1 Corinthians 3

1 Corinthians · Chapter 3

1 Corinthians 3:12

1And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ.2I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.3For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?4For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal?5Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man?6I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.7So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase.8Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour.9For we are labourers together with God: ye are God’s husbandry, ye are God’s building.10According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon.11For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.12Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble;13Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is.14If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.15If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.16Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?17If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.18Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise.19For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness.20And again, The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain.21Therefore let no man glory in men. For all things are yours;22Whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours;23And ye are Christ’s; and Christ is God’s.

King James Version (1769)

Other translations

VerseKJVBSBASV
12Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble;If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, or straw,But if any man buildeth on the foundation gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay, stubble;

In context

Who is speaking and to whom, what is happening, when and where, and why it matters, each with its sources. Coming with the context cards.

Original Greek words

EnglishGreekSay itStrong'sMeaning
IfεἰeiG1487G
if

εἰ (ei) εἰ, conjunctive particle, used in conditions and in indirect questions. I. Conditional, if; 1. with indic, expressing a general assumption; (a) pres.: before indic, pres., Mat.11:14, Rom.8:25, al.; before imperat., Mrk.4:23 9:22, Jhn.15:18, 1Co.7:9, al.; before fut. indic., Luk.16:31, Rom.8:11, al.; before pf. or aor., with negation in apodosis, Mat.12:26, Rom.4:14, al.; similarly, before impf., Luk.17:6, Jhn.8:39; before quæst., Mat.6:23, Jhn.5:47 7:23 8:46, 1Pe.2:20; (b) fut.: Mat.26:33, 1Pe.2:20; (with) pf.: Jhn.11:12, Rom.6:5, al.; …

nowδέdeG1161
then

δέ (de) δέ (before vowels δ᾽; on the general neglect of the elision in NT, see WH, App., 146; Tdf., Pr., 96), post-positive conjunctive particle; 1. copulative, but, in the next place, and, now (Abbott, JG, 104): Mat.1:2ff., 2Co.6:15, 16, 2Pe.1:5-7; in repetition for emphasis, Rom.3:21, 22, 9:30, 1Co.2:6, Gal.2:2, Php.2:8; in transition to something new, Mat.1:18, 2:19, Luk.13:1, Jhn.7:14, Act.6:1, Rom.8:28, 1Co.7:1 8:1, al.; in explanatory parenthesis or addition, Jhn.3:19, Rom.5:8, 1Co.1:12, Eph.2:4, 5:32, al.; ὡς δέ, Jhn.2:9; καὶ . . . δέ, but also, Mat.10:18, Luk.1:76, Jhn.6:51, Rom.11:23, al.; …

anyoneτιςtisG5100
one

τις (tis) τις, neut., τι, genitive, τινός, enclitic indefinite pron., related to interrog. τίς as πού, πως, ποτέ to ποῦ, πῶς, πότε. I. As subst., 1. one, a certain one: Luk.9:49, Jhn.11:1, Act.5:25, al.; pl., τίνες, certain, some: Luk.13:1, Act.15:1, Rom.3:8, al. 2. someone, anyone, something, anything: Mat.12:29, Mrk.9:30, Luk.8:46, Jhn.2:25, Act.17:25, Rom.5:7, al.; = indef., one (French on), Mrk.8:4, Jhn.2:25, Rom.8:24, al.; pl., τινες, some, Mrk.14:4, al. II. II. As adj., …

buildsἐποικοδομεῖepoikodomeiG2026
to build up/upon

ἐποικοδομέω (epoikodomeō) ἐπ-οικοδομέω, -ῶ in NT, always metaphorically, of the spiritual life regarded as a building (Cremer, 449); 1. to build upon: 1Co.3:10 3:12 3:14; pass., Eph.2:20. 2. to build up: Col.2:7, 1Pe.2:5 (T, οἰκοδ- WH, Rec.), Ju 20.† (AS)

uponἐπὶepiG1909
upon/to/against

ἐπί (epi) ἐπί (before a smooth breathing ἐπ᾽, before a rough breathing ἐφ᾽), prep. with genitive, dative, accusative (accusative most frequently in NT), with primary sense of superposition, on, upon. I. C. genitive, 1. of place, answering the question, where? …

foundationθεμέλιονthemelionG2310
foundation

θεμέλιος (themelios) θεμέλιος, -ον (τίθημι), [in LXX for אַרְמוֹן, מוֹסָד, etc. ;] of or for a foundation; as subst., ὁ θ. (sc. λίθος), a foundation stone, foundation: Luk.6:48-49 14:29 (but see Deiss., BS, 123); pl., οἰ θ. (cl.), Heb.11:10 Rev.21:14, 19; neut., τὸ θ. (Arist., Phys., vi, 6, 10, LXX and later writers), Act.16:26; metaphorically, Rom.15:20, 1Co.3:10-12 Eph.2:20, 1Ti.6:19, 2Ti.2:19, Heb.6:1.† (AS)

