Spiritual Immaturity, Ministry, and God's Building
1 Corinthians 3:1-23
1And I, brothers, was not able to speak to you as to spiritual people, but as to fleshly people, as to children in Christ.2I gave you milk to drink, not solid food, for you were not yet able; but you are still not able even now.3For you are still fleshly; for where there is zeal and quarrel among you, are you not fleshly and walking according to a human?4For whenever one says, "I belong to Paul," and another, "I belong to Apollos," are you not merely human?5What then is Apollos, and what is Paul? Servants through whom you came to trust, and each as the Lord gave.6I planted, Apollos watered, but God was causing the growth.7So then neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God who causes the growth.8The one who plants and the one who waters are one, and each will receive his own wage according to his own labor.9For we are God's co-workers; you are God's farm field, God's building.10According to the grace of God given to me, as a wise master-builder I placed a foundation, and another is building upon it; but let each one see how he builds upon it.11For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ.12If anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, or straw,13the work of each will become evident, for the day will disclose it, because it is revealed in fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each has done.14If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a wage.15If anyone's work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.16Do you not know that you are God's temple and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?17If anyone destroys the temple of God, God will destroy this one; for the temple of God is holy, which you are.18Let no one deceive himself; if anyone among you thinks that he is wise in this age, let him become foolish so that he may become wise.19For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God's sight, for it is written, "He catches the wise in their craftiness."20And again, "The Lord knows the reasonings of the wise, that they are futile."21So let no one boast in human beings, for all things belong to you.22Whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or things present or things to come, all belong to you.23And you belong to Christ, and Christ belongs to God.