1Corinthians 3-4; Psalms 142 - Prayer Tents

1Corinthians 3

Paul and Apollos, Servants of Christ

3Dear brothers and sisters, when I was with you I couldn't talk to you as I would to spiritual people. I had to talk as though you belonged to this world or as though you were infants in the Christian life.G2532G1473G80G1410G3756G2980G5213G5613G4152G235G5613G4559G5613G3516G1722G55472I had to feed you with milk, not with solid food, because you weren't ready for anything stronger. And you still aren't ready,G4222G5209G1051G2532G3756G1033G1063G3768G1410G3768G1410G235G3777G2089G3568G14103for you are still controlled by your sinful nature. You are jealous of one another and quarrel with each other. Doesn't that prove you are controlled by your sinful nature? Aren't you living like people of the world?G1063G2075G2089G4559G1063G3699G1722G5213G2205G2532G2054G2532G1370G2075G3780G4559G2532G4043G2596G4444When one of you says, "I am a follower of Paul," and another says, "I follow Apollos," aren't you acting just like people of the world?G1063G3752G5100G3004G1473G3303G1510G3972G1161G2087G1473G625G2075G3780G45595After all, who is Apollos? Who is Paul? We are only God's servants through whom you believed the Good News. Each of us did the work the Lord gave us.G5101G3767G2076G3972G1161G5101G625G235G2228G1249G1223G3739G4100G2532G5613G2962G1325G15386I planted the seed in your hearts, and Apollos watered it, but it was God who made it grow.G1473G5452G625G4222G235G2316G8377It's not important who does the planting, or who does the watering. What's important is that God makes the seed grow.G5620G3777G2076G5452G5100G3777G4222G235G2316G8378The one who plants and the one who waters work together with the same purpose. And both will be rewarded for their own hard work.G1161G5452G2532G4222G1526G1520G1161G1538G2983G2398G3408G2596G2398G28739For we are both God's workers. And you are God's field. You are God's building.G1063G2070G4904G2316G2075G2316G1091G2316G361910Because of God's grace to me, I have laid the foundation like an expert builder. Now others are building on it. But whoever is building on this foundation must be very careful.G2596G5485G2316G3588G1325G3427G5613G4680G753G5087G2310G1161G243G2026G1161G991G1538G991G4459G202611For no one can lay any foundation other than the one we already have—Jesus Christ.G1063G243G2310G1410G3762G5087G3844G2749G3739G2076G2424G554712Anyone who builds on that foundation may use a variety of materials—gold, silver, jewels, wood, hay, or straw.G1161G1536G2026G1909G5126G2310G5557G696G5093G3037G3586G5528G256213But on the judgment day, fire will reveal what kind of work each builder has done. The fire will show if a person's work has any value.G1538G2041G1096G5318G1063G2250G1213G3754G601G1722G4442G2532G4442G1381G1538G2041G3697G207614If the work survives, that builder will receive a reward.G1536G2041G3306G3739G2026G2983G340815But if the work is burned up, the builder will suffer great loss. The builder will be saved, but like someone barely escaping through a wall of flames.G1536G2041G2618G2210G1161G846G4982G1161G3779G5613G1223G444216Don't you realize that all of you together are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God lives in you?G1492G3756G3754G2075G3485G2316G2532G4151G2316G3611G1722G521317God will destroy anyone who destroys this temple. For God's temple is holy, and you are that temple.G1536G5351G3485G2316G5126G5351G2316G5351G1063G3485G2316G2076G40G3748G5210G207518Stop deceiving yourselves. If you think you are wise by this world's standards, you need to become a fool to be truly wise.G1818G3367G1818G1438G1536G1722G5213G1380G1511G4680G1722G5129G165G1096G3474G2443G1096G468019For the wisdom of this world is foolishness to God. As the Scriptures say, "He traps the wise in the snare of their own cleverness."G1063G4678G5127G2889G2076G3472G3844G2316G1063G1125G1405G4680G1722G846G383420And again, "The LORD knows the thoughts of the wise; he knows they are worthless."G2532G3825G2962G1097G1261G4680G3754G1526G315221So don't boast about following a particular human leader. For everything belongs to you?G5620G2744G3367G2744G1722G444G1063G3956G2076G521622whether Paul or Apollos or Peter, or the world, or life and death, or the present and the future. Everything belongs to you,G1535G3972G1535G625G1535G2786G1535G2889G1535G2222G1535G2288G1535G1764G1535G3195G3956G2076G521623and you belong to Christ, and Christ belongs to God.G1161G5210G5547G1161G5547G2316

