1 Corinthians 3:1-9
1: And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual men, but as to men of flesh, as to infants in Christ.
2: I gave you milk to drink, not solid food; for you were not yet able to receive it. Indeed, even now you are not yet able,
3: for you are still fleshly. For since there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not fleshly, and are you not walking like mere men?
4: For when one says, “I am of Paul,” and another, “I am of Apollos,” are you not mere men?
5: What then is Apollos? And what is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, even as the Lord gave opportunity to each one.
6: I planted, Apollos watered, but God was causing the growth.
7: So then neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but God who causes the growth. 8: Now he who plants and he who waters are one; but each will receive his own reward according to his own labor.
9: For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, God’s building.
Paul had just explained that spiritual things were understood by those who were spiritual. Natural, or fleshly, people don’t understand spiritual things. They seem foolish to them. He took that thought a step further to say that the Corinthians were still acting as carnal, fleshly men. For example, they were still wrapped up in strife and jealousies saying one is of Paul and another of Apollos. Paul told them he couldn’t speak to them as spiritual men for they were acting like men of the flesh, being infants in Christ.
This strife among them was keeping them from growing spiritually and therefore from understanding spiritual things, including thoughts from the Spirit of God Himself. It was also preventing them from hearing and understanding the wisdom Paul talked about in Romans 2:6 where he said, we “speak wisdom among those who are mature.” If one wants to grow spiritually, understand the wisdom and mysteries of God, and get to know God on an intimate, relational level, then he must put off fleshly behavior. He must let go of strife, jealousy, petty disputes, and cliques.
Paul explained that he and Apollos were equals. One planted, another watered, but God was the one who caused growth. They were co-laborers with each other, and God Himself, working to build and grow His church, not just in size, but in maturity.
2: I gave you milk to drink, not solid food; for you were not yet able to receive it. Indeed, even now you are not yet able,
3: for you are still fleshly. For since there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not fleshly, and are you not walking like mere men?
4: For when one says, “I am of Paul,” and another, “I am of Apollos,” are you not mere men?
5: What then is Apollos? And what is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, even as the Lord gave opportunity to each one.
6: I planted, Apollos watered, but God was causing the growth.
7: So then neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but God who causes the growth. 8: Now he who plants and he who waters are one; but each will receive his own reward according to his own labor.
9: For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, God’s building.
***
Paul had just explained that spiritual things were understood by those who were spiritual. Natural, or fleshly, people don’t understand spiritual things. They seem foolish to them. He took that thought a step further to say that the Corinthians were still acting as carnal, fleshly men. For example, they were still wrapped up in strife and jealousies saying one is of Paul and another of Apollos. Paul told them he couldn’t speak to them as spiritual men for they were acting like men of the flesh, being infants in Christ.
This strife among them was keeping them from growing spiritually and therefore from understanding spiritual things, including thoughts from the Spirit of God Himself. It was also preventing them from hearing and understanding the wisdom Paul talked about in Romans 2:6 where he said, we “speak wisdom among those who are mature.” If one wants to grow spiritually, understand the wisdom and mysteries of God, and get to know God on an intimate, relational level, then he must put off fleshly behavior. He must let go of strife, jealousy, petty disputes, and cliques.
Paul explained that he and Apollos were equals. One planted, another watered, but God was the one who caused growth. They were co-laborers with each other, and God Himself, working to build and grow His church, not just in size, but in maturity.
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