Foundations for Living

1And I, brothers and sisters, could not speak to you as spiritual people, but only as fleshly, as to infants in Christ. 2I gave you milk to drink, not solid food; for you were not yet able to consume it. But even now you are not yet able, 3for you are still fleshly. For since there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not fleshly, and are you not walking like ordinary people? 4For when one person says, “I am [a]with Paul,” and another, “I am [b]with Apollos,” are you not ordinary people?

5What then is Apollos? And what is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, even as the Lord gave opportunity to each one. 6I planted, Apollos watered, but God was causing the growth. 7So then neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but God who causes the growth. 8Now the one who plants and the one who waters are one; but each will receive his own [c]reward according to his own labor. 9For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s [d]field, God’s building.

10According to the grace of God which was given to me, like a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another is building on it. But each person must be careful how he builds on it. 11For no one can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, or straw, 13each one’s work will become evident; for the day will show it because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test [e]the quality of each one’s work. 14If anyone’s work which he has built on it remains, he will receive a reward. 15If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet only so as through fire.

16Do you not know that you are a [f]temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? 17If anyone destroys the [g]temple of God, God will destroy [h]that person; for the [i]temple of God is holy, [j]and that is what you are.

18Take care that no one deceives himself. If anyone among you thinks that he is wise in this age, he must become foolish, so that he may become wise. 19For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in the sight of God. For it is written: “He is THE ONE WHO CATCHES THE WISE BY THEIR CRAFTINESS”; 20and again, “THE LORD KNOWS THE THOUGHTS of the wise, THAT THEY ARE useless.” 21So then, no one is to be boasting in people. For all things belong to you, 22whether Paul or Apollos or [k]Cephas, or the world or life or death, or things present or things to come; all things belong to you, 23and you belong to Christ, and Christ belongs to God.