1Corinthians 4

Paul’s Relationship with the Corinthians

4So look at Apollos and me as mere servants of Christ who have been put in charge of explaining God's mysteries.G3049G444G3779G3049G2248G5613G5257G5547G2532G3623G3466G23162Now, a person who is put in charge as a manager must be faithful.G3739G1161G3063G2212G1722G3623G2443G5100G2147G41033As for me, it matters very little how I might be evaluated by you or by any human authority. I don't even trust my own judgment on this point.G1161G1698G2076G1519G1646G2443G350G5259G5216G2228G5259G442G2250G235G350G3761G16834My conscience is clear, but that doesn't prove I'm right. It is the Lord himself who will examine me and decide.G1063G4894G3762G1683G235G1344G3756G1722G5129G1344G1161G350G3165G2076G29625So don't make judgments about anyone ahead of time—before the Lord returns. For he will bring our darkest secrets to light and will reveal our private motives. Then God will give to each one whatever praise is due.G5620G2919G3361G5100G4253G2540G2193G302G2962G2064G3739G2532G5461G2927G4655G2532G5319G1012G2588G2532G5119G1538G1096G1868G575G23166Dear brothers and sisters, I have used Apollos and myself to illustrate what I've been saying. If you pay attention to what I have quoted from the Scriptures, you won't be proud of one of your leaders at the expense of another.G1161G5023G80G3345G1519G1683G2532G625G1223G5209G2443G3129G1722G2254G3361G5426G5228G2443G3739G1125G3363G1520G5448G5228G1520G2596G20877For what gives you the right to make such a judgment? What do you have that God hasn't given you? And if everything you have is from God, why boast as though it were not a gift?G1063G5101G1252G4571G1252G1161G5101G2192G3739G2983G3756G2983G1161G1499G2983G5101G2744G5613G2983G3361G29838You think you already have everything you need. You think you are already rich. You have begun to reign in God's kingdom without us! I wish you really were reigning already, for then we would be reigning with you.G2235G2075G2880G2235G4147G936G5565G2257G2532G3785G1065G936G2443G2249G2532G4821G52139Instead, I sometimes think God has put us apostles on display, like prisoners of war at the end of a victor's parade, condemned to die. We have become a spectacle to the entire world—to people and angels alike.G1063G1380G3754G2316G584G2248G652G2078G5613G1935G3754G1096G2302G2889G2532G32G2532G44410Our dedication to Christ makes us look like fools, but you claim to be so wise in Christ! We are weak, but you are so powerful! You are honored, but we are ridiculed.G2249G3474G1223G5547G1223G1161G5210G5429G1722G5547G2249G772G1161G5210G2478G5210G1741G1161G2249G82011Even now we go hungry and thirsty, and we don't have enough clothes to keep warm. We are often beaten and have no home.G891G737G5610G3983G2532G3983G2532G1372G2532G1130G2532G2852G2532G79012We work wearily with our own hands to earn our living. We bless those who curse us. We are patient with those who abuse us.G2532G2872G2038G2398G5495G3058G2127G1377G43013We appeal gently when evil things are said about us. Yet we are treated like the world's garbage, like everybody's trash—right up to the present moment.G987G3870G1096G5613G4027G2889G4067G3956G2193G73714I am not writing these things to shame you, but to warn you as my beloved children.G1125G3756G5023G1788G5209G235G5613G3450G27G5043G356015For even if you had ten thousand others to teach you about Christ, you have only one spiritual father. For I became your father in Christ Jesus when I preached the Good News to you.G1063G1437G2192G3463G3807G1722G5547G235G3756G4183G3962G1063G1722G5547G2424G1473G1080G5209G1223G209816So I urge you to imitate me.G3767G3870G5209G1096G3402G345017That's why I have sent Timothy, my beloved and faithful child in the Lord. He will remind you of how I follow Christ Jesus, just as I teach in all the churches wherever I go.G1223G5124G1223G3992G5213G5095G3739G2076G3450G27G5043G2532G4103G1722G2962G3739G363G5209G363G3450G3598G3588G1722G5547G2531G1321G3837G1722G3956G157718Some of you have become arrogant, thinking I will not visit you again.G1161G5100G5448G5613G3450G2064G3361G2064G4314G520919But I will come—and soon—if the Lord lets me, and then I'll find out whether these arrogant people just give pretentious speeches or whether they really have God's power.G1161G2064G4314G5209G5030G1437G2962G2309G2532G1097G3756G3056G5448G235G141120For the Kingdom of God is not just a lot of talk; it is living by God's power.G1063G932G2316G3756G1722G3056G235G1722G141121Which do you choose? Should I come with a rod to punish you, or should I come with love and a gentle spirit?G5101G2309G2064G4314G5209G1722G4464G2228G1722G26G5037G4151G4236

Psalms 142

142[A psalm of David, regarding his experience in the cave. A prayer.] I cry out to the Lord; I plead for the Lord’s mercy.H4905H1732H8605H4631H2199H3068H6963H6963H3068H2603 2I pour out my complaints before him and tell him all my troubles.H8210H7879H6440H5046H6440H6869 3When I am overwhelmed, you alone know the way I should turn. Wherever I go, my enemies have set traps for me.H7307H5848H3045H5410H734H2098H1980H2934H6341 4I look for someone to come and help me, but no one gives me a passing thought! No one will help me; no one cares a bit what happens to me.H5027H3225H7200H5234H4498H6H1875H5315 5Then I pray to you, O Lord. I say, “You are my place of refuge. You are all I really want in life.H2199H3068H559H4268H2506H776H2416 6Hear my cry, for I am very low. Rescue me from my persecutors, for they are too strong for me.H7181H7440H1809H3966H1809H5337H7291H553 7Bring me out of prison so I can thank you. The godly will crowd around me, for you are good to me.”H3318H5315H4525H3034H8034H6662H3803H1580