1 Corinthians 3-4

New International Version

The Church and Its Leaders

3 Brothers and sisters, I could not address you as people who live by the Spirit^(A) but as people who are still worldly^(B)—mere infants^(C) in Christ. ² I gave you milk, not solid food,^(D) for you were not yet ready for it.^(E) Indeed, you are still not ready. ³ You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling^(F) among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere humans? ⁴ For when one says, “I follow Paul,” and another, “I follow Apollos,”^(G) are you not mere human beings?

⁵ What, after all, is Apollos?^(H) And what is Paul? Only servants,^(I) through whom you came to believe—as the Lord has assigned to each his task. ⁶ I planted the seed,^(J) Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow. ⁷ So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. ⁸ The one who plants and the one who waters have one purpose, and they will each be rewarded according to their own labor.^{(K) 9} For we are co-workers in God’s service;^(L) you are God’s field,^(M) God’s building.^(N)

¹⁰ By the grace God has given me,^(O) I laid a foundation^(P) as a wise builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should build with care. ¹¹ For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ.^{(Q) 12} If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, ¹³ their work will be shown for what it is,^(R) because the Day^(S) will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person’s work.^{(T) 14} If what has been built survives, the builder will receive a reward.^{(U) 15} If it is burned up, the builder will suffer loss but yet will be saved—even though only as one escaping through the flames.^(V)

¹⁶ Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple^(W) and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst?^{(X) 17} If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy that person; for God’s temple is sacred, and you together are that temple.

¹⁸ Do not deceive yourselves. If any of you think you are wise^(Y) by the standards of this age,^(Z) you should become “fools” so that you may become wise. ¹⁹ For the wisdom of this world is foolishness^(AA) in God’s sight. As it is written: “He catches the wise in their craftiness”^[a];^{(AB) 20} and again, “The Lord knows that the thoughts of the wise are futile.”^{[b](AC) 21} So then, no more boasting about human leaders!^(AD) All things are yours,^{(AE) 22} whether Paul or Apollos^(AF) or Cephas^[c](AG) or the world or life or death or the present or the future^(AH)—all are yours, ²³ and you are of Christ,^(AI) and Christ is of God.

The Nature of True Apostleship

4 This, then, is how you ought to regard us: as servants^(AJ) of Christ and as those entrusted^(AK) with the mysteries^(AL) God has revealed. ² Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful. ³ I care very little if I am judged by you or by any human court; indeed, I do not even judge myself. ⁴ My conscience^(AM) is clear, but that does not make me innocent.^(AN) It is the Lord who judges me.^{(AO) 5} Therefore judge nothing^(AP) before the appointed time; wait until the Lord comes.^(AQ) He will bring to light^(AR) what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of the heart. At that time each will receive their praise from God.^(AS)

⁶ Now, brothers and sisters, I have applied these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit, so that you may learn from us the meaning of the saying, “Do not go beyond what is written.”^(AT) Then you will not be puffed up in being a follower of one of us over against the other.^{(AU) 7} For who makes you different from anyone else? What do you have that you did not receive?^(AV) And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not?

⁸ Already you have all you want! Already you have become rich!^(AW) You have begun to reign—and that without us! How I wish that you really had begun to reign so that we also might reign with you! ⁹ For it seems to me that God has put us apostles on display at the end of the procession, like those condemned to die^(AX) in the arena. We have been made a spectacle^(AY) to the whole universe, to angels as well as to human beings. ¹⁰ We are fools for Christ,^(AZ) but you are so wise in Christ!^(BA) We are weak, but you are strong!^(BB) You are honored, we are dishonored! ¹¹ To this very hour we go hungry and thirsty, we are in rags, we are brutally treated, we are homeless.^{(BC) 12} We work hard with our own hands.^(BD) When we are cursed, we bless;^(BE) when we are persecuted,^(BF) we endure it; ¹³ when we are slandered, we answer kindly. We have become the scum of the earth, the garbage^(BG) of the world—right up to this moment.

Paul’s Appeal and Warning

¹⁴ I am writing this not to shame you^(BH) but to warn you as my dear children.^{(BI) 15} Even if you had ten thousand guardians in Christ, you do not have many fathers, for in Christ Jesus I became your father^(BJ) through the gospel.^{(BK) 16} Therefore I urge you to imitate me.^{(BL) 17} For this reason I have sent to you^(BM) Timothy,^(BN) my son^(BO) whom I love, who is faithful in the Lord. He will remind you of my way of life in Christ Jesus, which agrees with what I teach everywhere in every church.^(BP)

¹⁸ Some of you have become arrogant,^(BQ) as if I were not coming to you.^{(BR) 19} But I will come to you very soon,^(BS) if the Lord is willing,^(BT) and then I will find out not only how these arrogant people are talking, but what power they have. ²⁰ For the kingdom of God is not a matter of^(BU) talk but of power.^{(BV) 21} What do you prefer? Shall I come to you with a rod of discipline,^(BW) or shall I come in love and with a gentle spirit?