Lesson Two
God’s
Wisdom Revealed
Reflection
Begin your study by sharing thoughts on this question.
1. Think of someone who consistently gives you good advice. Specifically, how has that person's wise counsel helped you?
I recall my Dad engaging me regarding dress, appearance, and hygiene. While he values internal qualities and talks often about matters of character as well, he is still today a stickler for proper dress and appearance. These qualities he models himself on a daily basis, and he verbalized his perspective often to us as we were growing up. Dad conveyed to me the importance of being clean, neatly dressed, shoes shined, and hair properly groomed. He holds strong convictions relative to human dignity and self-respect. My father understood and still believes that people will make certain conclusions about an individual based on appearances and first impressions. Dad knew that representing ourselves well could open doors and opportunities personally and professionally. Certainly he wanted us to grow up to be people of dignity who conducted themselves in a manner worthy of respect. Though I have not abide by all of his counsel, I have reaped the benefits of projecting a respectable image and multiple opportunities have open up to me because I took his advice seriously. His practical guidance still serves me well personally and professionally today.
Today we plan to explore the guidance and wise counsel God gives his children through the ministry of the Holy Spirit. Yes, we’ll discover the instructional mastery of the Spirit of God who gave us God’s revelation in the Bible. Furthermore, he even interprets the Scriptures by illuminating the seeking mind as we believers rely upon Him for Godward insight.
Bible Reading
Read 1 Corinthians 2:1–16.
What had happened at Corinth is happening in churches today: supposed ‘Christian leaders,’ and ‘Bible teachers’ are mixing philosophy (man’s wisdom) with God’s revealed message, and this is causing serious confusion and considerable division. It appears in the form of Easy Believe-ism, Calvinism, neo-Marxism, Liberation Theology, Prosperity Gospel, and Social Gospel reinterpretations of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. God’s true message of redemption is being reframed, tweaked, re-scoped, politicized, and trifled with by misguided but highly influential human teachers and leaders. The current landscape is littered with a variety of preachers who have their unique “interpretations” to God’s message, and some have even invented their own distinctive vocabulary redefining Bible concepts to suit their ends! Yet other so called teachers view their primary obligations and highest goals as firmly rooted in humanistic ends. In stark contrast to this modern confusion, Paul explains three fundamentals of the Gospel message and urges his readers (and us) to return to these essentials.
I.
The Gospel is Proclaimed with Confidence in the Power of
God (1Cor.
2:1-5).
II.
The Gospel is a Mystery of the Unique Wisdom of God (1Cor. 2:6-9).
III.
The Gospel is Revealed by the Spirit through the Word of
God (1Cor.
2:10-16).
Discovery
Explore the Bible reading by discussing these questions.
2. What was Paul’s
approach to sharing the Gospel? (1
Cor. 2:1-2)
A. Paul had not come to Corinth to glorify himself or to start a religious “fan club.” He had come to glorify God (1Cor. 1:27-31). The itinerant philosophers and teachers depended on their wisdom and eloquence to gain followers…to themselves. The city of Corinth was filled with such “spellbinders.” Paul did not depend on eloquent speech or clever arguments; he simply declared God’s Word in the power of the Spirit. He was an ambassador, not a “Christian salesman.” (W. W. Wiersbe)
B. Had he used spectacular speech and philosophy, Paul would have exalted himself and hidden the very Christ he came to proclaim! God had sent him to preach the Gospel “not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of no effect” (1Cor 1:17).
C. A
certain church had a beautiful stained-glass window just behind the pulpit. It
depicted Jesus Christ on the cross. One Sunday there was a guest minister who
was much smaller than the regular pastor. A little girl listened to the guest
for a time, then turned to her mother and asked, “Where is the man who usually
stands there so we can’t see Jesus?”
Too many preachers of the Word so magnify themselves and their gifts that they fail to reveal the glory of Jesus Christ. Paul gloried in the cross of Christ (Gal 6:14) and made it the center of his message. (W.W. Wiersbe)
D.
Powerful Message, Powerless Messenger (1Cor 2:1-2).
1. As Paul described his founding visit among the Corinthians (Acts 18:1-18), he reminded them of his unimpressive personal performance. His words had been plain and his physical appearance less than forceful. He certainly remembered himself as a person driven by a message, facing an intimidating environment. He “kept it simple.” The Corinthians had responded. They were living examples of the power of the gospel.
2. While believers cannot rival Paul’s training or match his experiences, we must still communicate the gospel in a hostile world. When we try, we quickly learn about feeling insignificant. The resistance is real.
3.
But Paul’s example offers two valuable lessons as we share the gospel.
A. Feelings of self-confidence
or insecurity should not be the motivation to communicate the hope of God in
Christ. Gospel centered-confidence/conviction, personal gratitude, and
obedience to Christ as well as compassion for others must drive our witnessing.
