1 Corinthians 3:3

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - 1 Corinthians 3:3

For ye are yet carnal - Though you are Christians, and are the friends of God in the main, yet your divisions and strifes show that you are yet, in some degree, under the influence of the principles which govern the people of this world. People who are governed solely by the principles of this world, evince a spirit of strife, emulation and contention; and just so far as you are engaged in strife, just so far do you show that you are governed by their principles and feelings.For whereas - In... read more

Joseph Benson

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - 1 Corinthians 3:1-3

1 Corinthians 3:1-3. And I, brethren The apostle having, in the latter part of the preceding chapter, observed that mere natural men, still unenlightened and unrenewed, receive not the things of the Spirit, begins this chapter with informing the Corinthians, that though he was an apostle, fully instructed in the mind of Christ, he could not, during his abode with them, speak to them as to truly spiritual persons: inasmuch as they really were not such, but still in a great measure carnal, ... read more

Donald C. Fleming

Bridgeway Bible Commentary - 1 Corinthians 3:1-9

Lack of spiritual growth (3:1-9)When Paul was in Corinth a year or two previously, he could not speak to the believers as spiritual people (such as those just described in 2:6-16), because they were then little different from ordinary, natural people of the world. They were babes in Christ and Paul treated them so. He did not find fault with them then, because one expects new converts to be like that; but he does find fault with them now, because they are still like that (3:1-2). They are like... read more

E.W. Bullinger

E.W. Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes - 1 Corinthians 3:3

carnal. Greek. sarkikos. See 1 Corinthians 3:1 .Romans 7:14 . among . App-104 . envying . Greek. zelos. See Acts 5:17 . strife . Greek. eris. See 1 Corinthians 1:11 . divisions . dichoatasia. See Romans 16:17 . But the texts omit "and divisions". as = according to. App-104 . men = a man. App-123 . read more

James Burton Coffman

Coffman Commentaries on the Bible - 1 Corinthians 3:3

For ye are yet carnal for whereas there is among you, jealousy and strife, are ye not carnal, and do ye not walk after the manner of men?Carnal ... Paul by this word did not deny that the Corinthians were Christians; they were still "brethren"; but their lives were marred by serious failures. Russell declared that Paul used this word,Not in the modern meaning of "sensual," but as meaning earthly secular, worldly, having the worldly spirit of partisan strife, like (some) politicians rather than... read more

Thomas Coke

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - 1 Corinthians 3:3

1 Corinthians 3:3. And walk as men?— Speaking according to man, signifies, speaking according to the principles of natural reason, in contradistinction to revelation. See ch. 1 Corinthians 9:8. Gal 1:11 and so walking according to man must here be understood. See on 1 Corinthians 3:1. read more

Robert Jamieson; A. R. Fausset; David Brown

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible - 1 Corinthians 3:3

3. envying—jealousy, rivalry. As this refers to their feelings, "strife" refers to their words, and "divisions" to their actions [BENGEL]. There is a gradation, or ascending climax: envying had produced strife, and strife divisions (factious parties) [GROTIUS]. His language becomes severer now as He proceeds; in :- he had only said "contentions," he now multiplies the words (compare the stronger term, :-, than in 1 Corinthians 3:21). carnal—For "strife" is a "work of the flesh" (1 Corinthians... read more

Thomas Constable

Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - 1 Corinthians 3:1-4

4. The immature and carnal conditions 3:1-4The apostle proceeded to tell the Corinthians that they had not been viewing things from the spiritual point of view. He was referring specifically to their exaltation of one or another of God’s servants above the others (1 Corinthians 1:10-17). Paul urgently appealed to them to change. read more

Thomas Constable

Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - 1 Corinthians 3:3

The reason Paul did not feel he should give them more advanced instruction was that their flesh (Gr. sarkikos) still dominated them. As believers they were making provision for the flesh to fulfill its desires rather than following the leading of the Holy Spirit. They were not only immature believers but also carnal believers. The carnal, fleshly believer is the fourth type of person Paul mentioned in 1 Corinthians 2:14 to 1 Corinthians 3:4.Various students of this section of the epistle have... read more

John Darby

Darby's Synopsis of the New Testament - 1 Corinthians 3:3

3:3 carnal. (i-5) carnal, (i-18) Sarkinos . as Romans 7:14 ; Hebrews 7:16 ; 2 Corinthians 3:3 . This word is said to mean properly the material -- the composition of a thing. 'Carnal,' twice in verse 3, is sarkinos , a form used, in some places, to express either material or physical or moral ideas. It occurs also in Romans 15:27 ; 1 Corinthians 9:11 ; 2 Corinthians 1:12 ; 2 Corinthians 10:4 ; 1 Peter 2:11 . This last passage, 'fleshly lusts,' shows how the material and moral thoughts run... read more

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