The Effects of Carnality on the Church

I Corinthians 3:1-3

Carnal, a. [from caro, carnis, flesh] Pertaining to the body, its passions and appetites; not spiritual; fleshly; sensual; lustful; impure. From the Webster Encyclopedic Dictionary.

And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. 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. For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men? (I Corinthians 3:1-3)

Paul had just told the people of Corinth that we are only able to understand the things of God through the power of the Holy Spirit. Now he tells them that he was unable to speak to them as spiritual people, because they were unable to handle it. They could not recieve the deeper, more mature things when he was there because they were new Christians. Unfortunately, they have still not matured, and still can't. They are still carnal and that carnality has stopped their spiritual growth. The description in Hebrews 5:12-14 fits them.

"For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat. For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil."

They should have grown to the point where they were ready for spiritual maturity, and to take on responsibility for teaching others, but instead had to go back to the very basics and get them down again. They had to go back to kindergarten when they should have been graduating from college. They haven't got the basics correct. They still have defective understanding of what right and wrong are.

Often carnal people desire to teach others. Paul describes them in I Timothy1:7, "Desiring to be teachers of the law; understanding neither what they say, nor whereof they affirm. " They try to teach what they have no understanding of themselves. A teacher must know the subject better than those he is trying to teach. This is the cause of several problems in the church at Corinth that Paul deals with in later chapters, as well as in the modern church. Leadership is often not spiritual.

As Paul makes clear, the strife and divisions among them are proof that they are carnal, living as natural men, rather than as those who are led of the spirit. Galatians 5:19-21 describes carnal actions. "Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God."

Jealousy, uncontrolled anger and strife are some of the natural results of carnality, and the antithesis of spirituality. If the Holy spirit is leading there will be real unity. We will not need to agree to disagree about doctrinal matters, because we will all come to the knowledge of the truth. A lifestyle controlled by the flesh implies one does not know the Lord, is not saved.