1 Corinthians 3
Divisions in the Church
But I, brothers, could not address you as aspiritual people, but as bpeople of the flesh, as cinfants in Christ. 2 aI fed you with milk, not solid food, for byou were not ready for it. And even now you are not yet ready, 3 for you are still of the flesh. For while there is ajealousy and strife among you, are you not of the flesh and behaving only in a human way? 4 For awhen one says, “I follow Paul,” and another, “I follow Apollos,” bare you not being merely human?
5 What then is Apollos? What is Paul? aServants through whom you believed, bas the Lord assigned to each. 6 aI planted, bApollos watered, cbut God gave the growth. 7 So aneither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. 8 He who plants and he who waters are one, and each awill receive his wages according to his labor. 9 For we are aGod’s fellow workers. You are God’s field, bGod’s building.
10 aAccording to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a bfoundation, and csomeone else is building upon it. Let each one take care how he builds upon it. 11 For no one can lay a afoundation other bthan that which is laid, cwhich is Jesus Christ. 12 Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw— 13 aeach one’s work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed bby fire, and cthe fire will test what sort of work each one has done. 14 If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, ahe will receive a reward. 15 If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, abut only as through fire.
16 aDo you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you? 17 If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him. For aGod’s temple is holy, and you are that temple.
18 aLet no one deceive himself. bIf anyone among you thinks that he is wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise. 19 For athe wisdom of this world is folly with God. For it is written, b“He catches the wise in their craftiness,” 20 and again, a“The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile.” 21 So alet no one boast in men. For ball things are yours, 22 whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future—all are yours, 23 and ayou are Christ’s, and bChrist is God’s.
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway,
a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.