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1 Corinthians

1 Corinthians 2

By Pastor Doug
Spiritual wisdom

1 Corinthians 2:1-5

It's recorded in Acts 18 when Paul originally went to Corinth.  He was fresh from preaching in Athens at the Aeropagus.   He witnessed the finest speakers and philosophers carron on in endless philosophical debate.  He took his turn and spoke to make God known to these philosophers.  They saw him as a mere amateur.  Some analyzed the man, some the delivery of the message and maybe a few the message.  In the courts of the great philosophers, the message didn't merit any attention.  There's no indication any church was planted in Athens.  Immediately after, Paul arrived in Corinth and met Priscilla and Aquilla who were tentmakers also.  They began to work together and minister together in Corinth.  That's when Paul first came to these people and he stayed with them for about a year and half.

Paul returned the basics of the faith; the fundamental gospel didn't need to complete with man's philosophies.  Paul said at the end of Chapter 1 that he didn't come to win a following to himself.  He wasn't preaching the gospel to gain followers of Paul.  He only wanted to preach the gospel message.  That message wasn't to be taught in such a way as to bring glory to another.  It wasn't another choice among the many choices of wisdoms.  It was the only choice, it was the one and only way to the Father.  If anything else was exalted, the message of the cross would have no effect.  No flesh should glory in His presence.

David Guzik wrote of one church:

A strong church once inscribed these words on an archway leading to the churchyard. Over time, two things happened: the church lost its passion for Jesus and His gospel, and ivy began to grow on the archway. The growth of the ivy, covering the message, showed the spiritual decline. Originally it said strongly, we preach Christ crucified. But as the ivy grew, one could only read we preach Christ, and the church also started preaching "Jesus the Great Man" and "Jesus the Moral Example" instead of Christ crucified. The ivy kept growing, and one could soon only read, we preach. The church also had even lost Jesus in the message, preaching religious platitudes and social graces. Finally, one could only read we, and the church also just became another social gathering place, all about we and not about God.

The only way to preach this message is in humility and in total realization of the predicament of men.  It becomes way too easy to adopt a Christian arrogance; thinking we have arrived at some safe haven and we are somehow wiser for being here.  That's what was happening in Corinth and it can happen in any church.  We are prone to forget we have all sinned and fallen short of God's holy standard.  Not one of us deserves anything close to heaven.  None of us could even come close to meeting the standards of our perfect God.  Of our own power we have only the capacity for total depravity.    Of our own thought, we would turn to evil and wickedness constantly. 

We have nothing to boast of or be arrogant about.  We can be thankful for all the years we've walked with the Lord but we can't be boastful about it like it was some great personal accomplishment.  The accomplishment was the work on the cross.  It was an incredible loving God that reached out and saved us.  In spite of what we were and what we were capable of.  We brought nothing to the relationship.  All the valued devices of merit in the world have no value in God's economy.

Paul knew the Jews were looking for a sign and the Greeks or gentiles were seeking after wisdom.  It would have been so easy to get sidetracked trying to please them or give them what they wanted.  But Paul knows he can't get caught up in that.  Instead, he says, "2For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified."

Paul wasn't rejecting all other knowledge.  He was simply saying that he was putting Jesus Christ first and that He would be at the center of all that Paul spoke of.  He wasn't interested in exploring the culture of Corinth or having intellectual arguments with them.  He didn't care about being relevant to their culture.  It wasn't important to be cool or hip in their eyes.  Paul said he was determined to not know anything among them except Jesus Christ and Him Crucified. 

In 2 Corinthians 10 Paul writes, "For when I am weak, then I am strong."  Whatever was going on in Paul's life must have been evident to those around him.  Paul notes that he came to them at a very weak time in his life and he brought them the message of the gospel and there was nothing special about his words.  All this weakness and inadequacy became a testimony to the Power of God.  When he was weak, then he was strong.

