Abide Together: Reflections on 1 Corinthians 2-3

Paul wrote this letter to the believers in Corinth about 4 years after planting the church. In the beginning of chapter 3, he makes his disappointment very clear by basically calling them big bottle-sucking babies who still can’t eat solid food. It’s not a hard and fast rule, but this seems to point to a Scriptural (or at least a Pauline) guideline that after 4 years of discipleship, it is reasonable to expect that someone should be able to express the basic tenants of our faith.

The writer of Hebrews 6:1-2 suggests these as the basics: (1) repentance, (2) Faith, (3) Baptism, (4) Laying on of hands, (5) Resurrection, (6) Judgement

Have you been a believer for more than 4 years? Can you explain each of these? Could you explain it to someone who didn’t know anything about our faith? If these are the basics, what is the “solid food” that we should be striving to feast on?

I once heard someone say that when it comes to our spiritual growth, we should all have a Paul (spiritual mentor), a Barnabas (peer), and a Timothy (someone we are discipling). I like this idea. Are you missing any of these? If so, begin praying that God would reveal the right person for an authentic Godly relationship so that He can be honored in great ways.

Steve Corn