Sectarianism Is Carnal
1 And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal, as to 1 Cor. 2:6; Eph. 4:14; Heb. 5:13babes in Christ. 2 I fed you with Heb. 5:12; 1 Pet. 2:2milk and not with solid food; John 16:12for until now you were not able toreceiveit, and even now you are still not able; 3 for you are still carnal. For where thereare envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men? 4 For when one says, "I am of Paul," and another, "I am of Apollos," are you not carnal?
Watering, Working, Warning
5 Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but Rom. 15:16; 2 Cor. 3:3, 6; 4:1; 5:18; 6:4; Eph. 3:7; Col. 1:25; 1 Tim. 1:12ministers through whom you believed, as the Lord gave to each one? 6 Acts 18:4; 1 Cor. 4:15; 9:1; 15:1; 2 Cor. 10:14I planted, Acts 18:24–27; 1 Cor. 1:12Apollos watered, (2 Cor. 3:5)but God gave the increase. 7 So then 2 Cor. 12:11; (Gal. 6:3)neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase. 8 Now he who plants and he who waters are one, Ps. 62:12; Rom. 2:6and each one will receive his own reward according to his own labor.
9 For Mark 16:20; Acts 15:4; 2 Cor. 6:1we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, youare(1 Cor. 3:16; Eph. 2:20–22); Col. 2:7; Heb. 3:3, 4; (1 Pet. 2:5)God’s building. 10 Rom. 1:5According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid 1 Cor. 4:15the foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it. 11 For no other foundation can anyone lay than Is. 28:16; Matt. 16:18; 2 Cor. 11:4that which is laid, Eph. 2:20; 1 Pet. 2:4which is Jesus Christ. 12 Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, 13 each one’s work will become clear; for the Day 1 Pet. 1:7will declare it, because Mal. 3:1–3; Luke 2:35it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is. 14 If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. 15 If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.
16 Rom. 8:9; 1 Cor. 6:19; 2 Cor. 6:16; Eph. 2:21Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? 17 If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are.
Avoid Worldly Wisdom
18 Prov. 3:7Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you seems to be wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise. 19 For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, Job 5:13"He catches the wise in their own craftiness"; 20 and again, Ps. 94:11"The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile." 21 Therefore let no one boast in men. For (2 Cor. 4:5)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 (Rom. 14:8); 1 Cor. 15:23; 2 Cor. 10:7; (Gal. 3:29)you are Christ’s, and Christ is God’s.