1 Corinthians 2:1-16
“’No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him.’- but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit.” (vs. 9-10a)
The words are all too familiar. Stephen Hawking, an atheist, said in one of his books: “However, if we discover a complete theory, it should in time be understandable by everyone, not just by a few scientists. Then we shall all, philosophers, scientists and just ordinary people, be able to take part in the discussion of the question of why it is that we and the universe exist. If we find the answer to that, it would be the ultimate triumph of human reason -- for then we should know the mind of God.”
Who can claim that they know the mind of God? But isn’t that what we are doing today? We think we have God all figured out. When something goes wrong, we instantly assume that God is punishing us. When tragedy happens, we question God’s love. We think we can make decisions without God’s help. We wonder if there’s more than one way to get into heaven. We think we can proclaim Christ without help from God. We think we understand God’s grace, but yet we continue to live in sin. We think that teaching the gospel is only for older Christians. We think we know the mind of God. But in reality, we don’t. But Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 2 that God wants us to understand his mind. But he wants us to understand it in his ways, not in ours. So he sent his Holy Spirit to reveal it to us. Because the Holy Spirit has revealed the mind of God to us, we can understand the deep things of God, what God really desires us to know: We can proclaim Christ with holy reverence and fear. We can understand what God has freely given. And we can teach spiritual truths to others.
P – PROCLAIM (1-4)
Because the Holy Spirit has revealed the mind of God to us, we can proclaim Christ with holy reverence and fear. Paul says in verses 1-2, “When I came to you, brothers, I did not come with eloquence or superior wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.” When Paul came to Corinth to preach the gospel, he could have easily came with eloquence and superior wisdom. He was a very scholarly man. He could have conjured up a powerful message and preached all night long, convincing the Corinthians to follow and accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. But there’s a danger in doing this. We’re taking God’s glory away from him. One day before the presidential election, Barack Obama stood before the people of Manassas, Virginia. With the hopes of winning the state of Virginia, he said with much eloquence and persuasion, “Virginia, I have just one word for you, just one word. Tomorrow. Tomorrow. After decades of broken politics in Washington, 8 years of failed policies from George Bush, twenty-one months of campaigning, we are less then one day away from bringing about change in America.” This speech, along with many others, put Mr. Obama into the White House. Paul however did not use wise and persuasive words. The only thing that he resolved to know was Jesus Christ and him crucified (2). In fact, he did something very interesting. Verse 3 says, “I came to you in weakness and fear, and with much trembling.” Even though the Corinthians were idle worshippers of the sex goddess Aphrodite and did things that I can’t talk about, Paul didn’t come thinking that he was better than any of them. Rather he came in weakness and fear, and with much trembling. He knew, just like them, that he was under the same death sentence. But he also knew the power of the Holy Spirit. He knew that if the Corinthians accepted the blood of Christ, then the Holy Spirit would demonstrate the power of God (4).
When we approach someone and proclaim the gospel to them, do we feel we’re wiser and better than they? Do we judge them, look down upon them? The gospel of Jesus is something that has been revealed to us because of God, not because of what we’ve done. Therefore, when we proclaim the gospel, we should do so with holy reverence and fear, realizing that we too are under the same death sentence. When we do so, then the Hoy Spirit can demonstrate the power of God by healing them of their sins.
U - UNDERSTAND (5-12)
Because the Holy Spirit has revealed the mind of God to us, we can understand what God has freely given us. Verse 5 says, “so that your faith might not rest on men's wisdom, but on God's power.” Paul didn’t want the Corinthians’ new found faith to rest on men’s wisdom, but rather on the power of God. If you remember from the last chapter, the Corinthians were fighting over their pastors. They fought as to whose pastor was the best. Even though Paul didn’t want their faith to rest on men’s wisdom, there was one wisdom that he wanted their faith to rest on. Verse 6a says, “We do, however, speak a message of wisdom among the mature…” Paul said that this wisdom was meant only for the mature.
When the Corinthians read this, they probably felt really good about themselves. “That’s right. I’m mature. I can understand this.” But Paul wasn’t trying to make them feel good or marginalize them. Rather it was a rebuke. They weren’t living as mature Christians. Some of them were living as though they weren’t Christians at all. They were fighting, suing each other, living immorally, and one was even cheating on his wife. This isn’t how mature Christians are suppose to live. To help them, Paul turned their attention toward the wisdom of God. He said in verse 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.” The Corinthians were use to practical advice. “You’re depressed, go see a psychiatrist.” “You don’t feel good about yourself? Then read ‘The Power of Positive Thinking’.” “You’re upset with your wife? Well let’s get a beer and watch the Bears play the Dallas Cowboys.” But Paul did not give them worldly advice. Instead, Paul said that he wanted to speak to them about God’s secret wisdom. “…a wisdom that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began.” (7b) Surely this sparked their interest. A secret? Everyone loves to hear a secret. But a secret from God? This must be good.
What was this secret wisdom that Paul was talking about? What did he know that could help them overcome and solve all their sin problems? Verses 12 and 13a say, “We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us. This is what we speak.” The secret message of wisdom that Paul spoke about was the free gift that God has given to us. This free gift is the gift of Jesus Christ.
