Brothers and sisters, ¹  do not be children in your thinking. Instead, be infants in evil, but in your thinking be mature.

But solid food is for the mature, whose perceptions are trained by practice to discern both good and evil.

Therefore let those of us who are “perfect” embrace this point of view. ¹  If you think otherwise, God will reveal to you the error of your ways. ² 

Now we do speak wisdom among the mature, ¹  but not a wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are perishing.

We proclaim him by instructing ¹  and teaching ²  all people ³  with all wisdom so that we may present every person mature ⁴  in Christ.

until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God – a mature person, attaining to ¹  the measure of Christ’s full stature. ² 

Epaphras, who is one of you and a slave ¹  of Christ, ²  greets you. He is always struggling in prayer on your behalf, so that you may stand mature and fully assured ³  in all the will of God.

And let endurance have its perfect effect, so that you will be perfect and complete, not deficient in anything.

As for the seed that ¹  fell among thorns, these are the ones who hear, but ²  as they go on their way they are choked ³  by the worries and riches and pleasures of life, ⁴  and their fruit does not mature. ⁵ 

For this reason his parents said, “He is a mature adult, ¹  ask him.”) ² 

I am speaking to thoughtful people. Consider what I say.

He ¹  said to them, “Not everyone can accept this statement, except those to whom it has been given.

By itself the soil produces a crop, first the stalk, then the head, then the full grain in the head.

My Father is honored ¹  by this, that ²  you bear ³  much fruit and show that you are ⁴  my disciples.

Take pains with these things; be absorbed in them, so that everyone will see your progress. ¹ 

And ¹  yearn ²  like newborn infants for pure, spiritual milk, ³  so that by it you may grow up to ⁴  salvation, ⁵ 

Blessed are you, O land, when your king is the son of nobility, ¹  and your princes feast at the proper time ²  – with self-control and not in drunkenness. ³ 

Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. ¹  The one who has ears had better listen! ² 

I have told you these things ¹  so that my joy may be in you, and your joy may be complete.

So, brothers and sisters, ¹  I could not speak to you as spiritual people, but instead as people of the flesh, ²  as infants in Christ.