I have fed you with milk Here it is asked, whether Paul transformed Christ to suit the diversity of his hearers. I answer, that this refers to the manner and form of his instructions, rather than to the substance of the doctrine. For Christ is at once milk to babes, and strong meat to those that are of full age, (Hebrews 5:13, 14,) the same truth of the gospel is administered to both, but so as to suit their capacity. Hence it is the part of a wise teacher to accommodate himself to the capacity of those whom he has undertaken to instruct, so that in dealing with the weak and ignorant, he begins with first principles, and does not go higher than they are able to follow, (Mark 4:33,) and so that, in short, he drops in his instructions by little and little, [1] lest it should run over, if poured in more abundantly. At the same time, those first principles will contain everything necessary to be known, no less than the farther advanced lessons that are communicated to those that are stronger. On this point read Augustine's 98th homily on John. This tends to refute the specious pretext of some, who, while they do but mutter out, from fear of danger, something of the gospel in an indistinct manner, [2] pretend to have Paul's example here. Meanwhile, they present Christ at such a distance, and covered over, besides, with so many disguises, that they constantly keep their followers in destructive ignorance. I shall say nothing of their mixing up many corruptions, their presenting Christ not simply in half, but torn to fragments, [3] their not merely concealing such gross idolatry, but confirming it also by their own example, and, if they have said anything that is good, straightway polluting it with numerous falsehoods. How unlike they are to Paul is sufficiently manifest; for milk is nourishment and not poison, and nourishment that is suitable and useful for bringing up children until they are farther advanced. For ye were not yet able to bear it That they may not flatter themselves too much on their own discernment, he first of all tells them what he had found among them at the beginning, and then adds, what is still more severe, that the same faults remain among them to this day. For they ought at least, in putting on Christ, to have put off the flesh; and thus we see that Paul complains that the success which his doctrine ought to have had was impeded. For if the hearer does not occasion delay by his slowness, it is the part of a good teacher to be always going up higher, [4] till perfection has been attained.

Footnotes

1 - "Il leur propose la doctrine petit a petit, et par maniere de dire, la face distiller en eux;" -- "He presents instruction to them by little and little, and, so to speak, makes it drop upon them."

2 - "Ne parlans de l'Euangile que quelques mots bleu obscurement, et comme entre les deurs, pour la crainte qu'ils ont de tomber en quelque danger de leurs ersonnes;" -- "Speaking merely some words of the gospel very indistinctly, and, as it were, through their teeth, from the fear that they have of incurring some personal danger."

3 - "Par pieces et morceaux;" -- "Into pieces and morsels."

4 - "D'avaneer tousiours ses escholiers, et monter plus haut;" -- "To be always carrying forward his pupils, and going up higher."

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.

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, and not with (b) meat: for hitherto ye were not (c) able [to bear it], neither yet now are ye able.
(b) Substantial meat, or strong meat.
(c) To be fed by me with substantial meat: therefore as the Corinthians grew up in age, so the apostle nourished them by teaching, first with milk, then with strong meat. The difference was only in the manner of teaching.

I have fed you with milk,.... It is usual with the Jews to compare the law to milk, and they say (c), that
"as milk strengthens and nourishes an infant, so the law strengthens and nourishes the soul;''
but the apostle does not here mean , "the milk of the law", as they (d) call it, but the Gospel; comparable to milk, for its purity and wholesomeness, for the nourishing virtue there is in it, and because easy of digestion; for he designs by it, the more plain and easy doctrines of the Gospel, such as babes in Christ were capable of understanding and receiving: and not with meat; the more solid doctrines of the Gospel, and sublime mysteries of grace; the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom; such truths as were attended with difficulties, to which the carnal reason of men made many objections, and so were only fit to be brought before such who are of full age, young men, or rather fathers in Christ; who have had a large experience, and a long time of improvement in spiritual knowledge, and have their senses exercised to distinguish between truth and error. The reason he gives for this his conduct is,
for hitherto ye were not able to bear it; they could not receive, relish, and digest it; it was too strong meat for them, they being weak in faith, and but babes in Christ; wherefore he prudently adapted things to their capacities, and that in perfect consistence with that faithfulness and integrity, for which he was so remarkable: for the Gospel he preached to them, which he calls "milk", was not another Gospel, or contrary to that which goes by the name of "meat": only the one consisted of truths more easily to be understood, and was delivered in a manner more suited to their capacities than the other: he adds,
neither yet now are ye able; which carries in it a charge of dulness and negligence, that they had been so long learning, and were improved no more in the knowledge of the truth; were as yet only in the alphabet of the Gospel, and needed to be afresh instructed in the first principles of the oracles of God; for anything beyond these was too high for them. The apostle seems to allude to the manner and custom of the Jews, in training up their children to learning; as to their age when they admit them scholars, their rule is this (e),
"they introduce children (into the school) to be taught when six or seven years of age, , "according to the child's strength, and the make of his body, and less than six years of age they do not take any in."''
But sooner than this, a father is obliged to teach his child at home, concerning which they say (f),
"from what time is his father obliged to teach him the law? as soon as he begins to speak, he teaches him the law Moses commanded us, and "hear O Israel", and after that he instructs him, , "by little and little, here and there a verse", till he is six or seven years of age, and, , "all this according to the clearness of his understanding";''
i.e. as he is able to take things in; and even till twelve years he was to be used with a great deal of tenderness:
"says R. Isaac (g), at Usha they made an order, that a man should "use his son gently", until he is twelve years of age; the gloss upon it is, if his son refuses to learn, he shall use him , "with mildness and tender language."''
(c) Kimchi in Isaiah. lv. 1. Abarbinel, Mashamia Jeshua, fol. 26. 1. (d) Jarchi in Cant. v. 12. (e) Maimom. Talmud Tora, c. 2. sect. 2. (f) Ib. c. 1. sect. 6. (g) T. Bab. Cetubot, fol. 50. 1.

(Hebrews 5:12).
milk--the elementary "principles of the doctrine of Christ."

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.