What It Means to Be a Fleshly Christian

In 1 Corinthians 3, the apostle Paul introduces a category that may seem confusing to many the “fleshly” Christian also known as a “baby in Christ.” It's a phrase that raises deep questions for believers trying to understand the difference between the saved and the unsaved, maturity and immaturity, faith and failure.

Are fleshly Christians truly saved? Why are they called “fleshly” if they have the Holy Spirit? What marks this spiritual condition and how can we help someone grow out of it?

Let’s walk through Paul’s words carefully to uncover what it means to be a fleshly Christian, why it matters, and how it points us to deeper dependence on Christ.

Three Types of People in 1 Corinthians

Paul writes to the Corinthians and uses three terms to describe human spiritual conditions:

1. The Natural Person (1 Corinthians 2:14):

   • Lacks the Holy Spirit

   • Cannot understand or accept spiritual truth

   • Is not born again

2. The Spiritual Person (1 Corinthians 2:15):

   • Has the Spirit of God

   • Is mature and discerning

   • Understands God’s wisdom

3. The Fleshly (Carnal) Christian (1 Corinthians 3:1–3):

   • Is a genuine believer, “in Christ”

   • But acts like the natural person

   • Marked by immaturity, jealousy, and strife

In other words, Paul acknowledges the Corinthians as believers he calls them “brothers” and “babies in Christ.” They are not natural (unregenerate), but they are certainly not acting spiritual either. They’re saved, but immature.

What Does It Mean to Be “Fleshly”?

To be fleshly, or “carnal,” doesn’t mean someone is unsaved. It means they are still being driven by old patterns, acting more like the world than like Christ. They’re not ruled by the Spirit they’re ruled by self.

Paul says: “While there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not of the flesh and behaving only in a human way?” (1 Corinthians 3:3)

Fleshly Christians behave like spiritual infants:

• Jealousy: Competing with one another instead of encouraging one another.

• Strife: Dividing over leaders instead of uniting under Christ.

• Pride: Refusing correction, unable to receive deeper truth.

Paul is grieved by this. These believers should be mature. They’ve had time. They’ve heard the gospel. But they’re stuck and their fruit proves it.

Why Paul’s Words Are Both Gentle and Firm

Notice Paul’s wisdom in how he handles these believers:

• He reassures them: They are still “in Christ” (1 Corinthians 3:1). He doesn’t deny their faith.

• He warns them: “You are still of the flesh.” (1 Corinthians 3:3)

• He confronts their behavior: “You are acting like mere men.” (1 Corinthians 3:4)

Why does he speak this way? To keep them from falling into two dangers:

1. Presumption: “I’m saved, so it doesn’t matter how I live.”

2. Despair: “I still struggle so much maybe I’m not even a Christian.”

Paul wants to pull them away from both extremes. Their immaturity is serious, but it doesn’t mean they’re lost. Their salvation is real, but it calls for growth.

This balance is deeply pastoral. It reflects God’s own heart not quick to cast out the weak, but also not content to leave them immature.

What Hinders Spiritual Growth?

Paul doesn’t say the Corinthians need more intellect to grasp mature doctrine. He says they need more humility.

The root problem isn’t mental; it’s moral. Their pride, jealousy, and self-centeredness are blocking spiritual digestion. “You are not yet ready…for you are still of the flesh.” (1 Corinthians 3:2–3)

Pride makes deep doctrine distasteful. A proud heart rejects the Word’s demand for repentance, surrender, and cross-carrying. That’s why humility not brilliance is the prerequisite for maturity.

This theme echoes throughout Scripture:

• “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” (James 4:6)

• “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” (Proverbs 9:10)

• “Unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 18:3)

The Way Forward: From Fleshly to Faithful

So how do fleshly Christians grow?

1. Recenter on Christ
Paul reminds the Corinthians in chapter 1 that Christ is their wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption (1 Corinthians 1:30). Growth doesn’t come from trying harder but from treasuring Christ more.

2. Embrace God’s Word
Solid food belongs to the mature but it’s available to all who hunger (Hebrews 5:14). Even babes can grow when fed well. We must submit to God’s Word, not just learn it but love it.

3. Kill Pride and Pursue Humility
Jealousy, rivalry, and strife grow in the soil of pride. But spiritual maturity grows in the soil of surrender. Ask the Lord to reveal your blind spots, and surround yourself with others who speak the truth in love.

4. Cultivate the Fruit of the Spirit
Paul later reminds the Galatians: “Walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.” (Galatians 5:16)

Spiritual maturity isn’t measured by knowledge alone but by fruit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.

These are not optional. They’re evidences of the Spirit’s transforming work.

Don’t Settle for Spiritual Infancy

Paul’s words to the Corinthians weren’t just for them. They’re for us. There’s a kind of Christianity today that tolerates immaturity, excuses sin, and assumes growth will just happen.

But Jesus doesn’t save us to leave us as babies. He wants us to grow up in holiness, in knowledge, in joy, in fruitfulness.

A recent Barna study showed that 58% of self-identified Christians rarely read their Bibles and have no active discipleship relationship. Could it be that many in the church today are still fleshly not because they don’t believe in Jesus, but because they have stalled in their growth?

Let Paul’s words awaken you. Let them challenge you to examine your walk. Are you progressing in love? Are you feeding on truth? Are you walking in the Spirit?

If so, praise God. If not, don’t despair. Cry out to the Lord for renewal. He is patient with the weak and gracious to the humble.

If you or someone you know is wrestling with spiritual stagnation, consider sharing this reflection or subscribe to our newsletter for more biblical insights to help you grow in Christ.