Remember, these folks are saints, they all had a common experience.  Each person had come to the end of themselves, to the end of their will, and yielded themself and their life to Jesus Christ.  Because of that it makes no sense that they are now relying on worldly wisdom, especially to the point of causing division.  Paul told them to not put their faith in this worldly wisdom but to put their faith in the power of God.

 

1 Corinthians 2:6-8

Paul's message when he first came to the Corinthians was a demonstration of the power of God, not a demonstration of wisdom that might exceed their wisdom or impress them.  Now as he writes this letter some time had passed. It had been well over a year since he first brought the gospel message and Paul was still trying to get them to understand there was no place for their worldly wisdom.

Paul said, "We speak wisdom among those who are mature."  His message wasn't to say they needed to totally disregard wisdom.  He was only saying they shouldn't put their faith in worldly wisdom.  'This age' is speaking of all of human history until the Lord returns.  The wisdom of this age isn't eternal, it had a beginning and it will come to an end when this age ends.  It is a fleeting wisdom, because it is ever changing.  To try to rest on it or rely on it will only cause great disappointment.

 

12 There is a way that seems right to a man,
      But its end is the way of death.
(Proverbs 14:12)

It seems right to seek power and influence in this world.   It seems right to man to make lots and lots of money.  It seems right to do whatever pleases us.  The wise, mighty and noble embrace this wisdom that will let them down, having passed on a wisdom that is everlasting.  Worldly wisdom says you came from nothing, you are going to nothing and you are not responsible for what you do while you are here.  The message is, 'Just make the best of it and do what you have to do to be happy'.

One definition of wisdom is "the use of the best means for attaining the best ends."  Paul was trying to get the saints of Corinth to understand the best means.  He said 'we' speak wisdom among the mature.  The 'we' are the saints of God and the mature are those who are being perfected in Christ as living sacrifices; those that are living in the word and seeking the deep things of God while being transformed into His image.  This wisdom of God is for the spiritually mature.  It is hidden from nonbelievers and it is hidden from those who don't, or won't grow in the Lord.

Paul said we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory.  This mystery was hidden from the beginning of time.  It was ordained before the foundations of the earth and kept a mystery to be revealed through Jesus Christ.  The rulers of this world didn't know this wisdom.  The word used for 'rulers' could mean the natural men among Jewish and Roman officials that crucified Christ.  It could also mean supernatural principalities and powers.  Satan knew of one who would come, a savior that had been prophesied.  The powers of this world did what was wise and logical in their minds as they nailed Christ to the Cross.  The Jews were doing God's work in their mind, eliminating a blasphemer and troublemaker.  No doubt, the supernatural powers did their part and celebrating that they had defeated Him when He breathed His last.  None of the rulers of this age knew; the wisdom of God remained a mystery.  Had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.  The powers of this world were acting to destroy Jesus but they were fulfilling the plans and the prophecies of God.  They meant it for evil and God meant it for good.  Jesus was crucified and that was fulfillment of the plans of God.

The gospel message was the revealing of this great mystery.  It was the message of salvation and forgiveness of sins.  It is the message that will snatch a person from the grip of Satan saving their soul from hell.  Before the excitement died down, the powers of this world discovered they had fulfilled the plan of God.  The shed blood of the perfect sacrifice had paid the price for the sins of men.  It was the wisdom of God ordained before the ages and it was revealed completely when the stone was rolled away and the grave was empty.

 

1 Corinthians 2:9-10

Paul quoted Isaiah 64:4 to establish that people can't understand the things of God by their human senses, logic and reasoning.  Many times, this quote is used to refer to the things of heaven.  And it is true we can't even begin to imagine what it will be like but this quote is talking about the things revealed to us here and now.   As we grow and mature God grants us wisdom and discernment.  As we study his word and the Holy Spirit ministers to us.  The Spirit searches all things and Paul makes the point that these things aren't just the superficial things.  These are the deep things of God.  These are the things that delve right into the nature of who and what God is.  The eye has not seen these things because these things aren't visible to the human eye.  No ear has heard because these things aren't spoken.  The things God has prepared for those who love Him won't enter into the heart by the eye or the ears.  This wisdom will be received through the Spirit.

