What does 1 Corinthians 3:2 mean?

Blaise N · May 28, 2022

Hi everyone,

I’ve been having anxiety,but I’m not going to post about that,instead I want to ask about a verse stuck in my head I’ve been pondering,so when brother Paul spoke of spiritual milk and spiritual meat.What exactly does that represent metaphorically?,is it more complicated doctrine? What exactly entails milk and what exactly entails meat?

Sabertooth · May 28, 2022

"Milk" is the simple, basic teachings of the Kingdom of God.
"Solid food" is more complex & more far-reaching.
It is an allusion to childhood development. The digestive tract of babies is not developed enough to handle anything but milk. After we mature a bit, we can handle a broader diet (and are weaned [Hebrews 6:1-2]).

In school, you had to learn the letters of the alphabet before you could learn to read.
You had to learn arithmetic before you could learn algebra.

Same concept.

Petros2015 · May 29, 2022

Blaise N said:
is it more complicated doctrine? What exactly entails milk and what exactly entails meat?

Check out the end of Hebrews 5, followed by Hebrews 6

13 For everyone who lives on milk is still an infant, inexperienced in the message of righteousness. 14 But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained their senses to distinguish good from evil.

1Therefore let us leave the elementary teachings about Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works,a and of faith in God, 2instruction about baptisms,b the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment.

This is milk

3And this we will do, if God permits.4It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, 5who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age— 6and then have fallen away—to be restored to repentance, because they themselves are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting Him to open shame.7For land that drinks in the rain often falling on it and that produces a crop useful to those for whom it is tended receives the blessing of God. 8But land that produces thorns and thistles is worthless, and its curse is imminent. In the end it will be burned.

Producing a crop is meat.

SANTOSO · May 29, 2022

Blaise N said:
Hi everyone,

I’ve been having anxiety,but I’m not going to post about that,instead I want to ask about a verse stuck in my head I’ve been pondering,so when brother Paul spoke of spiritual milk and spiritual meat.What exactly does that represent metaphorically?,is it more complicated doctrine? What exactly entails milk and what exactly entails meat?

Beloved one, we heard apostle Paul said:

“I fed you with MILK and not with solid food; for until now you were not able to receive it, and even now you are still not able;”
‭‭I Corinthians‬ ‭3:2‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

How we may understand MILK that apostle said? This is what we have heard:

“For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need MILK and not solid food. For everyone who partakes only of MILK is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe.”
‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭5:12-13‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

So he whom apostle Paul fed with MILK is he whom must be taught the first principles or fundamentals of oracles ( sayings) of God. In other words, he who have not perceived and understood the righteous words that God have spoken. In other words, he has not understood God’s righteousness.

But those who are fed with solid food, this is what we have heard:

“But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.”
‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭5:14‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

So those who are ready to be fed with solid food, that they have perceived and understood God’s righteousness and apply or use His righteousness in their daily lives.

By reason of use，those who are fed with solid food, that they discern good and evil,that they are able to discern the knowledge of goodness of the Lord and the knowledge of evil or sin, that they come to be full of age that they no longer dwell in falsehood but dwell in His righteousness, that they dwell in the house of the Lord, that their hearts are for the Lord Jesus Christ.

Blaise N · May 29, 2022

SANTOSO said:
Beloved one, we heard apostle Paul said:

“I fed you with MILK and not with solid food; for until now you were not able to receive it, and even now you are still not able;”
‭‭I Corinthians‬ ‭3:2‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

How we may understand MILK that apostle said? This is what we have heard:

“For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need MILK and not solid food. For everyone who partakes only of MILK is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe.”
‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭5:12-13‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

So he whom apostle Paul fed with MILK is he whom must be taught the first principles or fundamentals of oracles ( sayings) of God. In other words, he who have not perceived and understood the righteous words that God have spoken. In other words, he has not understood God’s righteousness.

But those who are fed with solid food, this is what we have heard:

“But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.”
‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭5:14‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

So those who are ready to be fed with solid food, that they have perceived and understood God’s righteousness and apply or use His righteousness in their daily lives.

By reason of use，those who are fed with solid food, that they discern good and evil,that they are able to discern the knowledge of goodness of the Lord and the knowledge of evil or sin, that they come to be full of age that they no longer dwell in falsehood but dwell in His righteousness, that they dwell in the house of the Lord, that their hearts are for the Lord Jesus Christ.

Ah ok

Sabertooth said:
"Milk" is the simple, basic teachings of the Kingdom of God.
"Solid food" is more complex & more far-reaching.
It is an allusion to childhood development. The digestive tract of babies is not developed enough to handle anything but milk. After we mature a bit, we can handle a broader diet (and are weaned [Hebrews 6:1-2]).

In school, you had to learn the letters of the alphabet before you could learn to read.
You had to learn arithmetic before you could learn algebra.

Same concept.

so the principles in Hebrews 6:1 is milk.

What are principles that are meat?

Sabertooth · May 29, 2022

Blaise N said:
What are principles that are meat?

Everything past that.

Blaise N · May 29, 2022

Sabertooth said:
Everything past that.

