The Spirit of God Imparts the Wisdom of God
1 Corinthians 2:10-16
Truth Taught- The key to understanding divine wisdom is the Holy Spirit
The Corinthians had been focusing way too much on human wisdom and on those who spoke, namely the preachers and teachers within the Church. In doing this they were losing the importance and centrality of the Gospel message.
Paul reminded them that the effectiveness of the Gospel message does not come about by the personality of the preacher but through the power of the Holy Spirit imparting true wisdom and insight from God.
Paul is out to convince the Corinthians who had been caught up in human wisdom through man’s philosophy to not trade the Gospel for human wisdom.
The challenge is much the same for us, isn’t it? We must never trade the Gospel message for human ingenuity or programs but keep Christ and the cross central.
Please Stand
1 Corinthians 2:6–16 (ESV)
6 Yet among the mature we do impart wisdom, although it is not a wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are doomed to pass away. 7 But we impart a secret and hidden wisdom of God, which God decreed before the ages for our glory. 8 None of the rulers of this age understood this, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. 9 But, as it is written,
“What no eye has seen, nor ear heard,
nor the heart of man imagined,
what God has prepared for those who love him”—
10 these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. 11 For who knows a person’s thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. 12 Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God. 13 And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual.
14 The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. 15 The spiritual person judges all things, but is himself to be judged by no one. 16 “For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ.
1. The Spirit of God Reveals the Wisdom of God (2:10-12)
10 these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. 11 For who knows a person’s thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. 12 Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God.
Verse ten is clear, the key to understanding the wisdom of God is the Spirit of God.
Paul reasons with these Corinthians as a philosopher might. Because they valued it so much, he uses their reasoning to show them the dynamic of understanding true wisdom.
There was a major philosophical doctrine during the time of Jesus and Paul which is known by the concept, Like is known by Like. According to their reasoning, In order to understand a certain concept, one had to have traits of the teacher. The closer to the teacher one is in character the better he can comprehend the philosophical concept the teacher is presenting.
The concept of “like is known by like” was a major philosophical doctrine at least as early as the 5th century B.C.E. Pythagoras taught that the extent or depth of our knowledge of the divine depends on us being like the divine, or assimilating to the divine. The idea was that to the degree that we have knowledge of the divine, we must have changed our own character from human to divine.
The doctrine of “like is known by like” was quite influential on later philosophical and religious schools of thought, especially Neoplatonism.
By using their well-known argument, Paul proves to them and to us that lost and sinful man cannot understand God on his own. In order to understand God, one must be God. So, Paul’s logic goes that the only one we currently have access to who understands God is the Holy Spirit because He too is God, the third Person of the Trinity.
Humans on their own do not possess the qualities needed that would make it possible to know God and understand Him. Because like is known by like, only God can know God. Therefore, the Spirit of God becomes the divine link between God and humanity. The Spirit is the quality from God Himself that makes knowing God possible.
The key is that the Holy Spirit is God and He knows all things even the things of God. He alone has the ability to search the depths of God because He is God.
When we are born again, we are given the Holy Spirit and He brings us Spiritual Life. We begin to know and understand God.
Think of it like this…I may be thinking about something but unless I want to make my thoughts known by using words, my thoughts will never be known by anyone except me. So, only God knows His thoughts and what He is about. God’s Spirit, who knows God’s mind becomes the link to us being able to grasp and understand God’s Words and God’s thoughts.
This does not come about by human wisdom but only by the Spirit of God.
12 Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God.
Because Like is known by Like and we must possess a link to the divine if we are ever going to know God and understand Him we are given the Holy Spirit.
The free gift of the Holy Spirit is vital for the believer in many ways…
The Spirit of God confirms our saving relationship with God
Romans 8:16 (ESV)
16 The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,
Ephesians 1:13–14 (ESV)
13 In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.
1 John 4:13 (ESV)
13 By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit.
The Spirit of God helps us pray in God’s will
Romans 8:26–27 (ESV)
26 Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. 27 And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.
The Spirit helps us know God and understand His Word
John 16:13 (ESV)
13 When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.
2 Timothy 3:16–17 (ESV)
16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.
2 Peter 1:21 (ESV)
21 For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.
2. The Gospel Message Comes from God (2:13)
13 And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual.
I pray now, we see how the Holy Spirit works in this capacity and why being indwelt with the Spirit at salvation is key to our understanding, growth and maturity in Christ.
Paul returns back to his preaching and explains that his preaching was not human wisdom but here, tells us he was imparting not human wisdom but God’s wisdom to those who have now been equipped to receive it.
interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual.
Beloved this is what preaching is in all its foolishness and weakness, as we learned last time. We saw that preaching is the normal means in which the Gospel is imparted to the Church. Unless God works then the preacher is simply talking.
