May 20
“I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ. I fed you with milk and not with solid food; for until now you were not able to receive it, and even now you are still not able; for you are still carnal. For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men? For when one says, ‘I am of Paul,’ and another, ‘I am of Apollos,’ are you not carnal? Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers through whom you believed, as the Lord gave to each one? I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase. So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase,” 1 Corinthians 3:1-7.
In chapter three of his First Epistle to the Corinthians, the apostle Paul is moved by the Holy Spirit to pursue the same topic that was addressed in the opening words of chapter one – namely, that the congregation in Corinth had become a congregation of cliques. Much to his sorrow, the congregation had not grown spiritually as he had hoped. He says that he could not address them as mature, adult Christians. Spiritually, they were babes in Christ; they had not grown spiritually, and he fed them with milk, not with solid food. Babies are fed milk or a milk substitute. Only gradually are they given solid food. The Corinthian Christians were not prepared to be taught Christian teachings that required Christian maturity. He nourished them with the simple fundamentals of Christian knowledge.
The author of the Epistle to the Hebrews had to deal the same way with his hearers: “Though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food. For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil,” Hebrews 5:12-14.
The Corinthians were continuing to conduct themselves in a carnal way – that is, in a fleshly, sinful way. They were behaving like mere men; they had not grown up spiritually. They continued to be attracted to the person instead of the message. There was a “party” spirit that resulted in envy, strife, and division: “I am of Paul!” or, “I am of Apollos!”
The apostle proceeded to straighten out their thinking. “I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase. So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase.” Paul was asking them to grow up spiritually. Give attention to the message through which God works and invites the hearers to believe in the one true God and in Jesus Christ whom He sent to be our Savior. Clergymen should plant, cultivate, and water with the Word, and God will give the increase.
It is the Holy Spirit who touches the hearts of the hearers and brings them to faith in Jesus, who suffered, died, and rose again to redeem us all from sin, death, and the power of the devil. “No one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit,” 1 Corinthians 12:3. The Holy Spirit also keeps us in the faith. “(You) are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation,” 1 Peter 1:5. Clergymen and individual Christians who witness with the Word of God are the human instruments through whom the Holy Spirit works.
Search the Scriptures daily and dig deeper and deeper into the Word, so that you will proceed from a spiritual diet of milk to a diet of solid food! In layman’s language, grow from a diet of milk to a diet of meat and potatoes!
“How precious is the Book Divine,
By inspiration giv’n!
Bright as a lamp, its doctrines shine,
To guide our souls to heav’n.
It shows to man his wand’ring ways,
And where his feet have trod,
And brings to view the matchless grace,
Of a forgiving God.” Amen.