Yes, the Corinthians were genuine believers even though Paul described them as carnal and spiritually immature.
Paul never treats the Corinthians as outsiders or unsaved people. He addresses them as 'brethren' and 'babes in Christ' (1 Corinthians 3:1), and Les Feldick points out that Paul calls them believers who have been born again and placed into the Body of Christ. Their carnality and fleshly problems reveal their immaturity, not a loss of salvation.
1 Corinthians 3:1 — Paul calls the Corinthians 'brethren' and 'babes in Christ,' showing they are already in the family despite their carnality.
1 Corinthians 1:8 — Paul promises God will confirm these carnal believers blameless to the end.
1 Corinthians 1:7 — Paul says the Corinthians come behind in no gift, showing that their problems did not cut them off from God's grace.
In 1 Corinthians 3:1 the Apostle Paul writes, 'And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ.' The word 'brethren' and the phrase 'babes in Christ' show that the Corinthians were already in the family—immature, but in the family. Earlier in the letter Paul tells them, 'So that ye come behind in no gift' (1 Corinthians 1:7), and he assures them, 'Who shall also confirm you unto the end, that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ' (1 Corinthians 1:8). Paul also says, 'God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord' (1 Corinthians 1:9). These verses describe people whom God has called and whom He will keep to the end.
Les Feldick is emphatic that the Corinthians are believers. In his teaching from 1 Corinthians 2, he says that Paul calls them believers—they have been born again and placed into the Body of Christ, but they are still so fleshly minded. He reminds his listeners not to lose sight of the fact that Paul is writing to believers, not unbelievers. Les explains that these believers were saved out of abject idolatry, paganism, and immorality, so they were not immediately transformed into spiritual giants. They still had hang-ups and failures, but 'where are these believers? In grace.' Because they are in grace, they come behind in no gift. Paul had to write to them as carnal and as babes who were not ready for the meat of the Word. Les says the entire first letter is addressed to a congregation of weak, carnal, fleshly believers—but they are believers. He also refutes the idea that only spiritual believers would be taken at the Lord's coming; all the Corinthians would go. God's grace saves them, and His grace is available to nurture them as they grow.
Les describes carnal as 'the very opposite of a mature spiritual Christian.' These believers had been saved out of paganism and still struggled with the moral practices they had grown up with, so Paul had to write to them as carnal and as babes who were not ready for the meat of the Word. Carnality describes their level of growth, not whether they were saved.
Les is direct: if the Lord were to come, it would not be only a few of the Corinthians who would be taken; they would all go. He says those who teach an outcalling of only spiritual believers, with the carnal left behind, are wrong.
Les teaches that no one is born into the family of God as a full-grown spiritual person; everyone begins as a babe in Christ. He expects growth and tells his classes that if a believer is not more steeped in the Word than a year earlier, then he and the believer have both failed.
The Corinthian believers had picked personalities—some followed Paul, some Apollos, and some even said they went by what Jesus said rather than what Paul said. They were also suing each other in pagan courts, which is why Paul had to correct them. These are problems inside the believing congregation, not signs of unbelief.
Why Unbelievers Can't Understand the Bible — 1 Corinthians 2 Explained
For who, Paul says, hath known the mind of the LORD? That is of the secular world. How many of the world�s intellectuals and their great philosophers and their great authors and all the rest that you can put in there, how many of them know the mind of God? Almost zero.
Paul Calls Corinthians Believers
Les stresses that Paul repeatedly calls these Corinthians believers; they have been born again and placed into the Body of Christ, but remain dominated by fleshly thinking.
All the Corinthians Would Be Taken
If the Lord returned, every one of these carnal Corinthians would be taken, not just the spiritually mature ones.
Believers Are in Grace
Carnal Christians are the opposite of mature spiritual Christians, yet these Corinthians are in grace and lack no gift.
Believers Begin as Babes
Salvation is like physical birth: no one enters God's family fully grown; every believer begins as a babe in Christ.
A Congregation of Weak Believers
First Corinthians is written to a congregation of weak, carnal, fleshly believers who are nonetheless true believers.
Babes Not Ready for Meat
The Corinthians were too carnal to handle the meat of the Word, so Paul wrote to correct them as babes in Christ.
Saved from Paganism, Needing Growth
These believers were saved out of paganism and need nurturing, but every genuinely saved person experiences all of God's grace at salvation.
1 Corinthians 1:7: So that ye come behind in no gift; waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ:
This verse shows that the carnal Corinthians were not missing the gifts God had given them.
1 Corinthians 1:8: Who shall also confirm you unto the end, that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Paul promises God will keep these believers blameless to the end, reflecting their true saved status.
1 Corinthians 1:9: God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.
God called the Corinthians into fellowship with His Son, another sign of genuine salvation.
1 Corinthians 3:1: And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ.
Paul calls the Corinthians 'brethren' and 'babes in Christ,' showing they are believers despite their carnality.
Yes. Les Feldick points out that Paul calls them believers who have been born again and placed into the Body of Christ, even though they are still fleshly minded. Carnality describes their immaturity, not their salvation status.
No. In Les's teaching, the Corinthians were genuine believers—they were 'babes in Christ' and 'in grace'—but they were not mature enough to handle the deeper things of the Word. Carnality is a condition of growth, not proof of unbelief.
No. Les teaches that if the Lord came, all the Corinthians would be taken, not only a few spiritual believers. He specifically rejects the idea that the carnal would be left behind.
Watch the Teaching: Why Unbelievers Can't Understand the Bible — 1 Corinthians 2 Explained