1 Corinthians 3: God Gives the Growth

Paul says the Corinthians are still like babies in Christ because of their jealousy and quarrels. He and Apollos are only servants. Paul planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. The church is God's field and God's building, and the only foundation is Jesus Christ. Each person should build carefully, because the Day will show what sort of work each has done. Paul reminds them that they are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in them, so no one should boast in men.

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Read 1 Corinthians 3

World English Bible · 23 verses

¹ Brothers, I couldn’t speak to you as to spiritual, but as to fleshly, as to babies in Christ.This verse is not in this translation's source text (many modern translations omit it). See your Bible's footnote.
² I fed you with milk, not with solid food, for you weren’t yet ready. Indeed, you aren’t ready even now,This verse is not in this translation's source text (many modern translations omit it). See your Bible's footnote.
³ for you are still fleshly. For insofar as there is jealousy, strife, and factions among you, aren’t you fleshly, and don’t you walk in the ways of men?This verse is not in this translation's source text (many modern translations omit it). See your Bible's footnote.
⁴ For when one says, “I follow Paul,” and another, “I follow Apollos,” aren’t you fleshly?This verse is not in this translation's source text (many modern translations omit it). See your Bible's footnote.
⁵ Who then is Apollos, and who is Paul, but servants through whom you believed, and each as the Lord gave to him?This verse is not in this translation's source text (many modern translations omit it). See your Bible's footnote.
⁶ I planted. Apollos watered. But God gave the increase.This verse is not in this translation's source text (many modern translations omit it). See your Bible's footnote.
⁷ So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase.This verse is not in this translation's source text (many modern translations omit it). See your Bible's footnote.
⁸ Now he who plants and he who waters are the same, but each will receive his own reward according to his own labor.This verse is not in this translation's source text (many modern translations omit it). See your Bible's footnote.
⁹ For we are God’s fellow workers. You are God’s farming, God’s building.This verse is not in this translation's source text (many modern translations omit it). See your Bible's footnote.
¹⁰ According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another builds on it. But let each man be careful how he builds on it.This verse is not in this translation's source text (many modern translations omit it). See your Bible's footnote.
¹¹ For no one can lay any other foundation than that which has been laid, which is Jesus Christ.This verse is not in this translation's source text (many modern translations omit it). See your Bible's footnote.
¹² But if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay, or straw,This verse is not in this translation's source text (many modern translations omit it). See your Bible's footnote.
¹³ each man’s work will be revealed. For the Day will declare it, because it is revealed in fire; and the fire itself will test what sort of work each man’s work is.This verse is not in this translation's source text (many modern translations omit it). See your Bible's footnote.
¹⁴ If any man’s work remains which he built on it, he will receive a reward.This verse is not in this translation's source text (many modern translations omit it). See your Bible's footnote.
¹⁵ If any man’s work is burned, he will suffer loss, but he himself will be saved, but as through fire.This verse is not in this translation's source text (many modern translations omit it). See your Bible's footnote.
¹⁶ Don’t you know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you?This verse is not in this translation's source text (many modern translations omit it). See your Bible's footnote.
¹⁷ If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him; for God’s temple is holy, which you are.This verse is not in this translation's source text (many modern translations omit it). See your Bible's footnote.
¹⁸ Let no one deceive himself. If anyone thinks that he is wise among you in this world, let him become a fool that he may become wise.This verse is not in this translation's source text (many modern translations omit it). See your Bible's footnote.
¹⁹ For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, “He has taken the wise in their craftiness.”This verse is not in this translation's source text (many modern translations omit it). See your Bible's footnote.
²⁰ And again, “The Lord knows the reasoning of the wise, that it is worthless.”This verse is not in this translation's source text (many modern translations omit it). See your Bible's footnote.
²¹ Therefore let no one boast in men. For all things are yours,This verse is not in this translation's source text (many modern translations omit it). See your Bible's footnote.
²² whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come. All are yours,This verse is not in this translation's source text (many modern translations omit it). See your Bible's footnote.
²³ and you are Christ’s, and Christ is God’s.This verse is not in this translation's source text (many modern translations omit it). See your Bible's footnote.

Scripture: World English Bible, public domain, eBible.org

Worksheets

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Open Preschool on its own page

1 Corinthians 3 · Preschool

God Makes It Grow

Name Date

Color the little plant. God makes things grow!

Can you find these in the picture? Circle each one!

Bible Verse

“I planted. Apollos watered. But God gave the increase.”

1 Corinthians 3:6 (WEB)

Prayer

Thank You, God, for making me!

Take It Home

Read the verse aloud. Say: Paul planted seeds. Apollos gave them water. But God made them grow! Let's thank God for helping us grow.

