A Biblical Study of Spiritual Infancy

Poetry by Sean Morris (Elder)

"A Biblical Study of Spiritual Infancy"

Men heavenly-wise, God’s robes despised, for rags-carnality                                          (1 Cor. 2:6, 3:1, 3:3-4)
God’s fools they were, clad in promises sure, they captives-were-made-free                            (1 Cor. 3:17-18)
But turned back again, against Christ’s surety – sinned – and will not bow the knee                 (1 Cor. 4:8)
God’s way is mocked, the apostles left shocked, and who can make babies see?            (1 Cor. 4:18-21, 2 Cor. 13:7)
Wisdom is sealed, and understanding locked, they’re unprepared for eternity                         (1 Cor. 2:6-3:3)
In a baby’s crib, by false prophets rocked, they’re thoughtlessly dreaming foolishly

Are you the man, clothed in earth, His Temple to defile?                           (2 Tim. 2:20-21)
Then you, be sure, no change from this, you’ll perish in the fire.                   (Jer. 6:28-30)
But others, who, in furnace go, will come out more entire,                            (James 1:3-4)
Because, like gold, the flames perfect, more purity to admire,                           (1 Pet. 1:7)
And these, God chooses, to array – He found them not a liar.                          (Isa. 63:8)

Heaven’s rain, upon cursed men, worsens the pain in the latter end,                  (2 Pet. 2:20)
Because they, a field, of open earth, drank heaven’s rain of life-giving worth,
And to what end? Against His grace they sinned – walking unworthily.
Behold then – God – His frowning face, over a field that yielded thorns for grace       (Heb. 6:8)
This, God watches, and He waits, His longstanding patience to tire,                 (2 Pet. 3:9, Jer. 15:6)
For they aren’t right, in Heaven’s sight, they think of Him a liar,                           (1 Jn. 5:10)
Until, alas, their destined fate – a burning and unquenchable fire.                           (Heb. 6:8)

These, evil souls, to hell will go, and shall deeper torments know,                  (Heb. 3:12)
Because, they did, the Savior believe, and His graces happily receive,
But now, they hold, Him as a liar – they are destined for the fires,                (1 Jn. 5:10)
God’s sons, they were, but now ‘tis sure, they are unsavable backsliders.

The House of God is not built with stubble, hay, and earth,
But gold, silver, and precious worth.                                                       (1 Cor. 3:12-15)
The stones twinkle and glow, in a glory alien to earth,
Showing “forth the praises” of the second birth.                                       (1 Pet. 2:9, Eph. 4:13)

Out of darkness called, from sin cast away, such men are received by God,    (1 Pet. 2:9, 2 Thess. 1:4-5)
Stones disallowed, by sinners make, the precious Temple of God.                 (1 Pet. 2:4-8)
Forsaken by, worldly-wise fools – the angels stand and applaud                  (Lk. 10:21)
You’re fitly joined, to Christ Who is, the forsaken Wisdom of God.              (Isa. 8:14-16)

Are you the Lord’s, recognizable son, because you are glorified in His Image?   (Rom. 8:29, 36, Heb. 11:16, 13:10-16, 1 Pet. 2:21)
Are you His choice stone, heaven-hallowed in light, set in His House for His Visage?            (Rev. 21:9-22)
Are you His comfortable, garden increase, bearing gladsome fruits for His Vintage?             (John 15:7-27)

Or are you strangling thorns which devour heavenly rain,        (Heb. 6:8)
Unsalvageable metals which in the fires remain,                        (Ezekiel 22:17-22)
With the crackling thorns on cursed fields the same?                  (Eccl. 7:6)

The Book of HEBREWS

Hebrews 5:11-14

A Babe’s Delinquency
A Historical Parallel to God’s Divine curse is in reference: they are “dull of hearing” (Matt. 13:15, Rom. 11:7-8). They are described as those who are “dull of hearing”, which is imprisonment in a heart without “repentance” and “faith” (Heb. 6:1); therefore they are unable to “discern both good and evil” in the sense of saving repentance and faith.

Hebrews 6:1

Fallen from Perfection

Hebrews 6:3-6

Recovery is unsure – damnation is the sure threat, and possibly, the inevitable end

Hebrews 6:7-8

Typological Parallel – an effort to show the shamefulness of the estate
Babes are described to be as a field of unworthy yield given the most valuable and life-giving rain of salvation (a rain which is biblically famed as salvific: Acts 2:16-21, Joel 2:28-32). The charging demand and hopeful call of God is: a demand of “perfect” (Lk. 8:14) fruitfulness worthy of so great a rain-shower’s wealth (Heb. 6:7-8).
The THREAT – Babes, like the thorny field, are worthy to burn in fire.