3. The Natural Man Does Not Accept Spiritual Truth (2:14)
14 The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.
So, this brings us to the end of Paul’s argument. We’ll see it in the last two points.
He states that the natural man does not…literally, cannot or will not accept the things of the Spirit. The natural person, the person God has not imparted His Spirit to will not accept the things of God. They are unable to because they don’t have the capacity to. It’s not that lost people are not intelligent or in some way skilled, but they do not possess the Holy Spirit and it is only through the Spirit of God that people can know the wisdom of God.
As Paul tells us that Spiritual things are spiritually discerned and if one does not possess the Spirit he cannot discern spiritual things.
Spiritual things are folly to the natural man. Things like the Gospel, Words of the cross, repentance, being born again, preaching, Christian commitment and the list goes on.
There is a great gulf fixed between the lost and God’s people and only God can bridge that gap. Only The concept of like is known by like can bridge the gap. The lost world does not possess any faculties to understand the things of God.
Beloved, that’s why we pray. God would You in Your great mercy save my children? Save my wife or husband…unless God moves and imparts the Spirit to someone they will never come to faith.
So, we are absolutely dependent of God to impart spiritual things to us and to give us the ability to understand them because they are Spiritually discerned. The natural man only has the wisdom of this age or the Sophia…human wisdom.
In verse 14 we see Paul’s two reasons the natural man does not accept the things of God…
A. They are foolishness to him
B. They do not have the capacity to understand because the things of God are spiritually discerned.
4. The Spiritual Man Accepts Spiritual Truth (2:15-16)
15 The spiritual person judges all things, but is himself to be judged by no one. 16 “For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ.
like is known by like…
The person who has been given the Holy Spirit can make accurate judgements, to use Paul’s language here, concerning Spiritual things.
This person can discern God’s ways. We understand that does not mean the person with the Spirit can understand everything about God but can discern all that God reveals. Things like sin, salvation in Christ, repentance etc.
Paul has already told us that these things were formerly hidden and secret but now through the Spirit, they have been revealed to God’s spiritual people.
Beloved, all true Christians possess the Holy Spirit and through the Spirit are enabled to understand spiritual things. The world, on the other hand cannot.
John 3:1–15 (ESV)
3 Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. 2 This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.” 3 Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” 4 Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” 5 Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ 8 The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
9 Nicodemus said to him, “How can these things be?” 10 Jesus answered him, “Are you the teacher of Israel and yet you do not understand these things? 11 Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know, and bear witness to what we have seen, but you do not receive our testimony. 12 If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you heavenly things? 13 No one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. 14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.
At this point in the life of Nicodemus he did not have the capacity to discern Spiritual things because he did not possess the Spirit.
Later on toward the end of John’s Gospel, Nicodemus had a change of heart. He began to understand spiritual things. He had a solid belief and a solid faith. His faith was shown as he was not afraid to be associated with Jesus any longer…
John 19:39–42 (ESV)
39 Nicodemus also, who earlier had come to Jesus by night, came bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds in weight. 40 So they took the body of Jesus and bound it in linen cloths with the spices, as is the burial custom of the Jews. 41 Now in the place where he was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been laid. 42 So because of the Jewish day of Preparation, since the tomb was close at hand, they laid Jesus there.
Conclusion
God shows us His wonderful works of grace through the Spirit who imparts to us the capacity to see them. The Spirit gives us the mind of Christ. Through God’s work, we begin to see things differently. Our worldview radically shifts. The things we see as important change. We can actually know God and love Him as His people. Through the Spirit we begin to also love not only God but His Word as well. Things in the Bible begin to make sense. Is this describing you?
Do you love God through Christ and do you see things differently than you once did? Has there been a change in who you are and how you process things? Do you find God’s Word exciting as you actually understand it. Are you trusting God in various areas of your life?
Are you growing as a Christian?
All these things are Spiritual things and to understand them you must have the Holy Spirit. Praise be to God who saves us and imparts the Spirit to each of us who are His.
If this does not describe you, go to God and ask Him to forgive your sin and trust Christ as your Lord and Savior today…
Benediction
Praise be to God
Who has revealed to us through His Spirit Spiritual truths.
Praise God for imparting to us the Spirit who leads us into all truth, who opens the way for salvation and shows us Jesus Christ.
Praise God that we are not given human wisdom but the holy Spirit.
To you
who have received the Spirit and have the mind of Christ and believe and have been born from above trust completely with full assurance that you have been sealed with the promised Holy Spirit until you acquire full possession of your salvation.
AMEN
Resources Used:
1 Corinthians by Theselton from the NIGNT
1 Corinthians by Steven T. Um
https://www.answers.com/Q/What_does_%27like_knows_like%27_mean
1 Corinthians by Gordon Fee
Leave a Reply