1 Corinthians 3

1 Corinthians · Chapter 3

1 Corinthians 3:20

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
20And again, The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain.And again, “The Lord knows that the thoughts of the wise are futile.”and again, The Lord knoweth the reasonings of the wise, that they are vain.

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
AndκαὶkaiG2532
and

καί (kai) καί, conj., and I. Copulative. 1. Connecting single words; (a) in general: Mat.2:18, 16:1, Mrk.2:15, Luk.8:15, Heb.1:1, al. mult.; repeated before each of the terms in a series, Mat.23:23, Luk.14:21, Rom.7:12, 9:4, al. (b) connecting numerals (WM, §37, 4): Jhn.2:20, Act.13:20; (with) joining terms which are not mutually exclusive, as the part with the whole: Mat.8:33, 26:59, Mrk.16:17, Act.5:29, al. 2. Connecting clauses and sentences: Mat.3:12, Act.5:21, al. mult.; esp. …

again;πάλιν·palinG3825
again

πάλιν (palin) πάλιν, adv., [in LXX for שׁוּב, etc. ;] 1. of place, back, backwards (LS, see word). 2. Of time, again, once more: Mat.4:8, Mrk.2:13, Luk.23:20, Jhn.1:35 (and freq.), Act.17:32, Rom.11:23, Gal.1:9, Heb.1:6, al; pleonastically, π. ἀνακάμπτειν, Act.18:21; ὑποστρέφειν, Gal.1:17; εἰς τὸ π., 2Co.13:2; π. ἐκ τρίτου (Bl., §81, 4), Mat.26:44; ἐκ δευτέρου, Mat.26:42, Act.10:15; π. δεῦτερον, Jhn.4:54 21:16; π. ἄνωθεν ( Wis.19:6), Gal.4:9. 3. Rhetorically, again; (a) further, moreover: Mat.5:33, Luk.13:20, Jhn.12:39, al.; …

[The] LordκύριοςkuriosG2962G
lord: God

κύριος (kurios) κύριος, -α, -ον (also -ος, -ον), [in LXX (subst.) chiefly for יהוה, also for בַּעַל ,אָדוֹן, etc. ;] having power (κῦρος) or authority; as subst., ὁ κ., lord, master; 1. in general: with genitive of thing(s), Mat.9:38 20:8, Mrk.12:9 13:35, Luk.19:33; τ. σαββάτου, Mat.12:8, Mrk.2:28, Luk.6:5; with genitive of person(s), δούλου, etc., Mat.10:24, Luk.14:21, Act.16:16, al.; absol, opposite to οἱ δοῦλοι, Eph.6:5, 9 al.; of the Emperor (Deiss., LAE, 161), Act.25:26; θεοὶ πολλοὶ καὶ κ. πολλοί, 1Co.8:5; of a husband, 1Pe.3:6; in voc, as a title of respect to masters, teachers, magistrates, etc., Ma …

knowsγινώσκειginōskeiG1097
to know

γινώσκω (ginōskō) γινώσκω (= γιγν-: see previous word. So also vulgar Attic, in Inscr., see Thumb, MGV, 207), [in LXX chiefly for ידע ;] to be taking in knowledge, come to know, recognize, perceive, understand; in past tenses to know, realize; pass., to become known: with accusative, Mat.22:18, Mrk.5:43, Col.4:8, 1Th.3:5, al. Pass., Mat.10:26, Php.4:5, al.; before ὅτι, Mat.21:45, Jhn.4:1, al.; τί, Mat.6:3; ἀπό, Mrk.15:45; ὅ, Rom.7:15; τ. λεγόμενα, Luk.18:34; τ. θέλημα, Luk.12:47; τ. καρδίας, Luk.16:15; with accusative of person(s), of recognition by God, 1Co.8:3, Gal.4:9; by Christ, neg., Mat.7:23; frequently …

