The Bible divides everyone into the lost and the saved, then divides believers into spiritual and carnal—producing three categories: spiritual believers, carnal believers, and unbelievers.
Les Feldick teaches that from the beginning there have always been two primary groups—the lost and the saved—but among the saved there are two conditions. Spiritual believers are controlled by the Holy Spirit and can receive strong teaching, while carnal believers are in the Body of Christ but still fleshly and immature. Unbelievers are the lost natural element.
1 Corinthians 3:1-3 — Paul calls believers carnal babes who cannot receive strong meat, and he lists envying, strife, and divisions as evidence of carnality.
Romans 8:6-7 — Paul uses the carnal mind in a way that shows the word carnal can describe an unsaved condition.
Scripture uses the word carnal in more than one connection. In 1 Corinthians 3, the apostle Paul writes to believers and tells them he could not speak to them as spiritual, but as carnal, even as babes in Christ. They could not bear strong meat, and their envying, strife, and divisions showed that they were still carnal and walking as men. In Romans 8, Paul writes that to be carnally minded is death and that the carnal mind is enmity against God. In combination, these verses show a carnal condition among saved people and a carnal mind that is opposed to God.
Les Feldick builds the three-part division from these passages. He says that from the beginning of human history there have always been two primary groups: the lost, which by far outnumber the saved, and the believers, the saved of the ages. Within the saved group, Paul speaks of two kinds of believers. Spiritual believers are those who mind the things of the Spirit and can take in the strong meat of Scripture. Carnal believers are genuinely saved and in the Body of Christ, but they are still controlled by the flesh and the Old Adam rather than by the Holy Spirit. They are babes in Christ who need milk. The Corinthians were the clearest example—saved out of paganism but still immature, divided, and full of hang-ups. Despite that, Les emphasizes they are still in grace and would all be taken when the Lord comes. Thus, the three categories are spiritual believers, carnal believers, and unbelievers.
A carnal believer is someone who is saved and in the Body of Christ but has not come out of the fleshly lifestyle. Les Feldick says such a believer is not Spirit-filled and not Spirit-directed; his priorities are mixed up and he is still more in the flesh than in the Spirit. The Corinthians were carnal—saved out of idolatry, still carrying hang-ups, and unable to handle strong meat.
Yes, according to Les Feldick. Although the Corinthians were carnal, Paul teaches that if the Lord came they would all go, not just the spiritual ones. Les explicitly rejects the teaching that carnal believers would be left behind. They are still in grace and come behind in no gift.
A spiritual believer is the opposite of a carnal one. He or she is Spirit-filled and Spirit-directed, minds the things of the Spirit rather than the world, and is able to handle the strong meat of the Word. Paul says he fed the Corinthians milk because they were not yet able to bear strong meat; the spiritual believer is able to receive it.
Les Feldick says that from the beginning of human history there have always been two primary groups: the lost, and the believers or saved of the ages. The division applies across every race and social class. The category of believers is then subdivided into spiritual and carnal, giving three categories overall.
Carnal Believers Fed Milk
Les explains that the Corinthians were in the Body of Christ yet carnal, and Paul had to feed them milk because they could not bear strong meat—showing that carnal believers are saved but immature.
Carnal Believers Controlled by Old Adam
Les teaches that carnal believers are saved and in Christ but still under control of the Old Adam rather than the Holy Spirit, like babes who can only take milk.
Carnal Believer Defined
Les defines a carnal believer as one who is saved and in the Body of Christ but whose priorities are mixed up, more controlled by the flesh than the Spirit.
Two Uses of the Word Carnal
Les explains that the word carnal can refer either to a fleshly-minded believer or to a totally unsaved person—so 'carnal' does not by itself tell you someone is lost.
Corinthian Divisions Evidence Carnality
Les points to the Corinthians' divisions—one saying 'I am of Paul'—as proof that they were still carnal and unable to take in deeper spiritual truth.
Carnal Believers Are Not Left Behind
Les teaches that even carnal Corinthian believers would all be taken if the Lord returned; carnality does not remove them from grace or from the Body.
Carnal Christians Opposed to Mature Believers
Les describes a carnal Christian as the opposite of a mature spiritual Christian, yet still in grace and receiving all the gifts as much as the spiritual Philippians.
Two Primary Groups: Lost and Saved
Les says human history has always had two primary groups—the lost and the saved—and this division underlies the further three-part distinction of spiritual, carnal, and lost.
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's opening verse explains that he had to address believers as carnal rather than spiritual.
1 Corinthians 3:2: 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.
This verse shows that carnal believers are not able to receive deep teaching.
1 Corinthians 3:3: For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?
Paul identifies envying, strife, and divisions as markers of carnality in believers.
Romans 8:6: For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
Paul contrasts carnal and spiritual mindedness.
Romans 8:7: Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.
This verse shows that a carnal mind is opposed to God; Les sees this usage applying to the unsaved.
1 Corinthians 1:8-9: Who shall also confirm you unto the end, that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.
Paul assures the carnal Corinthians that they are confirmed and blameless in Christ's day.
Spiritual believers, carnal believers, and unbelievers. The unsaved are lost, while believers are either spiritual—Spirit-filled and able to receive strong meat—or carnal—saved but still controlled by the flesh and like babes in Christ.
Yes—in 1 Corinthians 3:1-3 he tells the Corinthian believers they are carnal and babes in Christ, unable to bear strong meat, and he points to envying, strife, and divisions as proof.
Les Feldick says yes. A carnal believer is saved and in the Body of Christ, but his priorities are mixed up and he is more controlled by the flesh than the Spirit. The Corinthians were saved yet carnal.
No, according to Les Feldick. He says if the Lord were to come, all the Corinthians would be taken, not just the spiritual believers; carnality does not remove them from grace.
Watch the Teaching: Why Unbelievers Can't Understand the Bible — 1 Corinthians 2 Explained