New Living Translation
1 Corinthians 3:10
10Because of God’s grace to me, I have laid the foundation like an expert builder. Now others are building on it. But whoever is building on this foundation must be very careful.
1 Corinthians 3:10 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon.
- New International Version (NIV)By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as a wise builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should build with care.
- English Standard Version (ESV)According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building upon it. Let each one take care how he builds upon it.
- New King James Version (NKJV)According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it.
Context of 1 Corinthians 3:10
8The one who plants and the one who waters work together with the same purpose. And both will be rewarded for their own hard work. 9For we are both God’s workers. And you are God’s field. You are God’s building. Because of God’s grace to me, I have laid the foundation like an expert builder. Now others are building on it. But whoever is building on this foundation must be very careful. 11For no one can lay any foundation other than the one we already have—Jesus Christ. 12Anyone who builds on that foundation may use a variety of materials—gold, silver, jewels, wood, hay, or straw.
Read all of 1 Corinthians 31 Corinthians 3:10 word by word
κατὰ τὴν χάριν τοῦ θεοῦ τὴν δοθεῖσάν μοι ὡς σοφὸς ἀρχιτέκτων θεμέλιον ἔθηκα, ἄλλος δὲ ἐποικοδομεῖ. ἕκαστος δὲ βλεπέτω πῶς ἐποικοδομεῖ.Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- According toκατάkata · according toG2596
- the graceὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- the graceχάριςcharis · graceG5485
- of Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316
- is givenδίδωμιdidōmi · to giveG1325
- unto meἐγώegō · I/weG1473
- asὡςhōs · as/whenG5613
- a wiseσοφόςsophos · wiseG4680
- masterbuilderἀρχιτέκτωνarchitektōn · master-builderG753
- I have laidτίθημιtithēmi · to placeG5087
- the foundationθεμέλιοςthemelios · foundationG2310
- andδέde · thenG1161
- anotherἄλλοςallos · anotherG243
- buildeth thereonἐποικοδομέωepoikodomeō · to build up/uponG2026
- letβλέπωblepō · to seeG991
- every manἕκαστοςhekastos · eachG1538
- howπῶςpōs · how?!G4459
Cross-references for 1 Corinthians 3:10
- 1 Corinthians 3:5After all, who is Apollos? Who is Paul? We are only God’s servants through whom you believed the Good News. Each of us did the work the Lord gave us.
- 1 Corinthians 15:10But whatever I am now, it is all because God poured out his special favor on me—and not without results. For I have worked harder than any of the other apostles; yet it was not I but God who was working through me by his grace.
- Romans 1:5Through Christ, God has given us the privilege and authority as apostles to tell Gentiles everywhere what God has done for them, so that they will believe and obey him, bringing glory to his name.
- Romans 12:3Because of the privilege and authority God has given me, I give each of you this warning: Don’t think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us.
- Romans 15:15Even so, I have been bold enough to write about some of these points, knowing that all you need is this reminder. For by God’s grace,
- Ephesians 3:2assuming, by the way, that you know God gave me the special responsibility of extending his grace to you Gentiles.
- Colossians 1:29That’s why I work and struggle so hard, depending on Christ’s mighty power that works within me.
- 1 Timothy 1:11that comes from the glorious Good News entrusted to me by our blessed God.
- 1 Peter 4:11Do you have the gift of speaking? Then speak as though God himself were speaking through you. Do you have the gift of helping others? Do it with all the strength and energy that God supplies. Then everything you do will bring glory to God through Jesus Christ. All glory and power to him forever and ever! Amen.
- 1 Kings 3:9Give me an understanding heart so that I can govern your people well and know the difference between right and wrong. For who by himself is able to govern this great people of yours?”
- 2 Chronicles 2:12Praise the Lord, the God of Israel, who made the heavens and the earth! He has given King David a wise son, gifted with skill and understanding, who will build a Temple for the Lord and a royal palace for himself.
- Daniel 12:3Those who are wise will shine as bright as the sky, and those who lead many to righteousness will shine like the stars forever.
- Matthew 7:24“Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock.
- Matthew 24:45“A faithful, sensible servant is one to whom the master can give the responsibility of managing his other household servants and feeding them.
- 2 Timothy 2:15Work hard so you can present yourself to God and receive his approval. Be a good worker, one who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly explains the word of truth.
- 1 Corinthians 3:6I planted the seed in your hearts, and Apollos watered it, but it was God who made it grow.
Commentaries on 1 Corinthians 3:10
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 10As a wise master builder - ̔ . The design or plan of the building is from God; all things must be done according to the pattern which he has exhibited; but the execution of this plan was entrusted chiefly to St. Paul; he was the wise or experienced architect which God used in order to lay the foundation; to ascertain the essential and immutable doctrines of the Gospel - those alone which came from God, and which alone he would bless to the salvation of…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 10According to the grace of God - By the favor of God which is given to me. All that Paul had done had been by the mere favor of God. His appointment was from him; and all the skill which he had shown, and all the agency which he had employed, had been from him. The architectural figure is here continued with some striking additions and illustrations. By the “grace of God” here, Paul probably means his apostleship to the Gentiles, which had been conferred…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 10-15Verses 10-15 The apostle was a wise master-builder; but the grace of God made him such. Spiritual pride is abominable; it is using the greatest favours of God, to feed our own vanity, and make idols of ourselves. But let every man take heed; there may be bad building on a good foundation. Nothing must be laid upon it, but what the foundation will bear, and what is of a piece with it. Let us not dare to join a merely human or a carnal life with a Divine…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 10Paul started the church in Corinth. Now, others are adding to it by teaching the young Christians.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1010. grace ... given unto me--Paul puts this first, to guard against seeming to want humility, in pronouncing himself "a WISE master builder," in the clause following [Chrysostom]. The "grace" is that "given" to him in common with all Christians (1Co 3:5), only proportioned to the work which God had for him to do [Alford]. wise--that is, skilful. His skill is shown in his laying a foundation. The unskilful builder lays none (Lu 6:49). Christ is the…Read the comment
Topics related to 1 Corinthians 3:10
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on 1 Corinthians 3
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Illustrated New Testament
- Burkitt’s Expository Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Family Bible Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- The People’s New Testament
- Robertson’s Word Pictures
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
New Living Translation — © 1996, 2004, 2015 Tyndale House Foundation
Commentaries