5. Is Apollos so important? Is Paul so important? We are only servants of God who helped you believe. Each one of us did the work God gave us to do.
6. I planted the seed and Apollos watered it. But God is the one who made the seed grow.
7. So the one who plants is not important, and the one who waters is not important. Only God is important, because he is the one who makes things grow.
8. The one who plants and the one who waters have the same purpose. And each one will be rewarded for his own work.
9. We are workers together for God, and you are like a farm that belongs to God. And you are a house that belongs to God.
10. Like an expert builder I built the foundation of that house. I used the gift that God gave me to do this. Other people are building on that foundation. But everyone should be careful how they build.
11. The foundation that has already been built is Jesus Christ, and no one can build any other foundation.
12. People can build on that foundation using gold, silver, jewels, wood, grass, or straw.
13. But the work that each person does will be clearly seen, because the Day will make it plain. That Day will appear with fire, and the fire will test everyone’s work.
14. If the building they put on the foundation still stands, they will get their reward.
15. But if their building is burned up, they will suffer loss. They will be saved, but it will be like someone escaping from a fire.
16. You should know that you yourselves are God’s temple. God’s Spirit lives in you.
17. If you destroy God’s temple, God will destroy you, because God’s temple is holy. You yourselves are God’s temple.
18. Don’t fool yourselves. Whoever thinks they are wise in this world should become a fool. That’s the only way they can be wise.