¹⁶Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple^(W) and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst?^(X) ¹⁷If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy that person; for God’s temple is sacred, and you together are that temple.

¹⁸Do not deceive yourselves. If any of you think you are wise^(Y) by the standards of this age,^(Z) you should become “fools” so that you may become wise. ¹⁹For the wisdom of this world is foolishness^(AA) in God’s sight. As it is written: “He catches the wise in their craftiness”^[a];^(AB) ²⁰and again, “The Lord knows that the thoughts of the wise are futile.”^[b]^(AC) ²¹So then, no more boasting about human leaders!^(AD) All things are yours,^(AE) ²²whether Paul or Apollos^(AF) or Cephas^[c]^(AG) or the world or life or death or the present or the future^(AH)—all are yours, ²³and you are of Christ,^(AI) and Christ is of God.