For the first clause, see comments on 1 Cor. 3.2.
Of the flesh, in contrast with “of the Spirit,” means “controlled, not by the Holy Spirit, but by natural human impulses.” Good News Bible states this as “still live as people of this world live.” One may also state this as “because your lives are still controlled by natural human desires (or, instincts),” or even “because natural human desires control your lives.” As the rest of the verse shows, these impulses are essentially the tendency toward self-centeredness. There is no reference in this passage to sexual sins.
While there is jealousy: while may refer to time and mean “as long as”; so New Jerusalem Bible, New Revised Standard Version, Revised English Bible. It often refers to space and means “where.” It may also have a logical meaning, “whereas” (King James Version), “inasmuch as” (Fee), or “since” (New International Version). This last meaning seems to fit the context best and is preferred by most commentators. Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente has “Your discords and divisions show that you still think and behave like others” (that is, non-Christians). In other languages one may need to render this as “You are jealous of each other and quarrel with each other. This shows….”
King James Version, following many Greek manuscripts, adds “and divisions” after “jealousy and strife,” but the UBS Greek text omits this word. Scribes may have added it from Gal 5.20, the only other place in the New Testament where it is used. The phrase there is jealousy may be rendered as “you are jealous of each other.”
Revised Standard Version‘s among you and Good News Bible‘s “with one another” translate the same Greek phrase, which comes before jealousy and strife and applies to both nouns.
The last part of the verse forms a rhetorical question that, as we discussed in the comments on 1.13, will often be translated as a strong statement rather than a real question. One might say, for example, “Since there is … this proves that you belong to this world….” In languages in which rhetorical questions are natural, it is an advantage to keep this and the following rhetorical question in verse 4 in translation. The reason is that these rhetorical questions are followed by a real question in verse 5a, to which the answer is given in verses 5b and 6.
Revised Standard Version is misleading to keep the Greek and before behaving, as it gives the impression that something new is to be said. Actually, this final phrase is explaining are you not of the flesh. Good News Bible shows this fact clearly by dropping the and.
The last few words of this verse are literally “and walk according to man.” “Walk” is a common biblical metaphor for “live” in the sense of “behave.” Many languages will be able to follow this metaphor. The Thai common language version (Thai Common Language Version) has “walk your life.” So one may also say “Walk your life as ordinary people do,” or “Walk your life following human standards.”
Men in this passage means virtually the same as flesh and includes women, too.
Quoted with permission from Ellingworth, Paul and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians, 2nd edition. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1985/1994. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .