Do 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. (18) Let 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, ”He catches the wise in their own craftiness ; (20) and again, ”The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise’ that they are futile.” (21) Therefore let no one boast 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. (24) And you are Christ’s, and Christ is God’s.
The 1st letter to the Corinthians was written by the apostle Paul. In our verses today Paul is addressing them as pupils, warning them to beware of contrivances of man, as in faith, in Christ, they have been set aside as temples of God and they are responsible as guardians of such. Paul warns them not to be deceived by knowledge of this world – in itself worldly wisdom is a hindrance and a mere vanity of man. And he continues the subject of spiritual wisdom in Christ versus natural wisdom.
Paul issues a terrible warning to those who might try to hijack the faithful who have been set aside as holy and as temples of God, We/they are brothers/sisters, not combatants and are urged to adopt an attitude of humility and to be teachable – not to think we have things figured out. Paul warns the faithful in Corinth to not limit themselves by trusting the wisdom of men as they would be limiting God’s blessing for them. The Bible is our spiritual compass; it is the source of the way to life and principles by which to live.
So Paul is warning the Corinthians to get rid of pride, self indulgence and self gratification with the wrong focus on man and not God. We are not to be conformed to this world but to be transformed by Christ and the renewing of our minds. All things are ours in Christ.