Divisiveness And Immaturity
1 And I could not speak to you, brothers, as I would to spiritual people, but [I have to speak to you] as I would to worldly people, for you are immature children in [the fellowship of] Christ.
1 And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ.
1 And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to (A)spiritual men, but as to (B)men of flesh, as to (C)infants in Christ.
1 Brothers, I was not able to speak to you as spiritual people but as people of the flesh, as babies in Christ.(A)
1 Brothers, I couldn't talk to you as spiritual people but as worldly people, as mere infants in the Messiah.
2 For I fed you with milk, not with solid food [i.e., with basic fundamentals instead of more advanced teaching. See Heb. 5:12-13] because you were not able to absorb it,
2 I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.
2 I gave you (D)milk to drink, not solid food; for you (E)were not yet able to receive it. Indeed, even now you are not yet able,
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,
2 I gave you milk to drink, not solid food, because you weren't ready for it. And you're still not ready!
3 for you are still worldly [minded]. And since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, is that not evidence that you are [still] worldly and living like [unspiritual] people?
3 For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?
3 for you are still fleshly. For since there is (F)jealousy and strife among you, are you not fleshly, and are you not walking (a)(G)like mere men?
3 because you are still fleshly. For since there is envy(B) and strife(a)(C) among you, are you not fleshly and living like unbelievers?(b)
3 That's because you are still worldly. As long as there is jealousy and quarreling among you, you are worldly and living by human standards, aren't you?
4 For when one of you says, "I am a follower of Paul," and another says, "I am a follower of Apollos," are you not [acting like worldly] people?
4 For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal?
4 For whenever someone says, “I’m with Paul,” and another, “I’m with Apollos,”(D) are you not unspiritual people?(c)(d)
4 For when one person says, "I follow Paul," and another person says, "I follow Apollos," you're following your own human nature, aren't you?
The Role Of God's Servants
5 After all, who is Apollos? And who is Paul? They are [only] servants through whom you believed [in Christ], with each one doing what the Lord gave him to do.
5 Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man?
5 What then is Apollos? And what is Paul? (J)Servants through whom you believed, even (K)as the Lord gave opportunity to each one.
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.
5 Who is Apollos, anyhow? Or who is Paul? They're merely servants through whom you came to believe, as the Lord gave to each of us his task.
7 So then, it does not matter who plants or who waters, but [it is] God who matters, for He makes the seed grow.
7 So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase.
7 So then neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but God who causes the growth.
7 So then neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth.
7 So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is significant, but God, who keeps everything growing, is the one who matters.
8 Now the person who plants and the person who waters have the same [purpose], and each one will receive his own wages, according to the work each one does.
8 Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour.
8 Now he who plants and he who waters are one; but each will (O)receive his own (b)reward according to his own labor.
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.
8 The one who plants and the one who waters have the same goal, and each will receive a reward for his own action.
10 Using the unearned favor shown to me by God [Note: Paul here probably refers to his apostleship and its attending spiritual gifts], as an expert building contractor, I laid the foundation [i.e., in starting the Corinthian church], and someone else is building on it [i.e., Apollos. See verse 6].
10 According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon.
10 According to (S)the grace of God which was given to me, like a wise master builder (T)I laid a foundation, and (U)another is building on it. But each man must be careful how he builds on it.
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.
10 As an expert builder using the grace that God gave me, I laid the foundation, and someone else is building on it. But each person must be careful how he builds on it.
11 For no one can lay [any] other foundation than the one which [God] has [already] laid, which is Jesus Christ.
11 For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
11 For no one can lay any other foundation(G) than what has been laid down. That foundation is Jesus Christ.
11 After all, no one can lay any other foundation than the one that is already laid, and that is Jesus the Messiah.
12 But if anyone [i.e., a preacher or soul winner] builds on this foundation with gold, silver, expensive building stones, wood, grass, or straw,
12 Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble;
12 Whether a person builds on this foundation with gold, silver, expensive stones, wood, hay, or straw,
13 [the quality of] each person's work will become evident [i.e., for what is it made of]. For the [judgment] day will expose his workmanship. And it will be revealed by the fire [of judgment], which will test the quality of a person's workmanship [i.e., the faithfulness of his converts].
