1 Corinthians 3:3 - Printer Friendly

ESV: for you are still of the flesh. For while there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not of the flesh and behaving only in a human way?

NIV: You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere humans?

NASB: for you are still fleshly. For since there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not fleshly, and are you not walking like ordinary people?

CSB: because you are still worldly. For since there is envy and strife among you, are you not worldly and behaving like mere humans?

NLT: for you are still controlled by your sinful nature. You are jealous of one another and quarrel with each other. Doesn’t that prove you are controlled by your sinful nature? Aren’t you living like people of the world?

KJV: For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?

NKJV: for you are still carnal. For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men?

At the beginning of this letter, Paul thanked God for His grace for all the Christians in Corinth. God had confirmed their faith in Christ by giving them gifts through the Holy Spirit. Paul was grateful that, because they were in Christ, they would stand blameless before God on the day of the Lord (1 Corinthians 1:4–9). These are saved, born-again people; however, they are not spiritually mature people.

Paul now expresses his great frustration with them, in that they have matured so little in their spiritual lives. They remain on the "milk diet" suited for newborns—for immature, brand-new Christians—and they are not ready for the solid food of deeper truths, or for abundant life in Christ by the power of God's Spirit. They are not living as people indwelt by the Holy Spirit; they are living as if they were "merely human."

Why has this happened? Paul says it plainly: "you are still of the flesh." By this, he means that the Christians in Corinth, despite having power from the Holy Spirit, are still selfishly serving themselves first and foremost. They have access to God's Spirit, and the ability to grow into selfless, Christlike lives, but they have not made any progress.

The first evidence Paul presents of their lack of growth is conflict and jealousy among them. While there will always be some level of friction among every other group of humans, Paul means something more concerning. He is referring to quarreling among the Christians of Corinth, according to personal reports of the representatives of a woman called Chloe (1 Corinthians 1:11).

As Paul will make clear, maturing Christians should begin to function differently from unsaved people, or brand-new born-again believers. Clearly, we must choose to actively participate in this growth. God can work in us through the power of the Holy Spirit, but if we're careless or lazy, we'll remain spiritual infants.

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.