III. I also, brethren, was not able to speak to you as spiritual, but as carnal, as babes in Christ. 2I fed you with milk, and not with meat; for ye were not yet able to bear it; nay, nor even now are ye able. 3For ye are yet carnal; for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and do ye not walk as men? 4For when one says, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal? 5Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers through whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to each one? 6I planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. 7So then neither is he that plants anything, nor he that waters; but God that gives the increase. 8And he that plants and he that waters are one; and each will receive his own reward according to his own labor.
9For we are God's fellow-laborers; ye are God's field, God's building. 10According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master-builder I laid a foundation, and another builds thereon. But let each one take heed how he builds thereon. 11For other foundation can no one lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12And if any one builds on this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; 13the work of each one will be made manifest; for the day will show it, because it is revealed in fire, and the fire itself will prove of what sort is each one's work. 14If any one's work which he built thereon remains, he will receive reward. 15If any one's work shall be burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved; yet so as through fire.
16Know ye not that ye are God's temple, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? 17If any one defiles[17] the temple of God, him will God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, the which are ye.
18Let no one deceive himself. If any one seems to be wise among you in this world, let him become a fool, that he may become wise. 19For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written: He that takes the wise in their craftiness. 20And again:
The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise,
That they are vain.
21So then, let no one glory in men. For all things are yours; 22whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come, all are yours; 23and ye are Christ's, and Christ is God's.
IV. So let a man account us, as ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God. 2Moreover, it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful. 3But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you, or by man's day[3]; nay, neither do I judge myself. 4For I am conscious to myself of nothing; yet am I not hereby justified, but he that judges me is the Lord. 5So then judge not anything before the time, until the Lord come, who will both bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and make manifest the counsels of the hearts; and then shall each one have his praise of God.
6And these things, brethren, I have in a figure transferred to myself and Apollos for your sakes; that in us ye may learn not to go beyond that which is written, that ye be not puffed up each for one against another. 7For who makes thee to differ? And what hast thou, that thou didst not receive? But if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it? 8Already ye are filled full, already ye became rich, without us ye reigned as kings; and I would ye did reign, that we also might reign with you.
9For I think that God set forth us the apostles last, as condemned to death; for we have become a spectacle to the world, both to angels and to men. 10We are fools for Christ's sake, but ye are wise in Christ; we are weak, but ye are strong; ye are honorable, but we are despised. 11Even unto this present hour we both hunger, and thirst, and are naked, and are buffeted, and have no certain dwelling-place; 12and labor, working with our own hands; being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we suffer it; 13being defamed, we entreat; we have become as the filth of the world, the offscouring of all things unto this day.