The First Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Corinthians

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- Chapter 3 -

(Hebrews 5:11–14)

And so, brothers, I was not able to speak to you as if to those who are spiritual, but rather as if to those who are carnal. For you are like infants in Christ.

I gave you milk to drink, not solid food. For you were not yet able. And indeed, even now, you are not able; for you are still carnal.

And since there is still envy and contention among you, are you not carnal, and are you not walking according to man?

For if one says, “Certainly, I am of Paul,” while another says, “I am of Apollo,” are you not men? But what is Apollo, and what is Paul?

We are only the ministers of him in whom you have believed, just as the Lord has granted to each of you.

I planted, Apollo watered, but God provided the growth.

And so, neither he who plants, nor he who waters, is anything, but only God, who provides the growth.

Now he who plants, and he who waters, are one. But each shall receive his proper reward, according to his labors.

For we are God’s assistants. You are God’s cultivation; you are God’s construction.

Christ Our Foundation

(Isaiah 28:14–22; Ephesians 2:19–22; 1 Peter 2:1–8)

According to the grace of God, which has been given to me, I have laid the foundation like a wise architect. But another builds upon it. So then, let each one be careful how he builds upon it.

For no one is able to lay any other foundation, in place of that which has been laid, which is Christ Jesus.

But if anyone builds upon this foundation, whether gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, or stubble,(a)

each one’s work shall be made manifest. For the day of the Lord shall declare it, because it will be revealed by fire. And this fire will test each one’s work, as to what kind it is.

If anyone’s work, which he has built upon it, remains, then he will receive a reward.

If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer its loss, but he himself will still be saved, but only as through fire.

God’s Temple and God’s Wisdom

(Romans 12:1–8; 1 Corinthians 6:18–20)

Do you not know that you are the Temple of God, and that the Spirit of God lives within you?

But if anyone violates the Temple of God, God will destroy him. For the Temple of God is holy, and you are that Temple.

Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you seems to be wise in this age, let him become foolish, so that he may be truly wise.

For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. And so it has been written: “I will catch the wise in their own astuteness.”

And again: “The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain.”

And so, let no one glory in men.

For all is yours: whether Paul, or Apollo, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or the present, or the future. Yes, all is yours.

But you are Christ’s, and Christ is God’s.

Footnotes

(a)3:12 Upon this foundation:The foundation is Christ and his doctrine: or the true faith in him, working through charity. The building upon this foundation gold, silver, and precious stones, signifies the more perfect preaching and practice of the gospel; the wood, hay, and stubble, such preaching as that of the Corinthian teachers (who affected the pomp of words and human eloquence) and such practice as is mixed with much imperfection, and many lesser sins. Now the day of the Lord, and his fiery trial, (in the particular judgment immediately after death,) shall make manifest of what sort every man’s work has been: of which, during this life, it is hard to make a judgment. For then the fire of God’s judgment shall try every man’s work. And they, whose works, like wood, hay, and stubble, cannot abide the fire, shall suffer loss; these works being found to be of no value; yet they themselves, having built upon the right foundation, (by living and dying in the true faith and in the state of grace, though with some imperfection,) shall be saved yet so as by fire; being liable to this punishment, by reason of the wood, hay, and stubble, which was mixed with their building.(Challoner)

(Hebrews 5:11–14)

Brothers, I couldn’t speak to you as to spiritual, but as to fleshly, as to babies in Christ.

I fed you with milk, not with solid food, for you weren’t yet ready. Indeed, you aren’t ready even now,

for you are still fleshly. For insofar as there is jealousy, strife, and factions among you, aren’t you fleshly, and don’t you walk in the ways of men?

For when one says, “I follow Paul,” and another, “I follow Apollos,” aren’t you fleshly?

Who then is Apollos, and who is Paul, but servants through whom you believed, and each as the Lord gave to him?

I planted. Apollos watered. But God gave the increase.

So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase.

Now he who plants and he who waters are the same, but each will receive his own reward according to his own labor.

For we are God’s fellow workers. You are God’s farming, God’s building.

Christ Our Foundation

(Isaiah 28:14–22; Ephesians 2:19–22; 1 Peter 2:1–8)

According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another builds on it. But let each man be careful how he builds on it.

For no one can lay any other foundation than that which has been laid, which is Jesus Christ.

But if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay, or straw,

each man’s work will be revealed. For the Day will declare it, because it is revealed in fire; and the fire itself will test what sort of work each man’s work is.

If any man’s work remains which he built on it, he will receive a reward.

If any man’s work is burned, he will suffer loss, but he himself will be saved, but as through fire.

God’s Temple and God’s Wisdom

(Romans 12:1–8; 1 Corinthians 6:18–20)

Don’t you know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you?

If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him; for God’s temple is holy, which you are.

Let no one deceive himself. If anyone thinks that he is wise among you in this world, let him become a fool that he may become wise.

For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, “He has taken the wise in their craftiness.”(a)

And again, “The Lord knows the reasoning of the wise, that it is worthless.”(b)

Therefore let no one boast in men. For all things are yours,

whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come. All are yours,

and you are Christ’s, and Christ is God’s.

Footnotes

(a)3:19 ℘ Job 5:13

(b)3:20 ℘ Psalms 94:11