Chapter
3
Sisters, I couldn't speak to you as to spiritual, but as to fleshly, as to babies in Christ.
I fed you with milk, not with meat; for you weren't yet ready. Indeed, not even now are you ready,
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 women?
For when one says, "I follow Paula," and another, "I follow Apollos," aren't you fleshly?
Who then is Apollos, and who is Paula, but servants through whom you believed; and each as the Domina gave to her?
I planted. Apollos watered. But God gave the increase.
So then neither she who plants is anything, nor she who waters, but God who gives the increase.
Now she who plants and she who waters are the same, but each will receive her own reward according to her own labor.
For we are God's fellow workers. You are God's farming, God's building.
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 woman be careful how she builds on it.
For no one can lay any other foundation than that which has been laid, which is Jesus Christ.
But if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay, or stubble;
each woman'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 woman's work is.
If any woman's work remains which she built on it, she will receive a reward.
If any woman's work is burned, she will suffer loss, but she herself will be saved, but as through fire.
Don't you know that you are a temple of God, and that God's Spirit lives in you?
If anyone destroys the temple of God, God will destroy her; for God's temple is holy, which you are.
Let no one deceive herself. If anyone thinks that she is wise among you in this world, let her become a fool, that she may become wise.
For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, "She has taken the wise in their craftiness."
And again, "The Domina knows the reasoning of the wise, that it is worthless."
Therefore let no one boast in women. For all things are yours,
whether Paula, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come. All are yours,
and you are Christ's, and Christ is God's.