The Problem of Immaturity

3 Brothers, I was not able to speak to you as spiritual people but as people of the flesh, as babies in Christ.^{(A) 2} I gave you milk to drink, not solid food, because you were not yet ready for it. In fact, you are still not ready, ³ because you are still fleshly. For since there is envy^(B) and strife^[a](C) among you, are you not fleshly and living like unbelievers?^{[b] 4} For whenever someone says, “I’m with Paul,” and another, “I’m with Apollos,”^(D) are you not unspiritual people?^[c][d]

The Role of God’s Servants

⁵ What then is Apollos? And what is Paul? They are servants through whom you believed, and each has the role the Lord has given. ⁶ I planted,^(E) Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. ⁷ So then neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. ⁸ Now the one planting and the one watering are one in purpose, and each will receive his own reward according to his own labor. ⁹ For we are God’s coworkers.^[e] You are God’s field, God’s building.^{(F) 10} According to God’s grace that was given to me, I have laid a foundation as a skilled master builder, and another builds on it. But each one must be careful how he builds on it. ¹¹ For no one can lay any other foundation^(G) than what has been laid down. That foundation is Jesus Christ. ¹² If anyone builds on that foundation with gold, silver,^(H) costly stones,^(I) wood, hay, or straw, ¹³ each one’s work will become obvious, for the day^[f] will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire;^(J) the fire will test the quality of each one’s work.^{(K) 14} If anyone’s work that he has built survives, he will receive a reward. ¹⁵ If anyone’s work is burned up, it will be lost, but he will be saved;^(L) yet it will be like an escape through fire.^[g](M)

¹⁶ Don’t you yourselves know that you are God’s sanctuary^(N) and that the Spirit of God lives in you?^{(O) 17} If anyone destroys God’s sanctuary, God will destroy him;^(P) for God’s sanctuary is holy,^(Q) and that is what you are.

The Folly of Human Wisdom

¹⁸ No one should deceive^(R) himself. If anyone among you thinks he is wise in this age,^(S) he must become foolish^(T) so that he can become wise.^{(U) 19} For the wisdom of this world is foolishness^(V) with God, since it is written:^(W) He catches the wise in their craftiness;^{(X)[h] 20} and again, The Lord knows that the reasonings^(Y) of the wise are meaningless.^{(Z)[i] 21} So no one should boast in human leaders, for everything is yours^(AA)— ²² whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas^(AB) or the world or life^(AC) or death^(AD) or things present or things to come^(AE)—everything is yours, ²³ and you belong to Christ,^(AF) and Christ belongs to God.