Corinth was close to Athens, where the atmosphere was dominated by egotists who paraded themselves as philosophers. The attitude of Athens had penetrated the Church in Corinth.
Paul was a university man and outstanding scholar of his generation, but he despised show-offs who debated to impress others of their knowledge. True learning and true scholarship should make us humble and more broadminded.
1 When I came to you, I did not come with eloquence or human wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God (some manuscript translations say “proclaimed to you God’s mystery.”)
Paul is referring to his first visit to Corinth during his second missionary journey in AD 51 when he founded the church there as told about in Acts 18.
2 For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. 3 I came to you in weakness with great fear and trembling. 4 My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, 5 so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God’s power.
Paul was a brilliant scholar who could have overwhelmed them with his human knowledge and intellectual influences, but he chose to humble himself and speak to them simply about the gospel of Jesus Christ, allowing the Holy Spirit to guide his words. We should follow Paul’s example and keep our message simple and basic when telling others about Christ. When we try to analyze and show our knowledge of scripture by trying to explain it through scientific proof, we dilute the message. Allow the Holy Spirit to give power to your words by not complicating it with your vast human knowledge.
Paul is not denying the importance of studying the scripture in preparation for preaching and teaching. He was thoroughly educated in the scriptures. Effective preaching and teaching must be founded in knowledge of scripture combined with guidance of the Holy Spirit. However, Paul is warning about becoming puffed up in our own importance and showing off our knowledge. Keep the focus on Jesus, giving Him the glory.
6 We do, however, speak a message of wisdom among the mature, but not the wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. 7 No, we declare God’s wisdom, a mystery that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began.
God’s previously hidden wisdom and mystery has been revealed to us in the form of salvation through Jesus Christ. When Jesus rose from the dead, God’s plan became crystal clear. His resurrection proved He had the power over sin and death. Yet this plan remains a mystery to unbelievers because they simply refuse to accept it, choose to ignore it, or haven’t yet heard about it.
8 None of the rulers of this age understood it, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.
The rulers in Palestine—the high priest, King Herod, Pilate, the Pharisees, and the Sadducees—all rejected Jesus and put Him to death because they misunderstood Him. This rejection was predicted in Isaiah 53:3 and Zechariah 12:10-11. Paul continues by quoting scripture from Isaiah 64:4.
9 However, as it is written:
“What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard,
and what no human mind has conceived”—
the things God has prepared for those who love him—
It is beyond our comprehension to imagine what God has in store for us! “No human mind has conceived the things God has prepared for those who love Him!” Isaiah 65:17 and Revelation 21:1 tell us about a new heaven and new earth where we will live with Him forever. This gives us hope and courage to face the hardships of this life and to avoid being drawn into temptation. This world is not all there is—the best is yet to come!
10 these are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. 11 For who knows a person’s thoughts except their own spirit within them? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. 12 What we have received is not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us.
Believers can know the truth of God’s plan through the wisdom of the Holy Spirit. Be still and listen. The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God. No one knows what you are thinking except your own spirit. You alone know your deepest inner thoughts. It is the same with God. Only His Spirit can know what He is thinking. When Christ ascended into heaven, he left us the Holy Spirit to be our guide. If we will allow the Spirit to guide us, He will reveal to us what we need to know inasmuch as we can understand it. Our immature human minds cannot perceive all the truths of heaven, but we can rest assured through our faith we can know all we need to know to live this life on earth in our journey to heaven. The Holy Spirit is our GPS on our road to heaven. Listen to Him, and you won’t be lost.
13 This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual realities with Spirit-taught words
Paul explains he is not writing his own personal views or impression of what God had revealed to him. He gives credit to the Holy Spirit for revealing the thoughts and words of God to him.
14 The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit.
Those who reject the knowledge of Christ, no matter how much earthly knowledge or worldly wise they are, cannot begin to grasp the mysteries of God. The idea of the Holy Spirit living within Christians seems silly and ridiculous to non-believers. They are deaf to His voice. Their line of communication to God isn’t connected. They cannot hear, and therefore cannot understand His message.
15 The person with the Spirit makes judgments about all things, but such a person is not subject to merely human judgments, 16 for, “Who has known the mind of the Lord
so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ.
so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ.
Paul quotes Isaiah 40:13 in verse 16.
No one can understand all the things of God, but through the guidance of the Holy Spirit believers have some insight into God’s thoughts and plans as He chooses to reveal to us according to our ability to understand. Through our earthly experiences, our minds are able to grasp specific truths others may not be able to comprehend because they have not experienced anything to give them that insight. Everyone we meet and everything we experience, good and bad, opens our minds and level of understanding.
Through the Holy Spirit, we “have the mind of Christ.” We can talk with Him and expect his answers to our prayers. But in order to do so, we need to spend time in His presence and in His Word forming an intimate relationship with Him. When you pray, be still and listen—often.
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