1 Corinthians Chapter 2

1Co 2:1 And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God.

Paul continues in the same vein, that is, to convey that God does not need use the wisdom of the world for the Gospel to succeed. Paul says here that he was no great orator, nor was he wise with the wisdom of the world. He was no intellectual, nor was he great by the world's standards. Yet he was able to declare the Gospel to those at Corinth and succeeded in convincing those believers at Corinth of the truth of the Gospel.

1Co 2:2 For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.

Paul decided beforehand to discuss no subject except the Gospel. He would not use wise words of the world, not would he use rhetorical oratory. He would simple preach that Jesus was the Christ and that He was crucified and raised on the third day. He intentionally kept his message basic and uncomplicated.

1Co 2:3-4 And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling. (4) And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power:

Not only did he keep the message simple, he kept himself humble. He did not try to convince them in his own power, which was weak for he went with fear and trembling. He kept himself back and allowed the Spirit to do the work. It was under the Spirit's power that Paul was successful and not because of anything worldly.

1Co 2:5 That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.

The wisdom of men cannot endure. It must needs change as human wisdom changes. If our faith were dependent upon the wisdom of men, then when another man comes along and speaks what seems wise at that time, then our faith in the former would be weakened and we would have new faith in the newer wisdom. This has happens more than once in human knowledge. Men learned, for example, that the sun rises in the east and sets in the west with precise regularity. For many years, men believed, based on the observation of the sun, that the sun revolved around the earth. This theory of Ptolemy's was accepted wisdom and men had faith that it was true for 1500 years. Then Copernicus came along and demonstrated that the earth revolved around the sun, and not vice verse. Men's faith in the old wisdom came to a halt and believed a new truth that the earth revolved around the sun.

We have seen this in the medical field as well. How often have we been told that medical studies indicate a certain treatment or a certain diet will equal a certain outcome, only to find out a year of two later that those studies were wrong and the outcome was not what we were first told. Oat bran is an example. The virtues of oat bran to fight bad cholesterol were extolled loudly until a study came out that contradicted that claim. We still see both theories posited as truth. Which do we believe?

The wisdom of man is not always reliable and to have faith in man's wisdom is completely unreliable. Only God's wisdom is durable and eternal and faith in His wisdom is unshakeable.

Paul did not come as one who had wisdom. He came as one who believed in the wisdom of God. It was God' wisdom that changed the lives of those who heard Paul and believed.

1Co 2:6 Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought:

We certainly speak wisdom to those that are mature in Christ. The perfect are Christians. The word rendered 'perfect', τελιεοις (teleiois), the dative case of τελειος (teleios, 5046), also means mature. The mature in Christ understand the wisdom of God as opposed to the wisdom of the world. The wisdom taught to the spiritually mature is not the world's wisdom nor is it the wisdom of the wise in the world. The word rendered 'princes' means the chiefs or leaders of the world's wisdom. They can be such as scientists, theoreticians, professors, the intelligentsia, government leaders, spiritual leaders, etc. Those folks are the depositories of the wisdom of the world. We do not teach their wisdom, for human wisdom will fail.

1Co 2:7 But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory:

Once again, the mystery is the Gospel, which was hidden from men until the advent of Christ. God established the Gospel as the way to salvation before the foundation of the world. In other words, the Gospel was God's plan before He created the universe. The Gospel was established for our glory, that is, so that we would be glorified, not as men, but as the children of God:

Romans 8:29-30 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. (30) Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.

1Co 2:8 Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.

This is the reason that the Gospel was hidden. If the Romans or the religious leaders (princes) in Israel had known this was the plan, they would have worshipped Him and not crucified Him. Without Christ's crucifixion, we would have no hope of salvation.

1Co 2:9 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.

We often quote these words applying them to our future state in Heaven. While this certainly true, we have not seen or heard what God has in store for us in heaven, this application is not what the context indicates. When we quote this as descriptive of heaven, we are taking the scripture out of context. The context is our subject, that the wisdom of the world is not God's wisdom.

When we realize that this passage was taken from Isaiah 64:4, "For since the beginning of the world men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye seen, O God, beside thee, what he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him", it does not make sense to apply it to Heaven. Isaiah was making the case that men did not know the wisdom of God and His salvation. Paul makes that same case. Men, in their wisdom, have ho idea what God has in mind. Man's wisdom cannot truly know the Gospel. In his own wisdom, a man cannot be saved. It is only by the leading of the Spirit that man may know God's wisdom:

1Co 2:10 But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.

You cannot be saved in your own wisdom. That is perhaps why so many professions of faith these days are false professions. A man hears a preacher and is caught up in the logic of the speaker, or has an emotional response to the Gospel in his own mind. But the Spirit has not really revealed the truth to him, so he is not really saved. He then does not manifest the fruit of the spirit; he does not go to church, he does not read his bible, etc. He gets baptized and that is the last time we see him. Such a man is like the seed that fell upon the wayside. He has no real understanding of the mystery of God.

Those that are truly saved are those to whom the Spirit of God has revealed the truth. When the scripture says that the Spirit searches all things, it indicates that the Spirit is omniscient, or all knowing. Since He is all knowing, He is fully able to reveal true knowledge to anyone He wishes. Once He reveals true knowledge to someone who accepts it, that one is fully and completely saved.

1Co 2:11 For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.

We understand human wisdom in our own spirits. We only know the things of God through the Spirit of God because our own spirit cannot understand those things.

