More Than Human?

For when one says, "I am of Paul," and another, "I am of Apollos," are you not mere men? (1 Corinthians 3:4 NASB)

 Science fiction, one of my favorite genre's of fiction, often looks at the evolutionary development of humans beyond where we are.  What would we look like? What would we be able to do?  And often, something powerfully mental, sometimes insubstantial, yet almost 'godlike' follows.  As if the transition from flesh to spirit is evolutionary.  I'm not sure why people don't see what's being grasped for is what is promised in Scripture, but they don't.

Yet, one of my own personal ambitions is to be able to live my life in both the spiritual and physical realms simultaneously.  I believe that this is part of what my Master intends for His followers, but I have met very few who I would say live this way; perhaps I haven't met any.  I say that because it seems that such people aren't interested in pointing it out, so I'd have to notice and deduce it from their behavior and attitudes.

So, godless, atheistic Star Trek and Star Wars, and so many other science fiction movies and writings seem to believe in the eventual evolutionary improvement of humanity.  Yet, all the changes viewed in the past 1,000 years (or 2,000) only seem to indicate a downward spiral in the good traits, and a tidal increase in the basest traits.  The trend does not favor a positive evolutionary track for us homo sapiens.

Mostly, I would say that Scripture doesn't offer much hope that way either, except for this verse.  It is possible that Paul is operating out of an assumption on the part of the Corinthian believers about themselves; in that they believe they are spiritual and have left humanity behind.  But his wording in verses three and four leave open the possibility that he is comfortable with their terminology, just not their practice.  Therefore, I wonder if they derived their terminology from Paul's teaching when he was among them.  Is it possible to be more than human?

In answering this question, I have to move along the progression of Paul as he refers to the Corinthian believers, in verses 1 through 4 especially.  He begins by denying their 'spiritual' quality (a Greek adjective derived from spirit), but only in that he couldn't 'speak' to them that way, not denying the essential quality of the people.  In other words, he leaves open the possibility that they are spiritual, yet not acting like it.  He uses the comparison between 'of spirit' and 'of flesh', saying he spoke to them as 'of flesh'

In verse 2 Paul continues the image he introduced in verse 1 of them being 'infants' not ready for meat, and claims they are even then, still infants.  His support for this claim is found in verse 3.  Here his sentence begun in verse 2 is completed by stating they are still 'fleshly' (a slightly different word than used in verse 1, but very similar in meaning).  His support for his claim is their behavior in claiming a 'group' or faction within the church and the resulting strife over polarizing in said factions.  His wording is interesting though.

In verse 3 Paul says the Corinthian believers are 'fleshly' but also, 'walking about according to human' (anthropos, where we get anthropology).  This isn't the word for male or female, but the generic word for humanity at large; not even separated by people groups, but everyone.  It's possible that certain people groups were excluded in common use or reference; as slurs against one group or another.  But the word was used for humanity in its highest form, as opposed to 'gods' or other powerful beings.

So, then in verse 4, Paul now points out that it is these factions that indicate they are simply 'people'.  Let's not lose sight of the contrast between these references and 'spiritual' in verse 1.  While Paul doesn't come back to it, it still 'hangs in the air' probably more so in Corinth because it was their assumption about themselves.  He didn't need to keep repeating it, only his denial of the proof of it in their lives.

If Paul can and does adopt this terminology leaving open the possibility of its validity, then can we consider it as a possibility; that we we can be more than human?  Let me also then throw back into the argument that Paul does not deny that they are the alternative 'spiritual' but that they are not behaving like it.  In other words, Paul also leaves open the option that they are, even in the wrong behavior, still more than human.

I'm not going to 'unpack' that right now, I'm simply going to leave it and return to it later.  I have run out of time this morning, but I also have run out of a 'train of thought'.  If I am right now, more than human, what does that mean?  Hmmm.  Let me think about that.  I'll get back to you.