Servants of God
1 As a matter of fact, my friends, I could not talk to you as I talk to people who have the Spirit; I had to talk to you as though you belonged to this world, as children in the Christian faith. 2 I had to feed you milk, not solid food, because you were not ready for it. And even now you are not ready for it, 3 because you still live as the people of this world live. When there is jealousy among you and you quarrel with one another, doesn't this prove that you belong to this world, living by its standards? 4 When one of you says, “I follow Paul,” and another, “I follow Apollos”—aren't you acting like worldly people?
5 After all, who is Apollos? And who is Paul? We are simply God's servants, by whom you were led to believe. Each one of us does the work which the Lord gave him to do: 6 I planted the seed, Apollos watered the plant, but it was God who made the plant grow. 7 The one who plants and the one who waters really do not matter. It is God who matters, because he makes the plant grow. 8 There is no difference between the one who plants and the one who waters; God will reward each one according to the work each has done. 9 For we are partners working together for God, and you are God's field.
You are also God's building. 10 Using the gift that God gave me, I did the work of an expert builder and laid the foundation, and someone else is building on it. But each of you must be careful how you build. 11 For God has already placed Jesus Christ as the one and only foundation, and no other foundation can be laid. 12 Some will use gold or silver or precious stones in building on the foundation; others will use wood or grass or straw. 13 And the quality of each person's work will be seen when the Day of Christ exposes it. For on that Day fire will reveal everyone's work; the fire will test it and show its real quality. 14 If what was built on the foundation survives the fire, the builder will receive a reward. 15 But if your work is burnt up, then you will lose it; but you yourself will be saved, as if you had escaped through the fire.
16 Surely you know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in you! 17 God will destroy anyone who destroys God's temple. For God's temple is holy, and you yourselves are his temple.
18 You should not fool yourself. If any of you think that you are wise by this world's standards, you should become a fool, in order to be really wise. 19 For what this world considers to be wisdom is nonsense in God's sight. As the scripture says, “God traps the wise in their cleverness”; 20 and another scripture says, “The Lord knows that the thoughts of the wise are worthless.” 21 No one, then, should boast about what human beings can do. Actually everything belongs to you: 22 Paul, Apollos, and Peter; this world, life and death, the present and the future—all these are yours, 23 and you belong to Christ, and Christ belongs to God.
Dieva darbabiedri
1 Es, brāļi, vēl nevarēju runāt ar jums kā ar garīgiem cilvēkiem, bet tikai kā ar miesīgiem, kā ar maziem bērniem Kristū. 2 Es jūs dzirdīju ar pienu un citu barību nedevu, tādēļ ka jūs to nespējāt uzņemt un arī tagad nespējat, 3 jo jūs vēl esat miesīgi. Kamēr jūsos ir naids un ķildas, vai tad neesat miesīgi un nedzīvojat kā miesīgi cilvēki? 4 Ikreiz, kad kāds saka: es piederu Pāvilam, bet cits: es Apollam, – vai tad neesat kā cilvēki? 5 Kas ir Apolls? Un kas ir Pāvils? Tikai kalpotāji, kas jūs veduši pie ticības, katrs tā, kā Kungs viņam ir uzticējis. 6 Es iestādīju, Apolls aplaistīja, bet Dievs audzēja; 7 tā ka nedz stādītājs ir kaut kas, nedz laistītājs, bet gan Dievs, kas audzē. 8 Bet stādītājs un laistītājs abi dara vienu darbu, bet algu katrs saņems pēc savām pūlēm, 9 jo mēs esam Dieva darbabiedri; jūs esat Dieva aramais tīrums, Dieva celtne. 10 Pēc man dotās Dieva žēlastības es kā gudrs namdaris esmu ielicis pamatus, bet cits uz tiem būvē. Un katrs pats lai raugās, kā viņš būvē. 11 Citu pamatu neviens nevar likt kā to, kas jau likts, un tas ir Jēzus Kristus. 12 Ja kāds ceļ uz šā pamata no zelta, sudraba, dārgakmeņiem vai arī no koka, siena vai salmiem, 13 ikviena darbs kļūs redzams: tā diena to parādīs, jo tas tiks atklāts ugunī, un, kāds ikviena darbs būs bijis, to uguns pārbaudīs. 14 Ja kāda darbs, ko tas uzcēlis, paliks, viņš saņems algu; 15 ja kāda darbs sadegs, viņš cietīs, tomēr tiks izglābts, bet kā caur uguni. 16 Vai jūs nezināt, ka esat Dieva templis un ka Dieva Gars jūsos mājo? 17 Ja kāds Dieva templi posta, to Dievs izpostīs, jo Dieva templis ir svēts, un tie esat jūs. 18 Neviens lai sevi nemāna. Ja kāds no jums iedomājas sevi gudru esam šajā laikmetā, tam jākļūst par muļķi, lai kļūtu gudrs. 19 Jo šīs pasaules gudrība Dieva priekšā ir muļķība. Ir taču rakstīts: viņš pieķer gudros to viltībā. 20 Un vēl ir rakstīts: Kungs zina, ka gudro spriedumi ir tukši. – 21 Tā ka neviens cilvēks lai nelielās, jo jums pieder viss: 22 vai tas būtu Pāvils, vai Apolls, vai Kēfa, vai tā būtu pasaule, dzīvība vai nāve, vai tagadne, vai nākotne – viss pieder jums, 23 bet jūs piederat Kristum un Kristus – Dievam.
