TCNT 1COR Chapter 3

Division Is of the Flesh

3 And so, brothers, I could not address you as spiritual men, but as men of the flesh, as infants in Christ. 2 I fed you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet able to receive it. Even now you are still not able, 3 for you are still of the flesh. For where there is [fn]jealousy, strife, and division among you, are you not of the flesh and behaving like mere men? 4 For when one says, “I follow Paul,” and another says, “I follow Apollos,” are you not [fn]of the flesh?

5 [fn]Who then is [fn]Paul, and who is Apollos, [fn]but servants through whom you believed, as the Lord has assigned to each? 6 I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. 7 So then, neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but only God who gives the growth. 8 He who plants and he who waters are one, and each will receive his own reward according to his own labor. 9 For we are fellow workers of God; you are God's field, God's building.

10 According to the grace of God given to me, like a wise master builder I [fn]have laid a foundation, and another builds upon it. But each person must be careful how he builds upon it. 11 For no one can lay a foundation other than the one that has been laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 If anyone builds upon [fn]this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, or straw, 13 his work will become evident, for the Day will make it clear, because it is revealed by fire. And the [fn]fire will test each person's work and reveal what sort of work it is. 14 If the work that anyone has built remains, he will receive a reward. 15 If anyone's work is burned up, he will suffer loss; yet he himself will be saved, but only as through fire.

16 Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? 17 If anyone destroys the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which is what you are.

18 Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you thinks he is wise in this age, he should become foolish so that he may become truly wise. 19 For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. As it is written, “He catches the wise in their craftiness,” 20 and again, “The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile.” 21 So then, let no one boast in men. For everything belongs to you, 22 whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas, or the world, or life or death, or things present or things to come—everything belongs to you, 23 and you belong to Christ, and Christ belongs to God.