“…I could not talk to you as to spiritual people, but [only] as to worldly people [dominated by human nature], mere infants [in the new life] in Christ!”
— 1 Corinthians 3:1 (AMP)
Paul wrote these sharp but loving words not to unbelievers but to the church itself, men and women already in Christ. He identified them as carnal, meaning they lived more by human nature than by the Spirit. These were not pagans or outsiders. They were believers who had truly begun in Christ, yet they still thought and acted as if they were outside Him. The life of Christ was theirs, but they had not yet learned how to live from that life.
The Meaning of Carnal #
The word carnal is translated from the Greek word “sarkikos”, which means fleshly, governed by mere human nature, unspiritual. Paul used this word to describe believers who lived as if the old Adamic way of life still ruled them. They were not without Christ, but they were not living by Christ. Their salvation was real, but their growth was arrested. They had been born from above, yet they lived from below.
Carnality Is Not Unbelief but Immaturity #
This distinction is vital. Carnal Christians are not unregenerate or false converts. They are genuine believers, but they remain immature. Paul called them infants in Christ. An infant has life, but little strength. These believers had received the Spirit but were still ruled by the old habits of thought and reaction. They belonged to Christ, yet they still lived from Adam.
Signs of Carnality #
Paul pointed to several marks of carnality among the Corinthians, and the same signs are still seen today in the church. Divisions were common, with groups forming loyalties around certain leaders rather than around Christ. Jealousy and rivalry were present, showing that the flesh still ruled their relationships. They could only digest milk rather than solid food, which meant they were unable to handle the deeper truths of Christ. They also showed self-centredness, behaving like ordinary men without the Spirit rather than as those indwelt by Christ.
| Trait | Description | Scripture |
|---|---|---|
| Divisive | Forming camps and loyalties around men | “One says, ‘I belong to Paul’… are you not proving yourselves [unchanged]?” (1 Corinthians 3:4) |
| Jealous | Struggling with envy or rivalry | “For you are still [controlled by] the flesh. For as long as there is jealousy and strife among you…” (1 Corinthians 3:3) |
| Immature | Unable to receive deeper truths | “I gave you milk, not solid food; for you were not yet able to receive it.” (1 Corinthians 3:2) |
| Self-centred | Focused on self rather than Christ | “Are you not walking like ordinary men [unchanged by the Spirit]?” (1 Corinthians 3:3) |
These believers had spiritual gifts, but their daily walk showed immaturity.
Gifts Without Growth #
This is one of the striking paradoxes in the New Testament. Paul wrote earlier that the Corinthians were not lacking in any spiritual gift. Yet he still called them carnal. This shows that spiritual gifts are given by grace and are not signs of maturity. A believer can speak in tongues, prophesy, teach, or even heal, and still live in jealousy, pride, or strife. The gifts are from God, but the fruit of maturity comes only through union with Christ. The Corinthian church was rich in gifts but poor in character.
Saved But Not Matured #
Paul never suggested the Corinthians were unsaved. He rebuked them not because they were outside Christ but because they were not growing in Christ. They were justified by faith but not yet sanctified in daily life. Their salvation was secure, but their inheritance and fruitfulness were hindered. This shows that a believer may be in the kingdom but not yet ruling with the King.
“But I say, walk habitually in the [Holy] Spirit… then you will certainly not carry out the desire of the sinful nature…”
— Galatians 5:16 (AMP)
Carnality does not cancel salvation, but it blocks spiritual inheritance, dishonours Christ, and leaves the believer fruitless.
The Root of Carnality #
The root of carnality is simple: not walking by the Spirit. The flesh, called “sarx” in Greek, is the old Adamic way of life, centred on self. Though the old man was crucified with Christ, the habits and patterns of the flesh still seek expression through our thoughts, emotions, and will. When believers fail to yield to the Spirit, they drift back into soulish living, guided more by feelings and reason than by Christ within.
How Do Carnal Christians Grow? #
Growth in Christ is not automatic. Time in church alone does not make one mature. True growth requires yielding to the Spirit and abiding in Christ.
Abide in Christ #
“Abide in Me, and I in you. Just as no branch can bear fruit by itself…”
— John 15:4 (AMP)
Fruit does not come by effort but by abiding. Just as salvation was received by grace, growth comes by the life of Christ flowing within us.
Feed on the Word Spiritually #
“I gave you milk, not solid food…”
— 1 Corinthians 3:2 (AMP)
Carnal Christians remain content with surface teaching or motivational words. The mature believer seeks Christ in the Word, not just knowledge but living fellowship.
Walk by the Spirit #
“If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.”
— Galatians 5:25 (AMP)
This means daily obedience to the Spirit’s inner witness. It means saying no to the flesh and yes to Christ in practical situations.
Accept Correction #
“He disciplines us for our good, so that we may share His holiness.”
— Hebrews 12:10 (AMP)
Maturity requires accepting the Father’s correction. His pruning is not punishment but preparation for greater fruitfulness.
Return to the Cross #
“I have been crucified with Christ… it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me.”
— Galatians 2:20 (AMP)
The cross is not only for forgiveness but for death to the old man. Growth begins when the self-life is reckoned dead and Christ is our life.
Feed on Solid Food #
“But solid food is for the spiritually mature, whose senses are trained by practice to distinguish between what is morally good and what is evil.”
— Hebrews 5:14 (AMP)
True maturity comes by feeding on Christ as the Bread of Life, not just basic truths. Solid food is the revelation of Christ in you, not mere doctrine.
Be Led into Sonship #
“For all who are allowing themselves to be led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.”
— Romans 8:14 (AMP)
The word sons here is “huios”, which means mature sons. Carnal Christians remain infants, but maturity comes as we submit to the Spirit’s leading and grow into true sonship.
Milk Versus Solid Food #
| Milk (Carnal Christians) | Solid Food (Spiritual Christians) |
|---|---|
| Self-focused salvation | Christ-focused transformation |
| Lives by feelings and opinions | Lives by Spirit and Word |
| Seeks blessings | Desires to become a blessing |
| Avoids the cross | Embraces the cross |
| Identity in church culture | Identity in Christ |
God’s Goal: Christ Formed in You #
Paul’s longing was not just that believers be saved but that Christ be fully formed in them.
“My little children, for whom I am again in [the pains of] labour until Christ is [completely and permanently] formed within you…”
— Galatians 4:19 (AMP)
Immaturity may be a phase, but rebellion is a choice. God patiently calls us into maturity. If resisted, carnality can harden into compromise. Yet His purpose remains that Christ be expressed in us.
Christ the Measure of Maturity #
Maturity is not measured by years in church, knowledge of doctrine, or spiritual gifts. It is measured by how much of Christ is seen in us.
“Until we all reach oneness in the faith… to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ.”
— Ephesians 4:13 (AMP)
The goal is not to act Christian but to manifest Christ.
Carnal Versus Spiritual Christians #
| Feature | Carnal Christian | Spiritual Christian |
|---|---|---|
| Source of life | Flesh | Spirit |
| Response to conflict | Strife, jealousy | Forgiveness, love |
| Appetite | Milk | Solid food |
| Growth | Stagnant | Increasing Christlikeness |
| Focus | Self | Christ |
| Motivation | Position, pride | Obedience, love |
The journey from carnality to maturity is the journey from being born of the Spirit, to walking by the Spirit, to manifesting the Son. This is the true inheritance of every believer in Christ.
In Christ,
Godwin.
