14, 15. Aside from anointed Christians, what types of persons attended meetings in Corinth, and how might they have varied as to spiritual progress?

¹⁴ That Christians dealt tolerantly with those who were learning about God is clear from Paul’s comments about meetings in Corinth. In discussing the use of miraculous gifts of the spirit that initially marked Christianity as having God’s blessing, Paul mentioned “believers” and “unbelievers.” (1 Corinthians 14:22) “Believers” were those who accepted Christ and were baptized. (Acts 8:13; 16:31-34) “Many of the Corinthians that heard began to believe and be baptized.”​—Acts 18:8.

¹⁵ According to 1 Corinthians 14:24, ‘unbelievers or ordinary people’ also came to the meetings in Corinth and were welcomed there.c Likely, they varied as to their progress in studying and applying God’s Word. Some might still have been committing sin. Others might have gained a measure of faith, already made some changes in their lives, and, even before baptism, have begun telling others what they had learned.

16. How could such persons benefit from being among Christians at congregation meetings?

¹⁶ Of course, none of such unbaptized ones were “in the Lord.” (1 Corinthians 7:39) If their past involved serious moral and spiritual faults, it understandably could have taken them time to conform to God’s standards. Meanwhile, as long as they did not maliciously try to subvert the faith and cleanness of the congregation, they were welcome. What they saw and heard at the meetings could ‘reprove them’ as the ‘secrets of their hearts became manifest.’​—1 Corinthians 14:23-25; 2 Corinthians 6:14.