Brothers, I could not talk to you as spiritual people, but as fleshly people, as infants in Christ. 2 I fed you milk, not solid food, because you were unable to take it. Indeed, you are still not able, even now, 3 for you are still of the flesh. While there is jealousy and rivalry among you, are you not of the flesh and behaving in an ordinary human way? 4 Whenever someone says, “I belong to Paul,” and another, “I belong to Apollos,” are you not merely human?
The Corinthian community exhibits significant spiritual immaturity despite having received the Gospel and being part of the Church. Their behaviors and attitudes remain rooted in worldly thinking, described by Paul as being "of the flesh." This immaturity is evidenced by jealousy, rivalry, and divisions, which undermine their unity in Christ and demonstrate their failure to live according to the Spirit.
Paul addresses the Corinthians with familial affection, calling them "brothers," and acknowledging their identity as fellow believers. However, he expresses disappointment that they remain "infants in Christ," indicating their spiritual immaturity. Although they have experienced conversion, they have not grown in their faith or deepened their understanding of the Gospel. Instead of being "spiritual people," guided by the Holy Spirit, they are preoccupied with worldly concerns and dominated by their "fleshly" nature, which hinders their progress toward spiritual maturity.
To illustrate their immaturity, Paul uses the metaphor of feeding milk to infants, referring to the foundational teaching he provided when he established the church in Corinth, such as the gospel of Christ’s death and resurrection (1 Cor. 15:3-4). Their current jealousy and rivalry, which are works of the flesh (Gal. 5:19-21), show that they are not living in accordance with the Spirit, who fosters unity and peace within the community (Eph. 4:3-6).
Paul further points to their misplaced allegiance to human leaders as a sign of immaturity. By aligning themselves with specific individuals—saying "I belong to Paul" or "I belong to Apollos"—they act as though these leaders, rather than Christ, are the foundation of their faith. Such factionalism reflects a lack of spiritual discernment, as all leaders are merely servants through whom God works (1 Cor. 3:5-7). Paul’s critique calls for them to refocus on Christ as the true foundation of their faith and to grow in unity as a Spirit-led community.
Heavenly Father, Help us to grow in spiritual maturity and to embrace the unity and peace that come from living in Your Spirit. Grant us the wisdom to build our faith on Christ, the true foundation, and walk together as one body in love and humility. This we pray through Christ our Lord. Amen!
Sources
- McSorley, Joseph. An Outline History of the Church by Centuries (From St. Peter to Pius XII). 2nd ed., B. Herder Book Co., 1944.
- Orchard, Bernard, et al. A Catholic Commentary on Holy Scripture. Feb. 1953.
- Chiu, José Enrique Aguilar, et al. The Paulist Biblical Commentary. Paulist Press, 2018.
- Faculty of the University of Navarre. The Navarre Bible: New Testament Expanded Edition. Four Courts / Scepter, 2008.
- Brown, Raymond Edward, et al. The New Jerome Biblical Commentary. Prentice Hall, 1990.
- Charpentier, Etienne. How to Read the Old Testament. Translated by John Bowden, 1981.
- Komonchak, Joseph, et al., editors. The New Dictionary of Theology.
Comments