1st Corinthians Chapter
Two
Commentary by Ron Beckham
Verse 1.
"And when I came to you, brethren, I did not come with superiority of
speech or of wisdom, proclaiming to you the testimony of God."
Paul’s first visit to the Corinthians was
in approximately 50 or 52 AD, as reflected in Acts 18:11 and context.
He stayed approximately 1½ years, and worked as a fellow tentmaker with
Priscilla and Aquila. Since that time, he had spent roughly 3-years at
Ephesus (Acts 20:31). Paul had no interest whatsoever in impressing
anyone as a speaker or philosopher. Yet he could do that, as we see in
his statements at Athens, reflected in Acts chapter 17.
It is not important that you and
I impress one another – what is important is the need
of the person to whom we speak. These people needed the Holy Spirit
of God and His words. It was in the power of God that Paul spoke to
people. They, like each of us, needed repentance – We need to be born
into the world of Spirit and then be fed the very food of God (from His
Word). It is God we need, and not the words of man; no matter
how eloquent the words may be.
They (possibly the Apollos
party) referred to Paul, by the way, as "contemptible" (1st Corinthians
10:10). Such an attitude reflects a complete misunderstanding of the
work of the Holy Spirit in the life of Paul, and in our lives as well.
Verse 2.
"For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him
crucified."
Paul’s "simplicity" with these
people was part of the fixed design of the Holy Spirit to "know nothing"
among these people. Paul was VERY responsive to the Holy Spirit, as in
the time he did NOT go into Asia and Bithynia (Acts 16:7) because he was
"forbidden" by the Holy Spirit. Much like Christ who "emptied Himself"
when He came to us (Philippians 2), Paul had done the same when he came
to the Corinthians. He had nothing to say or offer, except the message
that had been Given him by God.
We have the pressures of job, of
marriage, friendships, etc. - the things of THIS world, that often SEEM
to prevent us from being like Paul in that way. But can we not be this
kind of person also, right in the setting in which we find ourselves?
Yes we can, because God can make it so. There is a point of
transparency, I think, where all that is important is Christ and Him
crucified. Can we live in this world, with such an attitude? In a
study of the life of Daniel the Prophet, I have decided that yes we
can; but we need to start with prayer, in His Word, and with love
for those around us.
"Christ crucified." This is
PERSONAL, isn’t it? Paul lets us look into the window of his heart and
there, we see Christ (and our need of Him). What Paul had was better
than wisdom, better than health or money. There in Paul’s window is
Christ crucified; we see our need to receive the Holy One of God. This
is not Rabbinical teaching, Greek wisdom, a moral code, a doctrinal
system, a rite or a ceremony, but a PERSON, a Person we need, and His
Name is Jesus Christ.
Verse 3.
"I was with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling,"
"Weakness" is literally
‘asthenes" in the Greek, meaning "strengthless," referring to weakness in body. "Fear"
is the Greek word "phobos," defined as "so scared he was ready to run." Paul
had a history of apparent physical weakness and some have observed
"depression" in him, as in 1st Corinthians 4:7-12, Galatians 4:13, & 2
Corinthians 10:1,10, 12:7, 10, which perhaps was connected with his
"thorn in the flesh." Paul was actually a man of strength (we see that
in Acts before he turned to Christ – the man had great natural energy)
who gave up his own power that Christ’s strength might be seen in him.
Personal "weakness"
and "trembling" may actually be an
opportunity for spiritual strength. No matter how safe and strong
we may
think we are, we are really weak and vulnerable in relation to the world
of the supernatural. Whatever
physical strength and mental ability we may think we have, it can be
gone in a moment. Paul was a small man, he had become unhealthy,
he didn’t
say eloquent things like Apollos did, and he had some kind of disease. He
was perfect for the job, because he knew his need of God.
Verse 4.
"and my message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom,
but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power,"
"Spirit"
in the Greek is "pneuma," directly referring
to the wind, which was thought of in that culture as invisible but powerful.
