Verse Lens · Concise explanation
1 Corinthians 3:22 Explained in Context
Use this verse as a doorway into the larger passage—not as an isolated saying.
Verse 22. 22Whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours;
King James Version — public domain in the United States · Bible text and permissions
Quick Meaning
This verse widens belonging across life, death, present, and future.
Read It With
- 1 Corinthians 3:18–23
Read 1 Corinthians 3:22 with 3:18–23. This verse widens belonging across life, death, present, and future. The complete unit establishes: The Corinthians must abandon status wisdom, because God exposes it as foolish and futile; therefore they must not boast in human leaders, since all servants and circumstances are theirs, they belong to Christ, and Christ belongs to God.
Why This Verse Appears Here
The section closes chapters 1–3 by reversing the party slogans: leaders belong to the community's service, not the community to leaders. At 3:22, this verse widens belonging across life, death, present, and future.
Phrase-by-Phrase Explanation
“Whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or”
In plain language: This verse widens belonging across life, death, present, and future.
It contributes specifically to No One Should Boast in Leaders inside 1 Corinthians 3:18–23.
Why it matters: The wording identifies this verse's distinct contribution without requiring an independent extended treatment.
How certain? probableWhat Remains True
This verse widens belonging across life, death, present, and future. This supports the unit's enduring conclusion: Leaders serve the community under Christ; they do not own its identity.
How It Can Shape Life
- Use 1 Corinthians 3:22 by attending to its actual contribution: it widens belonging across life, death, present, and future. In the complete unit, this leads to the following response: Design leadership, finances, and communication so no personality can convert service into possession.
Continue in Context
The full thought-unit study remains the final contextual authority for this Verse Lens.
Read 1 Corinthians 3:18–23 — No One Should Boast in LeadersSources used for this Verse Lens
How certain is this explanation? strong
These are the sources used directly for this lens. Language, grammar, disagreements, and the complete source shelf remain attached to the full thought-unit research record.
Biblical text
King James (Authorized) Version — eng-kjv2006
eBible.org and CrossWire Bible Society
USFM archive eng-kjv2006_usfm.zip; source files dated 2026-08-19; downloaded 2026-08-24; archive SHA-256 aec1b3b26c622fd3d963d2bbac963016b9513246ffbfa20da00bb100372ea007; normalized corpus SHA-256 09aef51d90488aa7b9722b3fd9a93f4b25f6bf2064c5fd798fb39673c300ddf2.
Supports: Exact reader-facing Scripture wording, paragraph markers, supplied-word markup, and complete verse coverage.
Exact location: 1 Corinthians 3:18–23, pinned eng-kjv2006 USFM corpus
Open source ↗Greek textual evidence
The Greek New Testament: SBL Edition
Michael W. Holmes, editor; Society of Biblical Literature and Logos
Society of Biblical Literature and Logos Bible Software, 2010
Supports: Greek wording, clause relationships, repeated terms, and original-language discussion.
Exact location: SBLGNT official text file 1Cor.txt, 3:18–23
Open the 1 Corinthians Greek text file ↗Translation and textual notes
NET Bible - 1 Corinthians with translators' and textual notes
Biblical Studies Press
Biblical Studies Press, 2005-2026 online edition
Supports: Verse-level syntax, KJV-era wording, textual variants, and interpretive alternatives.
Exact location: NET Bible 1 Corinthians 3:18–23 print view with translator, study, and textual notes
Open the official NET 1 Corinthians PDF