Paul opened his epistle to the Corinthians on a note of prayer, praise and thanksgiving to God as was customary in all his writings. He then proceeded to comment on the prevalence of spiritual gifts among them (1 Corinthians 1:7). One would readily think that a church that was a high flyer in spiritual gifts must be a mature one. However, no sooner had he praised their use of gifts than he took a swipe on them for their sectarianism. The church was divided into camps, each group lining up behind their preferred leader. Paul concluded such tendency as a sign of immaturity. On that basis, he could not communicate deep spiritual realities to them just yet.

“Spiritual discipline of prayer and studying the word, plus the willingness to practice what is taught is the gateway to maturity.”

It is an unassailable fact of scripture that spiritual maturity comes with pleasant fruits. It translates to love and forbearance with people within the household of faith and without. Maturity reflects itself in wise handling of matters. Of course, it is also the secret of staying power under pressure. At this juncture, we need to remember that growth cannot be assumed or taken for granted. It does not happen as a matter of course. Growth only results when we apply ourselves to certain fundamentals. In our text, growth results from getting rid of some attitudes and embracing a life-long devotion to the word of God. Spiritual discipline of prayer and studying the word, plus the willingness to practice what is taught is the gateway to maturity. Those who desire growth will go through repeated course of self-examination, looking for what next to lay aside in exchange for a new level in Christ.