I speak to you as to little children in Christ.

 

I speak to you as to little children in Christ.

 

1 Corinthians 3:1-3: “Brothers and sisters, I could not speak to you as to spiritual people (pneumatikois), but as to fleshly people (sarkinois), as to little children (nepiois) in Christ. I fed you with milk, not with solid food, because you were not able to handle it, and you still are not able to. For you are still fleshly. For there is jealousy and strife among you; is it not because you are fleshly and walk according to men?”

Pneumatikois (πνευματικοῖς) are those belonging to the spirit. It refers to those who are guided by the Holy Spirit. Sarcinois are those in the flesh who maintain their faith through religious devotion. Nephiois means a nursing infant, and Paul described those with religious faith as nursing infants. This implies that a nursing infant knows nothing about the faith of the Ho Logos. Paul is saying that he deals with them in Christ. He is treating them with the heart of a parent.

3.ἔτι γὰρ σαρκικοί ἐστε. ὅπου γὰρ ἐν ὑμῖν ζῆλος καὶ ἔρις, οὐχὶ σαρκικοί ἐστε καὶ κατὰ ἄνθρωπον περιπατεῖτε;

"You are still fleshly. There is jealousy and strife among you; is it not because you are fleshly and walk according to men?" (Revised Korean Version)

"You are still fleshly. There is jealousy and strife among you; do you not walk like fleshly people?" (Greek Translation)

Nursing infants symbolize those who know nothing spiritually. Paul treated these beginners of faith like nursing infants because they were still in the Law and did not know the Logos. To "nurs" them is to teach them that they must discover Christ within the Law. It implies a failure to recognize that Christ has already entered the hearts of the saints.

Even today, believers say with words that Jesus is their Lord and that there is a temple in their hearts. However, these are merely words, and there are hardly any who actually accept this. The reason is that the door has not been fully opened spiritually.

Paul describes the characteristic of a carnal person as someone who causes strife within the church. He cited strife as an example of childlike faith. Dividing into denominations within the church follows this very principle. Claiming "I am right" based on carnal religious sentiment is precisely this type. All of these types are manifestations of legalism that still persist.

Legalism focuses on the letter, while evangelicalism focuses on the Ho Logos within the heart. Those who think of the Word of the Bible according to the fixed rules of the letter are legalists, but those who think of the Ho Logos become those who seek God's will in the writings of the Bible.

For example, 2 Corinthians 12:7: "But to keep me from becoming too proud because of the exceeding greatness of the revelations I have received, I was given a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me and keep me from becoming too proud."

On the surface, people think that the devil enters the body and occasionally causes it to become ill. Most believers believe that Paul had a chronic illness and that they prayed for it to be cured.

The messenger of Satan refers to an angel. Angels protect the saints, but if they go astray, they act just as a horse is whipped to guide it back to the right path.

The Apostle Paul is one who has experienced a mystical encounter with the third heaven. Since God's will could be distorted if he were to speak based on all these mystical experiences and the infants of faith were to accept them as they are, his guardian angel pricks him with a thorn through his past memories. For Paul, the thorn is the memory of killing Christians by following legalism. Whenever he recalls this memory, he regards it as legalism attempting to kill Christ.

The thorn of Satan can manifest differently for each believer. If a believer pursues money by any means necessary and becomes consumed by it, the thorn of Satan will eventually snatch it all away. Although one may only realize the true meaning after everything is ruined, the pain comes as a tremendous blow.

Mystery is not wrong; the problem lies in believers applying it only to themselves, becoming immersed in mysticism, and attempting to elevate themselves as great beings. This means that when someone claims to hear the voice of God and receive revelations daily, if those revelations end up having a negative impact on the nation and society, it can conversely have a negative impact on themselves.

Angels appear in various forms according to their roles. Satan and his messengers act as tempters and accusers. Jesus was tempted by Satan, and all saints will be tempted in this way.

And as messengers, angels play the role of proclaimers of the gospel. They convey God's will to those chosen by Him. There are various examples, such as the angel who appeared to Mary, the angel who testified about Jesus rising from the tomb, and the angel who rescued Peter from prison.

Guardian angels protect the saints and help them walk the right path. Matthew 18:10 states, "See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father who is in heaven." The "little ones" refer to the saved saints; because they still possess physical bodies, they appear imperfect in their daily lives. For such saints, guardian angels play the role of always interceding for them and protecting them.

Hebrews 1:14 "Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to minister to those who will inherit salvation?" Here too, they play the role of serving for the heirs who will inherit salvation.

However, once one becomes a saint, one must undergo spiritual growth from one who feeds on milk to one who eats solid food. Although some consider spiritual growth to be sanctification, sanctification refers to the holiness given by God, whereas spiritual growth is the strength to win the battle against oneself in order to preach the gospel.

Hebrews 5:12-14: “By this time you ought to be teachers, yet you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of God’s word. You have become those who need milk, not solid food. For everyone who lives on milk is an infant and inexperienced in the word of righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil.”

When a believer becomes like a child in spiritual discernment, they grow through much refinement, and it is during this time that they may encounter the thorn of Satan. Of course, receiving this thorn ultimately aids in spiritual growth, but it leaves a memory of severe pain within that believer. Just as a loving discipline is intended to guide a child toward the right path, it also becomes a painful memory for the child. The thorn of Satan is a form of loving discipline.