Open Grade 4 on its own page

1 Corinthians 3 · Grade 4

Fellow Workers with God

Name Date

Read and Think

Paul had fed the Corinthians with milk, not solid food, because they were not ready. Their jealousy and strife showed they were still acting like people of this world. Picking teams behind Paul or Apollos proved it.

Paul describes himself and Apollos as servants. Using a farming picture, he says he planted and Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. Workers matter, but God gets the credit. Then Paul uses a building picture. As a wise master builder, he laid the foundation, and that foundation is Jesus Christ.

Everyone builds on that foundation with different materials, like gold, silver, wood, or straw. One day each person's work will be tested, and work that lasts will be rewarded. Paul then reminds the church that they are God's temple, and God's Spirit lives in them. Because all things belong to them in Christ, they should not boast in men.

Show What You Know

Why did Paul feed the Corinthians milk instead of solid food?
What does the farming picture teach?
What foundation did Paul lay?
What does Paul remind the church they are?

Word Bank Fill-In

Use the word bank to fill in each blank.

wisebuildsworldreadyGod

Paul had fed the Corinthians with milk, not solid food, because they were not .
Their jealousy and strife showed they were still acting like people of this .
Using a farming picture, he says he planted and Apollos watered, but gave the growth.
As a master builder, he laid the foundation, and that foundation is Jesus Christ.
Everyone on that foundation with different materials, like gold, silver, wood, or straw.

Think About It

Paul and Apollos had different jobs but worked for the same God. What job can you do to help God's work grow?
Paul says believers are God's temple. How should knowing God's Spirit lives in His people change how you treat others?

Memory Verse

“For no one can lay any other foundation than that which has been laid, which is Jesus Christ.”

1 Corinthians 3:11 (WEB)

Copy It

Prayer

Dear God, thank You for making Your church grow. Help me . Amen.

Take It Home

For families: talk about these together.

How can you thank the people who teach you about God?
What makes work last for God?

Open Grade 5 on its own page

1 Corinthians 3 · Grade 5

Building on the One Foundation

Name Date

Read and Think

Paul wanted to give the Corinthians deeper teaching, but their behavior kept him on milk. Jealousy, strife, and factions revealed that they were thinking in merely human ways. Spiritual maturity is measured not by knowledge or gifts, which they had in abundance, but by love and unity. Their slogans about following Paul or Apollos showed they had not grown up.

Paul reframes the role of leaders. He and Apollos are servants through whom the Corinthians believed, each doing what the Lord assigned. In the agricultural image, Paul planted and Apollos watered, but God gave the increase. In the architectural image, Paul laid the foundation as a wise master builder, and others build on it. There can be no other foundation than Jesus Christ.

The building materials represent the quality of each person's ministry. Gold, silver, and costly stones last, while wood, hay, and straw do not. The Day will reveal each person's work, and enduring work will be rewarded. Paul then shifts from individual builders to the whole church: they are God's temple, and God's Spirit lives in them, so damaging the unity of the church is serious. Since all things belong to believers in Christ, and they belong to Christ, boasting in human leaders makes no sense.

Show What You Know

According to Paul, what reveals spiritual maturity?
What do the farming and building images teach about leaders?
What do the different building materials represent?
Why does Paul say boasting in human leaders makes no sense?

Crossword

Across

He has taken the ____ in their craftiness
But God gave the ____

Down

But if anyone ____ on the foundation with gold
If any man’s ____ remains which he built on it
For you weren’t yet ____

Think About It

Paul says the quality of our work for God matters. What kind of lasting work could you build on the foundation of Christ?
The whole church is God's temple. How does this truth make divisions in a church so serious?

Memory Verse

“For no one can lay any other foundation than that which has been laid, which is Jesus Christ.”

1 Corinthians 3:11 (WEB)

Copy It

Prayer

Dear God, thank You for making Your church grow. Help me . Amen.

Take It Home

For families: talk about these together.

What would help you grow more like Jesus this year?
Why is unity in a church so important?
What is one way you could live out this chapter this week?

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1 Corinthians 3: God Gives the Growth

Read 1 Corinthians 3

Worksheets

God Makes It Grow

Prayer

Take It Home

God Gives Growth

Trace the Words

Match the Pictures

Mini Maze

Draw It

Prayer

Take It Home

Planted and Watered

Trace the Words

Match the Pictures

God Gives the Growth

Prayer

Take It Home

God Makes It Grow

Read the Story

Show What You Know

Word Search

Prayer

Take It Home

God's Field and God's Building

Read the Story

Answer the Questions

God Gives the Growth

Word Search

Prayer

Take It Home

Fellow Workers with God

Read and Think

Show What You Know

Word Bank Fill-In

Think About It

Copy It

Prayer

Take It Home

Building on the One Foundation

Read and Think

Show What You Know

Crossword

Think About It

Copy It

Prayer

Take It Home

More print options