The Corinthians were probably flabbergasted when they heard this. “Free? Nothing is free in life.” Recently Oprah Winfrey gave her audience round trip tickets to visit a country. But the problem is, the country would have to pay for it. When Angie and I won a free cruise to the Bahamas, we learned that it really wasn’t free. Understanding God’s free gift to us is hard. How and why would God give us a free gift and expect nothing in return? In the game Monopoly, if you land on “Go to Jail” or draw a card that says “Go directly TO JAIL. DO NOT PASS GO. DO NOT COLLECT $200”, you have to go to jail. To get out of jail, you either have to roll doubles, or pay $50. Either you chance it, or pay a fee. Or, if you were lucky and drew a “GET OUT OF JAIL FREE” card before going to jail, you could use that card and get out of jail for free. In the same way, God has given us a “GET OUT OF JAIL FREE” card. We didn’t even have to draw it. It was freely given to us. Because of our sins, we are constantly landing on the “Go directly TO HELL” square. But despite our sins, God has provided us a free way out through his Son. We don’t have to do anything but accept it. But we must realize that though God’s gift of grace was free to us, it wasn’t free to him. God had to pay a very high price. He had to give up his kingdom and come in the form of a human being. He had to subject himself to mockery, betrayal, and to horrific punishment. God who is eternal had to die on the cross for mankind’s sin. God’s gift was free to us, but it wasn’t free to him at all. But he was willing pay it, so that we might be saved from our sins and receive everlasting life in the kingdom of God.
Understanding what God has freely given us is hard. Paul says in verse 8 that none of the rulers of his age understood God’s free gift. For if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. So how can we deeply understand what God has freely given us and why should we? Paul says in verse 9-10, “However, as it is written: ‘No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him— but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God.” God has revealed his free gift to us through his Spirit. The Spirit of God has revealed to us the deep things of God. When we truly understand what God has done for us through his Son Jesus, then we can begin to live as spiritual men and women of God. Every time we sin, we can ask, “What am I doing? Jesus was punished and killed because of this sin I’m committing.” And every time we do sin, we can realize that God should have destroyed me because of it. But instead, out of mercy and grace, he sent Jesus to die in my place. Do we abuse God’s free gift to us? Do we crucify Jesus? If so, let’s come to Jesus today and deeply repent of our sins. The reason is not just to repent. But it’s so that we may be refreshed, and be happy, and live as spiritual men and women of God.
T- TEACH (13-16)
Because the Holy Spirit has revealed the mind of God to us, we can teach spiritual truths to others. Verse 13 says, “This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words.” Teaching spiritual truths to others cannot be done by human wisdom. When I prepared for this passage, I couldn’t understand it. I think I emailed Ben Toh at least 6 times, changing my focus and point each time. I talked to my wife about it, to my friend David Weed, and even to my mom. They all gave me great advice, but I still couldn’t get it. By Friday morning, I was sweating, wondering if I could even write the first page. I thought I would have to come up here today and say, “Well, I don’t understand this passage. But I do know one thing, as Paul says in verse 2, “Jesus Christ and him crucified. Let’s pray.” I’m sure you would have loved me for this. But finally, after reciting the passage many times and praying, it was like a light bulb just suddenly turned on. I finally somewhat understood what the passage was saying. God wants us to understand his word. He wants us to be able to express spiritual truths in spiritual words.
Some may be asking, “But how do I teach spiritual truths to others? What do I say? What should I say?” And someone else maybe saying, “I just accepted Jesus 3 months ago.” Jesus said when we teach spiritual truths to others, we don’t have to worry about what to say. Jesus said to his disciples in Luke 12:12, “When you are brought before synagogues, rulers and authorities, do not worry about how you will defend yourselves or what you will say, for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what you should say." Paul also says in verse 13 that the Holy Spirit will teach us what to speak. God really wants his secret wisdom to be told. He wants all eyes to see, all ears to hear, all minds to conceive what he has prepared for those who love him (9). 2 Peter 3:9 says, “He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” This is what the Holy Spirit does. He reveals the deep things of God so that his message might be heard and understood.
Of course, there are some who won’t understand it. Verse 14 says, “The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.” But for those who do have the Spirit, he says that they have “…the mind of Christ.” (16) In other words, they are capable of knowing the things that they Holy Spirit reveals and thus are qualified to teach them to others. Anyone who has received Jesus Christ as his Lord Savior, whether it was just yesterday or 6 months ago, is capable of teaching spiritual truths to others.
My brother-in-law was a man filled with anger. He had many issues with his father. Instead of addressing them, he became angry and started drinking and taking drugs. He also turned his anger against his family. One day, they got into a huge fight and the police came and took him away. In fear that he would harm his wife, the police put a restraining order against him. After talking to my sister about the situation, I told her that what he needs is not someone condemning him for what he did, but someone who can humbly approach him. Not long after that, my other sister along with their pastor visited him in jail. A few days after later, he was released. But he had no place to go. So he was homeless.
During this time, the Holy Spirit was secretly working in his heart. He couldn’t forget what my sister and pastor said to him in jail. Finally, on one Sunday, he got up, went to a nearby church, walked up to the pulpit, interrupted the sermon, kneeled down, started crying, and said, “Jesus, please help me.” The pastor called his associate pastor up to the pulpit and both my brother-in-law and the pastor went to his office where for the first time, my brother-in-law heard and understood the free gift that God had given to him. The very next day, he started attending Bible study and hasn’t stopped. He said that the teachings that he hears in Bible study has opened his heart to many spiritual truths. As a result, he quit smoking, quit drinking, reunited with his wife and children, and forgave his father. This is a demonstration of the power of the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit wants to reveal the deep things of God. Through his revealing, we can proclaim Christ with holy reverence and fear. We can understand what God has freely given us. And we can teach spiritual truths to others. P.U.T. what the Holy Spirit has revealed to you so that the Spirit may demonstrate the power of God in your lives and in the lives of others.
