the Week of Proper 23 / Ordinary 28
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1 Corinthians 3:1
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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.
But I, brethren, could not address you as spiritual men, but as men of the flesh, as babes in Christ.
And I coulde not speake vnto you brethre as vnto spretuall: but as vnto carnall even as it were vnto babes in Christ.
Brothers, I couldn't speak to you as to spiritual, but as to fleshly, as to babies in Messiah.
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]
And I, brothers and sisters, could not speak to you as spiritual people, but only as fleshly, as to infants in Christ.
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.
And I, brothers, could not speak to you as to spiritual, but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ.
And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual, but as to carnal, [even] as to babes in Christ.
But I, brothers, could not address you as spiritual people, but as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ.
Brothers, I couldn't speak to you as to spiritual, but as to fleshly, as to babes in Christ.
And I, brethren, could not speak to you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, as unto babes in Christ.
And as for myself, brethren, I found it impossible to speak to you as spiritual men. It had to be as to worldlings--mere babes in Christ.
And Y, britheren, myyte not speke to you as to spiritual men, but as to fleischli men;
And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, as unto babes in Christ.
Brothers, I could not address you as spiritual, but as worldly-as infants in Christ.
My friends, you are acting like the people of this world. That's why I could not speak to you as spiritual people. You are like babies as far as your faith in Christ is concerned.
And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, as unto babes in Christ.
And the teaching I gave you, my brothers, was such as I was able to give, not to those who have the Spirit, but to those who are still in the flesh, even to children in Christ.
As for me, brothers, I couldn't talk to you as spiritual people but as worldly people, as babies, so far as experience with the Messiah is concerned.
And *I*, brethren, have not been able to speak to you as to spiritual, but as to fleshly; as to babes in Christ.
AND I, my brethren, could not speak with you as with the spiritual, but as with the carnal, and as with babes in the Meshiha.
1 And I, my Brethren, could not talk with you, as with spiritual [fn] , but as with the carnal, as with babes in Messiah.
And I, brethren, could not speake vnto you as vnto spirituall, but as vnto carnall, euen as vnto babes in Christ.
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.
Christian brothers, I could not speak to you as to full-grown Christians. I spoke to you as men who have not obeyed the things you have been taught. I spoke to you as if you were baby Christians.
And so, brothers and sisters, I could not speak to you as spiritual people, but rather as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ.
And I could not speake vnto you, brethren, as vnto spirituall men, but as vnto carnall, euen as vnto babes in Christ.
SO I, my brethren, could not converse with you as with spiritual men, but as with worldly men and even as with little children in Christ.
I, therefore, brethren, have not been able to speak unto you, as unto men of the Spirit, but as unto men of the flesh - as unto babes in Christ: -
And I, brethren, could not speak to you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal. As unto little ones in Christ.
And I coulde not speake vnto you brethren, as vnto spirituall, but as vnto carnall [eue] as vnto babes in Christe.
As a matter of fact, my friends, I could not talk to you as I talk to people who have the Spirit; I had to talk to you as though you belonged to this world, as children in the Christian faith.
For my part, brothers and sisters, I was not able to speak to you as spiritual people but as people of the flesh, as babies in Christ.
And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ.
And I, brothers, was not able to speak to you as to spiritual people, but as to fleshly people, as to infants in Christ.
And, brothers, I was not able to speak to you as to spiritual ones, but as to fleshly ones, as to babes in Christ.
And I, brethren, was not able to speak to you as to spiritual, but as to fleshly -- as to babes in Christ;
And I brethren, coulde not speake vnto you as vnto spirituall, but as vnto carnall, euen as vnto babes in Christ.
However, I could not speak to you, my brethren, as to the spiritual, or as to the dispassionate, but as to novices in christianity.
But for right now, friends, I'm completely frustrated by your unspiritual dealings with each other and with God. You're acting like infants in relation to Christ, capable of nothing much more than nursing at the breast. Well, then, I'll nurse you since you don't seem capable of anything more. As long as you grab for what makes you feel good or makes you look important, are you really much different than a babe at the breast, content only when everything's going your way? When one of you says, "I'm on Paul's side," and another says, "I'm for Apollos," aren't you being totally infantile?