1Co 2:12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.

The Holy Spirit reveals all things to us that we need to know in order to be saved. Salvation is the free gift of God and we understand that gift because the Holy Spirit reveals it to us. The Holy Spirit brings the knowledge of the gift of salvation to us.

1Co 2:13 Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.

The Apostles spoke what the Holy Spirit revealed to them. As ministers of Christ, we reveal those same things to others. As Christ's own, we understand those things because the Spirit has revealed them to us. Comparing spiritual (as opposed to worldly) things seems to indicate that we who are witness of the Gospel teach those things to men who have spiritual understanding. When we teach spiritual things, those who have the leading of the Spirit of God understand those things. Those who have not the leading of the Spirit will never understand those spiritual things.

1Co 2:14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

The Arminians (those who believe that salvation is strictly the choice of men) cannot be correct because this verse tells us that the natural man, that is the man of the world who has not the Spirit's leading, cannot receive the things of the Spirit. So the natural man has no way of even knowing he needs salvation, much less how to receive salvation. Therefore, he cannot make a choice to believe what he cannot understand. That is impossible. A man can only know the things of God by the leading of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, without His leading, a man cannot be saved making it impossible for a man to choose salvation in his own wisdom.

1Co 2:15 But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man.

The Spiritual man, who has the Holy Spirit dwelling within him, is able to make true judgments about everything within his sphere of knowledge because of the indwelling Spirit. The man who relies on the Spirit to direct him and to control him will be sound in his judgments. That is so because the Spirit is all-knowing and present everywhere. He is the third person of the Trinity; He is God and has God's knowledge. The Holy Spirit has the mind of Christ. The man who spiritually discerns because of his reliance on the Holy Spirit, will see all things in the right light. Not that a man is all-knowing, but that he is able to properly discern all things that come into His knowledge and experience.

Conversely, no one of the world is able to truly discern the spiritual man, for a person who has not the Holy Spirit is unable to understand the man who does have the indwelling Spirit of God within him. The world looks upon spiritual men and women with disdain. The world views Christianity as foolishness and therefore has no use for Christians. Without the wisdom of God that the Spirit brings to Christians, the worldly man is unable to discern the truth about the spiritual man. When men are unable to understand something, they often have disdain for it. The world certainly hates the things of Christ, for the world hates Christ. If the world hates Christ, then the world hates Christians. Once a man receives salvation and the indwelling of the Spirit, he then is able to discern others who have the Spirit.

Before I was saved, I thought the things of God to be not only foolish, but worthy of my disgust. Not only did I know understand the things of God, I hated them and wanted no part of them. When the Holy Spirit was able to get my attention, which he did through a traumatic experience, and when I listened to the Spirit and placed my trust in Christ, then I was able to truly discern spiritual things. Then I understood spiritual things because I had the mind of Christ through the indwelling Spirit. I no longer had disgust for those things, and found that I loved those things.

One of the most refreshing things that happened was that I could pick up the Bible and truly read it, understand it, and enjoy it. In the past, I despised it. Now I treasure it. For the Christian that complains that he cannot understand the King James Bible, I say this. Either you are quenching the Spirit for reasons I cannot know, or you are not really saved. I know that is blunt but sometimes we must be blunt with the truth.

1Co 2:16 For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.

This is a quote of Isa 40:13, "Who hath directed the Spirit of the LORD, or being his counsellor hath taught him?" Here is the Septuagint English translation: "Who has known the mind of the Lord? and who has been his counsellor, to instruct him?" Paul paraphrases the LXX, leaving out "and who has been his counselor".

The answer? No one. There is no man alive or who has ever lived that can instruct the Lord. Taken in context, the idea here is that no man can ever fully know the mind of the LORD. No man can ever be His counselor. We cannot fully understand God. We will never fully understand Him. When we are with Him in eternity, our understanding will be greater than now, but we will never fully know God. That is why we will be in awe of Him and worship Him.

He was, He is, and forever will He be. He said to Moses, "I Am That I Am" (אהיה אשׁר אהיה, Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh). It literally translates to I Was, I Am, And I Will Be Who I Was, I Am, and I Will Be. He is eternal with no beginning and no end. We have a finite beginning for He created us. He is infinite and we will never truly understand that. Even in Eternity, I do not believe we will be able to really fathom that.

Yet even though we will not ever be able to fully comprehend Him, we can know Him even here on Earth. We will never know Him at all in our natural makeup or in our natural senses. That is impossible. We may only discern Him spiritually. Paul made the case here that though we can never instruct Him or counsel Him, we are still able to know Him through His Spirit. We may come into a right relationship with Him through the salvation we receive for trusting in Christ and through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.

If we cannot fully comprehend God, what does it mean that we have the mind of Christ? It means that because we have the Holy Spirit in us, we can know, through the Spirit, what knowledge Christ deems it necessary for us to have. God told us in Jeremiah 31:33, "But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people." That covenant is the New Covenant of the Blood of Christ. When we believe in Christ, our part in that covenant is assured. In these latter days, if we are believers in Christ, we are God's people and He has written his law in our hearts. That is what it means to have the mind of Christ. We know in our hearts when we are doing what is right and what is wrong. This is not simply our conscience, but the knowledge of Christ's will in the lives of His people. There are things of God that we as believers understand instinctively, but that we never understood before our salvation. There was no way for our consciences to understand those things when we were without the salvation provided for us by Christ. It is because we have spiritual discernment that we have the mind of Christ.