1 Corinthians 3
New Testament · English Majority Text Version with Greek parallel
1 Corinthians chapter 3 is given here in full, verse by verse, in the English Majority Text Version (EMTV), with the Byzantine Majority Text set beneath each verse. The text follows the Byzantine textual tradition used in the Orthodox Church.
3 patristic excerpts are attached to this chapter, from Saint John Chrysostom.
1 Corinthians 3
1And I, brothers, was not able to speak to you as to spiritual, but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ.Καὶ ἐγώ, ἀδελφοί, οὐκ ἠδυνήθην ὑμῖν λαλῆσαι ὡς πνευματικοῖς, ἀλλ᾽ ὡς σαρκικοῖς, ὡς νηπίοις ἐν Χριστῷ.
2I gave you milk to drink, and not solid food; for you were not yet able to receive it. Indeed, neither are you now yet able;Γάλα ὑμᾶς ἐπότισα, καὶ οὐ βρῶμα· οὔπω γὰρ ἐδύνασθε, ἀλλ᾽ οὔτε ἔτι νῦν δύνασθε·
3for you are still carnal. For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal, and walking according to human principles?ἔτι γὰρ σαρκικοί ἐστε· ὅπου γὰρ ἐν ὑμῖν ζῆλος καὶ ἔρις καὶ διχοστασίαι, οὐχὶ σαρκικοί ἐστε, καὶ κατὰ ἄνθρωπον περιπατεῖτε;
4For when one says, “I am of Paul,” and another, “I am of Apollos,” are you not carnal?Ὅταν γὰρ λέγῃ τις, Ἐγὼ μέν εἰμι Παύλου, ἕτερος δέ, Ἐγὼ Ἀπολλώ, οὐχὶ σαρκικοί ἐστε;
5Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers through whom you believed, as the Lord has given to each one?Τίς οὖν ἐστι Παῦλος, τίς δὲ Ἀπολλώς, ἀλλ᾽ ἢ διάκονοι δι᾽ ὧν ἐπιστεύσατε, καὶ ἑκάστῳ ὡς ὁ Κύριος ἔδωκεν;
6I planted, Apollos watered, but God gives the increase.Ἐγὼ ἐφύτευσα, Ἀπολλὼς ἐπότισεν, ἀλλ᾽ ὁ Θεὸς ηὔξανεν.
7So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase.Ὥστε οὔτε ὁ φυτεύων ἐστί τι, οὔτε ὁ ποτίζων, ἀλλ᾽ ὁ αὐξάνων Θεός.
8Now he who plants and he who waters are one, and each one will receive his own reward according to his own labor.Ὁ φυτεύων δὲ καὶ ὁ ποτίζων ἕν εἰσιν· ἕκαστος δὲ τὸν ἴδιον μισθὸν λήψεται κατὰ τὸν ἴδιον κόπον.
9For we are co-workers with God; you are God's field, you are God's building.Θεοῦ γάρ ἐσμεν συνεργοί· Θεοῦ γεώργιον, Θεοῦ οἰκοδομή ἐστε.
10According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise architect I have laid the foundation, but another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it.Κατὰ τὴν χάριν τοῦ Θεοῦ τὴν δοθεῖσάν μοι, ὡς σοφὸς ἀρχιτέκτων θεμέλιον τέθεικα, ἄλλος δὲ ἐποικοδομεῖ. Ἕκαστος δὲ βλεπέτω πῶς ἐποικοδομεῖ.
11For no other foundation can anyone lay, other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.Θεμέλιον γὰρ ἄλλον οὐδεὶς δύναται θεῖναι παρὰ τὸν κείμενον, ὅς ἐστιν Ἰησοῦς Χριστός.
12Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw,Εἰ δέ τις ἐποικοδομεῖ ἐπὶ τὸν θεμέλιον τοῦτον χρυσόν, ἄργυρον, λίθους τιμίους, ξύλα, χόρτον, καλάμην,
13each one's work shall be made manifest; for the Day shall expose it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall test each one's work, as to what sort it is.ἑκάστου τὸ ἔργον φανερὸν γενήσεται· ἡ γὰρ ἡμέρα δηλώσει, ὅτι ἐν πυρὶ ἀποκαλύπτεται· καὶ ἑκάστου τὸ ἔργον ὁποῖόν ἐστι τὸ πῦρ δοκιμάσει.
