1 AND I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, ["sarkikoiv", Persons under the influence of fleshly appetites; coveting and living for the things of this life. In otherwords until you accept that you will live the whole gospel that you have been taught, make it really a part of who you are you will never understand the things of God in greater detail. Well why could he not speak to them of greater spiritual things? Becasue they were living very carnal lives. ] , even as unto babes in Christ. [ We often think that this scripture is souly talking about the fact that they are still young in the gospel. However is there anything else that Paul could be trying to teach them at this point understanding the circumstances here? The answer begins to unfold itself more in the next verse. ] .

2 I have fed you with milk, [ I have kept it simple. Little children are given milk at first and then meat and potatoes later. this analogy is more fully developed in Hebr. 5:11-14, see also John 4:34, D&C 19:21-23. The KJV "meat" would be better translated to "solid food" in contemporary English. ] and not with meat: [ milk is easier for babies to digest than meat - since these saints are still young in the gospel he is not giving them anything but the basics, getting them to strengthen their testimonies by listening to the spirit. See 1 Cor 2:1-5] for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able. [ What do you think that he means by that phrase? How might you relate that phrase to our temple educations? It is common to equate the two things, milk for babies and solid food for adults, with simple doctrine and complex doctrine. But, this fails to recognize Paul's intent. Paul is saying he is only teaching them simple doctrine because their walk, their behavior, is carnal, they "walk as men" (cf. v. 3). If their walk was spiritual, then he would teach them more spiritual doctrine because they would perceive it by the Spirit. The "meat" is not in an of itself complex doctrine, as is so commonly equated. The "meat" is inextricably linked to a godly walk that the individual spiritual and therefore perceiving spiritual things. As long as there is division and contention, there is no obscure logic, they obviously are as the contention evidences, but because they are not spiritually minded. ]

3 For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, [ envying refers to the state of their souls; they had inward grudgings and disaffection towards each other. ] and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men? [ or "You act just like the people of the world, and have no more of the spirit of religion than they." ]

4 For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal? [ in other words; because you continue to choose sides, where to place your aliance - either with Paul or with Apollos you have missed the boat. Why? because the message of Apollos and Paul are the same -they are united, messengers in the gospel of Jesus Christ and you are not. ]

5 Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man? [ or Paul has his talents and Apollos has his talents. The Lord gave them to each. Neither is above or below the other simply because he has a different set of talents from the other. The talents of all are combined together in the building of the kingdom. ]

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

7  So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase. [ What is Paul suggesting with this analogy? there are many workers in the field, but in the end it is God's field and they are all his servants. There is no ranking over who labors, all do, neither is the one who planted is no different from the one who watered, because they were both servants of God. ]

8  Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: [ Both Paul and Apollos have received the same doctrine, preach the same doctrine, and labour to promote the glory of God in the salvation of your souls. Why should you be divided with respect to Paul and Apollos, while these apostles are intimately ONE in spirit, design, and operation? ] and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour.

9 For we are labourers together with God: ye are God’s husbandry, [ The word gewrgion, which is translated here as husbandry, signifies properly a field fit for or used for the growing of crops. ] ye are God’s building.

10 According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, [ What do we know about the builder here? He is wise, he is not an apprentice. This building in vs 16 - 17 is equated to the temple. ] , 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;

13 Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day [ or through the light of the day. Daylight. The second rendering would suggest people's works are exposed in the Day of Judgement. Here I think that Paul is trying to suggest that as people receive the light in their life that is the Gospel the works which are of men will be exposed. ] shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is.

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.

16  Know ye [ Who is the ye that Paul is referring to here? Well we know that the epistle is to the saints right so the ye is the saints at Corinth, or the church as a body. So who then is the temple of God? The church. ] not that ye are the temple of God, [ The apostle resumes here what he had asserted in verse 10: Ye are God's building. 1) As a whole the entire congregation of Israel were formerly considered as the temple and habitation of God, because God dwelt among them, so here the whole Church of Corinth is called the temple of God, because all genuine believers have the Spirit of God to dwell in them; and Christ has promised to be always in the midst even of two or three who are gathered together in his name. Therefore where God is, there is his temple. So here Paul continues on with the building analogy to say that God's building is the Temple, and those who defile His Temple will be destroyed. Paul is making use of the various OT statements the Lord makes about keeping His Temple holy. 2) As individuals and the covenants that they have made they have been blessed to have the Holy ghost dwelt in them, as such they have been sanctified, they have become holy - So do not defile that which is of God. ] and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? [ Who is he speaking to here? The Saints, those who have entered the waters of baptism. So what is the purpose of baptism? It is to empower men so that they might be sanctified through the reception of the Holy Ghost, that they may stand spotless before the Lord in the last day 3 Ne. 27:19-21 ]

17  If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; [ This phrase is not consistently translated. "ei tiv ton naon tou qeou fqeirei, fqerei touton o qeov?" If any man destroy the temple of God, him will God destroy. The verb is the same in both clauses. If any man injure, corrupt, or destroy the Church of God by false doctrine, God will destroy him-will take away his part out of the book of life. This refers to those who wilfully oppose the truth; the erring, mistaken man shall barely escape; but the obstinate opposer shall be destroyed. Or those who are simply mislead shall be treated with leniency; while those who are obstibate and do so with knowledge shall have judgment without mercy. A use of this pharse for LDS persons to use this as a reference to the individual person's body being a Temple in conjunction with doctrines of bodily purity and the Word of Wisdom. That is not Paul's primary intent here. His primary intent is to emphasize that the Church at Corinth should be holy even as the Temple is holy and be built strong with hewn stones and not straw even as the Temple in Jerusalem is built. The contentious people who are dividing the Church at Corinth are defiling God's Temple and attempting to build it with straw. These people who corrupt God's Temple will be destroyed. Naturally, the Church is made up of individuals and so this applies to individuals, but the primary contextual reading is that of the ecclesia and not the individual. So why is this of any importance in bring up? Because if you go through this chapter assuming v. 16-17 are referring to the individual then it is difficult to understand what Paul is talking about in the rest of the chapter. When a commonly accepted acontextual reading on a couple of verses is forced onto an entire chapter it makes it difficult the establish the context and meaning of the chapter. People are carrying in their acontextual reading on two verses and imposing it on the entire chapter. ] for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.[ Paul begins his own summary of what he has been trying to say. Suggesting in vs 18-23 admonishing them who are wise pertaining to things of the world to become foolish to things of the world and become spiritually discerning instead. ]

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.

19 For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. [ Paul paraphrases Job 5:13 and Ps. 94:11 as proof texts indicating man's wisdom is foolishness before God. ] For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness.

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

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 ^aChrist’s; and Christ is God’s.