Spiritual People Don't Cause Divisions/Factions (1 Corinthians 3:1-23) Series

In chapter 3, Paul seems to be responding to a criticism made against him by the Corinthians. The Corinthians are upset with Paul, because there are Spiritual things that he didn't teach them. Instead, they apparently learned them from Apollos. Let's reread 2:12-14:

(12) Now, we didn't the spirit of the world receive

but the Spirit-- the one from God,

in order that we may know the things by God graciously given to us,

which also we speak not in the taught-by-human words of wisdom,

but in words taught by the Spirit

to spiritual ones, spiritual things explaining.

(14) Now, the unspiritual man doesn't accept the things of the Spirit of God.

For foolishness to him they are,

and he isn't able to know/understand,

because spiritually it is examined/discerned.

Paul teaches Spiritual things, but only to Spiritual people. And the Corinthians, when he taught them, weren't yet Spiritual people. They were baby Christians, not ready for the type of wisdom that Paul does teach. That was 2:6-7:

(6) Now , wisdom we speak among the mature/perfect,

Now, not the wisdom of this age,

nor of the rulers of this age-- the ones perishing--

(7) but we speak [the] wisdom of God having been hidden in a mystery,

which God determined beforehand before the ages for our glory,

which none of the rulers of this age know.

What are these Spiritual things that Paul didn't teach them? What is the Spiritual wisdom? I think it has to be the teaching about the Holy Spirit-- about who He is, and about the gifts/ministries He gives to the church.

So Paul chose not to teach the Corinthians the deeper Spiritual truths. And the Corinthians, having now been taught about these things, are now... frustrated with? angry with? Paul.

So Paul laid the groundwork for his response to this in chapter 2. And now he's going to address it head-on in chapter 3.

Let's start by reading verse 1:

(1) And I, brothers, wasn't able to speak to you as to Spiritual ones

but as to fleshly ones,

as to babies in Christ.

In verse 1, Paul tells the Corinthians that when he taught them, he couldn't teach them how he wanted to, because they weren't Spiritual people. Instead, they were fleshly people-- babies in Christ.

Now, what does this contrast mean between being a Spiritual person, or a fleshly person?

Spiritual people are those who walk in step with the Spirit (Galatians 5:16). They are filled with the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 5:18). They rely on the Holy Spirit for His wisdom. They view things from the Holy Spirit's perspective.

Who are fleshly people? Sometimes, you will hear this verse used to describe "carnal Christians." Some teachers will say that Paul is referring to people who are Christians, but who live wickedly, with no evidence of allegiance to Jesus. And then they use this verse to say, that it's not great when Christians live this way, but it's not the absolute end of the world.

This is not at all what Paul means. Fleshly people are those who rely on their own human insight and way of looking at things. They evaluate things based on human standards, using human criteria.

Paul then clarifies what he means by fleshly people, by also calling them "babies/infants in Christ." Infants can't handle steak. It's not what they need. They need milk. And that's what Paul gave them.

Verse 2:

(2) Milk to you I gave, not solid food.

Paul was very intentional in only giving the Corinthians milk. He had Spiritual wisdom in his back pocket, available to them. He had more substantial food. But he very deliberately didn't give it to them.

Why?

Paul then gives us a "for" statement. We are going to see a lot of these this chapter. What "for" statements do is strengthen a point just made.

For you weren't yet able,

but you still aren't now able.

The reason Paul gave them only milk is because they weren't ready for Spiritual wisdom. At the time, this was understandable. New Christians have a lot to learn. And they have a lot to unlearn.

The shocking thing for Paul, though, is that nothing has changed. They still aren't able.

Why is this?

In verse 3, Paul strengthens his point again:

(3) For still fleshly you are.

They are still fleshly, and not Spiritual. Paul knows they will object to this, and so he now strengthens this point:

For [where among you there is jealousy and strife ], fleshly aren't you

and like a human aren't you walking?

And it's here, that Paul forces them to be honest about themselves.

When the Corinthians examine their hearts, and their actions, what they should be able to see, if they are honest, is their own jealousy and strife.