1 Corinthians 3
The Problem of Immaturity
1For my part, brothers and sisters, I was not able to speak to you as spiritual people but as people of the flesh, as babies in Christ.23I gave you milk to drink, not solid food, since you were not yet ready for it. In fact, you are still not ready,45because you are still worldly. For since there is envy and strife among you, are you not worldly and behaving like mere humans?67For whenever someone says, “I belong to Paul,” and another, “I belong to Apollos,” are you not acting like mere humans?8The Role of God’s Servants
9What then is Apollos? What is Paul? They are servants through whom you believed, and each has the role the Lord has given.1011I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth.1213So, then, neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth.1415Now he who plants and he who waters are one, and each will receive his own reward according to his own labor.1617For we are God’s coworkers. You are God’s field, God’s building.1819According to God’s grace that was given to me, I have laid a foundation as a skilled master builder, and another builds on it. But each one is to be careful how he builds on it.2021For no one can lay any foundation other than what has been laid down. That foundation is Jesus Christ.2223If anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay, or straw,2425each one’s work will become obvious. For the day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire; the fire will test the quality of each one’s work.2627If anyone’s work that he has built survives, he will receive a reward.2829If anyone’s work is burned up, he will experience loss, but he himself will be saved — but only as through fire.30
31Don’t you yourselves know that you are God’s temple and that the Spirit of God lives in you?3233If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him; for God’s temple is holy, and that is what you are.34