Please turn with me in your Bibles to 1 Corinthians chapter 2.

When the Bible was written, it was written as a series of letters and books, but had no chapter nor verse divisions in the text. In the early 13^th century Archbishop Stephen Langton developed the chapter divisions in our Bibles. Wikipedia notes that:

“The first English New Testament to use the verse divisions was a 1557 translation by William Whittingham (c. 1524–1579). The first Bible in English to use both chapters and verses was the Geneva Bible published shortly afterwards in 1560. These verse divisions soon gained acceptance as a standard way to notate verses, and have since been used in nearly all English Bibles and the vast majority of those in other languages”.

Why am I telling you all this? Because often the chapters (being man made devices) divide at the wrong place. That’s the case with tonight’s focal text. Read with me:

1 Corinthians 2:12-16, 3:1-2 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. 13 Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. 14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. 15 But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man. 16 For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? but we have the mind of Christ.

Chapter 3 And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. 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.

The Apostle makes a distinction between three types of people in today’s text:

1: There is the believer in Christ who, on salvation,
receives the Spirit of God

1 Corinthians 2:12 … we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God

Though the King James translation has “spirit” in the lower case, it should be capitalized to “Spirit”. The Scripture says that all Christians have the Holy Spirit of God. Romans 8:9 tells us “if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his”. Christians are Spirit indwelt!

A Christian is born again by becoming like a little child when approaching God. Jesus showed us this in:

Matthew 18:2-4 And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them, 3 And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. 4 Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

No one enters the Kingdom of God full grown.

We humble ourselves as little children, and run into the arms of Jesus. We obediently follow Jesus, knowing that in His footsteps is where safety is. “Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps” (1 Peter 2:21 ESV). We are to stay close to Jesus, as a child might stay close to it’s mother while out in the harsh world. The Christian has a purpose greater than “going to Heaven”. Christians are to grow in their faith, becoming more like Jesus every day.

2. There is the “natural man”, the unsaved person
driven by the spirit of disobedience

1 Corinthians 2:14 … the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned…

Word Study: The “natural man” is the son of Adam, the child of disobedience, the unbeliever. The unbeliever will not come to Jesus Christ to be saved. The “natural man” (ψυχικός psychikós, [pronounced psoo-khee-kos’]) literally means “the one governed by breath or senses, governed by feelings”. This is a picture of the lost soul. The Apostle says that two things are true of the lost:

• The lost soul will not “receive” (δέχομαι déchomai, [pronounced dekh’-om-ahee]) the things of the Spirit of God. Notice the word “things” used by the Apostle. The lost soul does not consider the truths of the Scripture (“Thy Word, O God, is TRUTH” John 17:17) to actually be true. What the Spirit has said through His Apostles and Prophets are but “things”, opinions of dead men that are to be forgotten in history. The lost cling to their sensuality, their feelings, and continue to make themselves the center of the YOUniverse. Jesus told those who believe in Him:

Mark 6:11 … whosoever shall not receive (déchomai) you, nor hear you, when ye depart thence, shake off the dust under your feet for a testimony against them. Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment, than for that city.

The lost person is in love with the darkness. Jesus said, “Search the scriptures; for in them you think you have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me. You will not come to Me, that you might have life” (John 5:39-40). The Spirit of God wrote this text, this precious Scripture. “Holy Men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Spirit” (2 Peter 1:21). Jesus said:

Mark 10:15 Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive (déchomai) the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein.

Word Study: Oh Beloved, you must receive Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior if you are to be saved. “But as many as received (λαμβάνω lambanō, to grab hold of) {Jesus}, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name” (John 1:12). The lost stay lost for they will not receive the truths of the Spirit of God. Secondly,

• “Neither can he know them”. The lost person cannot “know” (γινώσκω ginṓskō, [pronounced ghin-oce’-ko]) the truths of the Spirit of God. This word literally means “to understand at an intimate level, to understand so as to be able to apply these truths to your own life”. Jesus told the highly religious Pharisees who chased after Him:

John 8:43-44 Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word. 44 Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.

There should be a great divide between the Kingdom of God (the Church that Jesus rules) and the world. The world says of our Christ, “Foolish!”. The world says of our faith, “Foolish!”. The world says of our shunning of what God calls sin, “Foolish!”. Yet as we have learned before,

1 Corinthians 1:25 the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

3. Then There Is The “Carnal” Christian,
Frozen In Spiritual Childhood

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.

We who have received Jesus as Lord and Savior are now “the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:26). We are of God’s Kingdom. Jesus Christ is our King and High Priest. It is God’s intent that we follow Him through His Word, and draw close to Him daily for blessing and sustenance. As believers in Christ:

We were saved by becoming little children, but as believers we are to “know the things that are freely given to us of God”. God gave the Church the Bible, and God gives the Church pastors and teachers. The Apostle said in:

Ephesians 4:11-15 And {God} gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; 12 For the perfecting {καταρτισμός katartismós, [pronounced kat-ar-tis-mos’], or better, EQUIPPING} of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: 13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect {τέλειος téleios, [pronounced tel’-i-os], better FINISHED} man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ: 14 That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; 15 But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:

God saved us by faith in THE Son of God, and wants us to heed His Word, applying it to our lives, until we become mature sons of God.

It is all right to start out as a Christian and be a baby. In fact, it is normal. But all of you know that someone who stays a baby indefinitely is an abnormality. When parents have a child that cannot walk after a certain time, who cannot speak or form sentences after a certain amount of time, or cannot feet itself after a certain amount of time, the parents will take the child to specialists. The same is true of the Christian. From the point of salvation we are to mature, becoming more and more like Jesus. This is the standard Jesus set for us. Here is the normal Christian life:

John 13:34 A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.