13 Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is.
13 (W)each man’s work will become evident; for (X)the day will show it because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test (e)the quality of each man’s work.
13 each one’s work will become obvious, for the day(f) will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire;(J) the fire will test the quality of each one’s work.(K)
13 the workmanship of each person will become evident, for the day of judgment will show what it is, because it will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person's action.
14 If the work of anyone lasts [i.e., if his converts are judged faithful], he will receive a reward [i.e., his converts will constitute part of his reward].
14 If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.
14 If anyone’s work that he has built survives, he will receive a reward.
14 If what a person has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward.
15 But if anyone's work is burned up [i.e., does not survive the judgment], he will experience loss [i.e., of his converts], but he himself will [still] be saved, like a person escaping from the fire [i.e., of a burning building, which consumes his efforts].
15 If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.
15 If any man’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet (Z)so as through fire.
15 If anyone’s work is burned up, it will be lost, but he will be saved;(L) yet it will be like an escape through fire.(g)(M)
15 If his work is burned up, he will suffer loss. However, he himself will be saved, but it will be like going through fire.
16 Do you people not know that you are God's Temple [i.e., the church. See I Pet. 2:5; I Tim. 3:15], and that the Holy Spirit of God lives in you [i.e., collectively]?
16 Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?
16 (AA)Do you not know that (AB)you are a (f)temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?
16 Don’t you yourselves know that you are God’s sanctuary(N) and that the Spirit of God lives in you?(O)
16 You know that you are God's sanctuary and that God's Spirit lives in you, don't you?
17 If any person destroys God's Temple, God will destroy him. For God's Temple is holy [i.e., set apart for His service], and you people are His [holy] Temple.
17 If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.
17 If any man destroys the (g)temple of God, God will destroy him, for the (h)temple of God is holy, and (i)that is what you are.
17 If anyone destroys God’s sanctuary, God will destroy him;(P) for God’s sanctuary is holy,(Q) and that is what you are.
17 If anyone destroys God's sanctuary, God will destroy him, for God's sanctuary is holy. And you are that sanctuary!
The Folly Of Human Wisdom
18 No one should fool himself. If any person among you thinks he is smart, by human standards, he should become a "fool," so that he can become [really] wise.
18 Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise.
18 (AC)Let no man deceive himself. (AD)If any man among you thinks that he is wise in (AE)this age, he must become foolish, so that he may become wise.
18 No one should deceive(R) himself. If anyone among you thinks he is wise in this age,(S) he must become foolish(T) so that he can become wise.(U)
18 Let no one deceive himself. If any of you thinks he is wise in the ways of this world, he must become a fool to become really wise.
19 For this world's "wisdom" is foolishness to God. For it is written [Job 5:13], "He [i.e., God] catches wise people in their cleverness."
19 For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness.
19 For (AF)the wisdom of this world is foolishness before God. For it is written, “He is (AG)the one who catches the wise in their craftiness”;
19 For the wisdom of this world is foolishness(V) with God, since it is written:(W) He catches the wise in their craftiness;(X)(h)
19 For the wisdom of this world is nonsense in God's sight. For it is written, "He catches the wise with their own trickery,"
22 including Paul, and Apollos, and Cephas [i.e., Peter], and the world, and life and death, and present and future things. All of these things are yours. [Note: Paul is showing that, as Christians, they really possessed and should value all preachers and circumstances of life alike].
22 Whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours;
22 (AK)whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or (AL)life or death or things present or things to come; all things belong to you,
22 whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas(AB) or the world or life(AC) or death(AD) or things present or things to come(AE)—everything is yours,
22 whether Paul, Apollos, Cephas, the world, life, death, the present, or the future everything belongs to you,