The Church and Its Leaders

3 Brothers and sisters, I could not address you as people who live by the Spirit^(A) but as people who are still worldly^(B)—mere infants^(C) in Christ.

¹⁴ The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God^(A) but considers them foolishness,^(B) and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit. ¹⁵ The person with the Spirit^(C) makes judgments about all things, but such a person is not subject to merely human judgments,

¹³ Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant,^(A) is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness.

¹³ until we all reach unity^(A) in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God^(B) and become mature,^(C) attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.^(D)

¹⁴ Then we will no longer be infants,^(E) tossed back and forth by the waves,^(F) and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming.^(G)

God’s Wisdom Revealed by the Spirit

⁶ We do, however, speak a message of wisdom among the mature,^(A) but not the wisdom of this age^(B) or of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing.^(C)

¹⁴ We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual,^(A) sold^(B) as a slave to sin.^(C)

Doing Good to All

6 Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit^(A) should restore^(B) that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted.

²⁰ Brothers and sisters, stop thinking like children.^(A) In regard to evil be infants,^(B) but in your thinking be adults.

Reasons for Writing