1 Corinthians Chapter 3

“And I, brethren, could not speak unto you, etc.] Though the apostle was a spiritual man himself, had spiritual gifts, even the extraordinary gifts of the Spirit, could judge all things, had the mind of Christ, and was able to speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, yet could not speak it to them, as unto spiritual; not but that they had the Spirit of God in them, and a work of grace upon them; for they were, as the apostle afterwards says, the temple of God, and the Spirit of God dwelt in them; they were washed, sanctified, and justified, in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God; but had not that…”

“PAUL COULD NOT SPEAK TO THEM OF DEEP SPIRITUAL TRUTHS, AS THEY WERE CARNAL, CONTENDING FOR THEIR SEVERAL TEACHERS; THESE ARE NOTHING BUT WORKERS FOR GOD, TO WHOM THEY MUST GIVE ACCOUNT IN THE DAY OF FIERY JUDGMENT. THE HEARERS ARE GOD'S TEMPLE, WHICH THEY MUST NOT DEFILE BY CONTENTIONS FOR TEACHERS, WHO, AS WELL AS ALL THINGS, ARE THEIRS, BEING CHRIST'S. (1Co. 3:1-23) And I--that is, as the natural (animal) man cannot receive, so I also could not speak unto you the deep things of God, as I would to the spiritual; but I was compelled to speak to you as I would to MEN OF FLESH. The oldest manuscripts read this for…”

“And I, brethren - See 1 Corinthians 2:1. This is designed to meet an implied objection. He had said 1 Corinthians 2:14-16 that Christians were able to understand all things. Yet, they would recollect that he had not addressed them as such, but had confined himself to the more elementary parts of religion when he came among them. He had not entered upon the abstruse and difficult points of theology - the points of speculation in which the subtle Greeks so much abounded and so much delighted. He now states the reason why he had not done it. The reason was one that was most humbling to their pride; but it was the…”

“And I, brethren - He spoke before, Co1 2:1, of his entrance, now of his progress, among them. Could not speak to you as unto spiritual - Adult, experienced Christians. But as unto men who were still in great measure carnal, as unto babes in Christ - Still weak in grace, though eminent in gifts, Co1 1:5. 1 Corinthians 3:2”

“3:1–4:7 Having contrasted human and spiritual wisdom, Paul now returns to the divisiveness in the Corinthian church (see 1:10-12), particularly their misplaced devotion to himself and Apollos. 3:1-4 Paul rebukes the Christians in Corinth for their spiritual immaturity. 3:1 The Corinthians’ behavior was not that of the spiritual people whom Paul described in 2:15, but like that of unbelievers who are attracted to the wisdom and values of this world. • infants in Christ: Though they were converted, their lives and thinking did not reflect maturity in Christ and the transforming perspective of his Spirit.”

“as unto spiritual: Co1 2:6, Co1 2:15; Gal 6:1 as unto carnal: Co1 3:3, Co1 3:4, Co1 2:14; Mat 16:23; Rom 7:14 babes: Co1 14:20; Eph 4:13, Eph 4:14; Jo1 2:12 1 Corinthians 3:2”