14If anyone's work which he has built remains, he shall receive a reward.Εἴ τινος τὸ ἔργον μένει ὃ ἐποικοδόμησε, μισθὸν λήψεται.
15If anyone's work is burned up, he shall suffer loss; but he himself shall be saved, yet so as through fire.Εἴ τινος τὸ ἔργον κατακαήσεται, ζημιωθήσεται· αὐτὸς δὲ σωθήσεται, οὕτω δὲ ὡς διὰ πυρός.
16Do you not know that you are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?Οὐκ οἴδατε ὅτι ναὸς Θεοῦ ἐστε, καὶ τὸ Πνεῦμα τοῦ Θεοῦ οἰκεῖ ἐν ὑμῖν;
17If anyone destroys the temple of God, God shall destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are.Εἴ τις τὸν ναὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ φθείρει, φθερεῖ τοῦτον ὁ Θεός· ὁ γὰρ ναὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ ἅγιός ἐστιν, οἵτινές ἐστε ὑμεῖς.
18Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you seems to be wise in this age, let him become a fool, that he may become wise.Μηδεὶς ἑαυτὸν ἐξαπατάτω· εἴ τις δοκεῖ σοφὸς εἶναι ἐν ὑμῖν ἐν τῷ αἰῶνι τούτῳ, μωρὸς γενέσθω, ἵνα γένηται σοφός.
19For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, “He catches the wise in their craftiness”;Ἡ γὰρ σοφία τοῦ κόσμου τούτου μωρία παρὰ τῷ Θεῷ ἐστι. Γέγραπται γάρ, Ὁ δρασσόμενος τοὺς σοφοὺς ἐν τῇ πανουργίᾳ αὐτῶν.
20and again, “The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are useless.”Καὶ πάλιν, Κύριος γινώσκει τοὺς διαλογισμοὺς τῶν σοφῶν, ὅτι εἰσὶ μάταιοι.
21Therefore let no one boast in men. For all things are yours:Ὥστε μηδεὶς καυχάσθω ἐν ἀνθρώποις· πάντα γὰρ ὑμῶν ἐστιν,
22whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas, or the world or life or death, or things present or things to come—all things are yours.εἴτε Παῦλος, εἴτε Ἀπολλώς, εἴτε Κηφᾶς, εἴτε κόσμος, εἴτε ζωή, εἴτε θάνατος, εἴτε ἐνεστῶτα, εἴτε μέλλοντα· πάντα ὑμῶν ἐστιν,
23And you are Christ's, and Christ is God's.ὑμεῖς δὲ Χριστοῦ, Χριστὸς δὲ Θεοῦ.
The Fathers on 1 Corinthians 3
Saint John Chrysostom comments on this chapter. Each excerpt below is drawn from the full text held in the Fathers Library; follow the link on any entry to read the whole work.
On 1 Corinthians 3:1–3Saint John ChrysostomAnd I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto Carnal, as unto babes in Christ. I fed you with milk, and not with meat: for ye were not yet able to bear it; nay, not even now are ye able. For ye are yet carnal.
Read Homilies on the First Epistle to the Corinthians →
On 1 Corinthians 3:12–15Saint John ChrysostomIf any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay, stubble; each man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it is revealed in fire; and the fire shall prove each man’s work of what sort it is. If any man’s work abide which he built thereon, he shall receive a ...
Read Homilies on the First Epistle to the Corinthians →
On 1 Corinthians 3:18–19Open 1 Corinthians 3 in the interactive reader Switch translations, hear the chapter read aloud, tap any verse for its patristic commentary, and study the Greek word by word.Saint John ChrysostomLet no man deceive himself. If any man (ἐνὗμῖν omitted.) thinketh that he is wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God.
Read Homilies on the First Epistle to the Corinthians →