And I, brethren, have not been able to speak to you as to spiritual, but as to fleshly; as to babes in Christ.
I have given you milk to drink, not meat, for ye have not yet been able, nor indeed are ye yet able;
for ye are yet carnal. For whereas there are among you emulation and strife, are ye not carnal, and walk according to man?
For when one says, I am of Paul, and another, I of Apollos, are ye not men?
Who then is Apollos, and who Paul? Ministering servants, through whom ye have believed, and as the Lord has given to each.
I have planted; Apollos watered; but God has given the increase.
So that neither the planter is anything, nor the waterer; but God the giver of the increase.
But the planter and the waterer are one; but each shall receive his own reward according to his own labour.
For we are God's fellow-workmen; ye are God's husbandry, God's building.
According to the grace of God which has been given to me, as a wise architect, I have laid the foundation, but another builds upon it. But let each see how he builds upon it.
For other foundation can no man lay besides that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
Now if any one build upon this foundation, gold, silver, precious stones, wood, grass, straw,
the work of each shall be made manifest; for the day shall declare it, because it is revealed in fire; and the fire shall try the work of each what it is.
If the work of any one which he has built upon the foundation shall abide, he shall receive a reward.
If the work of any one shall be consumed, he shall suffer loss, but he shall be saved, but so as through the fire.
Do ye not know that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?
If any one corrupt the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, and such are ye.
Let no one deceive himself: if any one thinks himself to be wise among you in this world, let him become foolish, that he may be wise.
For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God; for it is written, He who takes the wise in their craftiness.
And again, The Lord knows the reasonings of the wise that they are vain.
So that let no one boast in men; for all things are yours.
Whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things coming, all are yours;
and ye are Christ's, and Christ is God's.
Canonical academic citations for 1 Corinthians 3 (DBT) — copy in your preferred format.
1 Corinthians 3 (DBT). Prime Bible, accessed July 26, 2026. https://primebible.com/dbt/1-corinthians/3.
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Jealousy shows the Corinthians are spiritual infants; Paul and Apollos are merely servants—God gives the growth. Believers are God’s field and building; each builder’s work will be tested by fire, for the church is God’s temple and must not be destroyed.
Guidance for church order and unity.
1 Corinthians 3 is presented with the full Greek interlinear, Strong's numbers, and verse-by-verse cross-references on Prime Bible — a free, nonprofit Bible study platform.