The Corinthian Babes

There are passages in the Bible that speak of maturity, but before we get to them we look at how we often misunderstand maturity. Maturity is sometimes the opposite of what we think it is and we have frequently inserted our thoughts into scriptures, where they have not been the thoughts of the author.

In 1st Cor 3:1 Paul spoke of spiritual babes. We thought that Paul taught that there is a long process from spiritual babyhood to adulthood, whereby we become more and more spiritual and thus climb up to higher levels. This is the exact opposite to what Paul taught.

Paul explained that the Corinthians were babes, not because they neglected spiritual exercises, but because they adopted them. This affected their marriage relationships and brought them into legalism and self-exaltation. Paul’s response was opposite to our natural thinking. Their spirituality was their problem. They were carnal (not trusting in the spirituality of Christ) and they were divided among themselves, trying to be more spiritual than the other (1 Cor 3:3-4).

Their problem was not that they had not grown enough, but that they had gone backwards. They had fallen from that which Christ had already given to them as a free gift. They were trying to do it themselves. They had done exactly what the Galatians had done. They had gone from the spirituality of Christ back to their own spirituality, from simplicity back to complexity, from faith back to works:
But I fear, lest by any means…your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. (2 Cor 11:3).

Their problem was the spirituals, the false apostles who had a so-called superior spirituality. These tried to make a show in the flesh, by being more spiritual and thus showed themselves to be carnal. We study this more fully in the chapter on spiritual gifts. The Corinthians rejected Paul because he was not spiritual, i.e. he did not follow their devotional rules (2 Cor 10:3), which Paul condemned in Col 2:16-23.

We claim that there are spiritual conditions we must meet to please God, but we cannot keep these conditions, laws and resolutions and we feel guilty about it. This may be why we sometimes adopt a theology of trying and progressive sanctification, because it explains and excuses our experience.

If we say that there are conditions that we must meet to be sanctified, when did we ever meet them? The message of Paul in Corinthians is that we should not be spiritual, but we should rather love. We should love one another fervently, not judge one another by religious standards. In trying to be spiritual, the Corinthians missed what spirituality is: the love of Jesus Christ.

…and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith. (Phil 3:9).

Notice the difference in translations here. The NKJV, “faith in Christ”: The KJV, “the faith of Christ”. Your faith is not your work. It is of Him. Translations are at times impacted by the translator’s theology.