Brothers and sisters, I could not address you as people who live by the Spirit but as people who are still worldly—mere infants in Christ. 1 Corinthians 3:1 NIV

In this passage, Paul writes to new believers. The Corinthians he writes to are not yet spiritually mature and so, Paul addresses them as “mere infants in Christ.” This passage builds upon statements Paul made in the previous chapter. For example, in 1 Corinthians 2:6, Paul wrote, “We speak wisdom, however, among those who are full grown, yet a wisdom not of this world nor of the rulers of this world who are coming to nothing. WEB”

Further, in 1 Corinthians 2:14 Paul says, “Now the natural man doesn’t receive the things of God’s Spirit, for they are foolishness to him, and he can’t know them, because they are spiritually discerned. WEB” The Holy Spirit reveals the wisdom of God to us as we mature in Christ. Certainly, we grow in relationship with God over time with sincere effort to seek him and understand his word.

What then does Paul mean when he calls some believers, “infants in Christ?” Later in the chapter, Paul describes how some of the church lived as though they lacked understanding of spiritual things. These members continued to live in the flesh. Petty rivalries and jealousy overcame them. Still concerned with the material world and the praise of others, their work in the church lacked permanence and spiritual substance.

Permanence and Treasures in Heaven

Paul compared this to those who build on the foundation of Christ with wood, hay, or stubble rather than silver, gold, or costly stone. He says in 1 Corinthians 3:14-15, “If any man’s work remains which he built on it, he will receive a reward. If any man’s work is burned, he will suffer loss, but he himself will be saved, but as through fire. WEB”

This is similar to the words of Christ from Matthew 6:19-21, “Don’t lay-up treasures for yourselves on the earth, where moth and rust consume, and where thieves break through and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consume, and where thieves don’t break through and steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. WEB”

In Christ, we let go of the temporary things of this world. Paul, like Christ, concerns himself with encouraging the faithful to focus on the eternal things of God. This is the mark of spiritual maturity. This is how we grow from being “infants in Christ” to maturity.

Yesterday’s Devotional: Resist the Devil