1Corinthians 3-4; Psalms 142

Paul and Apollos, Servants of Christ

3Dear brothers and sisters

, when I was with you I couldn't talk to you as I would to spiritual people. I had to talk as though you belonged to this world or as though you were infants in the Christian life.G2532G1473G80G1410G3756G2980G5213G5613G4152G235G5613G4559G5613G3516G1722G5547 2I had to feed you with milk, not with solid food, because you weren't ready for anything stronger. And you still aren't ready,G4222G5209G1051G2532G3756G1033G1063G3768G1410G3768G1410G235G3777G2089G3568G1410 3for you are still controlled by your sinful nature. You are jealous of one another and quarrel with each other. Doesn't that prove you are controlled by your sinful nature? Aren't you living like people of the world?G1063G2075G2089G4559G1063G3699G1722G5213G2205G2532G2054G2532G1370G2075G3780G4559G2532G4043G2596G444 4When one of you says, "I am a follower of Paul," and another says, "I follow Apollos," aren't you acting just like people of the world?G1063G3752G5100G3004G1473G3303G1510G3972G1161G2087G1473G625G2075G3780G4559 5After all, who is Apollos? Who is Paul? We are only God's servants through whom you believed the Good News. Each of us did the work the Lord gave us.G5101G3767G2076G3972G1161G5101G625G235G2228G1249G1223G3739G4100G2532G5613G2962G1325G1538 6I planted the seed in your hearts, and Apollos watered it, but it was God who made it grow.G1473G5452G625G4222G235G2316G837 7It's not important who does the planting, or who does the watering. What's important is that God makes the seed grow.G5620G3777G2076G5452G5100G3777G4222G235G2316G837 8The one who plants and the one who waters work together with the same purpose. And both will be rewarded for their own hard work.G1161G5452G2532G4222G1526G1520G1161G1538G2983G2398G3408G2596G2398G2873 9For we are both God's workers. And you are God's field. You are God's building.G1063G2070G4904G2316G2075G2316G1091G2316G3619 10Because of God's grace to me, I have laid the foundation like an expert builder. Now others are building on it. But whoever is building on this foundation must be very careful.G2596G5485G2316G3588G1325G3427G5613G4680G753G5087G2310G1161G243G2026G1161G991G1538G991G4459G2026 11For no one can lay any foundation other than the one we already have—Jesus Christ.G1063G243G2310G1410G3762G5087G3844G2749G3739G2076G2424G5547 12Anyone who builds on that foundation may use a variety of materials—gold, silver, jewels, wood, hay, or straw.G1161G1536G2026G1909G5126G2310G5557G696G5093G3037G3586G5528G2562 13But on the judgment day, fire will reveal what kind of work each builder has done. The fire will show if a person's work has any value.G1538G2041G1096G5318G1063G2250G1213G3754G601G1722G4442G2532G4442G1381G1538G2041G3697G2076 14If the work survives, that builder will receive a reward.G1536G2041G3306G3739G2026G2983G3408 15But if the work is burned up, the builder will suffer great loss. The builder will be saved, but like someone barely escaping through a wall of flames.G1536G2041G2618G2210G1161G846G4982G1161G3779G5613G1223G4442 16Don't you realize that all of you together are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God lives in

you?G1492G3756G3754G2075G3485G2316G2532G4151G2316G3611G1722G5213 17God will destroy anyone who destroys this temple. For God's temple is holy, and you are that temple.G1536G5351G3485G2316G5126G5351G2316G5351G1063G3485G2316G2076G40G3748G5210G2075 18Stop deceiving yourselves. If you think you are wise by this world's standards, you need to become a fool to be truly wise.G1818G3367G1818G1438G1536G1722G5213G1380G1511G4680G1722G5129G165G1096G3474G2443G1096G4680 19For the wisdom of this world is foolishness to God. As the Scriptures say, "He traps the wise in the snare of their own cleverness."

G1063G4678G5127G2889G2076G3472G3844G2316G1063G1125G1405G4680G1722G846G3834 20And again, "The LORD knows the thoughts of the wise; he knows they are worthless."

G2532G3825G2962G1097G1261G4680G3754G1526G3152 21So don't boast about following a particular human leader. For everything belongs to you?G5620G2744G3367G2744G1722G444G1063G3956G2076G5216 22whether Paul or Apollos or Peter

, or the world, or life and death, or the present and the future. Everything belongs to you,G1535G3972G1535G625G1535G2786G1535G2889G1535G2222G1535G2288G1535G1764G1535G3195G3956G2076G5216 23and you belong to Christ, and Christ belongs to God.G1161G5210G5547G1161G5547G2316

Paul’s Relationship with the Corinthians

4So look at Apollos and me as mere servants of Christ who have been put in charge of explaining God's mysteries.G3049G444G3779G3049G2248G5613G5257G5547G2532G3623G3466G2316

2Now, a person who is put in charge as a manager must be faithful.G3739G1161G3063G2212G1722G3623G2443G5100G2147G4103

3As for me, it matters very little how I might be evaluated by you or by any human authority. I don't even trust my own judgment on this point.G1161G1698G2076G1519G1646G2443G350G5259G5216G2228G5259G442G2250G235G350G3761G1683

4My conscience is clear, but that doesn't prove I'm right. It is the Lord himself who will examine me and decide.G1063G4894G3762G1683G235G1344G3756G1722G5129G1344G1161G350G3165G2076G2962

