John Calvin Commentary 1 Corinthians 3

And I, brothers (1 Corinthians 3:1). He begins to apply to the Corinthians themselves what he had said concerning carnal people, so that they might understand that the fault was their own — that the doctrine of the Cross had no more appeal to them.

It is probable that in mercantile minds like theirs, too much confidence and arrogance still lingered, so that it was not without great difficulty that they could bring themselves to embrace the simplicity of the gospel.

Consequently, undervaluing the Apostle and the divine efficacy of his preaching, they were more prepared to listen to those teachers who were subtle and showy, while destitute of the Spirit.

Therefore, to more effectively beat down their insolence, he declares that they belong to the company of those who, stupefied by carnal sense, are not prepared to receive the spiritual wisdom of God.

It is true, he softens the harshness of his reproach by calling them brothers, but at the same time, he expressly presents it as a reproach against them that their minds were so suffocated with the darkness of the flesh that it hindered his preaching among them.

What sort of sound judgment, then, can they possess, when they are not yet fit and prepared even for hearing!

He does not mean, however, that they were altogether carnal, so as to have no spark of the Spirit of God, but rather that they still had far too much carnal sense, so that the flesh prevailed over the Spirit and, as it were, drowned out His light.

Therefore, although they were not altogether destitute of grace, yet, because they had more of the flesh than of the Spirit, they are for that reason termed carnal.

This is clear enough from what he immediately adds — that they were babes in Christ; for they would not have been babes if they had not been begotten, and that begetting is from the Spirit of God.

Babes in Christ. This term is sometimes understood in a good sense, as it is by Peter, who exhorts us to be like new-born babes (1 Peter 2:2), and in that saying of Christ:

Unless you become as these little children,
you shall not enter into the kingdom of God (Luke 18:17).

Here, however, it is understood in a bad sense, as referring to the understanding. For we must be children in malice, but not in understanding, as he says afterwards (1 Corinthians 14:20) — a distinction that removes all cause for doubt as to the meaning. To this, there is also a corresponding passage in Ephesians 4:14:

That we be no longer children tossed to and fro with every wind of doctrine, and made the sport of human fallacies, but may day by day grow up, etc.

I have fed you with milk. Here it is asked whether Paul transformed Christ to suit the diversity of his hearers. I answer that this refers to the manner and form of his instructions, rather than to the substance of the doctrine. For Christ is at once milk to babes and strong meat to those that are of full age (Hebrews 5:13–14); the same truth of the gospel is administered to both, but in a way that suits their capacity.

Thus, it is the part of a wise teacher to accommodate himself to the capacity of those whom he has undertaken to instruct. In dealing with the weak and ignorant, he begins with first principles and does not go higher than they are able to follow (Mark 4:33). In short, he imparts his instructions little by little, so that they do not overflow if poured in too abundantly.

At the same time, those first principles will contain everything necessary to be known, no less than the more advanced lessons that are communicated to those who are stronger. On this point, read Augustine’s 98th homily on John.

This tends to refute the specious pretext of some who, while they merely mutter something of the gospel in an indistinct manner out of fear of danger, pretend to have Paul’s example here. Meanwhile, they present Christ at such a distance, and covered, besides, with so many disguises, that they constantly keep their followers in destructive ignorance.

I will say nothing of their mixing many corruptions, their presenting Christ not simply in half but torn to fragments, their not merely concealing such gross idolatry but also confirming it by their own example, and, if they have said anything good, immediately polluting it with numerous falsehoods.

How unlike they are to Paul is sufficiently manifest; for milk is nourishment and not poison—nourishment that is suitable and useful for raising children until they are more advanced.

For ye were not yet able to bear it. So that they may not flatter themselves too much on their own discernment, he first of all tells them what he had found among them at the beginning, and then adds what is still more severe: that the same faults remain among them to this day. For they ought at least, in putting on Christ, to have put off the flesh; and thus we see that Paul complains that the success his doctrine should have had was impeded. For if the hearer does not cause delay by his slowness, it is the part of a good teacher to always be progressing to higher levels, until perfection is attained.

