1 Corinthians 3

Foundations for Living

1And I, brothers and sisters, could not speak to you as 1spiritual people, but only as 2fleshly, as to 3infants in Christ. 2I gave you 4milk to drink, not solid food; for you 5were not yet able to consume it. But even now you are not yet able, 3for you are still fleshly. For since there is 6jealousy and strife among you, are you not fleshly, and are you not walking 7like ordinary people? 4For when 8one person says, “I am 9with Paul,” and another, “I am 10with Apollos,” are you not ordinary 11people?

5What then is Apollos? And what is Paul? 12Servants through whom you believed, even 13as the Lord gave opportunity to each one. 614I planted, 15Apollos watered, but 16God was causing the growth. 7So then neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but God who causes the growth. 8Now the one who plants and the one who waters are one; but each will 17receive his own 18reward according to his own labor. 9For we are God’s 19fellow workers; you are God’s 2021field, God’s 22building.

10According to 23the grace of God which was given to me, like a wise master builder 24I laid a foundation, and 25another is building on it. But each person must be careful how he builds on it. 11For no one can lay a 26foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, or straw, 1327each one’s work will become evident; for 28the day will show it because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test 29the quality of each one’s work. 14If anyone’s work which he has built on it remains, he will 30receive a reward. 15If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet only 31so as through fire.

1632Do you not know that 33you are a 34temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? 17If anyone destroys the 35temple of God, God will destroy 36that person; for the 37temple of God is holy, 38and that is what you are.

1839Take care that no one deceives himself. 40If anyone among you thinks that he is wise in 41this age, he must become foolish, so that he may become wise. 19For 42the wisdom of this world is foolishness in the sight of God. For it is written: “He is 43the one who catches the wise by their craftiness”; 20and again, “44The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are useless.” 21So then, 45no one is to be boasting in people. For 46all things belong to you, 2247whether Paul or Apollos or 48Cephas, or the world or 49life or death, or things present or things to come; all things belong to you, 23and 50you belong to Christ, and 51Christ belongs to God.