1 Corinthians 3:4

Contextual Overview

¹ Brothers and sisters, when I was there, I could not talk to you the way I talk to people who are led by the Spirit. I had to talk to you like ordinary people of the world. You were like babies in Christ. ¹ But I, brethren, could not address you as spiritual men, but as men of the flesh, as babes in Christ. ¹ And I coulde not speake vnto you brethre as vnto spretuall: but as vnto carnall even as it were vnto babes in Christ. ¹ Brothers, I couldn't speak to you as to spiritual, but as to fleshly, as to babies in Messiah. ¹ Brothers, I couldn't talk to you as spiritual people but as worldly people, as mere infants in Christ.1 Corinthians 2:14-15; Hebrews 5:13;">[xr] ¹ And I, brothers and sisters, could not speak to you as spiritual people, but only as fleshly, as to infants in Christ. ¹ Brothers and sisters, in the past I could not talk to you as I talk to spiritual people. I had to talk to you as I would to people without the Spirit—babies in Christ. ¹ And I, brothers, could not speak to you as to spiritual, but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ. ¹ And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual, but as to carnal, [even] as to babes in Christ. ¹ But I, brothers, could not address you as spiritual people, but as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

1 Corinthians 1:12, 1 Corinthians 4:6

Reciprocal: Acts 19:1 - that 1 Corinthians 3:1 - as unto carnal 1 Corinthians 3:21 - glory 2 Corinthians 12:11 - for in 2 Corinthians 12:20 - debates Philippians 1:15 - even

Cross-References

Genesis 3:13
Then the Lord God said to the woman, "What is this that you have done?" The woman said, "The serpent deceived me, and I ate."

Genesis 3:13
And Yahweh God said to the woman, What is this you have done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I ate.

Genesis 3:13
Then the Lord God said to the woman, "How could you have done such a thing?" She answered, "The snake tricked me, so I ate the fruit."

Genesis 3:13
So the Lord God said to the woman, "What is this you have done?" And the woman replied, "The serpent tricked me, and I ate."

Genesis 3:13
And the LORD God said to the woman, What [is] this [that] thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I ate.

Genesis 3:13
Yahweh God said to the woman, "What is this you have done?" The woman said, "The serpent deceived me, and I ate."

Genesis 3:13
Then the LORD God said to the woman, "What is this that you have done?" And the woman said, "The serpent beguiled and deceived me, and I ate [from the forbidden tree]."

Genesis 3:13
And the Lord seide to the womman, Whi didist thou this thing? Which answerde, The serpent disseyued me, and Y eet.

Genesis 3:13
And Jehovah God saith to the woman, `What [is] this thou hast done?' and the woman saith, `The serpent hath caused me to forget -- and I do eat.'

Genesis 3:13
Then the LORD God said to the woman, "What is this you have done?" "The serpent deceived me," she replied, "and I ate."

Gill's Notes on the Bible

For while one saith, I am of Paul,.... This shows what their envying and strife, and divisions were about, and from whence they sprung; and which serve, to strengthen the proof, and support the charge of carnality brought against them; for when one sort made a party for Paul, and set up him as their minister above all others; and said

another, I am of Apollos, preferring him for his eloquence above Paul, or any other preacher, as appears from 1 Corinthians 1:12 there was a third sort for Cephas, whom they cried up as superior to the other two, or any other man; and a fourth were for Christ, and despised all ministers whatever:

are ye not carnal? all this was a demonstration of it: they could never clear themselves from it, they must be convicted in their own consciences of it; to which the apostle appeals: the Alexandrian copy and the Vulgate Latin and Ethiopic versions read, "are ye not men?"

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

For while one saith ...; - See the note at 1 Corinthians 1:12.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 1 Corinthians 3:4. For while one saith, I am of Paul, c.] It was notorious that both Paul and Apollos held the same creed between them there was not the slightest difference: when, therefore, the dissentients began to prefer the one to the other, it was the fullest proof of their carnality; because in the doctrines of these apostles there was no difference: so that what the people were captivated by must be something in their outward manner, Apollos being probably more eloquent than Paul. Their preferring one to another on such an account proved that they were carnal-led by their senses and mere outward appearances, without being under the guidance either of reason or grace. There are thousands of such people in the Christian Church to the present day. See the notes on 1 Corinthians 1:10, &c.