Our Immaturity - Study 6/23/11
Our Immaturity
I submit to you that we all have some childishness in us regardless of age. However, when we continuously engage in child like behavior, we are considered immature. There are some good child-like behaviors and there are some bad ones. I just love to see my kids be and act like children. They make me laugh by the things they say and do. Sometimes they can make me angry and I am wondering and saying what are you thinking? How can you do so and so? It is good to be a child when you are really a child chronologically. When you are still a child after the chronological age of childhood, it is definitely considered immaturity and thus a problem.
The Corinthian Church was called immature Christians by Apostle Paul. Listen to Paul. “And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ” 1Corinthians 3:1). In our study of today, Apostle Paul continues to deal with the problem in the Corinthian church. Keep in mind that the Apostle makes conscious determination to see the Corinthian Church’s problem as separate from who they are. He still calls them brothers and sisters and saints of God. Our problems should not define who we are because God will give us the grace to deal with them.
Problems are not permanent. So immaturity in the Corinthians was not permanent. However, the Church had to grow out of being “babes in Christ” to mature believers in Christ. This was to take place through the intake of the “meat” of the word of God. By the time Apostle Paul wrote the letter, the Corinthian believers had been in their new found faith for about three years. Where are you in the scale of maturity in Christ? How long have you been a believer in Christ? Would Apostle Paul today still consider you a “babe in Christ”? Babes in Christ exhibit certain behaviors as we will find out in the study including divisions, quarrelling, jealousy, strive and plain tantrums. Are you throwing tantrums for God because you are not getting your ways with God and people? Then you are definitely a babe in Christ. Let’s grow up. Who is a “carnal” or “worldly” Christian?
1 Corinthians 3
1 And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ. 2 I fed you with milk and not with solid food; for until now you were not able to receive it, and even now you are still not able; 3 for you are still carnal. For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men? 4 For when one says, “I am of Paul,” and another, “I am of Apollos,” are you not carnal?
5 Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers through whom you believed, as the Lord gave to each one? 6 I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase. 7 So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase. 8 Now he who plants and he who waters are one, and each one will receive his own reward according to his own labor.
9 For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, you are God’s building. 10 According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it. 11
For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, 13 each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is. 14 If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. 15 If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.
16 Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? 17 If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are.
18 Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you seems to be wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise. 19 For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, “He catches the wise in their own craftiness”;[a] 20 and again, “The LORD knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile.”[b] 21 Therefore let no one boast in men. For all things are yours: 22 whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas, or the world or life or death, or things present or things to come—all are yours. 23 And you are Christ’s, and Christ is God’s.
Here are my observations in addition to the ones you may have:
1. Paul continues from the previous chapter 1 to dig into the roots of the divisions and contentions found in the Corinthian Church. Remember the divisions in the Corinthian Church was of the sort that some were preferring Paul or Apollos or Cephas (Peter) (1Cor. 1:12). Paul is now tracing their problem to lack of full functioning of the Holy Spirit in the lives of the Corinthian believers. He said, I “could not speak to you as to spiritual people”. I do not believe he is saying that they lack the Spirit of God because then really they would not be believers in Christ. Everyone who truly believes in Christ has the Spirit of Christ, the Holy Spirit.
2. When the Holy Spirit is not having His way in our lives, we are therefore considered “carnal” or “worldly”. See another rendering of vs. 1. “1 Dear brothers and sisters,[a] when I was with you I couldn’t talk to you as I would to spiritual people.[b] I had to talk as though you belonged to this world or as though you were infants in the Christian life” (NLT). We have a command to be and continually being filled with the Holy Spirit. 15”Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. 17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. 18 Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit” Ephesians 5: 15-18. We have lots of worldly Christians these days. One step in God and one step in the world. We must walk in the Spirit so as not gratify the desires of the flesh. “16 So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. 17 For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want” Galatians 5: 16-17.
3. Carnal (sarkinos in Greek). “This refers to the flesh as opposed to the pneuma, "spirit," and denotes, in an ethical sense, mere human nature, the lower side of man as apart from the Divine influence, and therefore estranged from God and prone to sin; whatever in the soul is weak and tends toward ungodliness”.
4. The characteristics of a “carnal” and or “worldly” Christian is obvious. They are contrary to the fruit of the Spirit. Paul addressed the Corinthians as carnal Christians as follows: “For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men? 4 For when one says, “I am of Paul,” and another, “I am of Apollos,” are you not carnal?” vs.3. We see envy, strife and divisions. The full list is given in Galatians. 19 “The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God” Galatians 5:19-21. You see why we must grow up and not be carnal Christians? When it becomes a lifestyle we then not believers in Christ but just still in the original sinful nature without redemption of Christ. The Holy Spirit has been given to clean us up so that we do not remain in our sinful ways..
