Divisions in the Church

1 But I, brothers,¹ could not address you as spiritual people, but as people ^rof the flesh, as ^sinfants in Christ. 2 I fed you with ^tmilk, not solid food, for you were not ready for it. And even now you are not yet ready, 3 for you are still of the flesh. For while there is jealousy and ^ustrife among you, are you not of the flesh and behaving only ^vin a human way? 4 For ^wwhen one says, “I follow Paul,” and another, “I follow Apollos,” are you not being merely human?

5 What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, as the Lord assigned to each. 6 ^xI planted, ^yApollos watered, but God gave the growth. 7 So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. 8 He who plants and he who waters are one, and each will receive his wages according to his labor. 9 For we are God’s fellow workers. You are God’s ^zfield, God’s ^abuilding.

10 According to ^bthe grace of God given to me, like a skilled² master builder I laid a foundation, and ^csomeone else is building upon it. Let each one take care how he builds upon it. 11 For no one can lay a foundation ^dother than that which is laid, ^ewhich is Jesus Christ. 12 Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw— 13 each one’s work will become manifest, for the ^fDay will ^gdisclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. 14 If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. 15 If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire.

16 Do you not know that you³ are ^hGod’s temple and that ⁱGod’s Spirit dwells in you? 17 If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him. For God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple.

18 Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you thinks that he is wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise. 19 For ^jthe wisdom of this world is folly with God. For it is written, ^k“He catches the wise in their craftiness,” 20 and again, ^l“The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile.” 21 So let no one boast in men. For all things are yours, 22 whether ^mPaul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or ⁿlife or death or the present or the future—all are yours, 23 and you are ^oChrist’s, and ^pChrist is God’s.

The Ministry of Apostles

1 This is how one should regard us, as ^qservants of Christ and ^rstewards of the ^smysteries of God. 2 Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found faithful. 3 But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by any human court. In fact, I do not even judge myself. 4 For ^tI am not aware of anything against myself, but I am not thereby acquitted. It is the Lord who judges me. 5 Therefore ^udo not pronounce ^vjudgment before the time, before the Lord ^wcomes, who will ^xbring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will ^ydisclose the purposes of the heart. Then each one will receive his commendation from God.

6 I have applied all these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit, brothers,⁴ that you may learn by us not to go beyond what is written, that none of you may be ^zpuffed up in favor of one against another. 7 For who sees anything different in you? ^aWhat do you have that you did not receive? If then you received it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it?

8 Already you have all you want! Already you have become ^brich! Without us you have become kings! And would that you did reign, so that we might share the rule with you! 9 For I think that God has exhibited us apostles as last of all, ^clike men sentenced to death, because we have ^dbecome a spectacle to the world, to angels, and to men. 10 We are ^efools for Christ’s sake, but you are wise in Christ. ^fWe are ^gweak, but you are strong. You are held in honor, but we in disrepute. 11 To the present hour ^hwe hunger and thirst, we are poorly dressed and buffeted and homeless, 12 and we ⁱlabor, working with our own hands. ^jWhen reviled, ^kwe bless; when persecuted, we endure; 13 when slandered, we entreat. We have become, and are still, like the scum of the world, the refuse of all things.

14 I do not write these things to make you ashamed, but to admonish you as my beloved children. 15 For though you have countless⁵ guides in Christ, you do not have many fathers. ^lFor I became your father in Christ Jesus through the gospel. 16 ^mI urge you, then, ⁿbe imitators of me. 17 That is why ^oI sent⁶ you Timothy, my beloved and faithful ^pchild in the Lord, to remind you of my ways in Christ,⁷ as I teach them ^qeverywhere in every church. 18 Some are arrogant, as though I were not coming to you. 19 But ^rI will come to you soon, if the Lord wills, and I will find out not the talk of these arrogant people but their power. 20 For the kingdom of God ^sdoes not consist in ^ttalk but ^uin power. 21 What do you wish? Shall I come to you with a rod, or with love ^vin a spirit of gentleness?

You Are My Refuge

A Maskil¹ of David, ⁿwhen he was ^oin the cave. A Prayer.