1 Corinthians 3:3 is a profound and thought-provoking scripture in the Bible. Let’s take a look:
3 for you are still carnal. For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men?
Before diving into why the Apostle Paul made this statement, let’s focus on the highlighted part. He told the church in Corinth that they were behaving like mere men. This indicates that he believed they were capable of living at a higher capacity than they currently were, which is why they were experiencing strife and divisions. Why did Paul address the church members as behaving like mere men? Could it relate to what Jesus said in John 10:34-36?
34 Jesus answered them, ‘Is it not written in your law, “I said, ‘You are gods’”? 35 If He called them gods, to whom the word of God came (and the Scripture cannot be broken), 36 do you say of Him whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world, “You are blaspheming,” because I said, “I am the Son of God”?'”
“You are gods.” That’s profound! What was Jesus getting at? He was quoting from Psalms 82:6-7:
6 I said, “You are gods, And all of you are children of the Most High. 7 But you shall die like men, And fall like one of the princes.”
Psalms 82 addresses human magistrates who stood in the divine council before Almighty God, having received authority to judge. Unfortunately, they misused their authority by not defending the poor or the fatherless and showing partiality to the wicked. Jesus compared the Pharisees—who were the leading Jewish rulers of His day—to the magistrates mentioned in Psalms 82. The Pharisees were those to whom the word of God came (John 10:35). They misapplied the Scriptures and persecuted Jesus for declaring that He was the Son of God. Jesus’s argument was that if their own law declares that humans given divine authority are gods, why were they upset with Him for saying what the Scriptures say about Himself, that He is the Son of God?
I will admit, this is all a bit intense! Let me link it back to the Apostle Paul’s statement in 1 Corinthians 3:3 and make some practical applications for us. Paul indicated that the church in Corinth was behaving like mere men. He said this because the people in that church were born again by the Spirit of God and now had the nature of God within them, yet they weren’t recognizing it.
Think about it. If God called Old Testament people—who did not have the Spirit of God in them—”gods” because they had the word of God and authority to judge properly but failed to do so, what do you think God thought about New Testament Christians who were involved in strife and mistreated one another? He likely thought, “These people have more capacity within them to unite and get along than they are utilizing. Why don’t they believe what My word says about them, draw on the power of the Holy Spirit through prayer, and walk in their divine nature and wisdom? They aren’t mere mortals; they are spirit beings with My nature inside of them, living in a flesh suit.”
Now, let’s ask the tougher question: How often does God think this about you and me? I’m not suggesting that He is disappointed or angry with us. Rather, He is like any loving Father who wants the best for His children. He desires for us to believe in our true identity and live up to our full potential!
God sees you and me differently than we often see ourselves based solely on our flesh. He sees us as righteous, healed, prosperous, world-overcomers filled with wisdom and joy! He sees us as being able to get along with any difficult person because we have His nature in us! This is why it’s essential to spend time in the Word and in prayer, allowing us to see ourselves correctly and live out of our true identity. We have more within us than we may realize!
I hope this article has encouraged you. If you’d like to learn more, check out this message I taught at Grace Life Church.
