1 Corinthians 3:1

God’s Fellow Workers

1Brothers, I could not address you as spiritual, but as worldly—as infants in Christ.2I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for solid food. In fact, you are still not ready,

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Berean Standard Bible
Brothers, I could not address you as spiritual, but as worldly—as infants in Christ.
American Standard Version (1901)
And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, as unto babes in Christ.
Bible in Basic English
And the teaching I gave you, my brothers, was such as I was able to give, not to those who have the Spirit, but to those who are still in the flesh, even to children in Christ.
Douay-Rheims 1899
And I, brethren, could not speak to you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal. As unto little ones in Christ.
Free Bible Version
My brothers and sisters, I couldn't talk with you as spiritual believers, but as worldly people—like baby Christians.
Geneva Bible 1599
And I could not speake vnto you, brethren, as vnto spirituall men, but as vnto carnall, euen as vnto babes in Christ.
King James (Authorized) Version
And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ.
Plain English Version
Now listen, my Christian friends, when I was there with you, you started to believe in Jesus, but you didn’t understand a lot about him, and you didn’t let the Holy Spirit control you. You still let your old human spirits control you. You were just like babies that don’t understand things.
Translation for Translators
My fellow believers, when I was with you previously, I was not able to teach you as I would teach people who are controlled by the Holy Spirit {whom the Holy Spirit controls}. Instead, I had to teach you as I would teach people whom their self-directed nature controls. I taught very simple concepts to you who had recently believed in Christ, as a parent would speak very simple words to a baby.
Unlocked Literal Bible
And I, brothers, could not speak to you as spiritual people, but instead as to fleshly people, as to little children in Christ.
Noah Webster Bible
And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual, but as to carnal, even as to babes in Christ.
World English Bible
Brothers, I couldn’t speak to you as to spiritual, but as to fleshly, as to babies in Christ.
Young's Literal Translation
And I, brethren, was not able to speak to you as to spiritual, but as to fleshly — as to babes in Christ;