BibleGateway: 1 Corinthians 3
ESV Text: 1 Corinthians 3
1 Corinthians 3 (Listen)
Divisions in the Church
3:1 But I, brothers,1 could not address you as spiritual people, but as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ. 2 I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for it. And even now you are not yet ready, 3 for you are still of the flesh. For while there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not of the flesh and behaving only in a human way? 4 For when one says, “I follow Paul,” and another, “I follow Apollos,” are you not being merely human?
5 What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, as the Lord assigned to each. 6 I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. 7 So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. 8 He who plants and he who waters are one, and each will receive his wages according to his labor. 9 For we are God’s fellow workers. You are God’s field, God’s building.
10 According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled2 master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building upon it. Let each one take care how he builds upon it. 11 For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw—13 each one’s work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. 14 If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. 15 If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire.
16 Do you not know that you3 are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you? 17 If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him. For God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple.
18 Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you thinks that he is wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise. 19 For the wisdom of this world is folly with God. For it is written, “He catches the wise in their craftiness,” 20 and again, “The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile.” 21 So let no one boast in men. For all things are yours, 22 whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future—all are yours, 23 and you are Christ’s, and Christ is God’s.
Footnotes
[1] 3:1 Or brothers and sisters
[2] 3:10 Or wise
[3] 3:16 The Greek for you is plural in verses 16 and 17
(ESV)
KJV Text: 1Corinthians 3:1-23
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KJV Text (alt. audio): Chapter 3:
1 And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. 2 I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able. 3 For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men? 4 For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal?
5 Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man? 6 I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. 7 So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase. 8 Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour. 9 For we are labourers together with God: ye are God’s husbandry, ye are God’s building. 10 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.
11 For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; 13 Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is. 14 If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. 15 If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.
16 Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? 17 If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.
18 Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise. 19 For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness. 20 And again, The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain.
21 Therefore let no man glory in men. For all things are yours; 22 Whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours; 23 And ye are Christ’s; and Christ is God’s.(KJV)
Hymn: TLH 385 : Now I Have the Firm Foundation
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1. Now I have found the firm foundation
Which holds mine anchor ever sure;
‘Twas laid before the world’s creation
In Christ my Savior’s wounds secure;
Foundation which unmoved shall stay
When heaven and earth will pass away.
2. It is that mercy never ending,
Which human wisdom far transcends,
Of Him who, loving arms extending,
To wretched sinners condescends;
Whose heart with pity still doth break
Whether we seek Him or forsake.
3. Our ruin God hath not intended,
For our salvation He hath yearned;
For this His Son to earth descended
And then to heaven again returned;
For this so patient evermore
He knocketh at our heart’s closed door.
4. O depth of love, to me revealing
The sea where my sins disappear!
In Christ my wounds find perfect healing,
There is no condemnation here;
For Jesus’ blood through earth and skies
Forever “Mercy! Mercy!” cries.
5. I never will forget this crying;
In faith I’ll trust it all my days,
And when o’er all my sins I’m sighing,
Into the Father’s heart I’ll gaze;
For there is always to be found
Free mercy without end and bound.
6. Though I be robbed of every pleasure
That makes my soul and body glad
And be deprived of earthly treasure
And be forsaken, lone, and sad,
Though my desire for help seem vain,
His mercy shall with me remain.
7. Though earthly trials should oppress me
And cares from day to day increase;
Though earth’s vain things should sore distress me
And rob me of my Savior’s peace;
Though I be brought down to the dust,
Still in His mercy I will trust.
8. When all my deeds I am reviewing,
The deeds that I admire the most,
I find in all my thought and doing
That there is naught whereof to boast,
Yet this sweet comfort shall abide–
In mercy I can still confide.
9. Let mercy cause me to be willing
To bear my lot and not to fret.
While He my restless heart is stilling,
May I His mercy not forget!
Come weal, come woe, my heart to test,
His mercy is my only rest.
10. I’ll stand upon this firm foundation
As long as I on earth remain;
This shall engage my meditation
While I the breath of life retain;
And then, when face to face with Thee,
I’ll sing of mercy, great and free.