So, brothers and sisters, I could not speak to you as spiritual people, but instead as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ.
And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ.
Listen cowboys and cowgirls, when I was with you, I had to talk to y'all like the greenhorns you were. You knew nothing of riding for God. You only knew how to ride for yourselves. You were like little kids.
And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual men, but as to men of flesh, as to infants in Christ.
And I, brothers, was not able to speak to you as to spiritual men, but as to fleshly men, as to infants in Christ.
Contextual Overview
Bible Verse Review
from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge
as unto spiritual: 1 Corinthians 2:6, 1 Corinthians 2:15, Galatians 6:1
as unto carnal: 1 Corinthians 3:3, 1 Corinthians 3:4, 1 Corinthians 2:14, Matthew 16:23, Romans 7:14
babes: 1 Corinthians 14:20, Ephesians 4:13, Ephesians 4:14, 1 John 2:12
Reciprocal: Isaiah 40:11 - he shall gather Jeremiah 3:15 - which shall Matthew 9:16 - for Matthew 24:45 - to give Mark 4:13 - Know Mark 4:33 - as John 3:12 - earthly John 16:12 - ye John 21:15 - lambs Romans 2:20 - a teacher Romans 14:1 - weak 1 Corinthians 4:8 - ye are full 1 Corinthians 13:11 - I spake 1 Timothy 3:6 - novice 2 Timothy 2:15 - rightly 2 Timothy 3:7 - learning Hebrews 5:12 - as have 1 Peter 2:2 - newborn
Cross-References
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]."
"And I will put enmity (open hostility) Between you and the woman, And between your seed (offspring) and her Seed; He shall [fatally] bruise your head, And you shall [only] bruise His heel."
for if either of them falls, the one will lift up his companion. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and does not have another to lift him up.
In that day the Lord will punish Leviathan the fleeing serpent With His fierce and great and mighty sword [rescuing Israel from her enemy], Even Leviathan the twisted serpent; And He will kill the dragon who lives in the sea.
And the tempter came and said to Him, "If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread."
And he said [mockingly] to Him, "If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down; for it is written, 'HE WILL COMMAND HIS ANGELS CONCERNING YOU [to serve, care for, protect and watch over You]'; and 'THEY WILL LIFT YOU UP ON their HANDS, SO THAT YOU WILL NOT STRIKE YOUR FOOT AGAINST A STONE.'"
and he said to Him, "All these things I will give You, if You fall down and worship me."
"Listen carefully: I am sending you out like sheep among wolves; so be wise as serpents, and innocent as doves [have no self-serving agenda].
And no wonder, since Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light.
In the same way, you husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way [with great gentleness and tact, and with an intelligent regard for the marriage relationship], as with someone physically weaker, since she is a woman. Show her honor and respect as a fellow heir of the grace of life, so that your prayers will not be hindered or ineffective.
Gill's Notes on the Bible
And I, brethren, could not speak unto you,.... Though the apostle was a spiritual man himself, had spiritual gifts, even the extraordinary gifts of the Spirit, could judge all things, had the mind of Christ, and was able to speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, yet could not speak it to them,
as unto spiritual; not but that they had the Spirit of God in them, and a work of grace upon them; for they were, as the apostle afterwards says, the temple of God, and the Spirit of God dwelt in them; they were washed, sanctified, and justified, in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God; but had not that spiritual discerning, or judgment in spiritual things, which some believers had, at least when the apostle was first with them; and now they were under great spiritual declensions, and had not those spiritual frames, nor that spiritual experience and conversation, which some other Christians had:
but as unto carnal: not that they were in a carnal state, as unregenerate men are; but had carnal conceptions of things, were in carnal frames of soul, and walked in a carnal conversation with each other; though they were not in the flesh, in a state of nature, yet the flesh was in them, and not only lusted against the Spirit, but was very predominant in them, and carried them captive, so that they are denominated from it:
even as unto babes in Christ; they were in Christ, and so were new creatures; they were, as the Arabic version reads it, "in the faith of Christ"; though babes and weaklings in it, they were believers in Christ, converted persons, yet children in understanding, knowledge, and experience; had but little judgment in spiritual things, and were unskilful in the word of righteousness; at least this was the case of many of them, though others were enriched in all utterance and knowledge, and in no gift came behind members of other churches.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible
And I, brethren - See 1 Corinthians 2:1. This is designed to meet an implied objection. He had said 1 Corinthians 2:14-16 that Christians were able to understand all things. Yet, they would recollect that he had not addressed them as such, but had confined himself to the more elementary parts of religion when he came among them. He had not entered upon the abstruse and difficult points of theology - the points of speculation in which the subtle Greeks so much abounded and so much delighted. He now states the reason why he had not done it. The reason was one that was most humbling to their pride; but it was the true reason, and faithfulness demanded that it should be stated. It was, that they were carnal, and not qualified to understand the deep mysteries of the gospel; and the proof of this was unhappily at hand. It was too evident in their contentions and strifes, that they were under the influence of carnal feelings and views.
