1 Corinthians 3:5-17 - The Role Of God's Servants

⁵ Who is Apollos? Who is Paul? They are simply used by God to give you faith, each as the Lord assigns his task. ⁶ I did the planting, Apollos did the watering, but it was God who made the seed grow. ⁷ So neither planter nor waterer counts, but God alone who makes the seed grow. ⁸ Still, though planter and waterer are on the same level, each will get his own wage for the special work that he has done. ⁹ We work together in God's service; you are God's field to be planted, God's house to be built. ¹⁰ In virtue of my commission from God, I laid the foundation of the house like an expert master-builder. It remains for another to build on this foundation. Whoever he is, let him be careful how he builds. ¹¹ The foundation is laid, namely Jesus Christ, and no one can lay any other. ¹² On that foundation anyone may build gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, or straw, ¹³ but in every case the nature of his work will come out; the Day will show what it is, for the Day breaks in fire, and the fire will test the work of each, no matter what that work may be. ¹⁴ If the structure raised by any man survives, he will be rewarded; ¹⁵ if a man's work is burnt up, he will be a loser ??and though he will be saved himself, he will be snatched from the very flames.

¹⁶ Do you not know you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells within you? ¹⁷ God will destroy anyone who would destroy God's temple, for God's temple is sacred ??and that is what you are.