1Brothers and sisters, I couldn't talk to you as spiritual people but as people still influenced by your corrupt nature. You were infants in your faith in Christ. 2I gave you milk to drink. I didn't give you solid food because you weren't ready for it. Even now you aren't ready for it 3because you're still influenced by your corrupt nature. When you are jealous and quarrel among yourselves, aren't you influenced by your corrupt nature and living by human standards? 4When some of you say, "I follow Paul" and others say, "I follow Apollos," aren't you acting like [sinful] humans?

5Who is Apollos? Who is Paul? They are servants who helped you come to faith. Each did what the Lord gave him to do. 6I planted, and Apollos watered, but God made it grow. 7So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is important because [only] God makes it grow. 8The one who plants and the one who waters have the same goal, and each will receive a reward for his own work. 9We are God's coworkers. You are God's field. You are God's building.

10As a skilled and experienced builder, I used the gift that God gave me to lay the foundation [for that building]. However, someone else is building on it. Each person must be careful how he builds on it. 11After all, no one can lay any other foundation than the one that is already laid, and that foundation is Jesus Christ. 12People may build on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, or straw. 13The day will make what each one does clearly visible because fire will reveal it. That fire will determine what kind of work each person has done. 14If what a person has built survives, he will receive a reward. 15If his work is burned up, he will suffer [the loss]. However, he will be saved, though it will be like going through a fire.

16Don't you know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in you? 17If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him because God's temple is holy. You are that holy temple!

18Don't deceive yourselves. If any of you think you are wise in the ways of this world, you should give up that wisdom in order to become really wise.

19The wisdom of this world is nonsense in God's sight. That's why Scripture says, "God catches the wise in their cleverness." 20Again Scripture says, "The Lord knows that the thoughts of the wise are pointless." 21So don't brag about people. Everything belongs to you. 22Whether it is Paul, Apollos, Cephas, the world, life or death, present or future things, everything belongs to you. 23You belong to Christ, and Christ belongs to God.