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. The apostle in this phrase, "To live as men," or, "According to man," may imply these things. 1. Mere men have no Divine faith in the matters of religion, wrought in them by the Spirit of God, but walk according to the natural dictates of conscience and education, and so are for that religion which they have been brought up in and accustomed to, whether it be right or wrong, whether good or bad. This our Saviour cleareth, when Peter made that excellent confession of faith, that Christ was the Son of God. Our Saviour graciously accepts of it, and tells him, "Flesh and blood hath not revealed this to him" (Matthew 16:17). 2. To walk as a mere man is to propound some outward inferior comforts as the ultimate end and chief felicity of our souls. Take a man, as a mere man, and the utmost end for which he labours and strives in this world is some earthly advantages. Oh, but what saith the apostle of true Christians? "We walk not by sense, but by faith" (2 Corinthians 5:7). 3. To walk as mere men is to put confidence and hope only in second causes and visible instruments, not trusting the promise of God or believing His power, that He reigneth and ruleth in heaven and earth, doing what He pleaseth. 4. To walk like men is to be full of falsehood, deceitfulness, or hypocrisy, to have no truth in heart or word one to another. 5. To walk as men is here in the text to be in anger, hatred, and revengeful thoughts one against another; whereas all beasts agree among themselves, even the savage bears and tigers, yea, the devils are not divided one against another. Man naturally finds nothing so sweet as revenge upon others. 6. To walk as men is to make a man's self the Alpha and Omega, the centre wherein all the lines must meet. "All seek their own, and not the things of Jesus Christ" (Philippians 2:21). 7. Lastly, to walk as man is to commit any sin rather than to be persecuted for the truth of God. To swear, or foreswear, to turn into all shapes, to avoid danger. How are all our congregations? How live they? How walk they? Do they not live as men? Yea, how many like brute beasts? (A. Burgess.) 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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