5. There is a process of sanctification or in plain language being cleaned up by the holy Spirit. It is the process of the Word of God washing us clean. Apostle Paul hints it in vs. 2. “As to babes in Christ. 2 I fed you with milk and not with solid food; for until now you were not able to receive it, and even now you are still not able”. It is the milk of the world of God and the meat is the meat of the word of God that Paul is referring to here. The book of Hebrews speaks of immaturity too. 12 “For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food. 13 For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. 14 But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil” Hebrews 5:12-13.
6. God has provided us one another to bring us into maturity. “And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, 13 till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; 14 that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, 15 but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ” Ephesians 4:11- 15. Immature and babes in Christ get tossed around by every “wind of doctrine” like the “prosperity gospel” of today.
7. Lets grow up in the Word of God. We cannot continue to be babes in Christ especially after five (this is my opinion only) years of chronological age in Christ. At we should set a goal for ourselves. We should be able to comprehend the basic Christianity to teach others about Christ, repentance, redemption and the expectation of Jesus’ soon return. Are you digging and eating solid, meat food in the word of God? A mother cannot eat baby food and be able to feed her infant baby food. A mother must eat solid food with meat in order to feed an infant.
Apostle Paul was not threatened by the immaturity of the Corinthian Church. He understood it knowing where they had come from. All he wanted from the Corinthians is for them to simply grow up. God also understands us today and knows where we came from but not to remain the same. How long have you been a believer in Christ or a Christian? Would this statement apply to you today? “For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God”! You and I should be the judge of ourselves.
There is no room in the body of Christ for perpetual “Diaper Christians” We are given a strong warning in Revelation. 14 “And to the angel of the church of the Laodiceans[f] write,
‘These things says the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God: 15 “I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. 16 So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot,[g] I will vomit you out of My mouth” Revelation 3:14-16.
Lord, help me to grow up in you. Lord take away every childish ways in me. Help me Lord to cooperate and listen to your Holy Spirit as you lead me into maturity. Lord grant me a new passion for your word and grant me the will to read, study, listen, meditate and obey your truth and to apply your Word in my daily living. Amen
I submit to you that we all have some childishness in us regardless of age. However, when we continuously engage in child like behavior, we are considered immature. There are some good child-like behaviors and there are some bad ones. I just love to see my kids be and act like children. They make me laugh by the things they say and do. Sometimes they can make me angry and I am wondering and saying what are you thinking? How can you do so and so? It is good to be a child when you are really a child chronologically. When you are still a child after the chronological age of childhood, it is definitely considered immaturity and thus a problem.
The Corinthian Church was called immature Christians by Apostle Paul. Listen to Paul. “And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ” 1Corinthians 3:1). In our study of today, Apostle Paul continues to deal with the problem in the Corinthian church. Keep in mind that the Apostle makes conscious determination to see the Corinthian Church’s problem as separate from who they are. He still calls them brothers and sisters and saints of God. Our problems should not define who we are because God will give us the grace to deal with them.
Problems are not permanent. So immaturity in the Corinthians was not permanent. However, the Church had to grow out of being “babes in Christ” to mature believers in Christ. This was to take place through the intake of the “meat” of the word of God. By the time Apostle Paul wrote the letter, the Corinthian believers had been in their new found faith for about three years. Where are you in the scale of maturity in Christ? How long have you been a believer in Christ? Would Apostle Paul today still consider you a “babe in Christ”? Babes in Christ exhibit certain behaviors as we will find out in the study including divisions, quarrelling, jealousy, strive and plain tantrums. Are you throwing tantrums for God because you are not getting your ways with God and people? Then you are definitely a babe in Christ. Let’s grow up. Who is a “carnal” or “worldly” Christian?
1 Corinthians 3
1 And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ. 2 I fed you with milk and not with solid food; for until now you were not able to receive it, and even now you are still not able; 3 for you are still carnal. For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men? 4 For when one says, “I am of Paul,” and another, “I am of Apollos,” are you not carnal?
5 Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers through whom you believed, as the Lord gave to each one? 6 I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase. 7 So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase. 8 Now he who plants and he who waters are one, and each one will receive his own reward according to his own labor.
9 For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, you are God’s building. 10 According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it. 11
For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, 13 each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is. 14 If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. 15 If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.
16 Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? 17 If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are.
