1 Corinthians · Chapter 3

[ edit] And I, briþeren, myȝte not ſpeke to ȝou as to ſpiritual men, but as to fleiſchli; as to litile children in Criſt, I ȝaf to ȝou mylk drynke, not mete; ſoþli ȝe myȝten not ȝit vndirſtonde, but neþer now ſoþli ȝe mown, for ȝit ȝe ben fleiſchly. Whanne enuye and ſtryf is among ȝou, wher ȝe ben not fleiſchli, and aftir man ȝe gon? For whanne ſumme ſeiþ, I ſoþli am of Poul, anoþer forſoþ, I am of Apollo, wher ȝe ben not men? What þerfore is Apollo, what forſoþ Poul? Þei ben myniſtris, or ſeruauntis, of him, to whom ȝe han bileuyd; and to ech man as God haþ ȝouun. I plauntide, Apollo watride, or moyſtide, but God ȝaf encreſynge.

And ſo neiþer he þat plauntiþ is ony þing, neiþer he þat moyſtiþ, but God þat ȝyueþ encreſynge. Forſoþ he þat plauntiþ, and he þat moyſtiþ, ben oo þing; ſoþli ech ſchal take his propre hyre, after his traueil. For we ben þe helperis of God; ȝe ben þe erþe tilyinge of God, ȝe ben þe byldinge of God. Aftir þe grace of God þat is ȝouun to me, as a wys carpenter I ſette þe fundement; forſoþe anoþer bildeþ aboue. Soþli ech man ſe, hou and what þingis he byldeþ vpon. Soþli no man may ſette anoþer foundement, bi ſydis þat þat is ſett, þe which is Criſt Jheſus.

Forſoþ if eny man bylde ouer vpon þis foundement, gold, ſiluer, precyous ſtoones, ſtickis, hey, ſtuble, euery mannis work ſchal be open, þe day of þe Lord ſchal declare; for ech mannis work ſchal be ſchewid in fyer, what maner it is, þe fier ſchal proue. If þe werk of ony man ſchal dwelle, þe which he byldide vpon, he ſchal receyue mede. If eny mannis work ſchal brenne, it ſchal ſuffre peyringe; forſoþ he ſchal be ſaaf, ſo neþelees as by fyer. Wite ȝe not, for ȝe ben þe temple of God, and þe ſpirit of God dwelliþ in ȝou? Forſoþ if ony ſchal defoule þe temple of God, God ſchal diſparple him, or diſtroye; forſoþ þe temple of God is hooly, þe which ȝe ben. No man diſſeyue him ſilf.

If eny man a mong ȝou is ſeyn for to be wyſe in þis world, be he maad a fool, þat he be wyſe. Forſoþ þe wyſdom of þis world is foly anentis God; forſoþ it is writun, I ſchal catche wyſe men in her fell wyſdom, or ſutil gyle; and eft, Þe Lord haþ knowyn þe þouȝtis of wyſe men, for þei ben veyn. And ſo no man glorie in men. Forſoþ alle þingis ben ȝoure, eiþer Poul, eiþer Apollo, eiþir Cephas, þat is, Petre, eiþir þe world, eiþer lyf, eiþir deeþ, eiþer þingis preſent, eiþir þingis to comynge; forſoþe alle þingis ben ȝoure, ȝe forſoþ of Criſt, Criſt ſoþeli of God.