1 Corinthians 3:1-12 And I, brothers, could not speak to you as to spiritual, but as to carnal, even as to babes in Christ.… Note — I. HIS ECONOMIC MANAGEMENT OF TRUTH. Economy in a household means frugality in opposition to extravagance. In the dispensation of truth it means that prudent distribution which does not squander it uselessly, but which apportions to each age and capacity the amount it can turn to good account. For different ages, different kinds of food. For childhood, or "babes in Christ," milk, &c.; but reverse this, and what is strength to the man is injury to the child — it cannot bear it. 1. The doctrine which the apostle calls "strong meat," if taught at first, would deter from further discipleship. "No man putteth a piece of new cloth into an old garment, &c. Now "strong meat" does not mean high doctrine, such as election, regeneration, justification by faith, but strong demands on self, a severe, noble life. St. Paul taught the Corinthians all the doctrine he had to teach, but not all the conceptions of the blessed life which he knew of. He showed them that, leaving the principles of doctrine, they were to grow up unto Christ in all things, but by degrees. From a child we must not ask sublime forgiveness of injuries. That which would be glorious in a man might be pusillanimity in a boy. You must content yourself at first with prohibiting tyranny. Do not ask of your child to sacrifice all enjoyment for the sake of others; but let him learn first not to enjoy at the expense of another. 2. Another reason for this is the danger of familiarising the mind with high spiritual doctrines to which the heart is a stranger, and thus engendering hypocrisy — e.g., self-sacrifice, self-denial, are words easily got by rote; and while fluently talking of these high-sounding words, and of man's or woman's mission and influence, it never occurs to us that as yet we have not power to live them out. Let us avoid such language, and avoid supposing that we have attained such states. It is good to be temperate; but if you are temperate, do not mistake that for self-sacrifice. It is good to be honest; but when you are simply doing your duty, do not talk of a noble life. The danger of extreme demands made on hearts unprepared for such is seen in the ease of Ananias. These demands were not, as we see, made by the apostles; but public opinion, which had made sacrifice fashionable, demanded it. And it was a demand like strong meat to the weak, for Ananias was "unable to bear it." II. HIS DEPRECIATION OF THE PART PLAYED BY MAN IN THE GREAT WORK OF PROGRESS, AND HIS EXHIBITION OF THE PART OF GOD (ver. 5). 1. In all periods of great social activity there is a tendency to exalt persons and means of progress. Hence, in turn, kings, statesmen, parliaments: and then education, science, machinery, and the press. Here, at Corinth, was "minister-worship." 2. St. Paul's remedy was to point out God's part and ours. "Ye are God's husbandry," we are only labourers. We execute a plan which we only slightly understand — nay, not at all, till it is completed, like workmen in a tubular bridge, or men employed in Gobelin tapestry, who cannot see the pattern of their work until the whole is executed. Conceive the labourer saying of some glorious piece of architecture: "Behold my work!" or some poet, king, or priest, in view of some progress of the race: "See what I have done!" Who is Paul, but a servant of higher plans than he knows? (F. W. Robertson, M. A.) Parallel Verses KJV: And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ.WEB: Brothers, I couldn't speak to you as to spiritual, but as to fleshly, as to babies in Christ. |
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