Charles Spurgeon Commentary 1 Corinthians 3:1

"And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, as unto babes in Christ." — 1 Corinthians 3:1 (ASV)

And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ (1 Corinthians 3:1).

The church at Corinth consisted of people with extensive education and great abilities. It was one of those churches that had given up the one-man system, where everyone spoke as they pleased—a very knowledgeable church, and a church of Christians, too. But for all that.

Christian babies. And though they thought themselves so great, yet the apostle says that he never spoke to them as to spiritual people: he kept to the simple elements, as he considered their carnal nature still too prominent in them for them to be able to drink down spiritual things.

And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ.

Their spiritual part had not grown strong; their old carnal nature still had the preponderance, as Paul was obliged to address what was the greater part of them.