Single lesson
1 Corinthians 3: God’s Fellow Workers
1 Corinthians 3:1–9; 1 Corinthians 3:10–15; 1 Corinthians 3:16–23
In 1 Corinthians 3, Paul corrects divided behaviour in the church. He shows that Christian workers serve under God, Jesus Christ is the only foundation, and God’s people must live as those who belong to him.
Before you teach
Paul addresses believers who were quarrelling over leaders such as Paul and Apollos. In this passage he moves through connected pictures: a farm where God gives growth, a building with one foundation, and God’s temple, leading to a warning against self-deception, worldly wisdom, and boasting in people.
Students will be able to explain how 1 Corinthians 3 moves from division over leaders to God’s work, Christ the foundation, God’s holy temple, and refusing worldly wisdom and human boasting.
Welcome: Who makes things grow?
5 minShow a seed, a watering can, or simple pictures of both. Ask what planting and watering do, and what people cannot do by themselves. Explain that Paul uses this picture to show that workers have tasks, yet God is the one who gives growth. Introduce the lesson focus: the church belongs to God, so people should not boast in human leaders.
1 Corinthians 3:6, 1 Corinthians 3:7, 1 Corinthians 3:9
Read and explain: From quarrels to God’s field
7 minRead 1 Corinthians 3:1-9 aloud. Explain that Paul says the believers were acting like babies because jealousy, strife, and factions were among them. They were saying, “I follow Paul” and “I follow Apollos”. Paul answers that these leaders are servants. One plants and another waters, but God gives the increase. This begins the passage by correcting divided behaviour.
1 Corinthians 3:1, 1 Corinthians 3:3, 1 Corinthians 3:4, 1 Corinthians 3:5, 1 Corinthians 3:6, 1 Corinthians 3:8, 1 Corinthians 3:9
Discuss: From God’s field to Christ the foundation
6 minRead 1 Corinthians 3:10-15. Explain that Paul changes from a farm picture to a building picture. He says the one foundation is Jesus Christ, so everyone must be careful how they build. Some materials last and some do not. Paul says each person’s work will be revealed and tested. The connection is clear: God’s workers must build on Christ, not on favourite leaders.
1 Corinthians 3:10, 1 Corinthians 3:11, 1 Corinthians 3:12, 1 Corinthians 3:13, 1 Corinthians 3:14, 1 Corinthians 3:15
Make and respond: God’s temple and true wisdom
8 minRead 1 Corinthians 3:16-23. Explain that Paul says God’s people are God’s temple and God’s Spirit lives in them. Paul gives a serious warning about harming God’s temple because God’s temple is holy. He also warns against self-deception and says worldly wisdom is foolishness with God. So the passage moves from division, to God’s workers, to Christ the foundation, to God’s temple, and then to rejecting human boasting because believers belong to Christ.
1 Corinthians 3:16, 1 Corinthians 3:17, 1 Corinthians 3:18, 1 Corinthians 3:19, 1 Corinthians 3:20, 1 Corinthians 3:21, 1 Corinthians 3:23
Closing: Review the whole message
4 minReview with short prompts children can answer aloud: Who gives growth? What is the only foundation? Who are God’s people? Why should no one boast in men? Add one final prompt about wisdom: Why does Paul say not to trust worldly wisdom? Finish by inviting each child to show their card and read their chosen reminder words.
1 Corinthians 3:7, 1 Corinthians 3:11, 1 Corinthians 3:16, 1 Corinthians 3:18, 1 Corinthians 3:19, 1 Corinthians 3:21, 1 Corinthians 3:23
Questions to explore
Why does Paul say the believers were still acting like babies in Christ?
Look for the behaviours Paul names, including jealousy, strife, factions, and saying, “I follow Paul” or “I follow Apollos”.
1 Corinthians 3:1, 1 Corinthians 3:3, 1 Corinthians 3:4
What do planting and watering teach us about Christian leaders?
Paul says leaders are servants, and even though they work, God is the one who gives the increase.
1 Corinthians 3:5, 1 Corinthians 3:6, 1 Corinthians 3:7
How does Paul describe God’s people at the end of the passage, and what warnings does he add?
Notice that believers are God’s temple, should not deceive themselves with worldly wisdom, and should not boast in men because they belong to Christ.
1 Corinthians 3:16, 1 Corinthians 3:17, 1 Corinthians 3:18, 1 Corinthians 3:19, 1 Corinthians 3:20, 1 Corinthians 3:21, 1 Corinthians 3:23
Make, think or respond
Plant, Build, Belong Reminder Card
What you’ll need
- card or paper
- pencils or markers
- optional crayons
- Bible
Try it together
- Read together one short part of the passage such as “God gave the increase”, “Jesus Christ”, “you are God’s temple”, or “you are Christ’s”.
- Ask each child to choose one main idea from the passage: God gives growth, Christ is the foundation, God’s people are God’s temple, or believers should not boast in people.
- Fold paper into a small card and write the chosen words on the front.
- Draw a matching picture such as a seedling, a strong building base, or a temple shape.
- On the back, write one simple response sentence such as “I will not boast in people” or “I want to build carefully on Christ”.
The card helps children remember how Paul’s teaching moves through farming, building, God’s temple, and a warning against worldly wisdom and boasting in people.
Adapt for your group
- For younger children, offer four prepared phrases to copy and let them choose one picture to draw: plant, foundation, temple, or a crossed-out bragging speech bubble.
- For older or stronger readers, ask them to find one verse for each part of the passage and explain how the argument moves from division to growth, foundation, temple, wisdom, and belonging to Christ.
An optional closing prayer
Dear God, thank you that you give growth, that Jesus Christ is the true foundation, and that your people belong to you. Please help us live as your holy people, not trust proud human wisdom, and not boast in people. Amen.
Read the Bible passage World English Bible Classic
1 Corinthians 3
1 Brothers, I couldn’t speak to you as to spiritual, but as to fleshly, as to babies in Christ.
2 I fed you with milk, not with solid food, for you weren’t yet ready. Indeed, you aren’t ready even now,
3 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 men?
4 For when one says, “I follow Paul,” and another, “I follow Apollos,” aren’t you fleshly?
5 Who then is Apollos, and who is Paul, but servants through whom you believed, and each as the Lord gave to him?
6 I planted. Apollos watered. But God gave the increase.
7 So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase.
8 Now he who plants and he who waters are the same, but each will receive his own reward according to his own labor.
9 For we are God’s fellow workers. You are God’s farming, God’s building.
10 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 man be careful how he builds on it.
11 For no one can lay any other foundation than that which has been laid, which is Jesus Christ.
12 But if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay, or straw,
13 each man’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 man’s work is.
14 If any man’s work remains which he built on it, he will receive a reward.
15 If any man’s work is burned, he will suffer loss, but he himself will be saved, but as through fire.
16 Don’t you know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you?
17 If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him; for God’s temple is holy, which you are.
18 Let no one deceive himself. If anyone thinks that he is wise among you in this world, let him become a fool that he may become wise.
19 For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, “He has taken the wise in their craftiness.”
20 And again, “The Lord knows the reasoning of the wise, that it is worthless.”
21 Therefore let no one boast in men. For all things are yours,
22 whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come. All are yours,
23 and you are Christ’s, and Christ is God’s.
World English Bible Classic. Public domain.