1 Corinthians 3:1

Linguistic Bible Translation from Source Texts

And I, brothers and sisters, could not speak to you as spiritual people but as those who are worldly, as infants in Christ.

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

¶Καὶ ἐγώ, ἀδελφοί, οὐκ ἠδυνήθην λαλῆσαι ὑμῖν ὡς πνευματικοῖς, ἀλλʼ ὡς σαρκικοῖς, ὡς νηπίοις ἐν Χριστῷ.

Transliteration

And egō, adelphoi, not was ēdunēthēn to lalēsai to you as pneumatikois, but as sarkikois, as nēpiois in Christō.

Grammar Details

• *egō*: personal pronoun, 1st person singular, nominative - I
• *adelphoi*: masculine noun, plural, vocative - brothers
• *ēdunēthēn*: aorist passive indicative, 1st person singular - I was able/could
• *lalēsai*: aorist active infinitive - to speak
• *pneumatikois*: adjective, masculine, dative, plural - spiritual ones
• *sarkikois*: adjective, masculine, dative, plural - fleshly/carnal ones
• *nēpiois*: noun, masculine, dative, plural - infants/babes
• *Christō*: proper noun, masculine, dative, singular - Christ

Word Meanings

• *adelphoi*: brothers/brethren/fellow believers
• *pneumatikois*: spiritual ones/those governed by the Spirit
• *sarkikois*: fleshly/carnal/worldly ones
• *nēpiois*: infants/babes/immature ones

Other Translations

• King James Version 1769 (Standard Version)

  And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ.

• KJV1611 – Modern English

  And I, brothers, could not speak to you as to spiritual, but as to carnal, even as to infants in Christ.

• King James Version 1611 (Original)

  And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ.

• American Standard Version with Strong's Numbers

  And{G2532} I,{G1473} brethren,{G80} could{G1410} not{G3756} speak{G2980} unto you{G5213} as{G5613} unto spiritual,{G4152} but{G235} as{G5613} unto carnal,{G4559} as{G5613} unto babes{G3516} in{G1722} Christ.{G5547}

• King James Version with Strong's Numbers

  And{G2532} I{G1473}, brethren{G80}, could{G1410}{(G5675)} not{G3756} speak{G2980}{(G5658)} unto you{G5213} as{G5613} unto spiritual{G4152}, but{G235} as{G5613} unto carnal{G4559}, even as{G5613} unto babes{G3516} in{G1722} Christ{G5547}.

• Tyndale Bible (1526/1534)

  And I coulde not speake vnto you brethre as vnto spretuall: but as vnto carnall even as it were vnto babes in Christ.

• Coverdale Bible (1535)

  And I brethren, coulde not speake vnto you as vnto spirituall, but as vnto carnall, euen as vnto babes in Christ.

• Geneva Bible (1560)

  And I could not speake vnto you, brethren, as vnto spirituall men, but as vnto carnall, euen as vnto babes in Christ.

• Bishops' Bible (1568)

  And I coulde not speake vnto you brethren, as vnto spirituall, but as vnto carnall eue as vnto babes in Christe.

• Authorized King James Version (1611)

  ¶ And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, [even] as unto babes in Christ.

• Webster's Bible (1833)

  Brothers, I couldn't speak to you as to spiritual, but as to fleshly, as to babies in Christ.

• Young's Literal Translation (1862/1898)

  And I, brethren, was not able to speak to you as to spiritual, but as to fleshly -- as to babes 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.

• 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 (1941)

  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.

• World English Bible (2000)

  Brothers, I couldn't speak to you as to spiritual, but as to fleshly, as to babies in Christ.

• NET Bible® (New English Translation)

  Immaturity and Self-deception So, brothers and sisters, I could not speak to you as spiritual people, but instead as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ.

Referenced Verses

• 1 Cor 2:14-15 : 14 But the natural person does not accept the things of God's Spirit, because they are foolishness to him. He cannot understand them because they are spiritually discerned. 15 The spiritual person examines all things, but he himself is not subject to being examined by anyone.
• Rom 7:14 : 14 For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin.
• 1 Cor 2:6 : 6 Now, we do speak wisdom among the mature, but not the wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are passing away.
• 1 Cor 14:20 : 20 Brothers and sisters, do not be children in your thinking. Be infants in regard to evil, but in your thinking be mature.
• Gal 6:1 : 1 Brothers, if someone is caught in any wrongdoing, you who are spiritual should restore such a person with a gentle spirit. Watch yourself, so that you too might not be tempted.
• Eph 4:13-14 : 13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God, into a mature man, to the measure of the stature that belongs to the fullness of Christ. 14 Then we will no longer be infants, tossed by the waves and blown around by every wind of teaching, by human cunning with cleverness in the techniques of deceit.
• Heb 5:13 : 13 For everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is still an infant.
• 1 John 2:12 : 12 I am writing to you, dear children, because your sins have been forgiven on account of His name.
• 1 Cor 3:3-4 : 3 For you are still worldly. Since there is jealousy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not worldly and living like mere humans? 4 For when someone says, 'I follow Paul,' and another, 'I follow Apollos,' are you not acting like mere humans?
• Matt 16:23 : 23 But Jesus turned and said to Peter, "Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me, because you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns."