John wondered at the thought that there would be a time in the future when a group identifying as Christian would put others to death for having faith in Christ.
The Bible has been unjustly criticized for stating that believers living in Daniel’s Seventieth Week could be “beheaded for the witness of Jesus.”
It was said that Peter’s death would “glorify God.” Obviously, it is not only necessary to glorify God in one’s life but also possible to glorify God in death.
It takes a person with strong conviction to be willing to die for a cause. However, the one martyred is not necessarily a mature and complete Christian.
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.
