Why did Paul feed the Corinthians with milk instead of meat?
Paul fed the Corinthians milk because they were not able to bear strong meat, being still carnal babes in Christ, controlled by the flesh rather than the Holy Spirit. They had not grown in spiritual experience and were not ready for the deeper doctrinal things of Scripture.
Les teaches that Paul had nurtured the Corinthians on spiritual milk, but they could not handle strong meat—no more than an infant can handle solid food. Even a year or two later, they had not gone further in their spiritual experience; they were still babes in Christ. Their problem was carnality: they were believers still controlled by the flesh rather than by the Holy Spirit. So they were not ready for the deeper doctrinal things of the Word. Les sees the same sad condition among many professing Christians today, who remain on the milk of the Word and cannot handle the meat of Scripture.
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.
More Questions
What does Paul mean by milk and meat in 1 Corinthians 3?
In saying he fed them milk and not meat, Paul means literal meat (flesh, such as beef or mutton), the Greek implying strong meat, not food of any sort.
What is the 'strong meat' of the Word that Paul says the Corinthians couldn't bear?
The 'strong meat' Paul says the Corinthians could not bear refers to the deep doctrinal truths of the Word of God, which they were unable to handle then and were still unable to handle at the time Paul wrote.