5So don't make judgments about anyone ahead of time—before the Lord returns. For he will bring our darkest secrets to light and will reveal our private motives. Then God will give to each one whatever praise is due.G5620G2919G3361G5100G4253G2540G2193G302G2962G2064G3739G2532G5461G2927G4655G2532G5319G1012G2588G2532G5119G1538G1096G1868G575G2316

6Dear brothers and sisters

, I have used Apollos and myself to illustrate what I've been saying. If you pay attention to what I have quoted from the Scriptures, you won't be proud of one of your leaders at the expense of another.G1161G5023G80G3345G1519G1683G2532G625G1223G5209G2443G3129G1722G2254G3361G5426G5228G2443G3739G1125G3363G1520G5448G5228G1520G2596G2087

7For what gives you the right to make such a judgment? What do you have that God hasn't given you? And if everything you have is from God, why boast as though it were not a gift?G1063G5101G1252G4571G1252G1161G5101G2192G3739G2983G3756G2983G1161G1499G2983G5101G2744G5613G2983G3361G2983

8You think you already have everything you need. You think you are already rich. You have begun to reign in God's kingdom without us! I wish you really were reigning already, for then we would be reigning with you.G2235G2075G2880G2235G4147G936G5565G2257G2532G3785G1065G936G2443G2249G2532G4821G5213

9Instead, I sometimes think God has put us apostles on display, like prisoners of war at the end of a victor's parade, condemned to die. We have become a spectacle to the entire world—to people and angels alike.G1063G1380G3754G2316G584G2248G652G2078G5613G1935G3754G1096G2302G2889G2532G32G2532G444

10Our dedication to Christ makes us look like fools, but you claim to be so wise in Christ! We are weak, but you are so powerful! You are honored, but we are ridiculed.G2249G3474G1223G5547G1223G1161G5210G5429G1722G5547G2249G772G1161G5210G2478G5210G1741G1161G2249G820

11Even now we go hungry and thirsty, and we don't have enough clothes to keep warm. We are often beaten and have no home.G891G737G5610G3983G2532G3983G2532G1372G2532G1130G2532G2852G2532G790

12We work wearily with our own hands to earn our living. We bless those who curse us. We are patient with those who abuse us.G2532G2872G2038G2398G5495G3058G2127G1377G430

13We appeal gently when evil things are said about us. Yet we are treated like the world's garbage, like everybody's trash—right up to the present moment.G987G3870G1096G5613G4027G2889G4067G3956G2193G737

14I am not writing these things to shame you, but to warn you as my beloved children.G1125G3756G5023G1788G5209G235G5613G3450G27G5043G3560

15For even if you had ten thousand others to teach you about Christ, you have only one spiritual father. For I became your father in Christ Jesus when I preached the Good News to you.G1063G1437G2192G3463G3807G1722G5547G235G3756G4183G3962G1063G1722G5547G2424G1473G1080G5209G1223G2098

16So I urge you to imitate me.G3767G3870G5209G1096G3402G3450

17That's why I have sent Timothy, my beloved and faithful child in the Lord. He will remind you of how I follow Christ Jesus, just as I teach in all the churches wherever I go.G1223G5124G1223G3992G5213G5095G3739G2076G3450G27G5043G2532G4103G1722G2962G3739G363G5209G363G3450G3598G3588G1722G5547G2531G1321G3837G1722G3956G1577

18Some of you have become arrogant, thinking I will not visit you again.G1161G5100G5448G5613G3450G2064G3361G2064G4314G5209

19But I will come—and soon—if the Lord lets me, and then I'll find out whether these arrogant people just give pretentious speeches or whether they really have God's power.G1161G2064G4314G5209G5030G1437G2962G2309G2532G1097G3756G3056G5448G235G1411

20For the Kingdom of God is not just a lot of talk; it is living by God's power.G1063G932G2316G3756G1722G3056G235G1722G1411

21Which do you choose? Should I come with a rod to punish you, or should I come with love and a gentle spirit?G5101G2309G2064G4314G5209G1722G4464G2228G1722G26G5037G4151G4236

142[A psalm

of David, regarding his experience in the cave. A prayer.] I cry out to the Lord; I plead for the Lord’s mercy.H4905H1732H8605H4631H2199H3068H6963H6963H3068H2603 2I pour out my complaints before him and tell him all my troubles.H8210H7879H6440H5046H6440H6869 3When I am overwhelmed, you alone know the way I should turn. Wherever I go, my enemies have set traps for me.H7307H5848H3045H5410H734H2098H1980H2934H6341 4I look for someone to come and help me, but no one gives me a passing thought! No one will help me; no one cares a bit what happens to me.H5027H3225H7200H5234H4498H6H1875H5315 5Then I pray to you, O Lord. I say, “You are my place of refuge. You are all I really want in life.H2199H3068H559H4268H2506H776H2416 6Hear my cry, for I am very low. Rescue me from my persecutors, for they are too strong for me.H7181H7440H1809H3966H1809H5337H7291H553 7Bring me out of prison so I can thank you. The godly will crowd around me, for you are good to me.”H3318H5315H4525H3034H8034H6662H3803H1580

1Corinthians 3-4; Psalms 142 - Prayer Tents

Paul and Apollos, Servants of Christ

Paul’s Relationship with the Corinthians