The Need for the Milk of the Word

“And I, brothers, could not speak to you as to spiritual ones, but as to fleshly, as to babes in Christ.” (1Corinthians 3:1)

What are babes in Christ? They are new believers who may not have any knowledge of what the Bible says. A babe in Christ may not know how to behave like a Christian because their soul (mind, will and emotions) has not yet been transformed by the Word of God or because they haven’t been obedient in what the Lord has shown them in the Bible. They may speak and act like a non-believer because their faith hasn’t been tested yet. That was the problem with the Christians in Corinth who Paul was addressing. He had established the church in Corinth about five years before he wrote his first letter to them.

Paul is disappointed in the Christians in Corith telling them he can’t speak to them as spiritual people. In order to understand why Paul was so critical of them we have to know what Paul’s standards are for a spiritual person. For Paul a spiritual person is led of the Holy Spirit. Thoughts, words and actions should reflect God’s Will and purposes. “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.” (Romans 8:14) They should exhibit fruit of the Spirit. “But the fruit of the Spirit is: love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faith, meekness, self-control; against such things there is no law.” (Galatians 5:22-23) Their minds should be thinking of things above not of the world. “Be mindful of things above, not on things on the earth.” (Colossians 3:2) They should be able to discern things through godly wisdom and knowledge through the Holy Spirit. “But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.” (1Corinthians 2:14) And there should have been a change in their person in thought, word and action. “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, in order to prove by you what is that good and pleasing and perfect will of God.” (Romans 12:2)

But Paul has gotten a report that they’re acting like the world. “For it has been declared to me concerning you, my brothers, by those of Chloe, that there are contentions among you.” (1Corinthians 1:11) They had divided themselves into factions. “But I say this, that every one of you says, I am of Paul, and I of Apollos, and I of Cephas, and I of Christ. Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you, or were you baptized in the name of Paul?” (1Corinthians 1:12-13) There was an issue of immorality that the church was tolerating. “On the whole it is reported that there is fornication among you, and such fornication as is not even named among the nations, so as one to have his father's wife. And you are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, so that he who has done this deed may be taken from your midst.” (1Corinthians 5:1-2) There were lawsuits among the brethren. “Do any of you dare, when you have a matter against another, to go to law before the unjust, and not before the saints?” (1Corinthians 6:1) There must have been some confusion and misuse of the spiritual gifts because Paul goes into very detailed instructions on the spiritual gifts and how they are to function in three chapters of 1 Corinthians. (1 Corinthians 12-14) There was some false teaching in that some believed there was no resurrection of the dead. “But if Christ is proclaimed, that He was raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, neither has Christ been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, then our proclamation is worthless, and your faith is also worthless.” (1Co 15:12-14) And there were problems with they way they were partaking communion. “Therefore, when you come together into one place, this is not to eat the Lord's supper. For in eating each one takes his own supper first; and one is hungry, and another drunken.” (1Corinthians 11:20-21) These are major problems. Just one of these popping up in any church would be a big problem. But it all stemmed from the fact that they were worldly and immature as Paul stated to them in chapter 3, verse 1.

Did you recognize yourself in any of the behavior of the Corinthians? Although we may not partake of communion in a sacrilegious manner nor tolerate fornication in the church, there are some churches where the spiritual gifts are misused and/or misunderstood. But mostly what we do see generally speaking in the church are gossip and jealousy. This is why the Corinth church was experiencing factions and division. God forbid we should participate in any of these errors. But how can we avoid them?

New babes in Christ need to be nurtured in the basic Christian practices which are prayer, Bible reading and church attendance. They must hear the word to build up their faith. “Then faith is of hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.” (Romans 10:17) What I see in the church is that babes are left to fend for themselves and try to make sense of deeper teaching in the church. There must be corporate Bible Study either as a church or in small groups. Some churches have small groups in homes which is fine, but there must be a group for those who have less than one year as believers. In one small group I attended we were discussing the Holy Spirit. A new babe in Christ was totally confused because coming from a denomination where there is no teaching, she thought the Holy Spirit was a dove, literally.

Babes in Christ are vulnerable to many misconceptions because they are trying to rangle their unbelief or misconceptions of Bible precepts with what the Bible is saying. And depending on the Bible version, it may be easy or difficult. But Bible reading is imperative. When I was a new Christian, I couldn’t wrap my head around the word confession. In the denomination I came from it had a different meaning from what the Bible means. What I did was study every verse where the word confession was written and realized it meant something completely different than what I thought. Just someone explaining it to me didn’t clarify it for me. I had to study it. Another topic that was confusing to me was baptism which I studied for almost a year before I got baptized. This may sound so simple, but that was at the level where I was. Bible study taught me so much. If there was something I didn’t understand, I studied it from a Scriptural stance. This is what babes in Christ need, teaching and study on what the Bible calls the milk of the Word. “Therefore laying aside all malice and all guile and hypocrisies and envyings, and all evil speakings, desire the sincere milk of the Word, as newborn babes, so that you may grow by it; if truly you have tasted that the Lord is gracious.” (1Peter 2:1-3)

In closing we can see that problems in the Corinth church arose because of immaturity in Christ and by lack of study and teaching of the Word of God. The teaching and study of the Word of God is not only essential but vital for growth individually and church wide. Paul dealt with some heavy problems in his first letter to the Corinthians. These are problems that may arise when the congregation lacks teaching and there is no accountability for individual Bible study.

Let us pray:

Father God, You have provided everything I need to grow in Christ as a mature and spiritual person. Thank You for Your Word. And thank You for the Holy Spirit Who teaches me. Help me to be diligent in Bible study that I grow into a mature and spiritual person. Help me to apply the Word to my life, repenting and allowing the Holy Spirit to change my speech, actions and thoughts. Help me to be obedient. I thank You my Lord that You are faithful to Your Word and that You will complete the work You began in me. I am so grateful Lord for Your love, mercy and grace that You have poured on me. Help me to walk daily in a manner that pleases You and that points to Your Goodness in my life. Help me to show the visible and invisible world by my words and actions that I am Your child. Be glorified in me my Lord and my God. In Jesus’ Name I pray, amen.