We all, I am sure, have entertained the notion that the apostolic church was perfect in its practices. While there was undoubtedly men and woman of great and courageous piety yet there were those whose lives brought great shame to the cause of Christ. Within the Church at Corinth there were those of this category. They were very sadly deficient in grace.

Speaking very plainly to them, Paul tells them that they are yet carnal, verse 3. The word carnal refers to those Christians who manifest the feelings and actions of a worldly person. There is a sense in which all believers are carnal. I am carnal, Romans 7:14. All of us have the motions and activities of the old nature within us. But some believers are so manifestly influenced by the corruptions of the flesh. There is a retaining of those habits and practices that should have long ago been abandoned and forsaken. Indeed there may even be a returning to that which was once cast of. This is a sad /dangerous condition to be in.

Consider:—1. The evidence of their carnality. 2. The effect of their carnality. 3. The emending of their carnality.

I. THE EVIDENCE OF THEIR CARNALITY.

Paul was not a man to lay a charge without having abundant proof of what he said. What then was the proof of their carnality.

1. They walked as men, 3. That is, they conducted themselves in the manner of the ungodly man. They moved as men of this world. All their movements of mind, heart, body, were as the worldly man. In business, in recreation, church affairs, they were under the same powers and influences as those that govern the ungodly man.

2. They envied, 3. The word is zelos from which we get zeal. It denotes properly any fervour of mind. In this instance it refers to a sinful fervour as in James 3:14, 16. There was a zeal but it was sinfully motivated.

3. They had strife, 3. This is what comes of envying. They wrangled, seeking to achieve their own way and advantage in a sinful fashion. See Acts 21:10-14 for a spiritual response to a difference of opinion among God’s people. It is God’s will, not ours that matters.

4. They were thus divided, 3. Here is the unhappy result of their carnality. The word divisions appears in two other places. Those places show how evil a thing it is to be divided. Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them, Rom 16:17. Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Gal 5:20.

II. THE EFFECT OF CARNALITY

In setting forth the evidence of their carnality we have also set forth the effect. Their carnal spirit resulted in them walking as men, envying, strife and divisions. These are the primary consequences of their carnality but it had even more serious effects for them.

1. It hindered their spiritual growth, 2-3. The church at Corinth was about 4 or 5 years old when Paul wrote this epistle but they were yet babies. As they were so they had remained. For hitherto . . . . neither yet now are ye able, verse 2. Babes fall easy victims to disease and injury and deception, Eph 4:14.

2. It hindered their acquisition of knowledge, 1-2. He could not speak to them in the language spiritual maturity. The rudimentary doctrines rather than more advanced subjects were all he could teach them. It was milk rather than meat, 2. They were notable,  i.e. they had not the spiritual mentality to absorb such teaching. As there is a need for the digestive system of a baby to develop before it can digest meat so there a spiritual development in the Christian before they can digest strong doctrine. Hebrews 5:12-14.