3:1 And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual men, but as to men of flesh, as to infants in Christ. |
3:2 I gave you milk to drink, not solid food; for you could not yet receive it. Indeed, even now you don't seem able to consume it. |
3:3 for you still find yourself with fleshly drives,for since jealousy and strife exist among you, don't you still have flesh, and don't you walk like mere men. |
3:4 For when one says, "I belong to Paul," and another, "I belong to Apollos," do you aspire to more than mortal humanity? |
3:5 What then does Apollos represent? And what does Paul represent? Servants through whom you believed, even as the Lord gave opportunity to each one. |
3:6 I planted, Apollos watered, but God caused the growth. |
3:7 So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters consists of anything, but God causes the growth. |
3:8 Now he who plants and he who waters show a unity of purpose; but each will receive his own reward according to his own labor. |
3:9 For we serve as God's fellow workers; you represent God's field, God's building. |
3:10 According to the grace of God which He gave to me, like a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another built on it. But each man must show care how he builds on it. |
3:11 For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which God laid, namely Jesus Christ. |
3:12 Now if any man builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, |
3:13 each man's work will become evident; for the day will show it because will become revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test the quality of each man's work. |
3:14 If any man's work which he has built on it remains, he will receive a reward. |
3:15 If any man's work burns up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will receive salvation, yet so as through fire. |
3:16 Do you not know that you represent a temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? |
3:17 If any man destroys the temple of God, God will destroy him, for the temple of God has holiness, you have holiness too. |
3:18 Let no man deceive himself If any man among you thinks himself wise in this age, he must become foolish, so that he may become wise. |
3:19 For the wisdom of this world proves foolishness before God For the scriptures state, "HE CATCHES THE WISE IN THEIR CRAFTINESS"; |
3:20 and again, " THE LORD KNOWS THE REASONINGS of the wise, THAT THEY PROVE USELESS." |
3:21 So then let no one boast in men For all things belong to you, |
3:22 whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or things present or things to come; all things belong to you, |
3:23 and you belong to Christ; and Christ belongs to God. |