1 Corinthians 3:1 kjv
And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ.
1 Corinthians 3:1 nkjv
And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ.
1 Corinthians 3:1 niv
Brothers and sisters, I could not address you as people who live by the Spirit but as people who are still worldly?mere infants in Christ.
1 Corinthians 3:1 esv
But I, brothers, could not address you as spiritual people, but as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ.
1 Corinthians 3:1 nlt
Dear brothers and sisters, when I was with you I couldn't talk to you as I would to spiritual people. I had to talk as though you belonged to this world or as though you were infants in Christ.
1 Corinthians 3 1 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Cor 3:2 | I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet able to receive it. | Foundation for spiritual nourishment |
| Heb 5:12-13 | Though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God's word all over again. You still need milk, not solid food! Anyone who lives on milk is still a little child. | Lack of discernment due to immaturity |
| Eph 4:14 | Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in deceitful scheming. | Protection through maturity from deception |
| 1 Pet 2:2 | Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up into salvation. | Desire for spiritual growth |
| Gal 5:22-23 | But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. | Characteristics of maturity |
| Phil 3:15 | All of us, then, who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some points you think differently, that too God will make clear to you. | Maturity leads to unified understanding |
| Col 1:28 | We proclaim him, warning everyone, teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone mature in Christ. | Goal of ministry is maturity |
| Rom 12:2 | Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. | Renewed mind is key to discernment |
| 1 Cor 2:10 | but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. | Revelation of deep truths by the Spirit |
| Eph 4:13 | until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. | Maturity as a goal |
| Matt 13:11 | “Blessed are your eyes,” he said, “for they see, and your ears, for they hear. Truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it." | Discernment as a blessing |
| 1 Cor 14:20 | Brothers and sisters, stop thinking like little children. In regard to evil be infants, but in your thinking be adults. | Admonition to spiritual maturity |
| Heb 5:14 | But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish between good and evil. | Training distinguishes good from evil |
| 1 Cor 1:10 | I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in mind and thought. | Desire for unity, absence of division |
| Phil 1:10 | so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ. | Discernment of what is best |
| Acts 17:11 | Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true. | Receptivity and scriptural examination |
| 2 Tim 3:16-17 | All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. | Scripture equipping for spiritual life |
| John 6:68 | Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life." | Christ's words as eternal life |
| 1 John 2:12 | I write to you, dear children, because your sins have been forgiven you because of his name. | Addressing different spiritual levels |
| Prov 1:22 | "How long will you simple ones love your simplicity? How long will mockers delight in their mocking and fools hate knowledge?" | Warning against foolishness/immaturity |
1 Corinthians 3 verses
1 Corinthians 3 1 Meaning
This verse establishes a direct connection between spiritual maturity and the ability to receive deeper truths from God. Paul contrasts "infants in Christ" with those who are "mature." It highlights that spiritual immaturity prevents one from fully comprehending and benefiting from profound spiritual realities, leading to divisions within the church.
1 Corinthians 3 1 Context
In 1 Corinthians 3:1, Paul addresses the Corinthian church, which was experiencing divisions and immaturity in their faith. The preceding verses (1 Corinthians 2:6-16) describe Paul's ministry and the revelation of God's wisdom through the Spirit. This verse directly follows this discussion, emphasizing that while Paul spoke of deep spiritual truths, the Corinthians were not yet capable of fully grasping them due to their immature spiritual state, akin to infants. The context of the entire letter reveals issues like factionalism (linked to following human leaders over Christ), moral impurity, and misunderstandings about spiritual gifts. This verse serves as an introductory statement to a significant section (1 Corinthians 3:2-15) that addresses this spiritual infancy and its consequences for the church's unity and growth. The immediate backdrop is Paul's lament that he must treat them as babes rather than as mature believers capable of understanding the deeper principles of the gospel.
1 Corinthians 3 1 Word Analysis
- "I" (Greek: ἐγὼ - ego): Emphatic first-person singular pronoun, highlighting Paul's personal involvement and address.
- "brothers" (Greek: ἀδελφοί - adelphoi): A term of endearment and familial connection within the Christian community, fostering a sense of unity and shared identity in Christ.
- "could not" (Greek: ἐδυνήθην - edynathen): Imperfect passive of dynamai (to be able). It conveys an inability, not due to lack of effort, but due to the recipients' unpreparedness.
- "speak to you" (Greek: λαλήσαι ὑμῖν - lalesai humin): Refers to communicating or talking. The inability is in addressing them with spiritual "solid food."
- "as to spiritual people" (Greek: ὡς πνευματικοῖς - hōs pneumatikois): This phrase describes the audience. Pneumatikois refers to those led and empowered by the Holy Spirit, indicating a state of spiritual maturity and sensitivity. Paul couldn't speak to them as such.
- "but as to carnal" (Greek: ἀλλ' ὡς σαρκικοῖς - all' hōs sarkikois): In contrast, sarkikois refers to those who are "fleshly" or "worldly." This describes people dominated by their lower nature, self-interest, and human reasoning rather than the Spirit. It points to their unregenerate state or, in this context, their immature walk.
- "infants in Christ" (Greek: νηπίοις ἐν Χριστῷ - nēpiois en Christō): Nēpiois specifically denotes an infant, one dependent on others for nourishment and protection. It signifies extreme immaturity and undeveloped spiritual capacity. The phrase emphasizes their infantile status within the body of Christ.
Words Group Analysis:
- "could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal, as to infants in Christ": This entire phrase encapsulates the core problem. Paul is explaining the reason for his previous mode of address. He had to speak in simpler terms ("milk") because they were not demonstrating the characteristics of Spirit-led maturity (pneumatikois) but were operating on a carnal (sarkikois) level, displaying the immaturity of infants (nēpiois). This establishes a link between spiritual receptivity and spiritual condition.
1 Corinthians 3 1 Bonus Section
The contrast between pneumatikois (spiritual people) and sarkikois (carnal people) is a recurring theme for Paul, notably in 1 Corinthians chapters 2 and 3. The carnality here is not necessarily a state of constant sin, but rather a failure to live by the Spirit in every aspect of life, resulting in immaturity. Their division into factions—following Paul, Apollos, or Cephas—demonstrates this fleshly mindset. They were assessing spiritual leaders by human standards and affiliations rather than by their conformity to Christ. Paul’s inability to address them as spiritual was a lament, indicating a problem in their reception, not a lack of ability in him to teach profound truths.
1 Corinthians 3 1 Commentary
Paul's declaration reveals a critical principle in Christian life: spiritual maturity is directly linked to one's capacity to understand and receive deeper spiritual truths. He had to communicate at a basic level ("milk") because the Corinthian believers were functioning carnally, driven by their lower natures, and acting like spiritual babies. This immaturity manifested in their factions and pride, preventing them from grasping the profound wisdom of God he wished to impart. They were not yet fully yielding to the Holy Spirit, thus their spiritual senses were untrained (Hebrews 5:14).
- Practical application: When we are engrossed in worldly concerns, driven by emotions, or fixated on human leaders rather than Christ, our spiritual discernment and capacity for deeper understanding are hindered.
- Personal growth: This verse serves as an encouragement to pursue spiritual growth and maturity by consistently feeding on the Word, yielding to the Spirit, and focusing on Christ, so that we may move beyond the milk to the solid food of God's deeper truths.