Could not speak unto you as unto spiritual - “I could not regard you as spiritual - as qualified to enter into the full and higher truths of the gospel; I could not regard you as divested of the feelings which influence carnal people - the people of the world, and I addressed you accordingly. I could not discourse to you as to far-advanced and well-informed Christians. I taught you the rudiments only of the Christian religion.” He refers here, doubtless, to his instructions when he founded the church at Corinth. See the note at 1 Corinthians 2:13-15.
But as unto carnal - The word “carnal” here σάρκινοῖς sarkinois is not the same which in 1 Corinthians 2:14, is translated “natural” ψυχικός psuchikos. “That” refers to one who is unrenewed, and who is wholly under the influence of his sensual or animal nature, and is no where applied to Christians. “This” is applied here to Christians - but to those who have much of the remains of corruption, and who are imperfectly acquainted with the nature of religion; babes in Christ. It denotes those who still evinced the feelings and views which pertain to the flesh, in these unhappy contentions, and strifes, and divisions. “The works of the flesh are hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, envyings” Galatians 5:20-21; and these they had evinced in their divisions; and Paul knew that their danger lay in this direction, and he therefore addressed them according to their character. Paul applies the word to himself Romans 7:14, “for I am carnal;” and here it denotes that they were as yet under the influence of the corrupt passions and desires which the flesh produces.
As unto babes in Christ - As unto those recently born into his kingdom, and unable to understand the profounder doctrines of the Christian religion. It is a common figure to apply the term infants and children to those who are feeble in understanding, or unable, from any cause, to comprehend the more profound instructions of science or religion.
Clarke's Notes on the Bible
CHAPTER III.
Because of the carnal, divided state of the people at Corinth,
the apostle was obliged to treat them as children in the
knowledge of sacred things, 1-3.
Some were for setting up Paul, others Apollos, as their sole
teachers, 4.
The apostle shows that himself and fellow apostles were only
instruments which God used to bring them to the knowledge of
the truth; and even their sowing, and watering the seed was
of no use unless God gave the increase, 5-8.
The Church represented as God's husbandry, and as God's
building, the foundation of which is Christ Jesus, 9-11.
Ministers must beware how and what they build on this
foundation, 12-15.
The Church of God is his temple, and he that defiles it shall
be destroyed, 16, 17.
No man should depend on his own wisdom; for the wisdom of the
world is foolishness with God, 18-20.
None should glory in man as his teacher; God gives his followers
every good, both for time and eternity, 21-23.
NOTES ON CHAP. III.
Verse 1 Corinthians 3:1. I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual — This is a continuation of the preceding discourse. See the notes there (1 Corinthians 2:14, 1 Corinthians 2:15, and 1 Corinthians 2:16).
But as unto carnal — σαρκικοις, Persons under the influence of fleshly appetites; coveting and living for the things of this life.
Babes in Christ. — Just beginning to acquire some notion of the Christian religion, but as yet very incapable of judging what is most suitable to yourselves, and consequently utterly unqualified to discern between one teacher and another; so that your making the distinctions which you do make, so far from being a proof of mature judgment, is on the contrary a proof that you have no right judgment at all; and this springs from your want of knowledge in Divine things.
