THE NATURE OF SPIRITUAL LIFE Devotion 3 of 33 One of the chief differences between First and Second Corinthians is the thrust of the teaching contained in them. First Corinthians dealt extensively with misconduct and ignorance – nearly exclusively, with very few affirmations of the pure Gospel. Paul said he could not speak to them as unto a spiritual people, but had to lisp to them in the language of unlearned children. "And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. 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" (1 Cor 3:1-2). -- Tomorrow:
"But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the veil is upon their heart. Nevertheless when it shall turn to the Lord, the veil shall be taken away. Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord." (2 Cor 3:15-18, KJV)
The spiritual condition of a people can dictate the manner in which they are addressed. If the people are novices because they are actually new believers, that is one thing. However, when, like the Corinthians, they have been exposed to months of teaching (Acts 18:11), there is no acceptable excuse for remaining in a state of juvenility. That is why certain Hebrew believers were told, "For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat" (Heb 5:12). That is not an enviable position, but is one deserving of rebuke.
In this day of salvation, when Jesus has been glorified, and is mediating the New Covenant, a state of perpetual spiritual infancy is in no way justifiable. Now, when God had sent forth His Spirit into the hearts of His people, crying "Abba Father" (Gal 4:6), to remain unlearned and ignorant betrays a lack of faith and a quenching of the Holy Spirit.
These things are confirmed by the very nature of the first Epistle to the Corinthians. Consider the issues with which the Apostle dealt. These were by no means kingdom normalities, but betrayed a miserable state of carnality.
01. Divisions among the people required correction (1 Cor 1).
02. Paul had to explain the manner in which he spoke, and why (1 Cor 2).
03. The Corinthians were infested with carnality (1 Cor 3).
04. The spirit in which Paul came to the Corinthians required some sternness (1 Cor 4).
05. There was serious immorality within the congregation (1 Cor 5).
06. The Corinthians did not exercise proper judgment in handling grievances (1 Cor 6).
07. There were issues relating to marriage that sprang from ignorance (1 Cor 7).
08. There was a problem with eating meat offered to idols (1 Cor 8).
09. Paul had to justify his apostleship (1 Cor 9).
10. He had to remind the Corinthians that they could not partake of the table of demons and the table of the Lord (1 Cor 10).
11. They required instruction concerning proper spiritual protocol and conduct at the Lord's table (1 Cor 11).
12. He had to give extensive teaching concerning proper assembly conduct and objectives, and the reason for it (1 Cor 12-14).
13. It was necessary to confirm the reality of the resurrection of the dead (1 Cor 15).
14. They needed to be exhorted to fulfill their commitment to gather a collection for the poor saints in Jerusalem (1 Cor 16).
All of the words delivered on these matters were true, and were to be followed faithfully. But they were not the heart of the "Apostles' doctrine," nor were they tailored for a spiritually minded people. They were necessitated because the people were actually living at a distance from the Lord, and were thus incapable of digesting spiritual meat (1 Cor 3:1-2).
This was not a mere supposition by Paul. The conduct of the Corinthians confirmed where they were living – and it was not in the "heavenly places"where they had been seated by Christ (Eph 2:6).
PRAYER POINT: Father, in the name of Jesus, I ask for grace to live in a manner that permits godly people to speak to me as one that is spiritual.