Who were the Corinthians Paul was writing to in 1 Corinthians 3?
Paul was writing to Corinthian believers who were carnal, or fleshly, even as babes in Christ. He had fed them milk, not meat, because they were not yet able to bear deeper truth; being carnal, they could not get excited about the deep things of God.
Les explains that these were the kind of people Paul was writing all this heavy, deep material to. He points out that the Holy Spirit would not have prompted Paul to write this to a carnal church if it would have been too much for them to handle. It is here for every believer, even the babes in Christ. In 1 Corinthians 3, beginning at verse 1, Paul says he could not speak to them as spiritual, but as carnal, or fleshly, even as babes in Christ. In the next verse he says he fed them with milk and not with meat, because they were not able to bear it, nor were they yet able, for they were carnal and fleshly and could not get excited about the deep things. Les applies this to many people today, noting God does not want people to be fleshly and carnal but spiritual, enjoying the knowledge of God.
And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ.
More Questions
How did Paul address the Corinthian believers in 1 Corinthians 3?
Paul said he could not speak to the Corinthians as spiritual people but had to speak to them as carnal, fleshly babes in Christ.
What does Paul say to the Corinthians in 1 Corinthians 3:1?
In 1 Corinthians 3:1, Paul says he has to write to the Corinthians as carnal babes who are not ready for the meat of the word.