OH so meat is fruit of the hoklg spirit?

Sabertooth · May 29, 2022

Blaise N said:
OH so meat is fruit of the hoklg spirit?

No. "Meat" is deeper understanding in the Holy Spirit.
It is starting to see things from God's perspective.

Blaise N · May 29, 2022

Sabertooth said:
No. "Meat" is deeper understanding in the Holy Spirit.
It is starting to see things from God's perspective.

So to better understand,what would be an example of that?.

Examples I’m getting from this is,Correct me if I’m wrong,but I don’t see money as valuable because it doesn’t bring happiness because rewards here on earth are only temporary,If I break something by accident,it shouldn’t be a big deal because it’s an object,noticing sin?,

Sabertooth · May 29, 2022

Blaise N said:
So to better understand,what would be an example of that?.

It has to be experienced.

Blaise N said:
Examples I’m getting from this is,Correct me if I’m wrong,but I don’t see money as valuable because it doesn’t bring happiness because rewards here on earth are only temporary,If I break something by accident,it shouldn’t be a big deal because it’s an object,noticing sin?,

Loving money is a sin, but using money (and other resources) wisely is expected of us.

Presbyterian Continuist · May 29, 2022

Petros2015 said:
Check out the end of Hebrews 5, followed by Hebrews 6

13 For everyone who lives on milk is still an infant, inexperienced in the message of righteousness. 14 But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained their senses to distinguish good from evil.

1Therefore let us leave the elementary teachings about Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works,a and of faith in God, 2instruction about baptisms,b the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment.

Notice that the verse says "not laying again the foundation of the items mentioned. What this means is that these things are confirmed and made sure in the Christian life. There is no argument about whether these things are crucial to a good understanding of what it means to be converted to Christ. Those who continue to have difficulties about these areas are still babes in Christ being able to take only the basic baby formula. Those who are confused about works and faith, for example, are still at the baby stage, as well as those who have an unclear view of what baptism is all about, doubts about the resurrection, and arguing about a final judgment and punishment in hell.

Presbyterian Continuist · May 29, 2022

Blaise N said:
Ah ok

so the principles in Hebrews 6:1 is milk.

What are principles that are meat?

The principles themselves are not milk or meat. It is the way that the immature novice approaches the foundational principles of the Christian faith, as I explained. Having a firm appreciation of the meaning of the verse, "By grace are we saved through faith, not of ourselves but is the gift of God, not of works lest any should boast." does not mean that we leave the foundational truths behind and no longer have them as the foundations of our Christian faith. Rather, those who believe that good works are essential to a Christian conversion instead of pure grace through faith, can't take the more mature principles of the faith, because they are still choking the issue of faith verses works for salvation. Therefore, to try and give them more solid meat without the foundation of faith, baptism, resurrection, knowing that we will face the final judgment to give an account of our lives, they will choke on it in the same way that a baby still on infant formula will choke when given more solid food.

Blaise N · May 30, 2022

Oscarr said:
The principles themselves are not milk or meat. It is the way that the immature novice approaches the foundational principles of the Christian faith, as I explained. Having a firm appreciation of the meaning of the verse, "By grace are we saved through faith, not of ourselves but is the gift of God, not of works lest any should boast." does not mean that we leave the foundational truths behind and no longer have them as the foundations of our Christian faith. Rather, those who believe that good works are essential to a Christian conversion instead of pure grace through faith, can't take the more mature principles of the faith, because they are still choking the issue of faith verses works for salvation. Therefore, to try and give them more solid meat without the foundation of faith, baptism, resurrection, knowing that we will face the final judgment to give an account of our lives, they will choke on it in the same way that a baby still on infant formula will choke when given more solid food.

So what I’m getting is a “meat” principle isn’t one of those but something greater?,could you provide an example brother?

Presbyterian Continuist · May 30, 2022

Blaise N said:
So what I’m getting is a “meat” principle isn’t one of those but something greater?,could you provide an example brother?

Whether a believer is able to take milk or meat depends on their maturity and experience in the things of God. A novice who is still having difficulty with the elements of the basic Gospel of Christ, as listed needs to be feed the most simple teaching involving true repentance, what faith in Christ actually is, the requirement of baptism, a sound appreciation of the final Judgment, involving the account we have to give of our lives, and the reality of hell for those who disobey the Gospel. As we have often seen on the forum, many still argue about these things, for example, the SDA members who still maintain that we have to keep the Law in order to be truly saved. These people can only digest milk teaching. Teaching "meat", ie: the weightier principles of the Christian life, such as Paul's teaching in his epistles, would only give the milk novices indigestion because they would be intolerant to it. In other words, if they can't receive the simple, basic elements of the Gospel, how can they cope with the weightier elements?

It is not that we leave the foundational elements behind and no longer have them as part of our Christian life, but that we have them as the solid foundation on which we build the rest.

