1 ¶ And I, brothers, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ.

Christian brothers, I could not speak to you as to full-grown Christians. I spoke to you as men who have not obeyed the things you have been taught. I spoke to you as if you were baby Christians.

2 I have fed you with milk, and not with solid food, for until now ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.

My teaching was as if I were giving you milk to drink. I could not give you meat because you were not ready for it. Even yet you are not able to have anything but milk.

3 F or ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying and strife and divisions, are ye not carnal and walk as men?

You still live as men who are not Christians. When you are jealous and fight with each other, you are still living in sin and acting like sinful men in the world.

4 F or while one says, I am of Paul, and another, I am of Apollos, are ye not carnal?

When one says, “I am a follower of Paul,” and another says, “I am a follower of Apollos,” does not this sound like the talk of baby Christians?

5 ¶ Who then is Paul? and who is Apollos? but servants by whom ye believed, each one according to that which the Lord gave.

Who is Apollos? Who is Paul? We are only servants owned by God. He gave us gifts to preach His Word. And because of that, you put your trust in Christ.

6 I have planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase.

I planted the seed. Apollos watered it, but it was God Who kept it growing.

7 S o then neither is he that plants anything, neither he that waters, but God that gives the increase.

This shows that the one who plants or the one who waters is not the important one. God is the important One. He makes it grow.

8 N ow he that plants and he that waters are one although each one shall receive his own reward according to his own labour.

The one who plants and the one who waters are alike. Each one will receive his own reward.

9 F or we are labourers together with God; ye are God’s husbandry, ye are God’s building.

For we work together with God. You are God’s field. You are God’s building also.

10 A ccording to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another builds upon it. But let each one see how the building is built.

Through God’s loving-favor to me, I laid the stones on which the building was to be built. I did it like one who knew what he was doing. Now another person is building on it. Each person who builds must be careful how he builds on it.

11 ¶ For no one can lay another foundation than that laid, which is Jesus the Christ.

Jesus Christ is the Stone on which other stones for the building must be laid. It can be only Christ.

12 N ow if anyone builds upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble,

Now if a man builds on the Stone with gold or silver or beautiful stones, or if he builds with wood or grass or straw,

13 t he work of each one shall be made manifest, for the day shall declare it because it shall be revealed by fire; the work of each one, whatever sort it is, the fire shall put it to test.

each man’s work will become known. There will be a day when it will be tested by fire. The fire will show what kind of work it is.

14 I f the work of anyone abides which he has built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.

If a man builds on work that lasts, he will receive his reward.

15 I f anyone’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss, but he himself shall be saved, yet so as by fire.

If his work is burned up, he will lose it. Yet he himself will be saved as if he were going through a fire.

16 ¶ Know ye not that ye are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?

Do you not know that you are a house of God and that the Holy Spirit lives in you?

17 I f anyone defiles the temple of God, God shall destroy that one; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.

If any man destroys the house of God, God will destroy him. God’s house is holy. You are the place where He lives.

18 ¶ Let no one deceive himself. If any one among you seems to be wise in this age, let them become a fool that they may be wise.

Do not fool yourself. If anyone thinks he knows a lot about the things of this world, he had better become a fool. Then he may become wise.

19 F or the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He takes the wise in their own craftiness.

The wisdom of this world is foolish to God. The Holy Writings say, “He is the One Who gets them in a trap when they use their own wisdom.”

20 A nd again, The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain.

They also say, “The Lord knows how the wise man thinks. His thinking is worth nothing.”

21 ¶ Therefore let no one glory in men. For all things are yours;

As a Christian, do not be proud of men and of what they can do. All things belong to you.

22 w hether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or things present or things to come, all are yours;

Paul and Apollos and Peter belong to you. The world and life and death belong to you. Things now and things to come belong to you.

23 a nd ye are Christ’s; and Christ is God’s.

You belong to Christ, and Christ belongs to God.