Merely Human

1 Corinthians 2:14-3:15

The journey of faith is one filled with challenges, the greatest of which is staying focused on God's will. Paul looked at the church in Corinth and could see that there were issues making it impossible for the members to remain steadfast in their faith. "For as long as there is jealousy and quarreling among you," Paul writes, "are you not of the flesh, and behaving according to human inclinations? For when one says, 'I belong to Paul,' and another, 'I belong to Apollos,' are you not merely human?" (1 Corinthians 3:3b-4).

We are human, but what does Paul mean when he talks about being merely human? In this case it has to do with what motivates a person in their relationship with God and with others. When the people of God allow "jealously and quarreling" to creep in, when the body of Christ is divided into various camps each claiming to have the more authentic faith, when the will of God is lost in a sea of worldliness, then the church has become a merely human institution. And Paul means this as a harsh criticism. He might also have described his readers as spoiled brats, or as self-centered jerks. "Grow up!" Paul is saying.

The good news is that Paul remains confident of the work God is doing in Corinth. If the believers there will look beyond themselves they will see grace and mercy in abundance, they will see the fellowship of the Holy Spirit taking root, they will see growth and development taking place. The same can be said of the church today. If we will shift our focus away from issues that divide and concentrate on the gospel and its message of hope and peace we will see great things. And by God's grace we will no longer be merely human.

Prayer: Lord of all, bless us with eyes to see the work you are doing in our midst so that we may push beyond ourselves and become partners in you service. In Jesus' name. Amen.