B. The power of the gospel does not
depend on the skill or charisma of the speaker; it flows from God’s Spirit,
convincing and persuading people of the truth and their incredible need for
God’s forgiveness.
C. Share what you know about Christ with others and let the feelings take care of themselves. Always keep uppermost in mind the truth that the gospel is “the power of God unto salvation” (Rom. 1:16).
3. What was Paul’s attitude in sharing the Gospel? (1Cor. 2:3-4)
Then Paul reminded the Corinthians of his attitude (vv. 3-4).
A.
Though he was an apostle, Paul came to them as a humble servant.
He did not depend on himself, he became nothing that Christ might be everything. In later years, Paul brought this up again and contrasted himself to the false teachers that had invaded Corinth (2Cor 10:1-12). Paul had learned that when he was weak, then God made him strong.
B.
Paul depended on the power of the Holy Spirit.
It was not his experience or ability that gave his ministry its power, it was the work of the Spirit of God. His preaching/evangelism was a divine “demonstration,” not a mere human “performance.” The word “demonstration,” means “legal proof presented in court,” (W.W. Wiersbe) and is related to convincing, persuading and convicting by providing conclusive evidence. The Holy Spirit used Paul’s individual witnessing and public preaching of the gospel to change lives, and that was all the proof Paul needed that his message was from God. Likewise, our ministries must be a manifestation or showing forth of the invisible convicting-persuading and converting work of the Spirit. Wicked sinners are transformed by such demonstrations of the power of God! (1Cor 6:9-11)
C. It is also important to note that Paul is not telling ministers to deliberately preach poorly, or to avoid using the gifts God gave them. Education, skills development, and broadened experiences are all great means that God will and has used repeatedly to shape and refine his servants. Preachers like Charles Spurgeon, George Whitefield, G. Campbell Morgan, S. M. Lockridge, Adrian Rogers, Billy Graham and Tony Evans were or are gifted orators whose words carried power, but they did not depend on their natural talents. They employed every natural gift and faculty availing themselves to the Lord, but their confidence was not in these instruments, but God’s ability to save and transform lives. They trusted the Spirit of God to work in the hearts of their hearers, and He did. Those of us who minister the Word must prepare and use every gift God has given us; however, we must not put our confidence in ourselves (see 2Cor 3:5).
D. His preaching was not marked by eloquence or persuasive words such as characterized the sophists, the traveling teachers of that day, but was instead the unembellished message of a crucified Christ as the only means of salvation. Faith, then, was induced by a demonstration of the Spirit’s power and was not a product of human ingenuity or rhetorical flourish. Paul wanted to be sure their faith would not rest on men’s wisdom, but on God’s power. (Lowery, D.K., 1985, Walvoord & Zuck, The Bible Knowledge Commentary)
4. What was Paul’s goal in sharing the wisdom of God? (1Cor. 2:5)
A. He
wanted them to trust in God and not in the messenger God sent.
Had he depended on human wisdom and presented the plan of salvation as a philosophical system, then the Corinthians would have put their trust in an explanation. Because Paul declared the Word of God in the power of God, his converts put their faith in a demonstration: they experienced God at work in their own lives. (Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 1, p. 573). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)
B. Years ago, a wise Christian said, “When you are leading people to Christ, never tell them that they are saved because they have done this or that. It is the job of the Holy Spirit to witness to people that they are saved. Unless He is at work, there can be no salvation.” Wise counsel, indeed!
C. I can recall a young Air Force couple who attended a church I was a part of for a while; they both were unsaved and seeking—not at all antagonistic to the gospel. Many of us fellow church members prayed for them to come to know the Lord Jesus as Savior and then follow him. My wife and I were personally studying the Bible with them—a five part evangelistic study that should culminate in their conversion. The couple continued to come to church and listen to the Word as well…eventually the wife repented and trusted the Lord Jesus as Savior. In our Bible study sessions in their home, the husband struggled with religious confusion, some doctrinal poison, and multiple questions. I turned to a friend for advice on how to proceed to answer the young man’s concerns and finally introduce him to Christ also. Upon his own initiative, my Christian friend decided to force the issue and ‘win him to Christ, or else!’ During a separate evangelistic call, he spent several hours presenting argument after argument to persuade and win this young man… Afterward, he later informed me that the young man “prayed the sinner’s prayer.” But, I could not help but notice the young couple stopped attending our church after his visit with them! Why? My guess is…because he had been “talked into” something that did not seem right or real or he had succumbed to the pressure from this aggressive friend of mine, yet he knew he could not follow through. I followed up with the couple later to discover he was still as lost and now more confused than ever. Eventually, he did indeed trust Christ and, through the work of the Spirit, they both have God-given assurance of salvation. Up to that point, if anyone had asked him if he were saved, he would have replied, “I’m not sure…John (not real name) told me I was saved!” What a difference when the Spirit gives the assurance!