Paul describes what "milk" novices are in 1 Corinthians when he shows that some in that church are dividing themselves into factions, and therefore are "carnal" rather than truly spiritual. Also many are babbling away in uninterpreted tongues, preventing good teaching and instruction in sound doctrine to occur. Others are having disputes about the resurrection, saying that either it will never happen or it has happened already. Others are being gluttons and getting drunk at the Lord's Supper. There is also tolerance over serious sexual sin and a lack of proper church discipline. While the church members are struggling over the foundational elements of their Christian profession, they cannot progress out of their carnality in their development of sanctification. Therefore the teaching they need to receive is still baby formula until they further grow in grace.

By contrast, we have the Ephesian, Philippian, Colossian, and Thessalonian churches who have progressed from the milk stage and are able to receive the weighter elements of Paul's teaching. The Galatian churches, because they have been bewitched by the Judaizers (the forerunners of the SDAs) to be totally confused about faith vs Law in their churches. Therefore the Galatians need further spiritual meals of baby formula until they get things straight about their salvation by God's grace through faith in Christ alone.

SANTOSO · May 30, 2022

Beloved one! You asked,”What are principles that are meat?”

Beloved one, when we TRANSGRESSED against the Lord and others, we DISOBEYED Him,
so we DIDN’T OBEY His righteousness,for we HAVE NOT HEEDED His voice.

That is why our transgressions need to be blotted by His blood, that we may be forgiven, so we who are redeeemed or loosed from the bondage of sin, may know His righteousness, that we may know His grace.

For we heard:
“that as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.”
‭‭Romans‬ ‭5:21‬ ‭KJV‬‬

If sin no longer our master, we are under grace, we are under the love of God.

Beloved ones— our iniquities have been washed, washed by His blood, that we may take hold of His goodness,that we may taste and see He is good.

Beloved ones— our sins have been forgiven, that His grace may abound in our lives, so let us abide in His love, that we keep His commandments.

So the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ is in His blood, that is, the love from the Father, that we may taste and see or that we may perceive and understand that through His love that He strengthens us through His Spirit to keep His commandments, that we love one another, that we find ourselves loving one another through the love of God.

In love of God, we find the unity of life with God and In God, for faith working through love, just as the Father loves the Son so He has loved us.

So by reason of use, we discern the knowledge of goodness, that the righteous one who is our Lord Jesus Christ who
loosed iniquity that was upon us, that we may take hold the goodness of the Lord ( God the Father) and in delight we are loved by the righteous ones, that is, the ones with Him (Holy Spirit).

Beloved one, pray:

O righteous Father,
even though the world does not know You,
Christ know You,
and Your saints know that You have sent Christ.
Christ made known to us Your name, —Abba
and Christ will continue to make it known,
that the love with which
Righteous Father have loved Christ
may be in us,
and Christ in us.
Amen

Beloved one, let us steadfastly love another through the love of Christ.

To God the Father be all glory and thanksgiving through Christ. Amen.

aiki · Jun 6, 2022

Blaise N said:
Hi everyone,

I’ve been having anxiety,but I’m not going to post about that,instead I want to ask about a verse stuck in my head I’ve been pondering,so when brother Paul spoke of spiritual milk and spiritual meat.What exactly does that represent metaphorically?,is it more complicated doctrine? What exactly entails milk and what exactly entails meat?

What Oscarr said.

Also, the writer of Hebrews went on from his comments at the end of chapter 5 and the first part of chapter 6 to describe a more "meaty" walk with God. After a lengthy explication of the role of Christ as the High Priest of the New Covenant and what he has accomplished through his atoning sacrifice for us, the following consequences to one's living are laid out, describing what sort of things characterize "meaty" spirituality:

Hebrews 10:19-25
19 Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus,
20 By a new and living way, which he has consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh;
21 And having an high priest over the house of God;
22 Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.
23 Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;
24 And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works:
25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as you see the day approaching.

Hebrews 10:35-39
35 Cast not away therefore your confidence, which has great recompence of reward.
36 For you have need of patience, that, after you have done the will of God, you might receive the promise.
37 For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry.
38 Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.
39 But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.

Hebrews 12:1-4
1 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which does so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,
2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
3 For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.
4 You have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin.

Hebrews 12:12-15
12 Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees;
13 And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed.
14 Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:
15 Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled;

Hebrews 12:28
28 Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear:

Hebrews 13.

A settled confidence - faith - in the work of Christ as our Savior; patience in waiting on God to bring to full fruit the life of Christ within us; regular, edifying participation in the Body of Believers; a fixed focus upon Jesus; a peaceable, holy character of living; a dependence upon the power of God - grace - in our service to Him; and the multitude of things mentioned in chapter 13, frame what it is to live a spiritually "meaty" life.

nhisname · Jun 7, 2022

Blaise N said:
Hi everyone,

I’ve been having anxiety,but I’m not going to post about that,instead I want to ask about a verse stuck in my head I’ve been pondering,so when brother Paul spoke of spiritual milk and spiritual meat.What exactly does that represent metaphorically?,is it more complicated doctrine? What exactly entails milk and what exactly entails meat?

Milk goes down easy and simple to digest..basic gospel principles so much so a child can understand it. Meat on the other hand takes more time and patience thus growing a mature person in God's wisdom and understanding.

What does 1 Corinthians 3:2 mean?

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