John 15:12 This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.

We are to love the way Jesus loved. The Corinthian Church (and many Churches today) fall far from this standard. This should not be. If you were here when I preached on 1 Corinthians Chapter 1, you know that believers are:

“Sanctified or set apart from the world in Christ Jesus” (1:1), and
“Called Saints” (1:1)

The Church at Corinth is a saved body of believers, but they are stalled in childhood. They should not be stalled. The Apostle said:

1 Corinthians 2:16 – 3:1 For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? but we have the mind of Christ. 3:1 And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ.

Why Was Corinth Stalled In Spiritual Childhood?

A Church Stalls In Spiritual Growth When It
De-emphasizes The Scripture

Corinth Rejected The Importance Of The Word Of God,
And Embraced The Spirit Of Worldliness

The Apostle Paul and Sosthenes (a leader from Corinth who went to visit Paul – see 1 Corinthians 1:1) who help found and pastor Corinth “have the mind of Christ”. The Christian is supposed to “have the mind of Christ”. What gives us the “the mind of Christ”? It is the Word of God and the Spirit of God. The Lord told us that:

John 16:13 when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.

The Holy Spirit, the “Spirit of truth”, is given to every Christian to guide us in this wonderful Bible, the WORD of Truth. We are to feed on God’s Word. We are to cherish God’s Word. The Prophet Jeremiah said:

Jeremiah 15:16 Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by thy name, O LORD God of hosts.

We are saved by receiving the Living Word of God, Jesus, as little children. We become mature sons of God by receiving the Written Word of God as His children. We cherish God’s Word, and, through the intervention of the Spirit of God, apply it to our lives. Jesus warned us:

Matthew 7:24-27 … whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: 25 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. 26 And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: 27 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.

The Corinthian believers were just not growing. Is it Paul’s fault? Did Paul do something wrong to make them stall? No! Is it Sosthenes fault? Did Sosthenes do something wrong? No, it was the Corinthians fault.

Worldliness Entered The Kingdom Of God.

1 Corinthians 3:2-3 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. 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?

When the Apostle founded Corinth, he fed them with milk. He preached the simple Gospel to them, and they were saved by receiving that Gospel. This is wonderful! However, Paul says “ye are yet carnal”, σαρκικός sarkikós, [pronounced sar-kee-kos’], “under the control of fleshly or animal appetites”. The Christian is to be governed by the Word of God and the Spirit of God. The Corinthians, like many professing Christians today, are governed by their appetites and opinions.

They do not seek the glory of God in their actions,
but self glory and promotion.

The marks of the Christian who is worldly and childish is that they are always doing things for SELF love, but doing little or nothing for OTHER love. The Apostle writes:

1 Corinthians 3:3 For ye are yet carnal: {sarkikós} for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal: {sarkikós} and walk as men?

When the atmosphere in the Church is the same as the atmosphere in the world, then there will be no life and no growth there. Paul defines the problem the Corinthians have in three words:

• envying: ζῆλος zēlos, [pronounced dzay’-los], which means to look at what someone else has, and desiring it, to take action to take it. Envying is a violation of God’s Tenth Commandment in …

Exodus 20:17, “Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbor’s.”

It is the work of God to “distribute to each person as He will” (1 Corinthians 12:11). Our God gives us what He wants us to have. We are encouraged to “be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5). God has been good to us all. Enjoy what you have, but do not try to take another person’s gifts, things, position, or family.

• strife: When Christians get off base and become envious rather than loving, it always brings “strife” (ἔρις éris, [pronounced er’-is]), that is, quarrels, battles, contention. God commands us to “walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife {éris} and envying.” This is the second time Paul addresses this, for we read in:

1 Corinthians 1:11 For it hath been declared unto me of you, my brethren, by them which are of the house of Chloe, that there are contentions [better, strife {éris}] among you.

• Divisions: Where envy and strife are, there will always be “Divisions” {διχοστασία dichostasía, [pronounced dee-khos-tas-ee’-ah]}, a reference to a Church that has walked away from unity. One of the worst things that can happen to a Church is divisions. The Apostle said in another place:

Romans 16:17-18 Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offenses contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them. 18 For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple.

The Corinthians hid their divisions by cloaking them in in holy jargon. We read:

1 Corinthians 3:4-5 For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal? 5 Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man?

The Apostle Paul was not going to be drawn into the fray. The Christian is called to honor God, to magnify the name of Jesus. The Apostle did not take credit for the growth of Corinth, but told the Corinthians:

1 Corinthians 3:6-8 I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. 7 So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase. 8 Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labor.

God calls every believer to honor Him, and to work to the advancement of Christ’s Kingdom on this earth. We are to love one another, not loath one another. Every Christian shall “receive his own reward according to his own labor”. We are called to work for Jesus ourselves. To let the Spirit of God lead us as we, through the study of His Word, become more like Jesus.

We will end with this verse tonight, though we will return another day:

1 Corinthians 3:9 For we are laborers together with God: ye are God’s husbandry, ye are God’s building.

We who are Christians are to work together with one another, and with God our Savior. Every Church is both “God’s husbandry” and “God’s building”. The word translated “husbandry” is the Greek γεώργιον geōrgion, literally “Garden”. Everything in a Garden is put there by the Gardener to produce fruit. Weeds are not welcome! Let us all work together for the glory of God. May God the Holy Spirit draw you closer to Him today. May you live with purpose to glorify the Lord. Amen and Amen!