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ON THIS PAGE
Emphasis Mine In Bible Verses
What is a 'Carnal Christian'?
The Misuse of I Corinthians 3:1-4
The Problems In The Corinthian Church
The Difference Between Carnality and Sinfulness
It is Impossible To Be Saved Without Righteous Living
Salvation is Based on Faith and Holiness
What is a 'Carnal Christian'? - The Misuse of I Corinthians 3:1-4
1 Corinthians 3:1-4 has been known to be used to support the belief that there are two categories of Christians - the 'spiritual' believer who is led and guided by the Holy Spirit and the 'carnal' believer who is supposedly saved and has Christ in his or her life but shows no external evidence of being a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17). Or to put it another way - they think they have their cake and eat it too.
And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual men, but as to men of flesh, as to infants in Christ. I gave you milk to drink, not solid food; for you were not yet able to receive it. Indeed, even now you are not yet able, for you are still fleshly (carnal). For since there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not fleshly (carnal), and are you not walking like mere men? For when one says, "I am of Paul," and another, "I am of Apollos," are you not mere men? (1 Corinthians 3:1-4 NASB). All Emphasis Added .
Note: The word ’carnal’ refers to the physical rather than the spiritual nature of human beings. It involves the body rather than the mind or spirit. Carnal was translated from the Greek sarkikos (pertaining to the flesh) which is why the Berean Study Bible renders it as 'worldly'.
The confusion arises because Paul called the Corinthians carnal yet addressed them as brethren (brother) and spoke to them of the resurrection and spiritual gifts etc.
Those who think being a carnal Christian is good enough imagine that although they may lose a reward or two in the coming kingdom they will at least scrape through the Pearly Gates by the skin of their teeth. They are as secure as the Spiritual Christian as far as achieving the 'end goal' is concerned. See The Bema or Judgment Seat of Christ and Rewards in Heaven
The flaw in their reasoning is that they have not paid close enough attention to the fact that the Scriptures repeatedly emphasize that a lack of holiness is an insurmountable barrier to a relationship with God and that it is impossible to be saved without righteous living. For example Hebrews 12:14 tells us that without Holiness, No Man Shall See God. See What is Holiness?
In order to understand what Paul meant when he used the term Carnal Christian we need to know who he was writing to and under what circumstances
The Corinthian Church
1 Corinthians was not primarily a doctrinal epistle but was written to deal with practical problems the young church was experiencing. Here are some of what the apostle had to tackle.
1.) In verse 4 Paul referred to the fact that the Corinthian Christians were dividing themselves into camps depending on which of the apostles they first heard the Gospel from. He had to remind them that the apostles were no more than servants through whom they believed
for you are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and dissension among you, are you not worldly? Are you not walking in the way of man? For when one of you says, “I follow Paul,” and another, “I follow Apollos,” are you not mere men? What then is Apollos? And what is Paul? They are servants through whom you believed, as the Lord has assigned to each his role. I planted the seed and Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. (1 Corinthians 3:3-7 BSB)
2.) Paul also reprimanded them for not doing something about the person who was having ongoing relationship with his father's wife (5:1) and reminded them that in he had previously warned them
I wrote you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people. I was not including the sexually immoral of this world, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters. In that case you would have to leave this world. But now I am writing you not to associate with anyone who claims to be a brother but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or a verbal abuser, a drunkard or a swindler. With such a man do not even eat. (1 Corinthians 5:9-11 BSB)
3.) Chapter 6 opens with Paul denouncing the fact that if one of them had a case against his neighbor, they dared to go to law before the unrighteous rather than other believers. (1 Corinthians 6:4-8)
4.) The Corinthians also tended to want to outdo each other when it came to spiritual gifts. (Chapter 12)
5.) The fact that this was a very class conscious or just plain selfish lot is demonstrated by their behavior when they got together to celebrate the Lord's Supper. Some of them would partake of the Lord’s Supper early leaving others hungry and apparently it was not unknown for believers to show up intoxicated. Their selfish conduct at the common meal was a disgracing their observance of the Lord's Supper. (Chapter 11. V.17 on)
Paul told them that they were despising the church and shaming those who had nothing. If they wanted to eat or drink selfishly they were to do in their own homes. (1 Corinthians 11:22)
Certainly these Christians were far from perfect (as indeed are all Christians). In summary, they were not behaving like spiritual followers of Christ but were demonstrating worldly immature behavior. Paul rebuked them for acting selfishly in some instances and like children in others. It is no wonder he called them "infants in Christ" - they had a lot of growing up or maturing to do.
This is very different from saying that the Apostle recognized the existence of a distinct group of Christians who could be called 'carnal'. All Paul was saying in 1 Corinthians 3:1-4 is that in some areas of their lives Christians can and do sometimes behave carnally.
On the other hand, we also have to remember is that although they fell short in many ways the Corinthian church had some very strong points. Not only were they enriched in all speech and all knowledge in Him, were not lacking in any gift, but they also eagerly awaited Jesus' coming (How much of the modern church does that?)
The Difference Between Carnality and Sinfulness
In the sixth chapter of 1 Corinthians Paul wrote (Emphasis Added)
Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God. Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God. (1 Corinthians 6:9-11 NASB)
There are two points to be noted in the above verses.
1) The sins listed are not merely examples of immaturity and/or carnality but, if not repented of and forsaken, would exclude a person from the kingdom altogether. Note that Paul began this passage on the unrighteous by saying "know ye not?" - Both they and we should already have a firm grasp on what he was saying.
2) Paul used the past tense when he said "such were some of you". Obviously some of the Corinthians had been guilty of the sins mentioned but had since become Christians.
