Carnal, Babe, And Spiritual Mind
Written by: Delbert Magusara Haim
August 2012
First, I would like to define the terms “child” and “man” in the flesh to where Paul was citing these situations as he was in the flesh yet. A child is a young human being who is considered not to be legally responsible for his/her action while a man is an adult human being who has a particular responsibility.
Why was Paul citing his experience in the flesh? What was it all about as being a child and a man?
In verses 1 to 3 of 1 Corinthians, Paul was telling them that he could not speak unto them as unto spiritual, even as unto babes in Christ. He could only speak unto them as unto carnal for they were carnally-minded people and that they could not reach the mature level as spiritual, even unto babes in Christ. Paul at this time was relating the category of people and his teaching; to carnal people is by carnal teaching, to spiritual is by spiritual and to babes is by childish way.
We need to be specific as to what are those things that are considered as carnal, babes and spiritual because in our time today, there are so many carnally-minded believers who claim to be spiritual, yet carnal. When we read this phrase “And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal”, it shows that carnal could not be possible to be with spiritual and spiritual to be with carnal and besides carnal is death while spiritual is life.
Now, what are those carnal things which define carnal as death?
The carnal things are those thoughts that limit the power of God’s word which results to envying, strifes and divisions, and this was how Corinthians acted as believers before. Instead of allowing the gospel of God to water their minds, they were still compounded with earthly traditions of men and bonded the truth to only certain people, groups and leaders to whom they could trust the wisdom of God in them.
When Paul said; “For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos are ye not carnal? “he wanted them to understand that by a merely following man was not a spiritual thing but carnal. Then continue in verse five he said;
Corinthians failed to analyse that the gospel of God is not only through Paul but also through them with whom God giveth the increase. So it is the carnal way of thinking that the truth belongs only to a certain group or leader and that’s what exactly we are today who follow the voice of the leader instead of the truth.
Therefore, Carnal minds are those things which pertain to the outward likeness of a person and consider things by sight and holding fast in the foundations and traditions of their forefathers instead of renewing their minds unto perfection by the truth. The people who hold this type of wisdom could no longer hear and learn the perfect one and they shall listen only unto them whom they like to be their teachers, the same with what happened in 1st century time, concerning people having itchy ears.
We the new creature in Christ, must know that the truth is not within a certain group of people or leaders, but in us who planted and watered the revealed words of God that He may give them an increase. We are not in bondage of any man or any group. In other words, the freedom is within us, for all of us are the labourers with God. We are His husbandry, and at the same time, we are His building to whom we build.
Now, regarding spiritual things which Paul said as the “life and peace”, how about the babes in Christ? Are they the same with spiritual?
Some say that milk is for the babes while meat is for the mature or spiritual. But in this passage, Paul fed the carnal people with milk also, because “ye are yet carnal”. So it means that the milk is not only for babes but also for the carnal. We learned from the above studies that Spiritual is far different from carnal, thus, both cannot be mixed with anything even with babes in Christ. So if Paul fed the carnal with milk, then this meat is for spiritual alone. Now we can see that milk is temporal knowledge as for Carnal while meat is eternal as for Spiritual, the same pattern when he said: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.
So here we found out that the “milk” he mentioned is a carnal teaching to feed and conquer carnal mind, and “meat” is a spiritual truth that would bring them to life and peace. He figures out carnal and spiritual things into as child and man in the flesh. Thus, carnal mind or childish thing shall pass away and spiritual mind or a man’s responsibility shall live in peace forever.
One thing that is confusing here is when Paul said: “And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as even unto babes in Christ”and then he said; “I have fed you with milk for ye are yet carnal”…….. Who are really the babes in Christ wherein he separates them from spiritual and carnal?
If we read the chapter two of Romans, Paul exhorting them the Jews who teach the law unto others but don’t even have the knowledge of the law. They make boast of themselves as being blameless in the law and are confident that they are the guide of the blind, the instructor of the foolish, and the teacher of babes.
This means that the law is the teacher of babes that brings them unto perfection. It is also clearly emphasized in the passage of Galatians that the law is the school master of the children of God to bring them unto Christ and when the faith comes, the babes are no longer under the law but under the grace.
Distinctively, the babes in Christ are they who are under the law and drink the knowledge of the law - the OLD CREATURE people (the Jews). And the carnally minded people are those conservative NEW CREATURE in Christ who live in foolishness which are following one man’s order. This is now what Paul says in Corinthians that he could not even teach the carnal as unto babes in Christ for this teaching is all about the law of the old covenant that would pass away and they the Corinthians could not receive it for they were yet in foolishness.
Therefore, there is “milk” then for carnal mind which is also carnal thing; “milk” for babes in Christ which is the law of God and “meat” for spiritual which is the life and peace as complete in Christ—things which cannot be seen and can only be obtained through faith for he said, the just shall live by faith. It is the faith of the gospel in the newness of time and not anymore in bondage of the law. So, if you hear the grace gospel of God, then it is no more deeds of the law but of grace with peace and life.
But it is sad to know that some in this age of grace are entangled again with the yoke of bondage and Christ becomes of no effect unto them and they fall from grace - who pretend to be like Jews and observing principles that had just passed away.
Thus, if you desire to be a spiritual one, then put away all your carnal and childish things. Start to live the new world order He has given unto us—the world without end, with completeness, with peace, and a life in Christ with liberty.
August 2012
- For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Romans 8:6
First, I would like to define the terms “child” and “man” in the flesh to where Paul was citing these situations as he was in the flesh yet. A child is a young human being who is considered not to be legally responsible for his/her action while a man is an adult human being who has a particular responsibility.
Why was Paul citing his experience in the flesh? What was it all about as being a child and a man?
