The whole thing. You want me to cite a sentence. There is not one, a sentence I mean. That is why i pointed you to an article.
Ok, I'll treat you with the Infantile Fundamentalist gloves you need to satisfy your puny minded idea of how truth is presented.
Paul is speaking to people in Corinth.
Some of them are Christians and members of the fellowship.
Some of them think they are Christians and they are members of the fellowship.
Some of them are brand new babes in Christ, truly saved, just not familiar with mature truth yet.
God knows which are which.
You don't.
However, we can and are instructed to make discerning judgments about who is and who is not. (Phil 1:9-10a)
in 1 Cor 2:14-16 Paul shows that there are spiritual and natural people. Spiritual people have the Spirit of Christ. Natural people have not the Spirit of Christ, i.e. unsaved as you IFBers call it)
Then in v 1, Paul saus I cannot address you as Spiritual, but as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ.
-Here he introduces somewhat of a category that is in the middle sarkinois. But it is a different Greek word. than v.3 (which is sarkikoi. This is imortant.) However, it is not really in the middle. It is a spiritual person who can only handle simple doctrine.
And here is where my interpretation is probably different than yours. I seriously doubt that you will take the time to explain your position, which I am guessing is the standard free grace position, that these people are saved but "Carnal.".
He doesn't say that they are infants in Christ. He says I could not address you as Spiritual, I can only address you as "Infants". In other words, if you are really Spiritual people (i.e. true believers who have been regenerated and are now God's children), I can only ADDRESS you as if you are so new to it that you are like a baby. One who can only drink milk. Not a category of Christian who has been a believer a long time and just decided to live with no progress in sanctification. (You cannot find such a person in the Bible. You are either saved and growing, or not saved. And if one is saved and continues in a certain sin, the Lord will discipline that one, and sometimes kill that one. He will not allow them to walk as a "Carnal Christian." There is no such thing.)
Then he says "I Fed you with Milk." I spoke the simple gospel truths to you. You were not ready for solid food (notice it is were not are). That is reserved for mature Christians. New, baby Christians and I believe, Unsaved people, need milk. He spoke simple truth to them as he would to new baby Christians and unsaved people. Milk is the basics. Hebrews 5:11-14 The basics are the atonement, resurrection, etc.
But then he says, in vs. 2b-3a "even now you are not ready, for you are still in the flesh." Here is the rub. I think that he is saying, Some of you, the ones who are unsaved, are causing divisions, YOU ARE STILL A PERSON OF THE FLESH, referring back to 2:14-16. He cannot tell which of them are and which of them are not, so he makes a statement that is intended to shake them. You (pointing to all of them) are still unsaved. And those who are truly believers, but just baby Christians, will say to themselves, I need to check and see if I am. Those who are not true believers are shaken to finally admit, yes, I am "behaving in a human way" (v.3)
So, he is not calling them all unsaved. he isa saying that he cannot tell, but that the ones who are causing the divisions may just be in that category (v.3 of the flesh) and not true believers. he hopes they are not but cannot be sure, so he uses the extended discussion to shake their minds and hearts.
So, I reject the category of "Carnal Christian"
Now, give your position. Don't post little comments in myne where you disagree. Just take the time to type your defense of "Carnal" Christian from this passage.