For you are still carnal. So long as the flesh, that is, natural corruption, prevails in a man, it has such complete possession of his mind that the wisdom of God finds no entry. Therefore, if we wish to make progress in the Lord’s school, we must first of all renounce our own judgment and our own will. Now, although some sparks of piety emerged among the Corinthians, they were suppressed by being choked.

For since there are among you. The proof comes from the effects. Since envying, and strifes, and divisions are the fruits of the flesh, wherever they are seen, it is certain that the root is there in its vigor.

These evils prevailed among the Corinthians; and accordingly, he proves from this that they are carnal. He also uses the same argument in Galatians 5:25: If you live in the Spirit, walk also in the Spirit.

For while they desired to be regarded as spiritual, he calls them to look at their works, by which they denied what they professed with their mouth (Titus 1:16). Observe, however, the elegant arrangement that Paul pursues here: from envying spring up contentions, and these, once they have been kindled, break out into deadly factions. The mother of all these evils is ambition.

Walk as men. From this it is clear that the term flesh is not restricted merely to the lower appetites (as the Sophists claim, the seat of which they call sensuality) but is used to describe man’s whole nature.

For those who follow the guidance of nature are not governed by the Spirit of God. These, according to the Apostle’s definition, are carnal, so that the terms 'flesh' and 'man’s natural disposition' are quite synonymous.

Therefore, it is not without good reason that he elsewhere requires that we be new creatures in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17).

For while one saith He now specifies the particular kind of contentions, and he does this by speaking as the Corinthians, so that his description may have more force—that each one took pride in his particular master, as though Christ were not the one Master of all (Matthew 23:8). Now, where such ambition still prevails, the gospel has little or no success. You are not, however, to understand that they declared this openly in express words, but the Apostle rebukes those depraved dispositions to which they had yielded. At the same time, it is likely that, since a predilection arising from ambition is usually accompanied by empty talkativeness, they openly revealed through their words the absurd bias of their minds, extolling their teachers to the skies in magnificent terms while simultaneously showing contempt for Paul and those like him.

Who then is Paul? Here he begins to address the regard in which ministers should be held, and the purpose for which they have been set apart by the Lord. He names himself and Apollos rather than others, to avoid any appearance of envy. “What else,” he says, “are all ministers appointed for, but to bring you to faith through their preaching?” From this Paul infers that no human being should be an object of glorying, for faith allows no glorying except in Christ alone.

Hence, those who extol people excessively strip them of their true dignity. For their chief distinction is that they are ministers of faith, or, in other words, that they gain disciples for Christ, not for themselves. Now, although he appears in this way to depreciate the dignity of ministers, he does not assign it a lower place than it should hold.

For he says a great deal when he states that we receive faith through their ministry. Moreover, the efficacy of external doctrine receives extraordinary praise here when it is described as the instrument of the Holy Spirit; and pastors are honored with a significant title of distinction when God is said to use them as His ministers for dispensing the inestimable treasure of faith.

As the Lord has given to every man. In the Greek words used by Paul, the particle of comparison ὡς (as) is placed after ἑκάστῳ (to every man); but the order is inverted. Therefore, to make the meaning more apparent, I have translated it “Sicut unicuique” (“as to every man”), rather than “Unicuique sicut” (“to every man as”). In some manuscripts, however, the particle καί (and) is missing, and it forms one continuous phrase: Ministers by whom you believed as the Lord gave to every man. If we read it this way, the latter clause will be added to explain the former, so that Paul explains what he meant by the term minister: “Those are ministers whose services God uses, not as if they could do anything by their own efforts, but insofar as they are guided by his hand, as instruments.”

The translation I have provided, however, is, in my opinion, the more correct one. If we adopt it, the statement will be more complete, for it will consist of two clauses. In the first place, those are ministers who have devoted their services to Christ, so that you might believe in Him. Furthermore, they have nothing of their own to be proud of, since they do nothing of themselves and have no power to do anything except by the gift of God, and every man according to his own measure—which shows that whatever each individual has is derived from another. In short, he unites them all by a mutual bond, since they require each other’s assistance.