The Book of 1st CORINTHIANS

1 Corinthians 2:1-3:3

A Babe’s Delinquency
Typological Parallel is used: the laws of revelation and hiding, which are like the laws of light and darkness, or God’s Face revealed and turned away, therefore babes are lost because, for them, wisdom is “hidden,” for they are yet “not able to bear it.”

1 Corinthians 2:6

Fallen from Perfection

1 Corinthians 3:12-23

Typological Parallel – an effort to show the shamefulness of the estate
The typology in view is in reference to The Temple of God : Babes are of such a condition that they are unworthy vessels, defiling and unholy vessels which defile the house of God (called wood, hay, stubble, and earth), and for God’s House, God demands stones which do not defile, stones that are not worldly-wise, spiritual-fools.
The THREAT – Babes, like the defiling vessels, are worthy to burn in fire (“him shall God destroy” - 3:17). Note: The value, preciousness, and acceptance of the stone is on this basis: is it worldly-wise or godly-wise?

1 Corinthians 3:15-18

Recovery is Unsure – damnation is the sure threat, and possibly, the inevitable end (not all are saved by the fires).

1 Corinthians 4:8-21

Threat to Chasten the Babes – because they are worldly-wise and rejecting the suffering of God’s wisdom

The Book of EPHESIANS

Ephesians 4:1-6

Perfection in God’s Unity – an effort to show the shamefulness of perfection lost

Ephesians 4:12-13

Perfection results in the zenith of God’s glory – “the stature of the fulness of Christ”

Ephesians 4:14-15

A Babe’s Delinquency – those who are fallen from perfection (vv. 12-13), who are not, therefore, unified with the brethren and built up to God’s glory. They are rather, “tossed to and fro”, which is a reference of a Typological Parallel (planting, grounding, and rooting unto a saving establishment in the gospel), and they are not grounded – meaning that they are deceived from “the truth” that is “in love”.

Ephesians 4:16

Typological Parallel – we should be nourished through oneness, like as a body is joined together and thus flourishes. Note: The bodily connection of togetherness is a metaphorical parallel to the building of the Temple, which, as well, has been aforementioned in Ephesians 2:19-22.

The Book of 1st PETER

1 Peter 1:13-17

Perfection in God’s Holiness – an effort to show the shamefulness of perfection lost

1 Peter 1:18-25

Perfection in God’s Eternality – and effort to show the shamefulness of perfection lost

1 Peter 2:1-3

A Babe’s Delinquency – those who are fallen from perfection
Babes do therefore abide in a state of unholiness (1:13-17), being without steadfastness (1:18-25), and therefore they have such damnable fruits as described (1 Pet. 2:1), and being thus, they are accepted by the world and rejected by God – contrary to their calling (see 1 Peter 2:4-8) – when they should be rejected by the world and accepted by God, or, as another typological parallel so calls it, staying out of darkness and showing forth the praises of the Light (1 Pet. 2:9).

1 Peter 2:4-8

Typological Parallel – an effort to show the shamefulness of the estate
The typology in view is in reference to The Temple of God : which demands elect, precious, and lively stones, and babes are of no such worthiness. Note: The value, preciousness, and acceptance of the stone is on this basis: is it like Christ and therefore disallowed of men, or in other words, is it worldly-wise or godly-wise? One cannot be savingly connected to Christ – the Living Stone – if he is not like Christ, who was and is disallowed and rejected of men. And if one cannot be savingly connected to Christ, the Chief Corner Stone, then he cannot be a stone for the Temple of God’s glory.
*A call to be acceptable stones of the Temple

1 Peter 2:9-10

Typological Parallel – we should be arrayed in glory and duty as God’s priestly ministers of old
*A call to be acceptable ministers of the Temple (in the light so as to show God’s praise).

1 Peter 2:9

Perfection results in the zenith of God’s glory – “the praises of Him” are shown forth and revealed, exactly as Ephesians 4:13 describes “the stature of the fulness of Christ.”

1 Peter 2:4-9

Typological & Historical Parallel established in Isaiah 8:13-22 – the calling from darkness to light, worldly-wise to God’s wisdom, earthly acceptance to earthly rejection, unacceptable stones to acceptable stones, all of which are fit for the Temple’s building.

For more information, please see "A Biblical Study of Spiritual Infancy"