1.

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

2.

I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.

Verse 2
With milk; with merely the elementary principles of Christianity.

3.

For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?

4.

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

5.

Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man?

Verse 5
Ministers; servants, subordinate instruments.

6.

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

Verse 6
It will be seen by the account in Acts 18:24,Acts 18:27,Acts 18:28, that Apollos commenced his ministry in Corinth, after Paul had left it.

7.

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

8.

Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour.

Verse 8
Are one; they have one end and aim.

9.

For we are labourers together with God: ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building.

Verse 9
Ye are God's husbandry; that is, although Paul and Apollos had been employed as laborers in the field, it was upon God that they had really to depend for their spiritual life and growth.

10.

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

11.

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

12.

Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble;

Verse 12
Gold, silver, &c. In other words, whatever materials he may incorporate in the Christian edifice, whether valuable and permanent, or destructible and worthless, the true character of his work would be revealed in a future day.

13.

Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is.

Verse 13
Revealed by fire; tried and exposed by the terrible scrutiny of the great day.

14.

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

15.

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

Verse 15
Yet so as by fire; with difficulty,--as one escapes from a burning building.

16.

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

17.

If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.

18.

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

Verse 18
Let him become a fool; let him abandon all his dependence upon his worldly wisdom, and seek wisdom from above, with meekness and docility.

19.

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

Verse 19
It is written; Job 5:13.

20.

And again, The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain.

Verse 20
Psalms 94:11.
Verse 21
Let no man glory in men. The apostle thus bringing his train of remark to a conclusion which bears directly upon the great cause of their dissensions,--their excessive personal predilections for the various individuals who had been the instruments of bringing them the gospel.

21.

Therefore let no man glory in men. For all things are yours;

22.

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

23.

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

Verse 23
Ye are Christ's; that is, ye do not belong to Paul and to Apollos, &c., as one in might suppose from your undue and inordinate interest in such human leaders; ye are Christ's.--And Christ is God's; you owe, therefore, no spiritual allegiance to any but to Christ and to God.