Paul also emphasizes in 1 Corinthians 3:1 that he cannot
speak to carnal believers as spiritual men, for the latter are
characterized by their maturity and conformity to the will of
God.
Thus, Galatians 6:1 does not excuse a constant state of fault in the Christian, but calls for serious and urgent restoration once for all of those who backslide.
The distinction is clear: the spiritual live in holiness, while the one who has committed a fault must be corrected in order to be restored to a life conforming to spirituality
.
1 Corinthians 3: The Corinthian Christians and the Call to Spiritual Maturity
In 1 Corinthians 3, Paul addresses the Corinthian Christians by emphasizing their spiritual immaturity about : “You are still carnal,” he says, because they were dominated by behaviors such as jealousy and divisions. Paul is not rebuking the
Corinthians for willful sinful acts, but for a carnal mindset expressed through a human centered to church leaders and divisions with strifes.
Paul’s expectation regarding the spiritual maturity of certain believers was not met. His rebuke targets an abnormal immaturity, which would be more understandable in new converts, like little children taking their first steps — and that’s why he compares their condition to that of little
children.
A maturity essential for salvation.
Paul compares them to spiritual infants, unable to receive the solid food of the Word: “I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not able to bear it” (1 Corinthians 3:2). This image emphasizes that they had not yet reached the stature of adult men in Christ (Ephesians 4:13), but that they still needed
basic teaching to grow yet for reaching the normal adult state.
Paul does not tolerate this state: he calls the Corinthians to reject fleshly works and to grow in spiritual maturity. He reminds them that their body is the temple of the Holy Spirit
(1 Corinthians 3:16-17) and that they must walk in the fear of
God to complete their sanctification.