In my reading of 1 Corinthians, I find several common themes that have been speaking to me. One of these themes is the meaning and development of true manhood. Here are the observations I have made:
First, we men are called to be more than men. 1 Corinthians 3:3 says, "are you not walking like mere men?" We have a common cultural understanding of what a man is, what a man is supposed to be. Then, we have a sort of universal and Scriptural understanding of what man is and is supposed to be. But a Christian man must be more than a mere man. He is called to be a man of God. I am not merely a man in the biological, cultural, or anthropological sense, I am a son of the Most High, indwelt by the Spirit of God. I must be more than a man. So what does this mean? In the context of 1 Corinthians 3, being more than a mere man would mean laying aside jealousy and strife, receiving the solid food of the Word of God, building up others' faith, building upon the foundation of Jesus Christ, keeping one's body sacred as the temple of God and submitting to God's will and wisdom instead of human foolishness. This is a man of God.
Second, we are called to put away childishness. 1 Corinthians 13:11 says, "When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things." And 1 Corinthians 14:20 says, "Brethren, do not be children in your thinking; yet in evil be infants, but in your thinking be mature." We must do away with childishness. In the context, this of chapter 13, this means developing a Christ-like love for others, one that is not provoked, does not rise up in fury, has no place for wrath and is quick to forgive. It means doing away with self-interest and selfishness. Furthermore, in chapter 14, it means innocence in the ways of evil. Being mature does not mean being wise and learned in the ways of evil. We do not need to understand all the hideousness of the world in order to be a testimony against it, rather we must be infants in the ways of evil. Also, we must direct our thinking to be the thinking of a man of God. This means, not letting our thoughts wander, but keeping them fixed on Christ. This means keeping our thoughts pure. And it means thinking thoughts after God that are worthy of who He is, thinking grand thoughts of Him, grasping Him as fully as our mental capacity will allow.
Lastly, we are called to act like men. 1 Corinthians 16:13 says, "Be on the alert, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong." We must not only think like men of God, but act like men of God. This means being on the alert, having a frame of mind that is ready for action, ever watchful for the enemy's schemes and for an opening for the gospel. This means being firm in the faith, never compromising, confident and assured in what we believe. This means being strong in the power of the Holy Spirit and loving in all things.
So in conclusion, a man of God is more than a man, has put away childishness in character and in conduct, and is always ready to be employed in the Master's service.
