1 Corinthians 3:1

But as unto carnal

(αλλ' ως σαρκινοις). Latin carneus. "As men o' flesh," Braid Scots; "as worldlings," Moffatt. This form in -ινος like λιθινος in 2 Corinthians 3:3 means the material of flesh, "not on tablets of stone, but on fleshen tablets on hearts." So in Hebrews 7:16. But in Romans 7:14 Paul says, "I am fleshen (σαρκινος) sold under sin," as if σαρκινος represented the extreme power of the σαρξ. Which does Paul mean here? He wanted to speak the wisdom of God among the adults (1 Corinthians 2:6), the spiritual (ο πνευματικο, 1 Corinthians 2:15), but he was unable to treat them as πνευματικο in reality because of their seditions and immoralities. It is not wrong to be σαρκινος, for we all live in the flesh (εν σαρκ, Galatians 2:20), but we are not to live according to the flesh (κατα σαρκα, Romans 8:12). It is not culpable to a babe in Christ (νηπιος, 1 Corinthians 13:11), unless unduly prolonged (1 Corinthians 14:20; Hebrews 5:13). It is one of the tragedies of the minister's life that he has to keep on speaking to the church members "as unto babes in Christ" (ως νηπιοις εν Χριστω), who actually glory in their long babyhood whereas they ought to be teachers of the gospel instead of belonging to the cradle roll. Paul's goal was for all the babes to become adults (Colossians 1:28).