D. The Gospel is still God’s power to change people’s lives (Rom 1:16). Effectiveness in evangelism does not depend on our arguments or persuasive gimmicks, but on the power of the Spirit of God at work in our lives and through the Word that we share. While it is correct to prepare oneself to share our faith and it is proper to have a plan of actions when talking to others about Christ, nothing can substitute for the incredible work of the Spirit of God.
E.
Spiritual Lineage (1Cor 2:5).
1. The Corinthian believers admired impressive teachers. Some had come to faith through the ministry of Paul. Others learned of salvation through Peter. Still others had been called to discipleship by the charismatic Apollos.
2. But many of them were doing what Paul had tried to prevent when he first visited the city. He knew their faith must not “rest” on the all-too-weak vehicles that God had used to reach them but on God’s power. Believers honored those who have passed on to them the priceless Good News. New Christians, very much like newborns, rely heavily on those who have introduced them to Christ.
3. But healthy spiritual growth depends on a faith rooted in Christ. Mature believers eventually become spiritual peers of their teachers. We continue to respect and appreciate those who brought us to Christ, but we also find ways to help them. How have you met specific needs of those who brought you the gospel?
5. Why does God keep some things hidden from us? (1Cor. 2:6-9)
QUOTE: “In Paul’s disclaimer about his own brilliance he did not mean that God puts a premium on ignorance and rejects wisdom of any sort. There was a wisdom taught by the Spirit which Paul wanted his readers to grasp firmly. Some of his readers had done so (no doubt Paul hoped that someday all would do so). He referred to them as the mature, probably including the individuals mentioned in 16:15-18. They are the same people he described as spiritual people (2:13, 15).” — John Walvoord
A. The Gospel is Part of the Father’s
Eternal Plan (1 Cor. 2:6-9)
Salvation was purchased by the Son, but it was planned by the Father. Those who talk about “the simple Gospel” are both right and wrong. Yes, the message of the Gospel is simple enough for an illiterate pagan to understand, believe, and be saved. But it is also so profound that the most brilliant theologian cannot fathom its depths.
B.
Certain Teachings are for the Spiritually Mature (1Cor. 2:6).
There is a “wisdom of God” in the Gospel that challenges the keenest intellect.
1. By “wisdom” here, the apostle means that system of truth which he had explained and defended-the plan of salvation by the cross of Christ.
2. However, this wisdom is not for the masses of lost sinners, nor is it for the immature believers. It is for the mature believers who are growing in their understanding of the Word of God. (The word “Perfect” in 1 Cor 2:6 means “mature.” See 1 Cor 3:1-4.) Perhaps here Paul was answering those in the church who were promoting Apollos, who was an eloquent and profound preacher (Acts 18:24-28).
3.
This word “perfect” is applied to Christians, as it is in (Phil 3:15) and refers to
those who were advanced in Christian knowledge.
— who were qualified to
understand the subject
— who had made progress in the knowledge of the mysteries of the gospel
4. Distinguished not only from worldly men, but also from Christian babies (1John 2:12-14) who are still “carnal” (1Cor 3:1-2), and cannot therefore understand the deeper truths (1Cor 14:20; Heb 5:14).
5. “Perfect” does not mean they were SINLESS, but that they were qualified to understand the gospel in contrast to the unspiritual, the sensual, and the carnally minded, who rejected it as foolishness.
C. Let’s Notice the Characteristics of this Wisdom. (1Cor. 2:7-9)
1.
This “Wisdom” Comes from God,
Not Man (V. 7).
This wisdom tells the mature saint about the vast eternal plan that God has for His people and His creation. The wisest of the “princes of this world [age]” could not invent or discover this marvelous wisdom that Paul shared from God.
2.
This Wisdom Has Been Hidden (V. 7).
That is why it
is called a “mystery,” for in the New
Testament, a mystery is a “sacred secret”
a truth hidden in past ages but now revealed to the people of God.
— It was Paul whom God used in a special way to share the various “mysteries” that are related to the Gospel (see Eph 3); but note the repetition of the pronoun “we.” Paul did not leave out the other apostles.
— Paul understood that the Corinthians were fascinated with wisdom. But he pointed out that their attraction was for the current, popular, temporary “wisdom” rather than the timeless “wisdom of God”.
— The Corinthians mistakenly thought they could outgrow the simple message of Christ. Worldly wisdom, which only analyzes Jesus' life, halts at the cross. In that shortsighted view, the great teacher had come to a tragic end. But God’s wisdom makes Christ, the cross, and the Resurrection central.
— Beware of any teaching, no matter how fascinating, that seeks to add to or subtract from what Jesus accomplished. All that God has revealed still begins and ends with Christ.
3.
This Wisdom Involves God's Ordination (V. 7).
This means that God made the plan, set it in motion, and will see to it that it will succeed.
— The great plan of redemption was not a hasty afterthought on the part of God after He saw what man had done.
— Though all of this boggles our minds, we must accept the Bible truth of divine election and predestination.
— Even the death of Jesus Christ was ordained of God (Acts 2:22-23; 1 Peter 1:18-20), though men were held responsible for the wicked deed.
— One of the secrets of an effective prayer life is to lay hold of God's purposes by faith (Acts 4:23-31).
4.
This Wisdom Results in the Glory of God’s People (V. 7), “unto our glory.”
One of the greatest expositions of this “plan of the ages” is in Eph 1. Three times in that passage, Paul explains that all of this is done for God's glory (Eph 1:6, 12, 14). It is a staggering thought that we shall one day share in the very glory of God! (see John 17:22-24; Rom 8:28-30)
5.
This Wisdom Is Hidden from the Unsaved World (V. 8). (The leaders
and rulers of that age)
Who are “the princes of this world [age]” that Paul mentions?
A. Certainly the men who were in charge of government when Jesus was on earth - did not know who He was (Acts 3:17; 4:25-28). When Jesus on the cross prayed “Father, forgive them: for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34), He was echoing this truth. Their ignorance did not excuse their sin, of course, because every evidence had been given by the Lord and they should have believed.
B. But there is another possibility. Paul may have been referring to the spiritual and demonic rulers of this present age (Rom 8:38; Col 2:15; Eph 6:12). This would make more sense in 1 Cor 2:6, for certainly Pilate, Herod, and the other rulers were not recognized for any special wisdom. The wisdom of this age has its origin in the rulers of this age, of which Satan is the prince (John 12:31; 14:30; 16:11). Of course, the spiritual rulers would have to work in and through the human rulers. So perhaps we must not press the distinction (John 13:2, 27).
C. But if this interpretation is true, then it opens up a challenging area of consideration. The satanic forces, including Satan himself, did not understand God’s great eternal plan! They could understand from the Old Testament Scriptures that the Son of God would be born and die, but they could not grasp the full significance of the cross because these truths were hidden by God. In fact, it is now, through the churches, that these truths are being revealed to the principalities and powers (Eph 3:10).
D. Satan thought that Calvary was God’s great defeat but it turned out to be God’s greatest victory and Satan’s defeat! (Col 2:15). From the time of our Lord's birth into this world, Satan had tried to kill Him, because Satan did not fully understand the vast results of Christ's death and resurrection. Had the demonic rulers known, they would not have “engineered” the death of Christ. (Of course, all of this was part of God's eternal plan. It was God who was in control, not Satan.)
6. Finally, this Wisdom Applies to the Believer's Life Today (1Cor. 2:9).
A. This verse is often used at funerals and applied to heaven, but the basic application is to the Christian’s life today. The next verse makes it clear that God is revealing these things to us here and now.
B. This verse is a quotation (with adaptation) from Isa 64:4. The immediate context relates it to Israel in captivity, awaiting God’s deliverance. The nation had sinned and had been sent to Babylon for chastening. They cried out to God that He would come down to deliver them, and He did answer their prayer after seventy years of their exile. God had plans for His people and they did not have to be afraid (Jer 29:11). (Wiersbe, W. W.)
D.
Paul Applied this Principle to the Church.
Our future is
secure in Jesus Christ no matter what our circumstances may be. In fact, God’s
plans for His own are so wonderful that our minds cannot begin to conceive of
them or comprehend them! God has ordained this for our glory (1Cor. 2:7). It is glory
all the way from earth to heaven!
For those who love God, every day is a good day (Rom 8:28). It may not look like a good day, or feel like it, but when God is working His plan, we can be sure of the best. It is when we fail to trust Him or obey Him, when our love for Him grows cold, that life takes on a somber hue. If we walk in God's wisdom, we will enjoy His blessings.
Question 5. Scripture tells us often that we are not able to comprehend everything in reality as God knows it. Discuss the fact that there are some things we may consider “hidden” that are just not understandable to us now. Also point out that part of the necessity of faith is trusting God with those things that we do not, as of yet, understand.
6. In what ways can we know God’s thoughts and plans? (1Cor. 2:10-12)
QUOTE: “We have considered two fundamental truths of the Gospel: this message centers in the death of Christ and it is part of the Father's vast eternal plan. The believers at Corinth had forgotten the cost of their salvation; they had gotten their eyes off of the cross. They were also involved in minor matters - "baby toys" - because they had lost the wonder of the greatness of God's plan for them. They needed to return to the ministry of the Holy Spirit and this would be Paul's next point.” —Warren W. Wiersbe
A.
Through What the Spirit Reveals to Us. (Vs. 10)
1. What is “Revelation?”
A. “Revelation Is the Unveiling of Something Previously Hidden So That it May Be Seen for What it Is.” A term expressive of the fact that God has made known to men truths and realities that men could not discover for themselves. Deut. 29:29; 1Cor. 2:7-10
B. The word “revelation” simply means a revealing, and in theology is applied to God’s revealing of Himself to mankind. (Ephes. 3:2-6; Rev. 1:1; Luke 10:21-24)
Without revelation, we wouldn't know anything about God -or even that there is a God. Thus we accept the premise that God desires to make Himself known to man, and has in fact revealed Himself at various times and in different ways. Hebrews 1:1-2.
2. Why Is All Revelation Supernatural?
A. All revelation is supernatural in that it has
God for its source and truth as its end.
A supernatural God expressed Himself in supernatural ways and the effect
is that we now posses supernatural truth– the Bible.
— Deut. 29:29, The secret things belong unto the Lord our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law.
— The “secret things” here refer to the “words of this law” clearly referring to the Scriptures and God as the ‘Originator’ of revelation.
B. Divine Revelation/ Truth Can Only Be Obtain
From God. He is the Source.
There is no need
to look anywhere else to find or secure truth or divine revelation.
— 1Cor. 2:14-16, 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. [15] But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man. [16] For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.
— This automatically
eliminates the Human Mind, Reason,
Philosophy, Intuition, Speculations, Aristotle, Plato, and any other love
and pursuit of wisdom and knowledge
as equals with the Revelation of God-the Truth.
They may contain elements and fragments of the truth, but the Scriptures
correctly interpreted and applied is the truth we are to live by.
— Only the Apostles and Prophets knew the mind of God according to the revelation they received; we have it today in the written Word of God. God has revealed Himself to man and the Scriptures are the single authoritative disclosure of Him in this day and age. Again this excludes the sayings, interpretations, and explanations of mere people—no matter how well-meaning or how much we respect or revere them. If we really want to know God we must turn to the holy Scriptures. We have from the book of Genesis to the Revelation to know what God desires to disclose to us. No other writings or statements should be placed on the same level with the actual words of God.
3. In what 2 ways does God reveal
Himself to man?
An important distinction is commonly recognized between general and special revelation.
A. General Revelation is GOD
Communicating Himself through nature to every man.
By general revelation is meant that which is given to all men, in nature and history, and in the nature of man himself. The reality and validity of revelation in this sense is declared in Scripture verses such as Ps 19:1; Isa 40:26; Rom 1:19-20; Ex 9:16; Acts 14:15-17; Rom 2:14-15; Matt 6:22-34. General revelation is general both in its availability to all persons at all times and its less specific content.
B. Special Revelation is GOD
Communicating Himself to some men through the Scriptures.
Special Revelation is direct, divine intervention in the affairs of this world, and is God revealing Himself through special acts done by His Person–primarily the Word of God. (See Ps. 19:7-11 & Ps. 119; 2Tim. 3:15-17; 2Pet. 1:19-21)
B.
Through what the Spirit Searches out for Us (1Cor. 2:10-11).
— I cannot know what is going on within your personality, but your human spirit within you knows. Neither can I know “the deep things of God” unless somehow I can enter into God’s personality. I cannot do that - but by His Spirit, God has entered into my personality. Through the Holy Spirit, each believer becomes a sharer of the very life of God.
— The Holy Spirit knows “the deep things of God” and reveals them to us. First Corinthians 2:10, makes it clear that “the deep things of God” is another description of “the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him” (1Cor 2:9). God wants us to know today all the blessings of His grace that He has planned for us. It is also certain the Scriptures do not contradict the Holy Spirit, nor does the Spirit oppose the one book he authored.
— Paul challenged the Corinthians to consider the true source of their knowledge and experience of God. They were arguing over personalities and forgetting that God reveals himself to people by the Spirit. They needed a renewed perspective.
— The greatest teachers never tell more about God than they have received, nor do they stop being human themselves. They are part of God’s training program, but they cannot replace the Spirit of God. The daily personal disciplines of the Christian life -- prayer, study of the Scriptures, obedient actions -- all require time and attention. But their effectiveness depends on our reliance on God the Spirit. Ask the Holy Spirit to keep reminding you of his presence.
7. List some ways the Holy Spirit helps believers. (1Cor. 2:12-16)
We have seen the Spirt reveals the deep things of God, but there is more that he does in the life of believers. Paul pointed out three more important ministries of the Holy Spirit of God.
A. The Spirit Indwells Believers (V. 12). “Now we have received . . .the spirit which is of God”
1. The very moment you trusted Jesus Christ, the Spirit of God entered your body and made it His temple (1 Cor 6:19-20). He baptized you (identified you) into the local body of Christ–your local Church (1 Cor 12:13). He sealed you (Eph 1:13-14) and will remain with you (John 14:16). He is God’s gift to you.
2. The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of liberty (2 Cor 3:17). We have not received the “spirit of the world” because we have been called out of this world and no longer belong to it (John 17:14, 16). We are no longer under the authority of Satan and his world system.
3. Nor have we received a “spirit of bondage again to fear” (Rom 8:15). The Holy Spirit ministers to us and makes the Father real to us. This ties in with 2 Tim 1:7 - “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound [disciplined] mind.” We have a wealth of spiritual resources because the Spirit lives within us!
4. The “spirit of the world” again refers to the wisdom of Satan and his demons; his is the “wisdom of this world” (1 Cor. 1:20; 2:6; 3:19), manifested in human effort and philosophy. Therefore, believers do not depend on worldly wisdom because the Spirit we have received is not of this world. Instead, believers have received the Spirit who is from God (Gal 3:5). The Spirit came so that believers would understand what God has “freely given to us.” The understanding of the salvation that had been accomplished through Jesus’ death would come to the believers as the Holy Spirit revealed it to them. It becomes easier to understand why he indwells believers.
B.
The Spirit Teaches (V. 13).
Jesus promised that the Spirit would teach us (John 14:26) and guide us into truth (John 16:13).
1. But we must note carefully the sequence here: the Spirit taught Paul from the Word, and Paul then taught the believers. The truth of God is found in the Word of God. We always follow this pattern given to us by the Lord, and we make a priority of the Word from the Scriptures.
2. And it is very important to note that these spiritual truths are given in specific “words.” In the Bible, we have much more than inspired thoughts; we have inspired words. “For I have given unto them the words which Thou gavest” (John 17:8). By Verbal Inspiration we mean that the very words of Scripture are God's words. Inspiration goes beyond the concepts and message to actual words. This persuasion comes directly from the Lord Jesus.
Matthew 4:4, But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.
3.
This Truth of Verbal Inspiration Is Clearly Stated In The Bible.
1 Cor. 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 Holy Spirt labors to teach and indicate truth be using spiritual words and things in a comparative manner.
a. QUOTE: Albert Barnes said, “Paul is referring to the fact that the apostles were themselves under the direction of the Holy Spirit, in the words and doctrines which they imparted; and this passage is a full proof that they laid claim to divine inspiration. It is further observable that he says, that this was done in such "words" as the Holy Spirit taught, referring not to the doctrines or subjects merely, but to the manner of expressing them. It is evident here that he lays claim to an inspiration in regard to the words which he used, or to the manner of his stating the doctrines of revelation. Words are the signs of thoughts; and if God designed that his truth should be accurately expressed in human language, there must have been a supervision over the WORDS used, that such should be employed, and such only, as should accurately express the sense which he intended to convey.” ----- Albert Barnes
b. The Lord Jesus Certainly Believed in the
Literal Word’s of Scripture Being Inspired.
Matthew 24:35, Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.
Jesus even
literally believed in the Letters of the Bible’s Words being inspired and
preserved.
In fact, according to Matthew 5:18, Inspiration extends to even the letters (jot- "yodh") and the parts of letters (tittle). Luke 16:17.
Matthew 5:18, For
verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all
be fulfilled.
Luke 16:17, And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass, than one tittle of the law to fail.
According to J.B. Phillips whom we quoted earlier, Jesus would be one who holds and extreme view like us fundamentalist! Praise the Lord Jesus is a Fundamentalist in this regard! With the Holy Spirit he endeavors to teach emphasizing verbal inspiration. Obviously the Lord Jesus lays claim to the very words of scripture being His inspired words!
c. The OT Taught Verbal Inspiration of the
Prophets and Their Writings.
Jeremiah 1:9, Then the Lord put forth his hand, and touched my mouth. And the Lord said unto me, Behold, I have put my words in thy mouth.
d. Many Scriptures Show the Emphasis God
Places upon Words:
Exodus 24:4, And Moses wrote all the words of the Lord,
and rose up early in the morning, and builded an altar under the hill, and twelve
pillars, according to the twelve tribes of Israel.
Deut. 6:6, And these words, which I command thee this
day, shall be in thine heart:
2 Samuel 23:2, The Spirit of
the Lord spake by me, and his word
was in my tongue.
Ezekiel 3:10, Moreover he said unto me, Son of man, all my words that I shall speak unto thee receive in thine heart, and hear with thine ears. (Also see 2 Peter 3:2; Rev. 1:3)
Fundamentally the Spirit seeks to teach us spirit dominated truths by means of comparison (2Cor. 10:12)—“to compound” or “to interpret.” Perhaps referring to what the Spirit did in verse 1Cor.2:13. (See also Neh. 13:15-31; Rom. 5:14-21; Gal. 4:22-31). Clearly spiritual truth is conveyed in words and language that is given by the Holy Spirit.
4. The successful Christian learns the vocabulary of the Spirit and makes use of it.
ILLUSTRATION: “Each
of our four children has a different vocation. We have a pastor, a nurse, an
electronics designer, and a secretary in a commercial real estate firm. Each of
the children had to learn a specialized vocabulary in order to succeed. The
only one I really understand is the pastor.
He knows the meaning of justification, sanctification, adoption, propitiation, election, inspiration, and so forth. In understanding God's vocabulary, we come to understand God's Word and God's will for our lives. If the engineering student can grasp the technical terms of chemistry, physics, or electronics, why should it be difficult for Christians, taught by the Spirit, to grasp the vocabulary of Christian truth? ”—Wiersbe
Still I’ve heard of church members saying, “Don't preach doctrine. Just give us heartwarming sermons that will encourage us!” Sermons based on what? If they are not based on doctrine—biblical teachings, they will accomplish nothing! “But doctrine is so dull!” people complain. Not if it is presented the way the Bible presents it. Doctrine can be absolutely exciting! Typically, you will need to work a bit in the Word, but it is certain this will yield incredible dividends in a multiplicity of ways. You can study chapters of the Bible with the goal of identifying the imbedded teachings or doctrines throughout. What a thrill to be a Bible student with the Spirit teaching us “the deep things of God” (1Cor. 2:10).
5.
How does the Spirit teach the believer?
He compares “spiritual things with spiritual.” He reminds us of what He has taught us (John 14:26), relates that truth to something new, and then leads us into new truth and new applications of old truth. What a joy it is to sit before the pages of the Bible and let the Spirit reveal God's truth. The trouble is, many Christians are too busy for this kind of quiet meditation. What enrichment they are missing!
6.
The Holy Spirit is like a householder who “bringeth forth out of his treasure
things new and old” (Matt 13:52). The new always comes out of the old and helps us better
understand the old. God gives us new insights into old truths as we compare one
part of Scripture with another. Jesus based His teaching on the Old Testament,
yet people were amazed at what He taught because it was so fresh and exciting.
I suggest that you make time every day to read the Word and meditate on it. Follow a regular schedule in your reading and give yourself time to pray, think, and meditate. Often the Spirt of God will use comparison to teach us and take us deeper into what God gives us. Let the Spirit of God search the Word and teach you—become a student. The study and application of basic biblical teaching/doctrine can transform your life.
C. The Spirit Matures the Believer (1 Cor. 2:14-16).
1. The contrast here is between the saved person (called “spiritual” because he is indwelt by the Spirit) and the unsaved person (called “natural” because he does not have the Spirit within). In 1 Cor 3:1-4, Paul will introduce a third kind of person, the “carnal man.” He is the immature believer, the one who lives on a childhood level because he has not learned the importance of feeding on the written Word and growing in the Lord.
2. At one time, every Christian was “natural,” having only the things of nature. When we trusted the Savior, the Spirit came in and we moved into the plane of “spiritual”— able to live in the realm of the Spirit. Then we had to grow! The unsaved man cannot receive the things of the Spirit because he does not believe in them and cannot understand them. But as the Christian day by day receives the things of the Spirit he grows and matures.
3. One of the marks of maturity is discernment, “spiritual discerned,” (1Cor. 2:14b) – an understanding of the deep things of God. Such a mature believer possesses the Lord’s own understanding of things because his faith is fixed in God’s revelation of Himself—the Bible. They are able to make judicial examinations and scrutinize matters as Lord will if he were here today. The have the ability to penetrate beneath the surface of life and see things as they really are. Unsaved people “walk by sight” and really see nothing. They are spiritually blind. They cannot decipher or sift through all the facts completely. The maturing Christian grows in his spiritual discernment and develops the ability (with the Spirit's help) to understand more and more of the will and mind of God. The Corinthians lacked this discernment; they were spiritually ignorant.
4. Everyone wants to be wise. Yet Paul taught the Corinthians that true wisdom or discernment requires the believer to be guided by the Holy Spirit. Because Satan's greatest impact on us occurs when he deceives us, we need the Holy Spirit's help.
A. QUOTE: “Spiritual discernment enables us to draw conclusions based on God's perspective, make wise decisions in difficult circumstances, recognize the activities of God's Spirit, distinguish the correct and incorrect use of Scripture, and identify and expose false teachers. Ask God to give you his discernment as you serve him. Let that discernment guide you in your daily walk.” —Wiersbe
B. QUOTE: “The unspiritual are out of court as religious critics; they are deaf men judging music.”-- Charles Finney
Question 7. For more on the Holy Spirit see John 14:26; 15:26; 16:13–15; 1 John 2:27.
8. Why is a person without the Spirit unable to understand spiritual truths? (1Cor. 2:14-15)
A.
The unsaved person does not understand the Christian; they live in two
different worlds.
But the Christian understands the unsaved person. First Corinthians 2:15 does not suggest that unsaved people cannot point out flaws in the believer's life (they often do), but that the unsaved man really cannot penetrate into the full understanding of what the Christian’s life is all about. Because the mature believer’s faith is secure in God’s Word, he can judge both heavenly and earthly things. He can determine what is of the gospel and what is not…he has the ability to sift a message with errors or discern what is or what isn’t the truth of God.
B. The Corinthian Christians were so wrapped up in the miraculous gifts of the Spirit that they were neglecting the basic ministries of the Spirit. And in their emphasis on the Spirit, they were also neglecting the Father and the Son. Blessed are the balanced! And blessed are they who understand and share “all the counsel of God” (Acts 20:27).
C.
Because non-Christians cannot understand God, they cannot grasp the
concept that God's Spirit lives in believers. Don't expect most people to
understand or approve of your decision to follow Christ. It all seems so silly
to them. Just as a tone-deaf person cannot appreciate fine music fully, the
person who rejects God cannot understand God's beautiful message. With the
lines of communication broken, he or she won't be able to hear what God is
saying to him or her.
We must not remain silent, using others' difficulty in understanding as an excuse. We are still one of God's communication channels. We must be alert to opportunities. Another person's question may be evidence that God's Spirit is drawing him or her to the point of decision. How would you respond today if someone asked you about your faith?
Question 8. Compare a tone-deaf person's appreciation for music and an unsaved person's understanding of the truths of God.
9. Explain what it means to “have the mind of Christ.” (1Cor. 2:16)
To “have the mind of Christ” does not mean we are infallible and start playing God in the lives of other people. Nobody instructs God! (Paul quoted Isa 40:13. Also see Rom 11:33-36.) To “have the mind of Christ” means to look at life from the Savior’s point of view, having His values and desires in mind. It is thinking God’s thoughts or persuasions and not thinking as the world thinks.
We can never fully know everything God is thinking (Romans 11:34), but because we have the Holy Spirit, we can develop a relationship with God. And, as with any relationship, when you spend time with someone, you begin to understand his thoughts, opinions, judgments, plans, and ways. After years of marriage couples begin to finish each other's sentences and know to some degree each other’s thoughts. It is the same with God. As you spend time with Christ in his word and prayer and your relationship develops, you begin to gain the mind of Christ.
Inspiration
Here is an uplifting thought.
Men are always
seeking for greater wisdom, but they usually bypass the Ultimate Source of
wisdom. The Scriptures clearly point this direction. They reveal, “The fear of the
Lord is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.” (Proverbs 9:10). But what has
man done with this tremendous resource at his fingertips? Ignored it! “Because that,
when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but
became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. [22]
Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,” (Romans 1:21, 22).
Since God's wisdom resides in His Word, it is imperative to know what He has revealed, but even many Christians ignore a regular time of reading and studying the Scriptures. Therefore, many of their decisions are foolish, because they've not consulted the Ultimate Source of wisdom. — (From Finding Time by Rick Yohn)
Response
Use these questions to share more deeply with each other.
10. In what
different ways do we try to gain wisdom?
Question 10. What are the many ways in our world
that we gain wisdom? Discuss the different kinds of schooling. Discuss the
difference between head knowledge and common sense. You may even ask if anyone
has known an “absent-minded professor type” who had plenty of book knowledge,
but not common sense.
11. What happens
when we rely on human wisdom, instead of God’s wisdom?
12. When has the
Holy Spirit helped you understand or apply God’s Word?
Prayer
Father, your plans for us are perfect. Yet we often doubt your promises, assuming we can take better care of ourselves than our Creator. Forgive us for ignoring the truth in your Word. Tune our ears to your Spirit’s voice, and teach us to follow your ways. May our lives testify to your great wisdom and power.
Journaling
Take a few
moments to record your personal insights from this lesson.
How can I weed
out the “thorns” that hinder my spiritual growth?
Additional
Questions
13. What practical
steps can we take to reduce the risk of making foolish decisions?
14. What sometimes
keeps you from seeking God’s help?
15. In what ways can
you depend more on God’s Spirit to help you make wise decisions?
For more Bible
passages on God's wisdom, see Psalm 111:10; Proverbs 2:6; Isaiah 11:2; Jeremiah
10:12; Ephesians 1:16,17; Colossians 2:3; 2 Timothy 3:15; James 1:5. To complete the book of 1 Corinthians during
this twelve-part study, read 1 Corinthians 2:1–3:8.
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