thoughtsδιαλογισμοὺςdialogismousG1261
reasoning

διαλογισμός (dialogismos) δια-λογισμός, -οῦ, ὁ (διαλογίζομαι) [in LXX chiefly for מַחֲשָׁבָה ;] a thought, reasoning, inward questioning: Mat.15:19, Mrk.7:21, Luk.2:35 5:22 6:8 9:46, 47 24:38, Rom.1:21 14:1, 1Co.3:20" (LXX), Php.2:14; κριταὶ δ. πονηρῶν, genitive of qual. (cf. Pro.12:5), Jas.2:4; χωρὶς ὀργῆς καὶ δ. (where perh. δ., like מְזִמָּה, in Ps 138(139):20, al., implies evil intention), 1Ti.2:8 (see Hort, in l.; cf. Cremer, 400).† (AS)

wiseσοφῶνsophōnG4680
wise

σοφός (sophos) σοφός, -ή, -όν [in LXX chiefly for חָכָם ;] skilled, clever, wise, whether in handicraft, the affairs of life, the sciences or learning: Rom.16:19, 1Co.3:10; of the learned, Rom.1:14, 22, 1Co.1:19-20 1:26-27 3:18-20; of Jewish teachers, Mat.11:25, Luk.10:21; Christian, Mat.23:34; of those en­dowed with practical wisdom, 1Co.6:5, Eph.5:15, Jas.3:13; of God, Rom.16:27; compar., τ. μωρὸν τ. θεοῦ σοφώτερον, 1Co.1:25.† SYN.: συνετός, φρόνιμος (see: σοφία, SYN.) (AS)

thatὅτιhotiG3754G
that/since: that

ὅτι (hoti) ὅτι, conjc. (prop. neut. of ὅστις). I. As conjc, introducing an objective clause, that; 1. after verbs of seeing, knowing, thinking, saying, feeling: Mat.3:9 6:32 11:25, Mrk.3:28, Luk.2:49, Jhn.2:22, Act.4:13, Rom.1:13 8:38 10:9, Php.4:15, Jas.2:24, al.; elliptically, Jhn.6:46, Php.3:12, al. 2. After εἶναι (γίνεσθαι): defining a demonstr. or of person(s) pron., Jhn.3:19 16:19, Rom.9:6, 1Jn.3:16 al.; with pron. interrog., Mat.8:27, Mrk.4:41, Luk.4:36, Jhn.4:22 al.; id. elliptically, Luk.2:49, Act.5:4, 9, al.; …

they areεἰσὶνeisinG1510
you are

εἶ (ei) εἰμί, with various uses and significations, like the English verb to be. I. As substantive verb. 1. Of persons and things, to be, exist: Act.17:28, Jhn.1:1, 8:58, 17:5, al; ὁ ὢν καὶ ὁ ἦν (for past ptcp.), Rev.1:4, 8, 4:8, 11:17, 16:5 (see Swete, Ap., 5; M, Pr., 228); τὰ (μὴ) ὄντα, Rom.4:17, 1Co.1:28. 2. Of times, events, etc., to be, happen, take place: Mat.24:3, Mrk.14:2, 15:42, Luk.21:23, Jhn.4:6, 23, 5:10, al. …

futile.μάταιοι.¶mataioiG3152
futile

μάταιος (mataios) μάταιος, -ον (as in Att.., but -αία, -αιον, 1Co.15:17, 1Pe.1:18; μάτην), [in LXX for שָׁוְא, הֶבֶל, כָּזָב, etc. ;] vain, useless: ἀνωφελὴς κ. μ., Tit.3:9; πίστις, 1Co.15:17; θρησκεία, Jas.1:26; διαλογισμοί, 1Co.3:20 (LXX); ἀναστροφή, 1Pe.1:18; of idols and heathen gods, τὰ μ. (Jer.2:5, 4Ki.17:15, al.): Act.14:15 SYN.: κενός, q.v (AS)

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