thisτοῦτονtoutonG3778
this/he/she/it

οὗτος (ohutos) οὗτος, αὕτη, τοῦτο, genitive, τούτου, ταύτης, τούτου, [in LXX chiefly for זֹאת ,זֶה ;] demonstr. pron. (related to ἐκεῖνος as hic to ille), this; 1. as subst., this one, he; (a) absol.: Mat.3:17, Mrk.9:7, Luk.7:44, 45, Jhn.1:15, Act.2:15, al.; expressing contempt (cl.), Mat.13:55, 56, Mrk.6:2, 3, Jhn.6:42, al.; εἰς τοῦτο, Mrk.1:38, Rom.14:9; μετὰ τοῦτο (ταῦτα; V. Westc. on Jhn.5:1), Jhn.2:12 11:7, al.; (b) epanaleptic (referring to what precedes): Mat.5:19, Mrk.3:35, Luk.9:48, Jhn.6:46, Rom.7:10, al.; …

gold,χρυσόν,chrusonG5557
gold

χρυσός (chrusos) χρυσός, -οῦ, ὁ [in LXX chiefly for זָהָב ;] gold: Mat.2:11, Rev.9:7; of golden ornaments, Mat.23:16-17, 1Ti.2:9 (Rec., WH, mg.), Jas.5:3, Rev.17:4 (Rec., WH, mg.) Rev.18:12, 16 (Rec., WH, mg.); of images, Act.17:29; of gold coin, Mat.10:9.† (AS)

silver,ἄργυρον,arguronG0696
silver

ἄργυρος (arguros) ἄργυρος, -ου, ὁ (ἀργός, shining), [in LXX for כֶּסֶף ;] silver (on its relation to ἀργύριον, see MM, see word): Mat.10:9, Act.17:29, Jas.5:5, Rev.18:12.† (AS)

stonesλίθουςlithousG3037
stone

λίθος (lithos) λίθος, -ου, ὁ (and, in Att.., of precious stones, ἡ.) [in LXX for אֶבֶן, Gen.11:3, al.; λ. τίμιος, for פָּז, Psa.19:10 21:3, Pro.8:19, al. ;] a stone: Mat.4:6, al.; pl., Mat.3:9, al.; at the entrance of a tomb, Mat.27:60, 66 28:2, Mrk.15:46 16:3-4, Luk.24:2, Jhn.11:38, 32 11:41 20:1; λ. μυλικός, Luk.17:2, cf. Rev.18:21; of building stones, Mat.21:42, [44], Mat.24:2, Mrk.12:10 13:1-2, Luk.19:44 20:17-18 21:5-6 Act.4:11, 1Pe.2:7; metaphorically, of Christ, λ. ἀκρογωναῖος, ἐκλεκτός, ἔντιμος, 1Pe.2:6 (LXX); λ. ζῶν, 1Pe.2:4; προσκόμματος, 1Pe.2:8, Rom.9:33; of Christians, λ. ζῶντες, 1Pe.2:5; of pr …

precious,τιμίους,timiousG5093
precious

τίμιος (timios) τίμιος, -α, -ον (τιμή), [in LXX chiefly for יָקָר ;] valued, hence, (a) precious, costly, highly valued: primarily, of money value, λίθος, Rev.17:4 18:12, 16 21:19; pl., 1Co.3:12; compar., -ώτεφος, 1Pe.1:7, Rec.; superl., -ώτατος, Rev.18:12 21:11; in extended sense, καρπός, Jas.5:7; αἷμα, 1Pe.1:19; ἐπαγγέλματα, 2Pe.1:4; (b) held in honour, honoured, esteemed worthy: with dative, Act.5:34; ὁ γάμος, Heb.13:4; ψυχή, Act.20:24 (where τ. is pleonastic, see Page, in l).† (AS)

wood,ξύλα,xulaG3586
wood

ξύλον (xulon) ξύλον, -ου, τό [in LXX chiefly for עֵץ ;] 1. wood: 1Co.3:12, Rev.18:12. 2. a piece of wood, hence, anything made of wood, as, (a) a cudgel, staff: pl., Mat.26:47, 55, Mrk.14:43, 48, Luk.22:52; (b) stocks, for confining the feet (Job.33:11, סַד) : Act.16:24; (with) a beam to which malefactors were bound (late Gk.), in LXX, of a gibbet (Deu.21:22-23), in NT, of the Cross: Act.5:30 10:39 13:29, Gal.3:13, 1Pe.2:24. 3. In late writers (see MM, xvii), a tree (Gen.1:29, Isa.14:8, al.) : Luk.23:31; ξ. τῆς ζωῆς, Rev.2:7 22:2, 14 22:19.† (AS)

hay,χόρτον,chortonG5528
grass

χόρτος (chortos) χόρτος, -ου, ὁ [in LXX chiefly for עֶשֶׂב, also for חָצִיר, etc. ;] 1. an enclosure, a feeding place (Hom.). 2. food, esp. for cattle, grass: Mat.13:26 14:19, Mrk.4:28 6:39, Luk.12:28, Jhn.6:10, 1Co.3:12, Jas.1:10-11, 1Pe.1:24" (LXX), Rev.9:4; χ. χλωρός, Mrk.6:39, Rev.8:7.† (AS)

straw,καλάμην,kalamēnG2562
straw/stubble

καλάμη (kalamē) καλάμη, -ης, ἡ (cf. κάλαμος), [in LXX chiefly for קַשׁ, Exo.5:12, Isa.5:24, al. ;] a stalk of corn, stubble: 1Co.3:12.† (AS)

Words and meanings from STEPBible data (Tyndale House, Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). The capitalized syllable is the stressed one.