Week 45 1 Corinthians 3
A couple of days ago I saw where Paul identified two groups of people in Rome. Group A people were: dominated by a sinful nature and Group B were: controlled by the Holy Spirit.
Here in 1 Corinthians Paul was talking to church people – Group B people. But he told them he couldn’t talk to them like advanced or mature Group B people: I had to talk to you as though you belonged to this world or as though you were infants in the Christian life.
This is a pretty useful comment because it looks like even though these (formerly) Group A people had shifted over to Group B they were still so Group A-oriented that it’s like they never left Group A. Other people in Corinth’s Group B showed some Group B qualities – but only at a pretty elementary level. It’s like they had no Group B chops. Group B Juveniles. Paul told them they were still:
controlled by evil desires
jealous of one another
quarrelling with each other
acting like people who don’t belong to the Lord.
So they were technical members of Group B…but with a case of Group B Rookie Blues.
But it’s no real surprise. Starting in on something brand new there’s two things going on. First I’m on a steep up-curve learning a lot of new things. Second – and at the same time – I’m unloading a bunch of old familiar things.
Note: quotes from Romans 8:5 and 1 Corinthians 3:1 & 3 (NLT)