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1 Corinthians 3
Our plain-language guide next to the Bible text. Each row lines up one section with the verses it explains.
Section 3: God Made It GrowVerses 1 to 9
Paul couldn't give the Corinthians deep teaching yet. They were like babies who needed milk.
They proved it with their jealousy and quarreling. "I follow Paul!" "I follow Apollos!"
"What then is Apollos? And what is Paul? They are servants through whom you believed" (3:5).
"I planted the seed and Apollos watered it, but God made it grow" (3:6).
"So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow" (3:7).
"For we are God's fellow workers; you are God's field, God's building" (3:9).
1Brothers, I could not address you as spiritual, but as worldly—as infants in Christ. 2I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for solid food. In fact, you are still not ready, 3for you are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and dissension among you, are you not worldly? Are you not walking in the way of man? 4For when one of you says, “I follow Paul,” and another, “I follow Apollos,” are you not mere men? 5What then is Apollos? And what is Paul? They are servants through whom you believed, as the Lord has assigned to each his role. 6I planted the seed and Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. 7So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. 8He who plants and he who waters are one in purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor. 9For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, God’s building.
Section 4: The Only FoundationVerses 10 to 23
Paul laid the foundation, and others are building on it.
"For no one can lay a foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ" (3:11).
On the last day, God will test everyone's work, like fire tests building materials.
"Do you not know that you yourselves are God's temple, and that God's Spirit dwells in you?" (3:16).
The world's wisdom is foolishness to God.
So stop bragging about leaders. Everything belongs to you, "and you belong to Christ, and Christ belongs to God" (3:23).
10By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as an expert builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one must be careful how he builds. 11For no one can lay a foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, or straw, 13his workmanship will be evident, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will prove the quality of each man’s work. 14If what he has built survives, he will receive a reward. 15If it is burned up, he will suffer loss. He himself will be saved, but only as if through the flames. 16Do you not know that you yourselves are God’s temple, and that God’s Spirit dwells in you? 17If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him; for God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple. 18Let no one deceive himself. If any of you thinks he is wise in this age, he should become a fool, so that he may become wise. 19For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God’s sight. As it is written: “He catches the wise in their craftiness.” 20And again, “The Lord knows that the thoughts of the wise are futile.” 21Therefore, stop boasting in men. All things are yours, 22whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future. All of them belong to you, 23and you belong to Christ, and Christ belongs to God.
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