As a born-again believer we've received a great gift in the filling of the Holy Spirit.  As a human, we can only understand the things of mankind, of the natural world.  But the Spirit of God knows the things of God.  We didn't receive the Spirit of the world to have wisdom that is of the world.  We received the Holy Spirit of God that reveals the things of God.  These are spiritual and supernatural things of God.

The Saints of Corinth were looking at these things they had received from God as if they had been given some worldly wisdom.  Instead of humbly receiving their spiritual gifts and using them to edify the body of Christ.  They were using them as if it was some prize awarded to them for being special.  As a born-again believer the Spirit resides in you and He desires to reveal to you the deep things of God.  He wants you to know the things that have been freely given to us by God.  This is not to say we have all wisdom or that we will ever have that wisdom.  What it does mean is that the source of all spiritual wisdom is within you by way of the Holy Spirit.

Spiritual wisdom can't be understood by the flesh.  Spiritual wisdom is understood by the spirit.  That Spirit reveals and ministers to us as we grow in the Lord and learn to keep our eyes on Him and not on the world.  He is sanctifying us, transforming us while the external forces of the world continue to try to shape and mold us.  The worldly wisdom is constantly trying to conform us to the world. 

  • The rulers of this world are trying to conform you to the world and its standards.  The result is you will look and act very much like the world and its gods, cold, dead, dark, devoid of love and doomed for eternity.
  • The Holy Spirit is transforming you from the inside out.  The result is you begin to look like Jesus and love like Jesus.  You will be light and life and know a surpassing joy and peace that comes from redemption bringing life everlasting.

We see through a glass darkly.  As we learn and grow and seek the Lord our vision is broadened.  The glass gets clearer and, in time, we understand just a little more how incredible, amazing, awesome, holy and BIG God really is.

 

1 Corinthians 2:13-16

As we begin to know the things that have been freely given to us by God then we also begin to speak in the same way.  Out of the abundance of our heart the mouth speaks.  As we are transformed, this spirit within us reveals the wisdom of God to us and infects every part of our life as it affects everything we say and do.

That natural man may be full of common sense, be well educated, well read and experienced in the world.  However, he still has no means and ability to discern spiritual things.  Without the Holy Spirit, the natural man simply lacks the tools.  The things of God will appear as foolishness.  The person that is filled with the Holy Spirit has the ability to judge or discern all things.  Not by our power or strength, but solely by the Holy Spirit that is within us.  Yet he himself is rightly judged by no one.  No natural man can rightly discern or judge another.  The Spiritual man should not receive condemnation or approval from men, God is their judge.

Paul wanted to remind those in Corinth that they were to be Christ like.  It's as though they made a wrong turn along the way and refused to acknowledge they were on the wrong road.  You can imagine their bragging how fast they were traveling down the road.  Paul pointed out their progress wasn't what they thought; it was simply the wrong direction.  He had come to them originally and taught them and they had never grown up.  They had never made the transition from the natural man and the wisdom of the world to the Spiritual man of God filled with Godly wisdom.  They had reverted to the natural and now Paul was having to write them again because there was an expectation that there would be a visible growth in the year since he had left them.

Our world is full of chaos and crisis.  At times fear is nearly rampant about the latest health concern, terrorist strike or natural disaster; wars, rumors of wars and pestilence.  The world is constantly shaken.  The wisdom and rulers of this age are continuously shown to be faulty, weak and inadequate.  We have to hold on tight to Jesus Christ.  He is the Godly wisdom revealed to the saints and the Holy Spirit in us marks us and continues to remake us into image of Christ by that wisdom of God.

 

©2006, 2010, 2016, 2022 Doug Ford, Calvary Chapel Sweetwater