02-12-2026 PART 2: Growing Up in Christ: Unity Over Division and Milk Before Meat

Section 1

Paul opens 1 Corinthians 3 with striking clarity, addressing the believers in Corinth not as unbelievers, but as brothers. He does not question their salvation; he questions their maturity. Their justification is secure through the blood of Jesus Christ, yet their sanctification—their growth into Christlikeness—is stunted. Scripture presents salvation as a threefold reality: justification removes the penalty of sin, sanctification shapes believers into the image of Jesus, and glorification will one day remove sin’s presence entirely. Paul is not attacking their standing before God; he is confronting their lack of spiritual development. Calling them infants in Christ is not cruelty, but honesty. They belong to Christ, yet they are functioning like spiritual babies, unable to receive deeper instruction because they have not matured beyond foundational truths.

Section 2

The milk-versus-solid-food metaphor reinforces this diagnosis. Babies require milk; adults can handle substance. Paul explains that he gave them milk because they were not ready for meat—and they still are not ready. The problem is not passion, boldness, or personality; it is immaturity expressed through division. Claiming allegiance to Paul, Apollos, Cephas, or even declaring “I am of Christ” as a divisive badge misses the heart of the gospel. Differences among believers—background, tribe, temperament, or theological emphasis—do not justify fragmentation. Just as Israel consisted of twelve tribes yet remained one nation, and just as husband and wife are distinct yet unified, the Church is called to unity without uniformity. Division rooted in preference or pride reflects childish thinking, not spiritual growth.

Section 3

Paul’s correction anticipates his later teaching in 1 Corinthians 13, where maturity is defined by love and the putting away of childish things. As the return of Jesus Christ approaches, Scripture warns that love will grow cold and division will increase. Immaturity fractures fellowship; maturity protects it. Christians are not asked to abandon conviction or identity, but to anchor both in the Word of God and the unity of the Spirit. The Church must resist the temptation to separate over secondary differences or align with cultural pressures that dilute truth. Paul’s message is timeless and urgent: grow up. Move beyond spiritual infancy. Pursue maturity that expresses itself through humility, unity, and love. Salvation is secure, but growth is necessary, and the health of the Church depends upon believers choosing unity over ego and maturity over division.