The Touch of Humanism
I Corinthians 3:1–7
“Brothers and sisters, I could not address you as people who live by the Spirit but as people who are still worldly—mere infants in Christ. I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready. You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere humans? For when one says, “I follow Paul,” and another, “I follow Apollos,” are you not mere human beings? What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe—as the Lord has assigned to each his task. I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow. So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow.”
For there is among us envying, and strife, and divisions, are we not carnal, and walk as mere humans? We envied each other's gifts and knowledge, strove about words to no profit, entered into warm debates and contentions about our ministers, and went into factions and parties; in all which we gave too clear evidence of their prevailing carnality, that we too much walked as other people, who make no profession of Christ; that we were led by human judgment, and were carried away with the same passions and inflections; and in our conduct could scarcely be distinguished from the rest of the world (John Gill, I paraphrased this). This is a primary charge against Christians; German philosopher Nietzsche said the Christian has to look more redeemed before I can believe in her redeemer, Gandhi said I like their Christ, but not these Christians. These to which when asked by comedian and commentator Russel Brand, molecular biologist turned Oxford theologian, Alister E. McGrath in an interview said, “Christianity, like every human institution, has messed up, but sometimes it does good stuff. But the truth is deeper than this...there's something about us, everything we touch as humans has the capacity to go very, very badly wrong and that's the real concern - if we are so great, why is the world such a mess?" But the Apostle Paul here is asking us, are we mere humans? What difference does being a Christian make? Are we merely, as God said through the prophet Hosea, “like Adam, you broke my covenant and betrayed my trust (Hos 6:7)”? Nay, we were saved and we are being sanctified by the Spirit that we may lead Spirit-ward lives that honours God always and that as we mature in Christ, we make our mark not as mere humans but different and not inclined towards carnal and fleshly desires, thoughts and actions, “for we are God's masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago (Eph 2:10).”
“Brothers and sisters, I could not address you as people who live by the Spirit but as people who are still worldly—mere infants in Christ. I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready. You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere humans? For when one says, “I follow Paul,” and another, “I follow Apollos,” are you not mere human beings? What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe—as the Lord has assigned to each his task. I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow. So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow.”
For there is among us envying, and strife, and divisions, are we not carnal, and walk as mere humans? We envied each other's gifts and knowledge, strove about words to no profit, entered into warm debates and contentions about our ministers, and went into factions and parties; in all which we gave too clear evidence of their prevailing carnality, that we too much walked as other people, who make no profession of Christ; that we were led by human judgment, and were carried away with the same passions and inflections; and in our conduct could scarcely be distinguished from the rest of the world (John Gill, I paraphrased this). This is a primary charge against Christians; German philosopher Nietzsche said the Christian has to look more redeemed before I can believe in her redeemer, Gandhi said I like their Christ, but not these Christians. These to which when asked by comedian and commentator Russel Brand, molecular biologist turned Oxford theologian, Alister E. McGrath in an interview said, “Christianity, like every human institution, has messed up, but sometimes it does good stuff. But the truth is deeper than this...there's something about us, everything we touch as humans has the capacity to go very, very badly wrong and that's the real concern - if we are so great, why is the world such a mess?" But the Apostle Paul here is asking us, are we mere humans? What difference does being a Christian make? Are we merely, as God said through the prophet Hosea, “like Adam, you broke my covenant and betrayed my trust (Hos 6:7)”? Nay, we were saved and we are being sanctified by the Spirit that we may lead Spirit-ward lives that honours God always and that as we mature in Christ, we make our mark not as mere humans but different and not inclined towards carnal and fleshly desires, thoughts and actions, “for we are God's masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago (Eph 2:10).”
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