Return to Studies in Corinthians
Presented, November 30, 2008 pm
Studies in 1 Corinthians - 9
BEING CARNAL
1 Cor. 2:13-3:4
a.
Paul
begins by noting that the natural man does not receive the things of the
Spirit of God (14).
Who is the natural man?(14)
It seems to be descriptive of one governed by natural instincts.
In this verse we are told that he does not receive things of the Spirit
of God. This does NOT mean
it describes a person incapable of knowing the truth, but rather it
describes the state of him who has NOT heard the truth.
Remember that Paul is speaking of his message having been
revealed by the Spirit. His
point is that man NEEDS the message of the Spirit to know about God and
what He desires. In other
words, if it were NOT for the message revealed, at best man could only
guess as to what is pleasing to God.
I think of paganism and the
various things nations did as they tried to guess what was pleasing to
their so-called gods.
b.
The things
of God are spiritually discerned.
The natural man sees them as foolishness.
That is, what we learn about God’s love and demands are not
concepts that man would invent on his own.
When man devises a plan, it is based upon his wisdom (see the
last part of chapter 1) – things he THINKS would please his idea of God.
That is why it is often elaborate and at times appealing to material and
carnal desires. Man reasons
that what makes him feel good must also please the gods.
But God’s way is REVEALED which is what it means to be spiritually
discerned OR revealed by the Spirit.
Man in his wisdom may choose to reject this way, (he sees them as
foolishness) because of his own concept of what God wants and unless
God’s ways fit in that mold, he will reject it.
This is where selfishness enters the picture.
Do we see this today?
ABSOLUTELY! Why are there so
many different man made religions?
Man wants to pick his own way to serve God.
Man made religions are really a form of idolatry.
c.
But we
need to accept the way of Christ.
In vs. 15-16 Paul notes that the spiritual man (one who IS
willing to accept the truth) “judges all things” or is able to make
sound judgments based upon God’s message.
The NASU uses the word, “appraises all things.”
Young’s Literal Translation uses the expression, “discerns indeed
all things.”
The fact that he is “judged by no one” means he is not influenced by the
wisdom of man in pleasing God.
In other words, he accepts God’s revelation.
Paul then quotes Isaiah 40:13 where the prophet notes that we need “the
mind of the Lord that he may instruct” us.
He concludes by saying, “But we have the mind of Christ.”
Rather than the philosophies of man, Paul is revealing a message
from God which he was able to confirm (by his works and deeds).
d.
The point
of this section: We are not left to guess who God is or how to please
Him, He has revealed that to us though the Spirit, Who in turn gave it
to the apostles who have recorded it for us in words (oral and written).
If we have a proper mindset we can learn it and do what He would
have us to do. Why do we
know God? Remember John
14:9, “Have I been with you so
long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen
the Father…” If we know
Christ, we KNOW the Father. We
know God because He has been revealed to us!
a.
Paul is
here saying in these verses he was not able to speak to them as he just
described – knowing the mind of Christ and the things of the Spirit of
God which are spiritually discerned.
Why? Because they
were carnal!
b.
What does
it mean to be carnal?
i.
From a
Greek word meaning, “to be of the flesh” but in the Bible it usually was
associated with fleshly desires such as the works of the flesh in
Galatians 5:19-21, James 3:15, 1 Tim. 6:3-5, etc.
ii.
These
brethren were appealing to base, worldly emotions to deal with their
problems – selfishness, bickering, envy, etc.
iii.
Bear in
mind we are dealing with Christians who are NOT acting very Christ-like.
c.
Their
carnal behavior
i.
They were acting like babes.
Immature.
Not as grown as they ought to be.
The word for babes is a word that means, a baby or a young child,
no more than a few years old.
They were acting like children.
We think of all the “childish” things that are expected of infants
and toddlers who do not really know any better.
Sure they can be taught to behave, but they really don’t
understand.
But what happens when adults start acting like children? I.e. They hold
grudges, they speak words of hurt, they try to mentally injure their
“enemies”, they bicker and complain, etc.
They set out to do real damage and they KNOW what they are doing!
ii.
Not
able to digest solid food
–
The idea of solid food is able to understand more than the elementary
teachings. Just like a baby cannot handle solid food and thus lives off
of milk, so it is with these brethren.
Now milk is fine at first (see 1 Peter 2:1-2), but after a while
if you cannot digest anymore, there is a serious problem.
These brethren were still demonstrating the mentality of a spiritual
infant. Just like the
brethren to whom the Hebrew letter was written, (5:12-14) they were NOT
in a spiritually mature condition to digest the truth.
Solid food would be the ability to properly apply teachings to every day
situations without being specifically told exactly what to do, e.g.
applying principles. These
brethren WERE NOT doing this.
iii.
They were carnal – acting
like the word of God had NO impact upon them.
Acting as if they had forgotten about being taught the truth by
the Spirit through Paul.
iv.
They were acting with ungodly behavior
– envy, strife and divisions.
There was jealousy that was being carried out in ungodly conduct.
They were “biting and devouring” one another (Gal. 5:15).
v.
They were behaving like mere men.
Acting as if devoid of any Spirit, as if all there was to them was their
physical being.
They were acting like those of the world who were NOT influenced by the
word of God, but were being driven by their fleshly lusts.
Consider Titus 3:3, “For we ourselves were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving
various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and
hating one another.” And 1 Peter 4:2-3, “that
he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh for the lusts
of men, but for the will of God. For we have spent enough of our past
lifetime in doing the will of the Gentiles — when we walked in lewdness,
lusts, drunkenness, revelries, drinking parties, and abominable
idolatries.”
vi.
What were they doing specifically?
Vs. 4, they were arguing over who baptized them (see 1:12) and making it
THE matter of fellowship and importance.
vii.
The MAIN POINT: When
we start mistreating each other and acting like the rest of the world in
dealing with our problems, we are NOT acting like the Christians we
profess to be. As long as we
keep this conduct up, we are carnal and in need of discipline, just like
the unruly little child who needs to be “taught”.
Paul is telling these brethren,
GROW UP!
What a lesson!
d.
How does
one overcome carnality
i.
We
need to GROW UP!
Consider 1 Cor. 14:20, “Brethren,
do not be children in understanding; however, in malice be babes, but in
understanding be mature.”
We need to become mature!
1 Cor. 13:11, “When I was a child,
I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but
when I became a man, I put away childish things.”
ii.
We
need the mind of Christ (Phil.
2:5, 1 Peter 4:1).
How do we develop the mind of Christ? Eph. 3:3-4, “when you read, you may understand.”
We need to study to learn how to be like Him! Cf. 1 Cor. 11:1.
See 1 Peter 2:1-2.
iii.
We
need to seek those things that are above –
Colossians 3:1-2, “If
you then were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above,
where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God.
Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.”
iv.
We
need to walk in the Spirit –
Galatians 5:16, “I say then: Walk
in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lusts of the flesh.”
Let the Spirit influence us and put to death the fleshly desires –
Romans 8:5-6, 13.
v.
And
not fulfill the lust of the flesh –
Galatians 5:16.
In other words, learn self-control!
If we will do these
things, we will NOT be like these brethren that Paul is rebuking.
From time to time we are all going to face problems.
Having problems is NOT the problem; it is how we handle them.
Will we be carnal or will we be spiritual?
The way we act will have a bearing not only on peace in this life
but our eternal destiny.
Seek not the carnal way.