1 Corinthians 3:2 - Printer Friendly

ESV: I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for it. And even now you are not yet ready,

NIV: I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready.

NASB: I gave you milk to drink, not solid food; for you were not yet able to consume it. But even now you are not yet able,

CSB: I gave you milk to drink, not solid food, since you were not yet ready for it. In fact, you are still not ready,

NLT: I had to feed you with milk, not with solid food, because you weren’t ready for anything stronger. And you still aren’t ready,

KJV: I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.

NKJV: 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;

Paul has compared the Corinthian Christians to babies. Despite being saved for some unexplained length of time, they have not matured spiritually. The problem isn't that they are not Christians, nor have they been denied opportunity to grow. These believers have access to the power of the Holy Spirit. They have simply not participated in the process of abandoning their selfish ways, so they can spiritually grow. They could behave as spiritually-empowered believers, but instead they behave as if they were "merely human" (1 Corinthians 3:3).

Paul writes that when he was with them—when they were first saved—he fed them with milk. By this, he means that he taught them the most basic things about God and what it means to be a Christian. As with any newborn, they were only prepared to consume and digest something very basic. Like babies, they began with liquids, milk. By now, however, they should be ready for solid food. Milk is meant to inspire growth into a more mature, more capable creation.

These believers should, by now, be ready for more challenging truths of selflessly walking in Christ and living according to the Spirit. They're still not ready to chew, however. Why is it that the Corinthian Christians have gained so little maturity? Paul holds them responsible for their own lack of growth.

First Corinthians 3:1–9 describes Paul's rebuke of the Corinthian Christians as infants in Christ. As a contrast to a spiritually-indwelt believer, Paul uses the concept of being ''merely human.'' Such persons are not ready for solid food, still behaving as immature, undeveloped believers. Instead of following Paul or Apollos, or some other human being, they should follow God, the master of all. Different leaders might be called to different tasks in God's will, but none are ultimately more important than others.

Paul cannot call the Corinthian Christians ''spiritual'' people. Though they are in Christ, they continue to live to the flesh. They are spiritual infants, not ready for solid food. Divisions among them prove they are still serving themselves, picking sides in a senseless debate between Christian teachers. Paul insists that both he and Apollos are mere servants of the Lord and co-workers. They are not in competition. Those who lead the Corinthians must build carefully because their work will be tested on the day of the Lord. Christian leaders who build the church will have their work judged by Christ to see if they have built on the foundation of Christ. All human wisdom will be shown to be futile and worthless.

First Corinthians 3 follows Paul's teaching that only spiritual people can understand the wisdom of God. Paul cannot fully call the Corinthian Christians spiritual people, though, because they continue to live of the flesh, as if they were still infants trapped in an immature condition. Evidence includes the divisions among them. Paul insist that he and Apollos are both servants of the same master. The Corinthians should follow God, not them. Those whose work is worthless will suffer loss, but they will be saved. After this, Paul will expound on the idea that believers ought to set Christ as their example, rather than being defined in terms of their earthly leaders.

First Corinthians is one of the more practical books of the New Testament. Paul writes to a church immersed in a city associated with trade, but also with corruption and immorality. These believers are struggling to properly apply spiritual gifts and to resist the ungodly practices of the surrounding culture. Paul's letter gives instructions for real-life concerns such as marriage and spirituality. He also deals with the importance of unity and gives one of the Bible's more well-known descriptions of love in chapter 13.