1 Corinthians 3

1 Brothers [fellow believers, brethren], I could not address you as [being fully] spiritual [having God’s nature, non-carnal], but as [fleshly] worldly [controlled by the flesh, carnal]—as [in the manner of, like] infants [babes, young children] in Christ [anointed, the Messiah]. word study 2 I gave you milk [nourishing drink, elementary Christian teaching], not solid food [meat, spiritual nourishment], for you were not yet ready [able to bear, capable of handling] for solid food [spiritual maturity]. In fact, you are still not ready [able to understand, mature enough], word study 3 for you are still [yet, ongoing] worldly [fleshly, controlled by your old nature]. For since there is [exists, present among you] jealousy [envy, zeal] and dissension [quarrel, strife] among you, are you not [certainly, undoubtedly] worldly [fleshly, carnal]? Are you not [do you not, is it not true] walking [living, behaving] in the way [manner, path] of man [human, according to human nature]? word study 4 For when [at any time, whenever] one of you says, “I follow [am loyal to, belong to] Paul [the apostle, a servant of Christ],” and another, “I follow [am devoted to] Apollos [a Jewish Christian leader],” are you not [do you not become] mere men [fleshly, carnal, worldly]? word study 5 What then [at this point, in this situation] is Apollos? And what is Paul? They are [merely, simply] servants [ministers, attendants] through whom [by means of, because of] you believed, as [in the manner that, just as] the Lord [God, Master] has assigned [given, appointed] to each [every individual, each one] his role [task, responsibility]. word study 6 I [as a servant of God] planted [sowed the seed of the gospel] the seed and Apollos [a fellow minister] watered [nourished with spiritual care] it, but God [the ultimate Source of life] made [caused to grow, gave increase] it grow [to increase, flourish spiritually]. word study 7 So [therefore, as a result] neither he who plants [sows the seed, cultivates] nor he who waters [nourishes, tends] is anything [significant, important], but only God [the Supreme Being, Creator], who makes things grow [gives the increase, causes to flourish]. word study 8 He who plants [sows the seed of God’s message] and he who waters [nourishes with spiritual care] are one [united in purpose] in purpose, and each [every individual] will be rewarded [receive their due wages] according to his own [personal, private] labor [toil, effort]. word study 9 For we are God’s fellow workers [co-laborers]; you are God’s field [farm], God’s building [building or construction]. word study 10 By the [unmerited] grace [divine influence] God [the one true deity] has given [bestowed upon] me, I laid [as a wise master-builder] a foundation [a strong base] as an expert [skilled] builder, and someone else [another] is building [constructing upon] on it. But each one [every individual] must be careful [take heed] how [in what manner] he builds [constructs upon]. word study 11 For [as a reason, to explain] no one [nobody, none] can lay [place, set down] a foundation [a base or starting point] other [different, another] than [except, besides] the one [this specific] already [previously, before now] laid [established, appointed], which [that is, referring to] is [exists, is present] Jesus [God’s salvation] Christ [the anointed One]. word study 12 If anyone [a person, someone] builds [constructs, establishes] on this [the spiritual] foundation [base, starting point] using [with, by means of] gold [precious metal, valuable resource], silver [valuable, highly prized], precious [highly valued, costly] stones [gemstones, treasures], wood [natural, earthly material], hay [dry grass, perishable], or straw [stubble, worthless material], word study 13 his workmanship [each man’s labor, toil] will be evident [clear, visible, manifest], because the Day [of judgment, of the Lord] will bring it to light [reveal, disclose]. It will be revealed [uncovered, laid bare] with fire [a testing, refining flame], and the fire [a purifying, judging flame] will prove [test, examine] the quality [what sort, kind] of each man’s work [labor, deed]. word study 14 If [in the event that, if indeed] what he has built [constructed, established upon a foundation] survives [remains, endures the test], he will receive [be given, obtain as a reward] a reward [wage, payment for his work]. word study 15 If it [as a condition, in the event that] is burned up [consumed by fire, destroyed], he will suffer [experience, undergo] loss [harm, damage, to lose something]. He himself [the person, the individual] will be saved [rescued, delivered, to save or deliver], but only [yet, nevertheless] as [in the manner of] if [as it were, like] through [by means of, because of] the flames [fire, the burning]. word study 16 Do you not know [are you unaware, have you not perceived] that you yourselves [as a collective body, a unified community] are God’s [the one true deity, Elohim] temple [a sacred place of worship], and that God’s [the Spirit of the supreme Creator] Spirit [the vital principle or mental disposition] dwells [lives, resides] in you [among, within]? word study 17 If anyone destroys [destroys or defiles] God’s [holy and sacred] temple, God [the supreme Judge] will destroy [or bring to ruin] him; for God’s temple [the body of believers, a sacred place of worship] is holy [set apart, consecrated], and you are [as a community, collectively] that temple. word study 18 Let no one [nothing, no person] deceive [completely beguile] himself. If any of you thinks [supposes, has an opinion] he is wise [having good judgment, skilled] in this age [a long period of time, forever], he should become a fool [foolish, dull, stupid], so that he may become [come into being, be] wise [having spiritual discernment, wise in God’s eyes]. word study 19 For the [worldly, human] wisdom of this world [system, earthly realm] is foolishness [silliness, absurdity] in God’s [divine, heavenly] sight. As it is written: “He catches [takes, ensnares] the wise [intelligent, skilled] in their [own, clever] craftiness [cunning, deceit].” word study 20 And again [once more, as before], “The Lord [God, the supreme authority] knows [is fully aware, has complete understanding] that the thoughts [reasonings, mental processes] of the wise [those who think they are wise, intelligent] are futile [vain, useless, without real value].” word study 21 Therefore [so, in conclusion], stop boasting [glorying, taking pride] in men [human leaders, people]. All things [everything, every person] are yours [belong to you, for your benefit], word study 22 whether Paul [the apostle, originally named Saul] or Apollos [a Jewish Christian leader] or Cephas [Peter, the Rock] or the world [the orderly arrangement of creation] or life [physical and spiritual existence] or death [physical or spiritual separation] or the present [things currently at hand] or the future [things to come, about to ensue]. All [everything, every circumstance] of them belong to you [as your possession, for your benefit], word study 23 and you [as Christ’s possession, belonging to Him] belong to Christ [the Anointed One, Messiah], and Christ [the chosen Savior] belongs to God [the supreme Deity, Creator of all]. word study