² Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk,^(A) so that by it you may grow up^(B) in your salvation,

¹⁵ Instead, speaking the truth in love,^(A) we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head,^(B) that is, Christ.

¹² In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths^(A) of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food!^{(B) 13} Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant,^(C) is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness.

¹⁵ Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.”^(A)

¹⁸ But grow in the grace^(A) and knowledge^(B) of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.^(C) To him be glory both now and forever! Amen.^(D)

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. ² I gave you milk, not solid food,^(D) for you were not yet ready for it.^(E) Indeed, you are still not ready.

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

³ And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children,^(A) you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.^(B)