The scripture text for today's post is found in 1 Corinthians 3:1-4
In our last post Paul explained to the Corinthians the superiority of God’s simple message over the wisdom of the world. Paul also explained that there is a spiritual wisdom that he shared among the spiritually mature. Here in chapter 3 Paul quickly tells the Corinthians that they are not mature enough for this wisdom. The Corinthians considered themselves sophisticated enough to understand any wisdom. After all Corinth was a center of Greek culture and philosophy. Paul corrects this wrong assumption by telling them that they are not spiritually mature. In fact, they were spiritual infants.
This must have come as a shock to the intellectually sophisticated Corinthians. After all, they were not only being taught by capable and respected teachers, but they also had the gifts of the spirit in full operation. Paul’s further instruction throughout the body of this letter shows us that the Corinthians spoke in tongues and interpreted, prophesied and laid hands on the sick with the expectation that the sick would recover. Their gatherings were full of spiritual activity.
Spiritual activity is not the measure of spiritual maturity. A better measure would be the nature of our relationships with each other. Apparently, you can speak in tongues, lay hands on the sick and prophesy but still be spiritually immature infants that are not ready for mature teaching. Paul is letting them know that his message was simple when he taught them not because he was not capable of teaching wisdom but that they were not ready for it.
Paul drives this point home even further by telling them they are still not ready as evidenced by their quarreling. Paul tells the Corinthians that their quarreling shows that they are not just immature Christians, but they are worldly and ruled by their sinful nature. They may have accepted Christ but they are in effect part of this fallen world.
How many Christians even today consider themselves mature because of the qualifications of their teachers or thier churches powerful spiritual activity. Like the Corinthians the better measure of our spiritual maturity is our relationships with each other. Our relationships are a better measure of our spiritual maturity than anything else. If we have quarrels over our denominational, church and cultural differences then we are operating as part of this fallen world.
God requires us to examine our spiritual maturity based on how we relate to each other and not our perceived spiritual accomplishments.