The word "power" is the Greek "dunamos,"
which speaks of mighty works, especially miracles. Paul did not use
mental weapons, with which he was very well equipped. Instead he would only
use the weapon of the Cross.
Many have regretted what is considered weakness.
We could be stronger physically and we
see mental shortcomings in ourselves. If only we had tried harder in job or
marriage. But it is good to remember, as David taught (Psalm 139) "I am
(and you are, too) fearfully and wonderfully made." Just as
we are - we are fearfully and wonderfully created by God. The
limitations we have, tend to make us DEPEND on Him. A good example is
the aging process, which makes us weak. This and other limitations make
us seek HIS solutions and not our own.
We must look to the Spirit of
God, Who brings us to the Word of God - indeed it is a sharp 2-edged sword.
We are actually, in this process, opened up and then filled with the
Good things of God. In Him, we receive faith & repentance, obedience &
holiness. The Spirit operates in us like John the Baptist in relation
to Christ: He readies us to receive the Son of God, and Introduces us
to the One Who is to come into our hearts. We are to look to Him, rest
in Him, trust in Him, and rely on Him, LISTENING always to the good
things of God.
Verse 5.
"so that your faith would not rest on the wisdom of men, but on the
power of God."
Paul’s weakness was not
cowardice; quite the reverse. His fear was not insecurity about what
people thought, and fear of criticism did not cause his trembling.
Paul opened himself and let the Holy Spirit flow through him, not in
human
wisdom, but in the power of God. Paul had a message to deliver and he
would not obscure it with anything about himself.
King James II once sat for a
portrait in which the artist placed so many flowers on the canvas that
it distracted the viewer from the central subject – the King himself.
Paul’s leading was so profound that it subordinated, eliminated all
other things. Here was God, speaking to us through Paul, for all of
history. What will be said? What is the most important for you and me
to hear? --- We need Christ, Christ Crucified for our sins, Risen again
– We need to be saved by Him. THAT is the message of God we need to
hear.
Verse 6.
"Yet we do speak wisdom among those who are mature; a wisdom, however,
not of this age nor of the rulers of this age, who are passing away;"
"Wisdom" is not found among the
rulers of this world. It does not come from philosophers, scientists,
doctors, politicians, and not from conquerors. True wisdom never even
comes to the mind (verse 9) of those in this world, for it is alien to
them, and the rulers of this planet truly come to nothing. True wisdom is
of God, because it is FROM Him. Wisdom is ancient. We think
of the ancients as primitive, with nothing to say to us, but they were
closer to wisdom than we are, because wisdom is from eternity, from
God the Creator. Romans 8:7 is a reminder that the carnal mind is the enemy of God
– but we are at peace with Him, through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Verse 7.
"but we speak God's wisdom in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God
predestined before the ages to our glory;"
The primary meaning in the Greek
of "mystery" is "a truth once hidden or secret, now manifest or
revealed. A secondary meaning in the Greek is that which is beyond
comprehension, but that is not what is meant here. Christ (Colossians
2:2-3) is the "mystery" of God. He was hidden from the wise and prudent
(Matthew 11:25) but through the centuries revealed to "babes." Men like
David, who said "The Lord said unto my Lord" (Psalm 110:1) indicating he
had an understanding of the Presence of both the Father and the Son in
his life.
Paul spoke to a people of
"mystery" religions, which typically involved concentric circles of
information, where the people closest to the center were given the most
understanding of what the religion was all about. Actually such
religions of the world have no truth at the center; nothing to be
revealed when the veil is drawn aside. The mystery of God was revealed
when Christ appeared (a mystery "hidden" because people actually don't
want God). In telling a friend about the gospel of Jesus Christ, we
reveal everything the world needs to know, to find the satisfaction it
so desperately hungers for.
Jesus is the Truth you have
hungered for, all this time. Jesus reduced Himself to a place where He
depended solely on the Spirit of God to bring Him through. That is, He
lived by the Spirit and KNOWS what you are experiencing right now. That
same Spirit is offered to each one and He WILL bring us through.
