1 Cor. 3:1-9
Many teach that
Paul in this passage is talking about 3 classes of people: The natural man or
lost man [2:14 ],
Spiritual Christian [3:1a], and the Carnal Christian [1b]. They present a diagram with 3 circles representing the
3 classes of people. At the center of each is a throne. The natural man
has self on the throne with Christ outside the circle. The carnal Christian
has invited Christ into the circle but keeps self on the throne. The spiritual
Christian puts Christ into the circle and Christ on the throne.
A man named
Lewis Sperry Chafer popularized the carnal Christian idea in his book, He that is spiritual. C. I. Scofield
states the same in his notes in The
Scofield Reference Bible.
In recent years
this idea of a permanent state of a carnal Christian has been included in
tracts by Campus Crusade for Christ, Dallas Seminary, and later revised by Bill
Bright before his death.
According to Ernest
Reisinger, "This "Carnal
Christian" teaching was invented to accommodate all the supposed converts
of modern evangelism. The non-lordship teachers had to have some explanation
for the thousands and thousands of those who are products of an evangelism that
leaves out Bible repentance from their evangelistic message. I am referring to
those who make "decisions," walk aisles and make professions of being
Christians, but their lives have never been changed by the power of the Holy
Spirit. Therefore, they do not love what Christians love and hate what
Christians hate. They act, think and live like non-Christians, but their
teachers must have some explanation for their unchanged lives. Thus the
unbiblical category "Carnal Christian" was invented by the
non-lordship teachers."
Stage one is conversion and
then stage two is to make Jesus Lord. In between the two stages the believer
may live like an unbeliever.
This tract is
based on our text today.
Trouble is, Paul is not teaching 3 classes of people, but only 2 classes of
people- The natural man [lost] and the Spiritual man [saved]. Here we see the
saints and the aint's.
Note 2:14 -15 He is not teaching that a Christian can’t remain in a
permanent state of carnality for his whole life and be in a special class.
TT: Why? Let me defend this view with seven reasons!
1. Paul was rebuking the Corinthians for
their fleshly
behavior, for their state not their standing.
The church had
divided into factions over the popularity of different teacher [vs. 3-9]. Paul
states that they were fleshly and behaving like mere men or the natural
man. Paul was accusing them of acting like non-Christians.
Paul was not
defining 2 classes of Christians or 3 classes of people. He simply talks about
the natural man and the spiritual man who was acting carnal in behavior.
Can true
Christians be carnal? The word carnal means fleshly. Paul addresses them both
as “brethren” [v. 1] and “carnal” [v. 2]. Every time we sin we act carnal.
There is no such thing as a
believer who is carnal all the time.
And, there is no such thing as a believer who is not carnal some of the
time.
A true Christian
will not remain carnal for a lifetime. Many believe a person can come to faith
in Christ and then turn to live their life in a carnal state with no signs of
spiritual life, and be a Christian.
Once we set up a
category for a “carnal Christian” everybody who confesses Christ is saved, but James
2:14; Matt. 7:21; 1 John 3:9; and 1 John 5:14 tell us different.
2. Spiritual Refers to all Christians.
They were
spiritual because they had received the Holy Spirit, they were spiritual by position but not
practice. Their standing was as spiritual but their state was as fleshly.
Their behavior
was so inconsistent with the truth that Paul had to address them as babes in
Christ, carnal, acting like the natural man [2:14 -15].
Romans 8:5-9, The lost have a mind set on the flesh
while Christians have a mind set on the Spirit.
According to
Paul then, all Christians are spiritual but do act in the flesh from time to
time, and that is what he is rebuking them for in our text.
3. Paul does not urge these carnal
Christians to “make Jesus Lord.”
Many think that
a believer can live in a carnal state having not made Jesus Lord. They are
converted, Jesus is in the circle, but Jesus is not on the throne of their
life.
Phil. 2:11; Rom.
A.W. Tozer said
it best, "You can't receive a divided Christ."
4. The carnal Christian teaching perverts
Justification and Sanctification.
5. The carnal Christian teaching makes no
room for false converts.
6. The carnal Christian teaching negates
the importance of repentance.
7. The carnal Christian teaching
eliminates the doctrine of assurance of salvation.
Summary:
1. A true
Christian can be carnal [3:1].
2. A true
Christian will not remain carnal for a lifetime without the conviction
and correction of God and ultimately physical death [Heb.
11:5-9; James 5:20; 1 John 5:16-17].
Believers can’t
sin without punishment. One can’t be a carnal Christian
and not experience discipline from the Lord.
3. A Christian
who is acting carnal loses reward not relationship [3:15 ].
4. We are wrong in labeling carnal Christians as permanent carnal Christians, when in reality they that have their mind set on the flesh, and are probably lost [Romans 8:5-9; Gal.
5. What about Lot ? Lot is used as a example of a lifelong carnal
Christian. Turn to 2 Peter 2:7-9
* He lived in Sodom
* He was
grieved, tormented and oppressed over the sin around him.
* The Lord
rescued Lot with severe chastisement.
He lost his testimony
He lost his home
His wife was killed by divine judgment
His daughters disgraced and shamed him.