18 Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you seems to be wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise. 19 For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, “He catches the wise in their own craftiness”;[a] 20 and again, “The LORD knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile.”[b] 21 Therefore let no one boast in men. For all things are yours: 22 whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas, or the world or life or death, or things present or things to come—all are yours. 23 And you are Christ’s, and Christ is God’s.
Here are my observations in addition to the ones you may have:
1. Paul continues from the previous chapter 1 to dig into the roots of the divisions and contentions found in the Corinthian Church. Remember the divisions in the Corinthian Church was of the sort that some were preferring Paul or Apollos or Cephas (Peter) (1Cor. 1:12). Paul is now tracing their problem to lack of full functioning of the Holy Spirit in the lives of the Corinthian believers. He said, I “could not speak to you as to spiritual people”. I do not believe he is saying that they lack the Spirit of God because then really they would not be believers in Christ. Everyone who truly believes in Christ has the Spirit of Christ, the Holy Spirit.
2. When the Holy Spirit is not having His way in our lives, we are therefore considered “carnal” or “worldly”. See another rendering of vs. 1. “1 Dear brothers and sisters,[a] when I was with you I couldn’t talk to you as I would to spiritual people.[b] I had to talk as though you belonged to this world or as though you were infants in the Christian life” (NLT). We have a command to be and continually being filled with the Holy Spirit. 15”Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. 17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. 18 Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit” Ephesians 5: 15-18. We have lots of worldly Christians these days. One step in God and one step in the world. We must walk in the Spirit so as not gratify the desires of the flesh. “16 So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. 17 For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want” Galatians 5: 16-17.
3. Carnal (sarkinos in Greek). “This refers to the flesh as opposed to the pneuma, "spirit," and denotes, in an ethical sense, mere human nature, the lower side of man as apart from the Divine influence, and therefore estranged from God and prone to sin; whatever in the soul is weak and tends toward ungodliness”.
4. The characteristics of a “carnal” and or “worldly” Christian is obvious. They are contrary to the fruit of the Spirit. Paul addressed the Corinthians as carnal Christians as follows: “For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men? 4 For when one says, “I am of Paul,” and another, “I am of Apollos,” are you not carnal?” vs.3. We see envy, strife and divisions. The full list is given in Galatians. 19 “The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God” Galatians 5:19-21. You see why we must grow up and not be carnal Christians? When it becomes a lifestyle we then not believers in Christ but just still in the original sinful nature without redemption of Christ. The Holy Spirit has been given to clean us up so that we do not remain in our sinful ways..
5. There is a process of sanctification or in plain language being cleaned up by the holy Spirit. It is the process of the Word of God washing us clean. Apostle Paul hints it in vs. 2. “As to babes in Christ. 2 I fed you with milk and not with solid food; for until now you were not able to receive it, and even now you are still not able”. It is the milk of the world of God and the meat is the meat of the word of God that Paul is referring to here. The book of Hebrews speaks of immaturity too. 12 “For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food. 13 For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. 14 But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil” Hebrews 5:12-13.
6. God has provided us one another to bring us into maturity. “And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, 13 till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; 14 that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, 15 but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ” Ephesians 4:11- 15. Immature and babes in Christ get tossed around by every “wind of doctrine” like the “prosperity gospel” of today.
7. Lets grow up in the Word of God. We cannot continue to be babes in Christ especially after five (this is my opinion only) years of chronological age in Christ. At we should set a goal for ourselves. We should be able to comprehend the basic Christianity to teach others about Christ, repentance, redemption and the expectation of Jesus’ soon return. Are you digging and eating solid, meat food in the word of God? A mother cannot eat baby food and be able to feed her infant baby food. A mother must eat solid food with meat in order to feed an infant.
Apostle Paul was not threatened by the immaturity of the Corinthian Church. He understood it knowing where they had come from. All he wanted from the Corinthians is for them to simply grow up. God also understands us today and knows where we came from but not to remain the same. How long have you been a believer in Christ or a Christian? Would this statement apply to you today? “For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God”! You and I should be the judge of ourselves.
There is no room in the body of Christ for perpetual “Diaper Christians” We are given a strong warning in Revelation. 14 “And to the angel of the church of the Laodiceans[f] write,
‘These things says the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God: 15 “I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. 16 So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot,[g] I will vomit you out of My mouth” Revelation 3:14-16.
Lord, help me to grow up in you. Lord take away every childish ways in me. Help me Lord to cooperate and listen to your Holy Spirit as you lead me into maturity. Lord grant me a new passion for your word and grant me the will to read, study, listen, meditate and obey your truth and to apply your Word in my daily living. Amen
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