Verse 8.
"the wisdom which none of the rulers of this age has understood; for if
they had understood it they would not have crucified the Lord of glory;"
The world made a terrific
mistake when we crucified Jesus Christ, for they accomplished NOTHING of
any consequence against Him. Pilate did not escape the Emperor’s
displeasure; the Jews did not save Jerusalem or the temple; The Scribes
and Pharisees did not put down the doctrine of Jesus; Satan did not
destroy our Lord; and the Romans did not prevent an uprising. This was
because the crucifixion was SUPPOSED to happen, and nothing could have
prevented it – Jesus died for the sins of the world.
Humanly speaking, Jesus COULD
have prevented the crucifixion (but would not). He might have remained
in Galilee or hidden in Bethany with Mary, Martha and Lazarus, but He
did not. He could easily have fled as the mob (with bright torches) was
coming to Gethsemane. Christ, after all, from a human perspective, was
a free agent in all of this. His death for you was a voluntary act. He
died for you because He personally loves you. Therefore, NOTHING could
have prevented His death on the Cross, because He died for YOU.
As this verse says, He is the
Lord of glory. He is from eternity (Micah 5:2). He merely emptied
himself (Philippians 2) of the appearance of glory for a time,
identifying Himself with humanity; with each one of us. He was seen in His glory by
Peter, James, John, and by over 500 people at one time. His glory is
seen in that He gave up everything He had in order to secure our
salvation, bringing many sons to glory when we just say "yes" to Him.
Verse 9.
"but just as it is written, ‘Things which eye has not seen and ear has
not heard, and which have not entered the heart of man, all that God has
prepared for those who love him."
These things were really NEW to
Paul’s audience. They shouldn’t be new to us, though – but they are to
most. Religion is not to be a ritual or ceremony, it’s to be LIFE with
Christ in God. It’s still a surprise to most that salvation came out of
a suffering and dying Savior. Glory blossomed out of shame, and that’s
what people don’t like – "Take up thy cross, deny thyself, and follow
Me" sounds shameful, but it is not; it is the way that God has provided
for you and for me.
It doesn’t enter the heart of
man that we must be CHANGED, and yet our struggle to do good
will not succeed unless we let Him do the job in us (and through us).
His gift includes the wonder that man can be the dwelling place of
God through the Spirit. We are His temple and for most, that
information has never even entered their minds! Yet all is revealed
in Christ Jesus, and all we have to do in order to understand, is to
read the next verse.
Verse 10.
"For to us God revealed them through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches
all things, even the depths of God."
The revelation of God is
inaccessible to our senses and we cannot even figure it out because it
is much higher than we are. We can hear the preacher but not know God;
we can see someone healed and deny its reality; we can feel the touch of
God and run away. But the true revelation is ALWAYS given by the Spirit of
God Himself, and these things are revealed to those who receive God
through Christ – Not to those great or wise, nor to the outwardly
righteous, but to those who WAIT on Him.
The Greek scholars and Romans politicians did not care that the
gospel healed a ruined conscience or changed an unworthy life; because
the gospel just did not agree with their ideas of philosophy. The
world lacks the aptitude to understand the Wisdom of the gospel in
Christ, but it is revealed to us who simply believe in the Lord and
receive the Spirit of God.
Verse 11.
"For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the spirit of the
man which is in him? Even so the thoughts of God no one knows except the
Spirit of God."
Our knowledge of ourselves is
imperfect but there are certain things about ourselves that only WE (and
God) can know. The Holy Spirit utterly knows God and
the things of God. Who else should we turn to in order to learn about
God, except God Himself. It has been said, "It is impossible to measure
the Arm of God with the finger of men" and that is true for us, except
He has revealed Himself in Christ Jesus.
The blind cannot long discuss
color with those who can see; the one who always lives in a coal mine
cannot understand the mountaintop – We must ask the One who has been
there. We can’t effectively ask each other, because we’re ALL blind,
and we’re all stuck in the coal mine. Jesus has given us the Spirit of
God, and He has been there to the mountain top – in Him we can see.
He IS the mountain top.
Verse 12.
"Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who
is from God, so that we may know the things freely given to us by God,"
We have been given, in the
person of the Holy Spirit, everything we ever need, and more, to know
the things freely given to us by God. Medicine is often wonderful and
there is, quite often, power to heal in the pills we must take. Prayer
is better than medicine (for the healing of medicine is temporary) -
prayer
heals the soul (and it is permanent in its healing effects). And
wonder of wonders, there is Power given to know the things of God, in
the Cross of Jesus Christ.
Verse 13.
"which things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in
those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual
words."
The Holy Spirit gives us more
than moral principles, more than doctrinal facts, and more than
spiritual experiences (though all of these can be wonderful) – He gives
us the Mind of Christ. In order to teach about that which is spiritual,
we must receive the Spirit - for how can we teach that which we
have not received? We must be willing and want GOD to be presented; not
ourselves.
The Holy Spirit teaches us to
understand and speak that which is spiritual. This is a whole new level
of existence; things higher than the thoughts of man, like the heavens
are higher than the earth (Isaiah 55).
Verse 14.
"But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for
they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they
are spiritually appraised."
The phrase "natural man" is from
the Greek "psychikos" or phychical = soulish in nature. This is the
person who lives life by human understanding. Though he is
unspiritual, he might talk much about spiritual things, and is often
quite religious. It has been said, "If God has no need of human
knowledge, He has still less need of human ignorance" and there is
plenty of that going around.
The Spirit of God longs to give
us the love of Christ, and without His love, mere information, no matter how
profound, is simply empty. Information can be wonderful, but sooner or
later, the natural man will use the wonder of atomic energy to blow up a
city. It is the Mind of Christ we truly need, for He will give us
His love.
Verse 15.
"But he who is spiritual appraises all things, yet he himself is
appraised by no one."
How can we, the Church,
"appraise" or "prove" all things? By His Word. By receiving His
Spirit. I remember when I read the Bible without understanding any of
it, and it meant nothing to me. Then I prayed, for the first time in my
life, and He opened that book. It became the key which opened the door
and let in the Spirit of God. Then I began to understand.
I can now judge, but I can no
longer effectively be judged by those who are not in Him.
Verse 16.
"For ‘who has known the mind of the lord, that he will instruct him?’
But we have the mind of Christ."
"Mind" in this context is the
heritage, the wisdom He has given to His people. Just like the human
baby, born into this world; you often see it (this wisdom) expressed in
infant form, but He does give those who have faith in Him the Mind of Christ. This Mind sees the
truth – Christ did not need to reason out the truth when He lived on
earth, for He was
personally acquainted with it. He IS "the
truth" (John 14:6). His Mind loves the good, and often we
don’t even know what good is. He always chose the right and was without sin,
whereas we vacillate and sometimes choose what is wrong. His Mind thought and
planned that He would suffer for all men, while we seldom consider the needs of
others, though maybe a few, sometimes.
We need this "Mind" and this is
acquired 1) through the written Word of God, wherein
His words, miracles, conduct, and sufferings are revealed to us;
and pondering them, we come close to His Heart, His Mind. 2)
Through His salvation, wrought in us when we receive Him in faith; He is
much more than a teacher, for He has become our Savior. 3)
Through obedience to Him, as we learn to do His Will and become a part
of Him - forever.
How can we PROVE we have the
Mind of Christ? - By understanding that which is spiritual; by loving
our God, loving other people, and by obedience to His will.
Ron Beckham, Pastor
Friday Study Ministries
www.FirstChurchOnTheNet.org
www.FridayStudy.org
Write to:
Ron@FridayStudy.org
"While
we were yet sinners, Christ died for us"
(Romans 5:8)
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