In verses 1 to 3 of 1 Corinthians, Paul was telling them that he could not speak unto them as unto spiritual, even as unto babes in Christ. He could only speak unto them as unto carnal for they were carnally-minded people and that they could not reach the mature level as spiritual, even unto babes in Christ. Paul at this time was relating the category of people and his teaching; to carnal people is by carnal teaching, to spiritual is by spiritual and to babes is by childish way.
- And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. 2 I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able. 3 For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men? 1Co 3:1-3
We need to be specific as to what are those things that are considered as carnal, babes and spiritual because in our time today, there are so many carnally-minded believers who claim to be spiritual, yet carnal. When we read this phrase “And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal”, it shows that carnal could not be possible to be with spiritual and spiritual to be with carnal and besides carnal is death while spiritual is life.
- For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Romans 8:6
Now, what are those carnal things which define carnal as death?
The carnal things are those thoughts that limit the power of God’s word which results to envying, strifes and divisions, and this was how Corinthians acted as believers before. Instead of allowing the gospel of God to water their minds, they were still compounded with earthly traditions of men and bonded the truth to only certain people, groups and leaders to whom they could trust the wisdom of God in them.
- For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men? 4 For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal? 1Co 3:3-4
When Paul said; “For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos are ye not carnal? “he wanted them to understand that by a merely following man was not a spiritual thing but carnal. Then continue in verse five he said;
- Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man? 6 I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. 7 So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase. 8 Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour. 1Co 3:5-8
Corinthians failed to analyse that the gospel of God is not only through Paul but also through them with whom God giveth the increase. So it is the carnal way of thinking that the truth belongs only to a certain group or leader and that’s what exactly we are today who follow the voice of the leader instead of the truth.
Therefore, Carnal minds are those things which pertain to the outward likeness of a person and consider things by sight and holding fast in the foundations and traditions of their forefathers instead of renewing their minds unto perfection by the truth. The people who hold this type of wisdom could no longer hear and learn the perfect one and they shall listen only unto them whom they like to be their teachers, the same with what happened in 1st century time, concerning people having itchy ears.
- For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; 2 Timothy 4:3
We the new creature in Christ, must know that the truth is not within a certain group of people or leaders, but in us who planted and watered the revealed words of God that He may give them an increase. We are not in bondage of any man or any group. In other words, the freedom is within us, for all of us are the labourers with God. We are His husbandry, and at the same time, we are His building to whom we build.
- For we are labourers together with God: ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building. 1Co 3:9
Now, regarding spiritual things which Paul said as the “life and peace”, how about the babes in Christ? Are they the same with spiritual?
- And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. 2 I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able. 3 For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men? 1Co 3:1-3
Some say that milk is for the babes while meat is for the mature or spiritual. But in this passage, Paul fed the carnal people with milk also, because “ye are yet carnal”. So it means that the milk is not only for babes but also for the carnal. We learned from the above studies that Spiritual is far different from carnal, thus, both cannot be mixed with anything even with babes in Christ. So if Paul fed the carnal with milk, then this meat is for spiritual alone. Now we can see that milk is temporal knowledge as for Carnal while meat is eternal as for Spiritual, the same pattern when he said: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.
So here we found out that the “milk” he mentioned is a carnal teaching to feed and conquer carnal mind, and “meat” is a spiritual truth that would bring them to life and peace. He figures out carnal and spiritual things into as child and man in the flesh. Thus, carnal mind or childish thing shall pass away and spiritual mind or a man’s responsibility shall live in peace forever.
- For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. Hebrews 5:13
One thing that is confusing here is when Paul said: “And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as even unto babes in Christ”and then he said; “I have fed you with milk for ye are yet carnal”…….. Who are really the babes in Christ wherein he separates them from spiritual and carnal?
If we read the chapter two of Romans, Paul exhorting them the Jews who teach the law unto others but don’t even have the knowledge of the law. They make boast of themselves as being blameless in the law and are confident that they are the guide of the blind, the instructor of the foolish, and the teacher of babes.
- An instructor of the foolish, a teacher of babes, which hast the form of knowledge and of the truth in the law. Romans 2:20
This means that the law is the teacher of babes that brings them unto perfection. It is also clearly emphasized in the passage of Galatians that the law is the school master of the children of God to bring them unto Christ and when the faith comes, the babes are no longer under the law but under the grace.
- Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. 25 But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster. 26 For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. Gal 3:24
Distinctively, the babes in Christ are they who are under the law and drink the knowledge of the law - the OLD CREATURE people (the Jews). And the carnally minded people are those conservative NEW CREATURE in Christ who live in foolishness which are following one man’s order. This is now what Paul says in Corinthians that he could not even teach the carnal as unto babes in Christ for this teaching is all about the law of the old covenant that would pass away and they the Corinthians could not receive it for they were yet in foolishness.
Therefore, there is “milk” then for carnal mind which is also carnal thing; “milk” for babes in Christ which is the law of God and “meat” for spiritual which is the life and peace as complete in Christ—things which cannot be seen and can only be obtained through faith for he said, the just shall live by faith. It is the faith of the gospel in the newness of time and not anymore in bondage of the law. So, if you hear the grace gospel of God, then it is no more deeds of the law but of grace with peace and life.
- And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then it is no more grace: otherwise work is no more work. Romans 11:6
- Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law. Romans 3:28
- For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves: Romans 2:14
But it is sad to know that some in this age of grace are entangled again with the yoke of bondage and Christ becomes of no effect unto them and they fall from grace - who pretend to be like Jews and observing principles that had just passed away.
- Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage. Galatians 5:1
- Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace. Gal 5:4
Thus, if you desire to be a spiritual one, then put away all your carnal and childish things. Start to live the new world order He has given unto us—the world without end, with completeness, with peace, and a life in Christ with liberty.