The opening words of our passage express a desperate warning that is increasingly neglected today. The Devil has convinced many Christians that the content of their daily conversations has no bearing on their spiritual walk. The Bible, however, speaks to the contrary. In fact, the Lord sounded the warning “be not deceived.” Why? Because quite simply: evil communications corrupt good manners! Christians who desire to serve the Lord and please Him easily can be derailed by choosing to surround themselves with those using evil communications. It is very important to speak righteous things and surround ourselves with those who carry themselves in a Christlike manner.
We are to “fight the good fight of faith” (1 Timothy 6:12). This battle makes it imperative that we understand “we do not war after the flesh” (2 Corinthians 10:3). Unlike many of the cults, we do not use physical weaponry in our attempts to accomplish the will of God. No physical sword or weaponry can convert the lost to Christ; however, the Bible does instruct us to use the sword of the Spirit (Ephesians 6:17). In like manner, we do not have to resort to using physical weaponry to bring about our desired results during the spiritual battles. Instead, we flee to God's throne to find grace to help in time of need (Hebrews 4:16). We must insure that we do not carelessly allow ourselves to believe that the spiritual weapons are inferior to carnal weaponry. The Bible enforces this thought by reminding us that our weapons are “mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds” (2 Corinthians 10:4).
Carnality becomes increasingly difficult to hide. Eventually, it clearly manifests itself in our daily actions. The carnality of the Corinthian believers showed itself in their relationship amongst their body of believers. They began to envy one another, eventually leading to strife and divisions amongst the group. When Paul learned of their failings, he knew carnality was at the root of the problem. Another action openly revealing the carnality of the people was their relentless desire to associate themselves with particular Bible teachers. They assumed an association with someone as well respected as Paul or Apollos would give them a spiritual boost among other believers. Considering their actions, Paul knew these believers were “yet carnal.”
God desires for each of His children to walk in the Spirit and be spiritually minded. Yielding our minds to carnality violates God’s will. In fact, “to be carnally minded is death” (Romans 8:6). When we give our minds over to the flesh, we die spiritually. We also miss out on the things that tend toward “life and peace” (Romans 8:6). According to scripture, “the carnal mind is enmity against God” (Romans 8:7). The word enmity is associated with the word enemy demonstrating that a carnal mind is the enemy of God and His will. In fact, the carnal mind not only will not, but cannot be subject to God’s law (Romans 8:7). Christians who are actively walking after the Spirit are the only ones faithfully obeying the Lord.
The Lord frequently uses comparison and contrast to provide insight for discovering biblical definitions. For instance, our text verse contrasts the carnal with the spiritual. This truth is not limited to our text as 1 Corinthians 3:1 also sets forth this teaching and contrast. In a related study, the Bible repeatedly contrasts the spirit and flesh (Isaiah 31:3; Matthew 26:41; John 3:6; John 6:63; Galatians 5:17). By considering these truths together, we find that the Lord defined a “carnal mind” (Romans 8:7) as someone who is “in the flesh” (Romans 8:8). Based upon these verses and others, we understand the word carnal to mean that which is earthly, natural, or fleshly.
The believer is to allow no place for bitterness within his life. The book of Ephesians directly associates bitterness with the sins of wrath, anger, clamour, evil speaking, and malice. Each of these sins grieves the Spirit of God and ought to grieve the believer. As such, Christians are admonished to put away all bitterness. As bitterness shows itself in the depths of our hearts, we ought to immediately seek the Lord and plead for His help in removing it by its root. In a similar passage (Colossians 3:8), we are admonished to “put off” many of these other sins mentioned. Always keep in mind that bitterness does not edify the believer or those around him, nor does it glorify the Lord. Simply choose to obey God by putting away and putting off bitterness.
A good Bible student often incorporates many of the same tactics as a good detective. Defining Bible words involves such a task. No single verse specifically defines the word bitterness. Yet, a careful study of a few verses will help to bring the pieces together and to provide understanding. According to Isaiah, bitterness and peace are at opposite ends of the emotional spectrum (Isaiah 38:17). Proverbs associates the word bitter directly to the word sharp (Proverbs 5:4). And, lastly, the word bitter is connected to the word affliction (2 Kings 14:26, Lamentations 1:4). Using these scriptural clues, a good student will understand bitterness to be a sharp affliction. Additionally, consider the connection between the words bitter and bite, making bitterness a sharp affliction with bite. Bitterness always begins on the inside of an individual and, as we will learn, eventually works its way to the outside for others to see.
Some Bible teachers have erroneously suggested that anger is a sin. But God actually commands His people to be angry, yet further instructs them not to allow that anger to push them to respond sinfully (Ephesians 4:26). If a man can be angry without sinning, then anger is not a sin. In fact, anger used in a righteous manner can accomplish many things for the Lord. One of the benefits of anger is found in today’s passage. A good, healthy, angry countenance can serve as the best remedy to keep people from backbiting others while in your presence. The reason people backbite others is because they have an audience for their vitriol. If we would express our displeasure, the backbiting would cease. Try it out! The backbiting tongue will cease the moment you respond with an angry countenance.
If you bite and chew your food enough times it will break down into small pieces and disappear into your stomach. In our passage, the apostle Paul informs us that our relationships with others bear the same truth. If we bite and devour one another, we will eventually consume each other. Many believers have quit attending the house of God and given up on serving the Lord because Christians have allowed their words to devour and consume. Just as food can only withstand so many bites before it is fully consumed, other believers can only take so much backbiting before weakened beyond their willingness to withstand. As the people of God, we are responsible for strengthening each other and surely will answer to God for any backbiting.
The apostle Paul was troubled greatly by the behaviour of the Corinthian believers. Due to their carnality, he could not speak to them as he would mature believers (1 Corinthians 3:1). Not only was Paul troubled by their actions during his absence, but also feared their condition when they would again meet face-to-face. He warned the believers that he would not be pleased if he found them guilty of such sins. Among the other shortcomings, Paul expressly mentioned their backbiting ways. The hope was that the Corinthian believers would repent of these grievous sins and simply do right. These admonitions should make believers reflect on the fact that the Lord Jesus could also come at any moment. How would He find us? Would we too be guilty of “debates, envyings, wraths, strifes, backbitings, whisperings, swellings,” and “tumults”?
