It was impossible for the apostle to reprove wrongdoing without some who claimed to believe the truth becoming offended. The inspired testimony could do these no good; for they had lost their spiritual discernment. Jealousy, evil surmising, and accusing closed the door to the working of the Holy Spirit. Paul would gladly have dwelt upon higher and more difficult truths, truths which were rich in nourishment, but his instruction would have cut directly across their tendencies to jealousy, and would not have been received. The divine mysteries of godliness, which would have enabled them to grasp the truths necessary for that time, could not be spoken. The apostle must select lessons which, like milk, could be taken without irritating the digestive organs. Truths of the deepest interest could not be spoken, because the hearers would misapply and misappropriate them, presenting them to young converts who needed only the more simple truths of the word.

Det var umuligt for apostlene at irettesætte den fejlende, uden at nogle som hævdede at tro sandheden blev fornærmede. Det inspirerede vidnesbyrd kunne ikke gøre noget godt; for de havde mistet deres åndelige forståelse. Skinsyge, had og anklager lukkede døren for Helligåndens virke. Paulus ville gladelig have dvælet ved højere og vanskeligere sandheder, sandheder som var rig på næring, men hans belæring ville have skåret direkte på deres tendenser til skinsyge, og ville ikke have været taget imod. De gudsfrygtens guddommelige mysterier, som ville have sat dem i stand til at gribe de fornødne sandheder for denne tid, kunne ikke blive udtalt. Apostlen måtte udvælge lektier, som, ligesom mælk, kunne tages uden at pirre fordøjelsesorganerne. Sandheder af den dybeste interesse kunne ikke blive sagt, fordi tilhørerne ville misbruge dem, bringe dem til unge nyomvendte som kun behøvede mere enkle sandheder fra Ordet.