Mgawanyiko Katika Kanisa

Lakini ndugu zangu, mimi sikuweza kusema nanyi kama watu wa kiroho, bali kama watu wa mwili, na kama watoto wachanga katika Kristo. Niliwalisha maziwa, sio chakula kigumu; kwa kuwa mli kuwa hamjawa tayari kukipokea. Kwa maana ninyi bado mnatawaliwa na mambo ya mwili. Je, wakati kuna wivu na kugombana kati yenu, ninyi si watu wa mwili wenye tabia kama za watu wa kawaida? Kwa maana mmoja anaposema, “Mimi ni wa Paulo,” na mwingine, “Mimi ni wa Apolo” hamfanyi kama watu wa kawaida?

Hata hivyo, Apolo ni nani? Na Paulo ni nani? Sisi ni watum ishi tu ambao kama Bwana alivyotupangia kila mmoja kazi yake, mliamini kwa msaada wetu. Mimi nilipanda mbegu, na Apolo akaimwagilia maji, lakini ni Mungu aliyefanya mbegu iote. Kwa hiyo anayepanda mbegu na anayemwagilia maji si kitu, bali Mungu pekee ndiye aliyefanya mbegu iote. Anayepanda mbegu ni sawa na yule anayemwagilia maji. Kila mmoja wao atapokea malipo yake kulingana na kazi yake. Sisi ni wafanyakazi pamoja na Mungu; ninyi ni shamba la Mungu; ninyi ni jengo la Mungu.

10 Kwa neema niliyopewa na Mungu nilijenga msingi kama mjenzi hodari, na mtu mwingine ana jenga juu ya msingi huo. Lakini kila mmoja awe mwangalifu anavyojenga juu yake. 11 Kwa maana hakuna mtu anayeweza kuweka msingi mwingine isipokuwa ule uliokwisha jengwa, ambao ni Yesu Kristo. 12 Kama mtu ye yote atajenga juu ya msingi huu akitumia dhahabu, fedha, mawe ya tha mani, mbao, majani au nyasi, 13 kazi yake itaonekana; kwa kuwa ile siku itaidhihirisha kazi yake. Itadhihirishwa kwa moto, na moto utapima ubora wa kazi ya kila mtu. 14 Kama alichojenga hakitaharibiwa kwa moto, atapokea tuzo. 15 Kama kazi ya mtu itateketea, atapata hasara, ila yeye mwenyewe ataokolewa, lakini kama mtu aliyenusurika kwenye moto.

16 Je, hamjui kwamba ninyi ni Hekalu la Mungu, na kwamba Roho wa Mungu anakaa ndani yenu? 17 Kama mtu ye yote akiliharibu Hekalu la Mungu, Mungu atamharibu mtu huyo. Kwa sababu Hekalu la Mungu ni takatifu, na ninyi ni Hekalu hilo. 18 Mtu asijidanganye mwenyewe. Kama kuna mtu miongoni mwenu anadhani kuwa yeye ana hekima kwa kipimo cha nyakati hizi, basi afadhali awe mjinga ili apate kuwa na hekima ya kweli. 19 Kwa maana hekima ya ulimwengu huu ni upuuzi mbele za Mungu. Kama Maandiko yasemavyo, “Mungu huwanasa wenye hekima katika hila yao.’ ’ 20 Na tena, “Bwana anajua kwamba mawazo ya wenye hekima ni bure.”

21 Kwa hiyo mtu asijivune kwa sababu ya watu. Kwa kuwa vitu vyote ni vyenu, 22 kama ni Paulo au Apolo au Petro au dunia au maisha au kifo, au wakati uliopo au wakati unaokuja, haya yote ni yenu; 23 na ninyi ni wa Kristo, na Kristo ni wa Mungu.

The Church and Its Leaders

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. I gave you milk, not solid food,(D) for you were not yet ready for it.(E) Indeed, you are still not ready. You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling(F) among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere humans? For when one says, “I follow Paul,” and another, “I follow Apollos,”(G) are you not mere human beings?

What, 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. I planted the seed,(J) Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow. So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. The one who plants and the one who waters have one purpose, and they will each be rewarded according to their own labor.(K) For we are co-workers in God’s service;(L) you are God’s field,(M) God’s building.(N)

10 By 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. 11 For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ.(Q) 12 If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, 13 their 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) 14 If what has been built survives, the builder will receive a reward.(U) 15 If it is burned up, the builder will suffer loss but yet will be saved—even though only as one escaping through the flames.(V)

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

18 Do 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. 19 For 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) 20 and again, “The Lord knows that the thoughts of the wise are futile.”[b](AC) 21 So then, no more boasting about human leaders!(AD) All things are yours,(AE) 22 whether 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, 23 and you are of Christ,(AI) and Christ is of God.

Footnotes

  1. 1 Corinthians 3:19 Job 5:13
  2. 1 Corinthians 3:20 Psalm 94:11
  3. 1 Corinthians 3:22 That is, Peter