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1 Corinthians · Berean Standard Bible

1 Corinthians 3 Berean Standard Bible

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  • Protestant
  • OT: Masoretic Hebrew
  • NT: Critical text
  • Protestant (66 books)
  • Formal (word for word)
  • 2022
  • Public domain

Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings

1 Brothers, I could not address you as spiritual, but as worldly—as infants in Christ. 2 I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for solid food. In fact, you are still not ready, 3 for you are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and dissension among you, are you not worldly? Are you not walking in the way of man? 4 For when one of you says, “I follow Paul,” and another, “I follow Apollos,” are you not mere men? 5 What then is Apollos? And what is Paul? They are servants through whom you believed, as the Lord has assigned to each his role. 6 I planted the seed and Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. 7 So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. 8 He who plants and he who waters are one in purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor. 9 For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, God’s building. 10 By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as an expert builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one must be careful how he builds. 11 For no one can lay a foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, or straw, 13 his workmanship will be evident, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will prove the quality of each man’s work. 14 If what he has built survives, he will receive a reward. 15 If it is burned up, he will suffer loss. He himself will be saved, but only as if through the flames. 16 Do you not know that you yourselves 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 any of you thinks he is wise in this age, he should become a fool, so that he may become wise. 19 For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God’s sight. As it is written: “He catches the wise in their craftiness.” 20 And again, “The Lord knows that the thoughts of the wise are futile.” 21 Therefore, stop boasting in men. 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 of them belong to you, 23 and you belong to Christ, and Christ belongs to God.

People & places in this chapter

From this site's family tree and Bible maps, only where those guides cite this chapter.

People

  • Apollos

    Alexandrian Jewish teacher

    An eloquent Alexandrian Jew, mighty in the Scriptures, who was taught more accurately by Priscilla and Aquila and then ministered in Achaia and at Corinth.

    Cited in the guide: Acts 18:24; 1 Corinthians 1:12; 1 Corinthians 3:6

    See in the family tree

Cross references (23)

Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.

  1. 1 Hebrews 5:13; 1 Corinthians 2:14–15; Ephesians 4:13–14; 1 Corinthians 14:20; 1 Corinthians 2:6
  2. 2 Hebrews 5:11–14; 1 Peter 2:2; John 16:12
  3. 3 James 3:16; Galatians 5:15; Titus 3:3; Ephesians 4:22–24; James 4:1–2
  4. 4 1 Corinthians 1:12; 1 Corinthians 3:3; 1 Corinthians 4:6
  5. 5 2 Corinthians 6:4; 2 Corinthians 6:1; 1 Peter 4:10; 2 Corinthians 3:6; 2 Corinthians 11:23
  6. 6 1 Corinthians 3:9–10; Proverbs 11:25; 2 Corinthians 10:14–15; Acts 18:4–11; 1 Corinthians 9:1
  7. 7 John 15:5; Galatians 6:3; 2 Corinthians 12:9; Psalm 115:1; 1 Corinthians 13:2
  8. 8 Romans 2:6; Psalm 62:12; 2 John 8; John 4:36–38; Matthew 16:27
  9. 9 1 Peter 2:5; Ephesians 2:20–22; 2 Corinthians 6:1; 1 Corinthians 3:16; Mark 16:20
  10. 10 1 Corinthians 3:11; Ephesians 2:20; Romans 15:20; Daniel 12:3; Matthew 24:45
  11. 11 Ephesians 2:20; Isaiah 28:16; 2 Timothy 2:19; Acts 4:11–12; 1 Peter 2:6–8
  12. 12 2 Timothy 4:3; 2 Timothy 3:7; 2 Timothy 2:20; Colossians 2:18–23; Revelation 21:18
  13. 13 1 Peter 1:7; Revelation 20:12; 1 Corinthians 3:14–15; 1 Corinthians 4:5; Zechariah 13:9
  14. 14 Matthew 25:21–23; 1 Corinthians 3:8; 1 Corinthians 4:5; Matthew 24:45–47; Daniel 12:3
  15. 15 2 John 8; 1 Corinthians 3:12–13; Jude 23; Revelation 3:18; 1 Peter 4:18
  16. 16 1 Corinthians 6:19; Ezekiel 36:27; 2 Corinthians 6:16; Romans 8:11; Ephesians 2:21–22
  17. 17 1 Corinthians 6:18–20; Ezekiel 43:12; Numbers 19:20; Ezekiel 7:22; Ezekiel 5:11
  18. 18 Proverbs 3:5; 1 Corinthians 1:18–21; Galatians 6:3; Isaiah 5:21; 1 Corinthians 8:1–2
  19. 19 Job 5:13; Psalm 141:10; 1 Corinthians 1:19–20; Romans 1:21–22; Isaiah 44:25
  20. 20 Psalm 94:11; Colossians 2:8; Romans 1:21; Job 11:11–12; Psalm 2:1
  21. 21 Romans 8:32; Romans 8:28; Jeremiah 9:23–24; 1 Corinthians 4:6; Revelation 21:7
  22. 22 Ephesians 4:11–12; Philippians 1:21; 2 Corinthians 4:5; 1 Corinthians 9:19–22; 1 Corinthians 3:5–8
  23. 23 Galatians 3:29; 1 Corinthians 15:23; John 17:18; John 17:9–10; 1 Corinthians 11:3

Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences

Articles and answers on this site that cite 1 Corinthians 3.

7 more on this site cite this chapter — Search the library

What the Fathers said

Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).

How these were chosen

“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).

  1. Commentary 3:1 John Chrysostom, Homilies on First Corinthians (Homily VIII)

    After having overturned the philosophy which is from without, and cast down all its arrogance, he comes unto another argument. For it was likely that they would say, "If we were putting forth the opinions of Plato, or of Pythagoras, or any other of the philosophers, reason were thou shouldest draw out such a long discourse against us.

    Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 12 (1889)

  2. Quotes verse 3:17 Irenaeus of Lyons, Against Heresies (Book IV, Preface)

    "For every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit shall be hewn down, and cast into the fire;" and "whosoever shall defile the temple of God, him shall God defile."

    Read in context · Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. 1 (1885)

  3. Quotes verse 3:11 Augustine of Hippo, Confessions (Book VII, Chapters XX–XXI)

    For where was that charity building upon the "foundation" of humility, "which is Jesus Christ"? Or, when would these books teach me it?

    Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 1 (1886)

  4. Quotes verse 3:7 John Chrysostom, Homilies on the Gospel of Matthew (Homily XXI)

    Which Paul showing also in other ways, said, "So then, neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase." From what we have already, then, He urges us in this way: and from examples of other things, by saying, "Behold the fowls of the air." Thus, lest any should say, "we do …

    Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 10 (1888)

  5. Quotes verse 3:6 Cyril of Jerusalem, Catechetical Lectures (First Catechetical Lecture)

    As then it is His part to plant and to water, so it is thine to bear fruit: it is God's to grant grace, but thine to receive and guard it.

    Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 2, vol. 7 (1894)