1 Corinthians Chapter 2
1 When I came to you, brothers, I didn't come with excellence of speech or of wisdom, proclaiming to you the testimony of God.
2 For I determined not to know anything amongst you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.
3 I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling.
4 My speech and my preaching were not in persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power,
5 that your faith wouldn't stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.
6 We speak wisdom, however, amongst those who are full grown, yet a wisdom not of this world nor of the rulers of this world who are coming to nothing.
7 But we speak God's wisdom in a mystery, the wisdom that has been hidden, which God foreordained before the worlds for our glory,
8 which none of the rulers of this world has known. For had they known it, they wouldn't have crucified the Lord of glory.
9 But as it is written, "Things which an eye didn't see, and an ear didn't hear, which didn't enter into the heart of man, these God has prepared for those who love him."
10 But to us, God revealed them through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God.
11 For who amongst men knows the things of a man, except the spirit of the man, which is in him? Even so, no one knows the things of God, except God's Spirit.
12 But we received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is from God, that we might know the things that were freely given to us by God.
13 We also speak these things, not in words which man's wisdom teaches, but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual things.
14 Now the natural man doesn't receive the things of God's Spirit, for they are foolishness to him, and he can't know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
15 But he who is spiritual discerns all things, and he himself is judged by no one.
16 "For who has known the mind of the Lord, that he should instruct him?" But we have Christ's mind.
Footnotes
- Verse 9
- Isaiah 64:4
- Verse 16
- Isaiah 40:13
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1 Corinthians Chapter 2 Guide
The apostle reminds the Corinthian Christians that when he first came to them he did not come with excellency of speech, or of wisdom, but with "the Word of the Cross." Yet there must be no foolish imagining that there is no wisdom, or that the Christian teacher has no deep and sublime subjects with which to deal. The apostle says, "We speak wisdom, however." And yet the wisdom was such as could be taught only among those who were full grown. Babes and feeble ones in Christ could not be led into the deep things of God. For them there must be the simple proclamation of the word of wisdom, without its explanation and unfolding.
What, then, is this wisdom? It is a mystery, hidden from the world's wisdom, but known of God and revealed by His Spirit. It could come to man only through the direct and distinct revelation of the Spirit of God. It is pre- eminently important that this should ever be borne in mind. "The Word of the Cross" is not the ultimate of human reasoning. All mere philosophies of the mind have failed to explain it, as the wisdom of the world had failed to discover it. It is the Word of God hidden from ages, and spoken at last only by that Spirit of God "who searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God." This revelation, moreover, could not be received by the natural man.
Here it is well to understand Paul's meaning by his use of the term "natural." He invariably speaks of man unregenerate as the natural man, putting him in contrast with man regenerate, who is the spiritual man. Thus the reason why "the wisdom of words" is folly becomes apparent.
From "An Exposition of the Whole Bible" by G. Campbell Morgan.
1 Corinthians Chapter 2 Commentary
Chapter Outline
- The plain manner in which the apostle preached Christ crucified. -- (1-5)
- The wisdom contained in this doctrine. -- (6-9)
- It cannot be duly known but by the Holy Spirit. -- (10-16)
Verses 1-5
Christ, in his person, and offices, and sufferings, is the sum and substance of the gospel, and ought to be the great subject of a gospel minister's preaching, but not so as to leave out other parts of God's revealed truth and will. Paul preached the whole counsel of God. Few know the fear and trembling of faithful ministers, from a deep sense of their own weakness They know how insufficient they are, and are fearful for themselves. When nothing but Christ crucified is plainly preached, the success must be entirely from Divine power accompanying the word, and thus men are brought to believe, to the salvation of their souls.
Verses 6-9
Those who receive the doctrine of Christ as Divine, and, having been enlightened by the Holy Spirit, have looked well into it, see not only the plain history of Christ, and him crucified, but the deep and admirable designs of Divine wisdom therein. It is the mystery made manifest to the saints, Col 1:26, though formerly hid from the heathen world; it was only shown in dark types and distant prophecies, but now is revealed and made known by the Spirit of God. Jesus Christ is the Lord of glory; a title much too great for any creature. There are many things which people would not do, if they knew the wisdom of God in the great work of redemption. There are things God hath prepared for those that love him, and wait for him, which sense cannot discover, no teaching can convey to our ears, nor can it yet enter our hearts. We must take them as they stand in the Scriptures, as God hath been pleased to reveal them to us.
Verses 10-16
God has revealed true wisdom to us by his Spirit. Here is a proof of the Divine authority of the Holy Scriptures, 2Pe 1:21. In proof of the Divinity of the Holy Ghost, observe, that he knows all things, and he searches all things, even the deep things of God. No one can know the things of God, but his Holy Spirit, who is one with the Father and the Son, and who makes known Divine mysteries to his church. This is most clear testimony, both to the real Godhead and the distinct person of the Holy Spirit. The apostles were not guided by worldly principles. They had the revelation of these things from the Spirit of God, and the saving impression of them from the same Spirit. These things they declared in plain, simple language, taught by the Holy Spirit, totally different from the affected oratory or enticing words of man's wisdom. The natural man, the wise man of the world, receives not the things of the Spirit of God. The pride of carnal reasoning is really as much opposed to spirituality, as the basest sensuality. The sanctified mind discerns the real beauties of holiness, but the power of discerning and judging about common and natural things is not lost. But the carnal man is a stranger to the principles, and pleasures, and actings of the Divine life. The spiritual man only, is the person to whom God gives the knowledge of his will. How little have any known of the mind of God by natural power! And the apostles were enabled by his Spirit to make known his mind. In the Holy Scriptures, the mind of Christ, and the mind of God in Christ, are fully made known to us. It is the great privilege of Christians, that they have the mind of Christ revealed to them by his Spirit. They experience his sanctifying power in their hearts, and bring forth good fruits in their lives.
From the "Concise Commentary on the Bible" by Matthew Henry.