1Cor 3 | HCSB | STEP | Brothers , I was not able to speak to you as spiritual people but as people of the flesh , as babies in Christ .

1 Corinthians 3

The Problem of Immaturity

1 ^{▼▼brother(s): The Greek word adelphoi can be used as a reference to males only or to groups that include males and females. It is the context of each usage that determines the proper meaning.}Brothers, I was not able to speak to you as spiritual people but as people of the flesh, as babies in Christ. ^b 2 I gave you milk to drink, not solid food, because you were not yet ready for it. In fact, you are still not ready, 3 because you are still fleshly. For since there is envy ^c and strife ^{▼▼Other mss add and divisions
,} ^e among you, are you not fleshly and living like unbelievers? ^{▼▼Lit and walking according to man} 4 For whenever someone says, “I’m with Paul,” and another, “I’m with Apollos,” ^g are you not unspiritual people? ^{▼▼Other mss read are you not carnal
,} ^{▼▼Lit not [just] human}

The Role of God’s Servants

5 What then is Apollos? And what is Paul? They are servants through whom you believed, and each has the role the Lord has given. 6 I planted ^j Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. 7 So then neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. 8 Now the one planting and the one watering are one in purpose, and each will receive his own reward according to his own labor. 9 For we are God’s coworkers. ^{▼▼Or are coworkers belonging to God} You are God’s field, God’s building. ^l 10 According 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 must be careful how he builds on it. 11 For no one can lay any other foundation ^m than what has been laid down. That foundation is Jesus Christ. 12 If anyone builds on that foundation with gold, silver ⁿ costly stones ^o wood, hay, or straw, 13 each one’s work will become obvious, for the day ^{▼▼The day of Christ’s judgment of believers} will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire; ^q the fire will test the quality of each one’s work. ^r 14 If anyone’s work that he has built survives, he will receive a reward. 15 If anyone’s work is burned up, it will be lost, but he will be saved; ^s yet it will be like an escape through fire. ^{▼▼Lit yet so as through fire
,} ^u

16 Don’t you yourselves know that you are God’s sanctuary ^v and that the Spirit of God lives in you? ^w 17 If anyone destroys God’s sanctuary, God will destroy him; ^x for God’s sanctuary is holy ^y and that is what you are.

The Folly of Human Wisdom

18 No one should deceive ^z himself. If anyone among you thinks he is wise in this age ^aa he must become foolish ^ab so that he can become wise. ^ac 19 For the wisdom of this ^{▼▼world: The organized Satanic system that is opposed to God and hostile to Jesus and His followers. The non-Christian culture including governments, educational systems, and businesses}world is foolishness ^ae with God, since it is written: ^af He catches the wise in their craftiness; ^ag
, ^ah 20 and again, The Lord knows that the reasonings ^ai of the wise are meaningless. ^aj
, ^ak 21 So no one should boast in human leaders, for everything is yours ^al – 22 whether Paul or Apollos or ^{▼▼Cephas: The Aramaic word for rock; it is parallel to the Greek word petros from which the English name Peter is derived; Jn 1:42; 1 Co 1:12.}Cephas ^an or the world or life ^ao or death ^ap or things present or things to come ^aq – everything is yours, 23 and you belong to Christ ^ar and Christ belongs to God.