We know from Paul’s word in 3:1 that the Corinthian believers had not grown in life, but remained in the stage of infancy. Thus, burdened to point out the need for growth, he says, “I planted, Apollos watered, but God made to grow; so that neither is the one who plants anything nor the one who waters, but the One Who makes to grow, God” (vv. 6-7). This clearly indicates that the believers need the planting and the watering in order to grow in life.
We have pointed out that even though the Corinthian believers had received the divine life and the Holy Spirit as the seed sown into them, they remained in their infancy and did not grow in life. Actually, they continued to live in their Greek culture, philosophy, and wisdom. This caused confusion in their Christian life, damage to the church life, and ruin to the Body life. Hence, in writing this Epistle Paul was burdened to tell them that they should no longer live their Greek culture, wisdom, and philosophy.
When Paul uses the word wisdom in chapter one, he is specifically referring to the wisdom of Greek culture. I believe that when the Corinthians read this Epistle, they realized that wisdom was equivalent to culture. They remained in their native culture and lived in it. Paul, however, seemed to be saying, “Brothers, God has called you into the fellowship of His Son, not into your culture. The very Christ who is your portion and into whose fellowship you have been called has become wisdom from God to you. Daily He is your righteousness, sanctification, and redemption. No longer should you live your culture, but you should live Christ. As God’s wisdom, Christ is the deep things of God. What man’s eye has not seen, what man’s ear has not heard, and what man’s heart has never imagined has been revealed to us through the Spirit of God. These things, the depths of God, are related to Christ as God’s mysterious wisdom for our destiny.”
Paul was burdened that the Corinthian believers would grow in life. He knew that if they would grow in life, spontaneously they would have a proper Christian life. Then the reality of the church life would exist among them, and the genuine Body life would be built up. They would be the church not merely in name, but in reality, in life, and in the experience of Christ. Then they would be the farm of God and the temple of God in a way that is actual and practical.
In 1 Corinthians 3 we see that the believers at Corinth showed certain signs of infancy. Verse 2 says, “I gave you milk to drink, not solid food; for you were not then able to receive it. But neither yet now are you able.” One sign of infancy among the believers is that they are able to receive only milk, not solid food. As long as a believer remains in a stage of infancy, he is not able to receive anything solid, no matter how many messages he may hear which contain solid food.
To some extent at least, this sign of infancy is present among us. Year by year solid food is ministered to the saints. But in many cases the saints, by their reaction to what is ministered, show that they are not able to come up to this level. This indicates that many are not yet able to receive solid food. Instead, they can only take in milk. This is a sign of infancy.
Recently in a certain meeting the saints were reviewing one of the Life-study messages on 1 Corinthians. I was hoping that the response of the saints would indicate that they had digested some solid food. However, according to what was shared in that meeting, it became evident that many can still receive only milk. I was hoping that some would testify that, by the Lord’s mercy, they were experiencing Christ as daily righteousness, sanctification, and redemption. But testimonies of this kind were not given. Furthermore, instead of caring for the “diamonds” found in the messages, many paid more attention to the “wrappings” and the “box.” They spoke about the box and the wrappings, but neglected the diamonds. Those who have grown in life are not preoccupied by wrappings or by the box, but concentrate on the diamonds. In their testimonies they appreciate the diamonds and speak of them.
There are many diamonds in chapters one and two of 1 Corinthians. However, throughout the generations most readers of this Epistle have touched only the wrappings or the box, not the diamonds, the deep things of God. For example, when we testify concerning 1:30 we should be able to tell how Christ becomes wisdom to us from God in our daily life. A brother may testify that in his married life he enjoys Christ as his present, living, and instant righteousness, sanctification, and redemption. To speak in this way is to show that we have seen the diamonds and not just the wrappings.
I am very concerned that certain of the leading ones who minister the Word in their localities may repeat the messages given in the ministry without themselves having seen the diamonds. They may encourage the saints and advise them about the growth in life, and they may teach them how to wrap the diamonds, how to put the diamonds in pretty boxes, and how to treasure the diamonds and love them. They may speak a lot about “how to,” without having seen the genuine vision of the diamonds. Nevertheless, I hope that more and more the leading ones and all the saints will be able to testify of what they have seen and experienced concerning the diamonds in 1 Corinthians.
Paul’s word about the fellowship of the Son of God in 1:9 is certainly a diamond. We need to testify of this fellowship, this mutual enjoyment, not in a doctrinal way, but in the way of experience. To learn doctrine is to receive only milk, whereas to take the diamonds in an experiential way is to receive solid food. The first sign of infancy is not being able to receive solid food.
In verse 3 Paul exposes a second sign of infancy: “For whereas there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not fleshly and walking according to man?” Those who are infants are full of jealousy and strife and walk according to man, that is, according to fallen man in the flesh. Those who are infants, who are shallow and superficial concerning spiritual things, still have jealousy and strife. Any strife or jealousy among us indicates infancy.
Suppose a brother gives a very good testimony in the meeting. Then another brother, hearing this testimony, decides to give an even better testimony. This is strife, a sign of this brother’s infancy.
Suppose only a few saints say amen to your testimony, but many say amen to a testimony given by another. If this bothers you, it exposes the fact that with you there is still some strife or jealousy. We should be happy when there is a loud response of amen to a brother’s testimony. We should praise the Lord that there is such a “diamond” among us.
A third sign of infancy is exalting spiritual giants to cause divisions. In 3:4 and 5 Paul writes, “For whenever one says, I am of Paul, and another, I of Apollos, are you not men? What then is Apollos? And what is Paul? Ministers through whom you believed, even as the Lord gave to each one.” The fact that the Corinthians were exalting certain persons is a further indication of their immaturity. In verse 7 Paul points out that both those who plant and those who water are not anything, but God is everything as far as the growth in life is concerned. If we turn our eyes to God alone, we shall be delivered from the divisiveness which results from appreciating one minister of Christ above another.
It is possible for us to be like the Corinthians in exalting certain spiritual giants and thereby causing division. Some may declare, “I like this brother very much and think his speaking is excellent.” In the church life we should not have any preference concerning speakers, elders, brothers, or sisters. To have preferences is a sign of infancy.
The three signs of infancy pointed out by Paul in this chapter are the very signs present among many Christians today. Few believers are able to receive solid food. Jealousy, strife, and the exaltation of certain persons are common. I hope that among us in the Lord’s recovery all these signs of infancy will disappear. When we hear a message, we should be able to get into the depths of that message and not be distracted by the wrappings or the box. Furthermore, we should not have jealousy or strife, and we should not have any personal preferences or choices. This will prove that we have grown and even matured in life.