1 B rothers, I couldn’t speak to you as to spiritual, but as to fleshly, as to babies 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 fed you with milk, not with meat; for you weren’t yet ready. Indeed, not even now are you ready,

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 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?

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 when one says, “I follow Paul,” and another, “I follow Apollos,” aren’t you fleshly?

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 W ho then is Apollos, and who is Paul, but servants through whom you believed; and each as the Lord gave to him?

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 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 he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who 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 who plants and he who waters are the same, but each will receive his own reward according to his own labor.

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

9 F or we are God’s fellow workers. You are God’s farming, 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 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.

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 F or no one can lay any other foundation than that which has been laid, which is Jesus Christ.

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

12 B ut if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay, or 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 e ach 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.

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 any man’s work remains which he built on it, he will receive a reward.

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

15 I f any man’s work is burned, he will suffer loss, but he himself will be saved, but as through 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 D on’t you know that you are a temple of God, and that God’s Spirit lives 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 destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him; for God’s temple is holy, which you 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 L et 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.

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 has taken the wise in their 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 reasoning of the wise, that it is worthless.”

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

21 T herefore let no one boast 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 you are Christ’s, and Christ is God’s.

You belong to Christ, and Christ belongs to God.