The carnality of the Corinthians had nothing to do with the listed sins. They were being warned that childish carnal behavior that can be a very slippery slope.
But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death. (James 1:14-15 NASB)
Lest anyone should think that being carnal is a place of safety note that Romans 8:6 says
For the mind set on the flesh (KJV - to be carnally minded) is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace. (NASB) Emphasis Added)
It is Impossible To Be Saved Without Righteous Living
Anyone who believes that they can be a carnal Christian hasn't understood the first thing about the Gospel, salvation, or the kingdom Jesus came to proclaim. In fact they seem to have missed the message of the Bible altogether.
The Wrath of God
When we speak of being saved, we need to think about the fact that being saved means being saved from something. According the Bible that 'something' is the Father Himself.
Today's bumper sticker theology that says, "Smile, God Loves You!" is but one more of today's popular 'feel good' messages - but it is is completely misleading. People both in the church and without delude themselves that they are "not that bad" and that benevolent grandfather in the sky will overlook their 'small' mistakes because He loves them.
Confusing His patience with His tolerance we fondly imagine He is okay with the way we live our lives.
Nothing, but nothing, could be further from the truth.
John the Baptist, whom Jesus called the greatest man who ever lived (Matt. 11:11), never mentioned Gods' love when he preached the gospel (see Matt. 3:1-12; Luke 3:1-18). He sounded much like Jonathan Edwards, warning his audiences of God's coming wrath. There is not a single case in the book of Acts where anyone preaching the gospel told an unsaved audience that God loved them. Rather, the Biblical preachers warned their audiences that God did not approve of them, that they were in danger, and that they needed to make dramatic changes in their lives" [01].
In both Old and New Testaments, the Bible labors the point that God is good to those who trust, follow, and obey Him and is terrible to those who do not. And neither section of the Scriptures is anything but crystal clear regarding the reality and terror of God's wrath. Yet, in line with the modern philosophy of not offending anyone today's largely sickly sweet, sentimental and completely ineffective Christianity babbles on and on about the goodness and love of God, but almost totally ignores His wrath and judgment.
See The Wrath of God
Unfortunately the English words "anger" or "wrath" can imply very negative emotions. However, God is not an endlessly angry Being that constantly flies off the handle and is constantly having to be appeased and mollified.
Paul did not beat about the bush when it came to the price we will pay for our sins
For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 6:23 NASB)
In other words, our sins that have separated us from God merit the death penalty.
However, as Peter once wrote, the Lord is patient towards us "not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance." (2 Peter 3:9 NASB) which is why He sent His Son to offer us salvation this by shedding His blood in place of ours. If we had never sinned we would not have needed a redeemer because there would be no danger of being permanently condemned to death.
Salvation is Based on Both Faith and Holiness
Salvation involves more than simply affirming in one's mind that Jesus is Lord and Savior. Today's 'easy Christianity' would have us believe a person is saved based solely on the fact that he has made a 'decision', walked an aisle, made a profession of faith, or asked Jesus to come into his heart.
See Why NOT To Ask Jesus Into Your Heart
And The Myth We Are Saved By Faith Alone
Over and over again, the Bible divides men into two groups... the saved and the lost, the believer and the unbeliever, the sheep and the goats, the children of darkness and the children of light, etc. It is black and white without even a suggestion of people who have all the characteristics of the first group and all the benefits and blessings of those in the second.
But when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne. "All the nations will be gathered before Him; and He will separate them from one another, as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats; and He will put the sheep on His right, and the goats on the left. (Matthew 25:31-33 NASB)
No one who abides in Him sins; no one who sins has seen Him or knows Him. Little children, make sure no one deceives you; the one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous; the one who practices sin is of the devil; for the devil has sinned from the beginning. The Son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil. No one who is born of God practices sin, because His seed abides in him; and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. By this the children of God and the children of the devil are obvious: anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor the one who does not love his brother. (1 John 3:6-10 NASB)
The one stumbling block that will keep you, me, and everyone else out of the kingdom is sin - simply defined as a transgression of God's law. Isaiah expressly said that sin is the root cause of our separation from God.
But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden His face from you so that He does not hear. (Isaiah 59:2 NASB)
See Repentance.. the Missing Message and Salvation
Think about it for just a moment - If the Father allowed unrepentant sinners into His perfect kingdom how long would it be before it became as violent, sinful and corrupt as it is now. Thus it is ludicrous to believe that an individual is will be saved from God's judgment of his sins when that person has no desire to turn from them. As Romans 8:6 says
For the mind set on the flesh (KJV - to be carnally minded) is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace. (NASB)
In summary, if your sinful nature has not been changed by the grace of Christ you are not a carnal Christian - you are no Christian and need to become one.
However, none of this implies that Christians do not ever sin. As long as we are in our present bodies we will continuously have to do battle with temptation. Galatians 5:17 describes it perfectly
For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please.
The growth in Holiness is far from a smooth and easy ride. There are obstacles to be overcome and mountains to be scaled. However, through it all, a truly saved Christian will not deliberately and habitually sin.
See Holiness
There is little or no emphasis on holiness in the modern church buried as it is below flamboyant mega star preachers, worship teams that could find work in many Broadway productions, large "crusades", exciting "revivals" - Glitz and glamour that Hollywood could be proud of. Yet the Bible clearly states that "without holiness, no man shall see God!" (Hebrews 12:14) which means it behooves us to know exactly how the Scriptures define holiness.
End Notes
[01] God's Love/Hate Relationship with the World. © Shepherd Serve 2013 – The Teaching Ministry of David Servant.
http://www.heavensfamily.org/ss/e_teachings/2005_07
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