I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for till now you were not able to bear it, neither yet now are you able.
I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for till now you were not able to bear it, neither yet now are you able.
I fed you with milk, not with meat; for ye were not yet able to bear it : nay, not even now are ye able;
I gave you milk and not meat, because you were, then, unable to take it, and even now you are not able;
I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.
I fed you with milk, not with meat; for you weren't yet ready. Indeed, not even now are you ready,
I fed you with milk, not with meat; for ye were not yet able to bear it: nay, not even now are ye able;
I have fed you with milk - I have instructed you in the elements of Christianity - in its simplest and easiest truths; because from the low state of your minds in religious knowledge, you were incapable of comprehending the higher truths of the Gospel: and in this state you will still continue. The apostle thus exposes to them the absurdity of their conduct in pretending to judge between preacher and preacher, while they had but a very partial acquaintance even with the first principles of Christianity.
I have fed you with milk - Paul here continues the metaphor, which is derived from the custom of feeding infants with the lightest food. Milk here evidently denotes the more simple and elementary doctrines of Christianity - the doctrines of the new birth, of repentance, faith, etc. The same figure occurs in Hebrews 5:11-14; and also in Classical writers. See Wetstein.
And not with meat - "Meat" here denotes the more sublime and mysterious doctrines of religion.
For hitherto - Formerly, when I came among you, and laid the foundations of the church.
Not able to bear it - You were not sufficiently advanced in Christian knowledge to comprehend the higher mysteries of the gospel.
Neither yet now ... - The reason why they were not then able he proceeds immediately to state.
3:2 I fed you, as babes, with milk - The first and plainest truths of the gospel. So should every preacher suit his doctrine to his hearers.