1 C hristian 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.

And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, as unto babes in Christ.

2 M y 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.

I fed you with milk, not with meat; for ye were not yet able to bear it: nay, not even now are ye able;

3 Y ou 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.

for ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you jealousy and strife, are ye not carnal, and do ye not walk after the manner of men?

4 W hen 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?

For when one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not men?

5 W ho 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.

What then is Apollos? and what is Paul? Ministers through whom ye believed; and each as the Lord gave to him.

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

I planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.

7 T his 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.

So then neither is he that planteth anything, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase.

8 T he one who plants and the one who waters are alike. Each one will receive his own reward.

Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: but each shall receive his own reward according to his own labor.

9 F or we work together with God. You are God’s field. You are God’s building also.

For we are God's fellow-workers: ye are God's husbandry, God's building.

10 T hrough 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.

According to the grace of God which was given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder I laid a foundation; and another buildeth thereon. But let each man take heed how he buildeth thereon.

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

For other foundation can no man lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

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

But if any man buildeth on the foundation gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay, stubble;

13 e ach 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.

each man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it is revealed in fire; and the fire itself shall prove each man's work of what sort it is.

14 I f a man builds on work that lasts, he will receive his reward.

If any man's work shall abide which he built thereon, he shall receive a reward.

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

If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as through fire.

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

Know ye not that ye are a temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?

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

If any man destroyeth the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, and such are ye.

18 D o 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.

Let no man deceive himself. If any man thinketh that he is wise among you in this world, let him become a fool, that he may become wise.

19 T he 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.”

For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He that taketh the wise in their craftiness:

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

and again, The Lord knoweth the reasonings of the wise that they are vain.

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

Wherefore let no one glory in men. For all things are yours;

22 P aul 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.

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

23 Y ou belong to Christ, and Christ belongs to God.

and ye are Christ's; and Christ is God's.