1 Cor. 2:6-9 - Not Nature’s Wisdom

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;
7 but we speak God’s wisdom in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God predestined before the ages to our glory;
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;
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." (See Note 1, below)

Worldly Wisdom Does Not Bring us to God

V. 6 - “Yet we do speak wisdom among those who are mature” - One of several common misconceptions about Christianity, our faith, is that it is ‘brainless belief”, or simply emotional responses. The opinion is that smart people, intelligent people, educated people would not be sucked into the Christian belief system. They have too much going on to “need to be saved”. The worldly wise seem to believe they have control over their lives and future. The poor and uneducated are drawn to the hope that Jesus gives because they don’t know better.

Paul is refuting that train of thought. He is not writing to the ignorant, but to those who have turned to the Lord, and received His wisdom. As you go through life and grow in knowledge and wisdom, the decisions you make based on that acquired information should tend to keep you out of trouble. You don’t run through a stop sign - not only because you know the law - because you have learned it can save your life. You don’t whack a bee’s nest with a stick - for good reason! You don’t draw against the Lone Ranger, you don’t spit into the wind... Paul is writing to “mature” people, people having wisdom with respect to God.

“A wisdom, however, not of this age” - The wisdom of which Paul speaks is not from the learned or powerful of this world. The college professors, political leaders, and religious leaders do not normally turn to faith in God and Jesus seeking solutions to the problems of this world. Many firmly believe they have the solutions. Unfortunately, many of these solutions lead to further decadence and destruction of human society.

V. 7 - “We speak God’s wisdom in a mystery” - I suspect that most of us think of ‘mysteries’ in terms of detective novels or TV shows. A crime has been committed. The detective needs to figure out “whodunnit”. Quite often, the reader or viewer, doesn’t know and is invited by the author to solve the mystery along with the hero of the story. How many times have you said, “Yeah. That’s who I thought did it” before the end of the book or episode. You caught the hints the author dropped along the way.

That is not exactly the concept of ‘mystery’ in the Bible. God has determined, from long ago, how the world would be saved. Sometimes it is a total shock to discover what He has done, how He did it. The ‘mystery’ is God knew all along what would be needed, but we didn’t. Sometimes God even told us that He would send a savior who would take away the sins of the world. The mystery comes about because we are surprised at what transpired. Yet, when we take time to study the Bible we can see that Jesus fulfills the mission to save us from our sin. The information was always there, but was a mystery to us because we did not believe God.

“To our glory” - God decided that we would receive Jesus’ glory when we believe in Him. We are not glorious on our own, by our own power or doing. We will be glorious because He is glorious, and we are His! This is God’s plan - His predestined outcome - and we benefit from it.

V. 8 - “The wisdom which none of the rulers of this age has understood” - Not only the ‘age’ in which Paul lived - the first century anno domini - but all ages. Read the Old Testament, especially the historical books. You just shake your head in wonder - God spoke to these people, and they said they would do all that He instructed. About 37 seconds later, they were openly disobeying and defying the Lord! Look at our age - do you see the leaders of this age understanding and obeying the Lord?

“For if they had understood it they would not have crucified the Lord of glory” - We know that not all of the leaders rejected the Lord. There were a couple of the Jewish leaders that believed. Pontius Pilate came close to understanding, “I have found no guilt in this man.” (Luke 23:14). However, he caved to the pressure of the Jewish leaders. The spiritual leaders, of all the people at that time - the Pharisees, the Sadducees, the High Priest - should have recognized the Messiah. They had been waiting for 1000 years. They had been studying the scriptures. They knew the Messiah was coming. They even asked, “Are you the one?”

V. 9 - “Just as it is written” - The following sentence is quoted (paraphrased, actually) from Isaiah. See the following: “For from days of old they have not heard or perceived by ear, Nor has the eye seen a God besides You, Who acts in behalf of the one who waits for Him.” (Isa. 64:4) "For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; And the former things will not be remembered or come to mind.” (Isa 65:17) “And it will be said in that day, ‘Behold, this is our God for whom we have waited that He might save us. This is the LORD for whom we have waited; Let us rejoice and be glad in His salvation.’" (Isa. 25:9)

Nothing you’ve heard, nothing you’ve read, nothing you’ve seen, nothing you can imagine matches what God has planned and done. Those who love the Lord will wait to see what He will do. What God has done is completely beyond imagination, even those who love Him and wait for Him! And I suspect that the things to come, the new Jerusalem, the new earth, are completely beyond all that I can dream of . See 1 Cor 2:9.

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Note 1: I think that verses 2:6-16 probably should be treated as one long paragraph, but that generates a very very long study section. So I divided it into three sections: verses 6-9, verses 10-13, and verses 14-16.

1 Cor 2:1-5 - Christ, Crucified

 Chap. 2 Outline 

• 2:1-5 - Christ crucified 
• 2:6-9 - Wisdom 
• 2:10-13 - Revealed 
• 2:14-16 - Natural Man

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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.
2 For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified.
3 I was with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling,
4 and my message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power,
5 so that your faith would not rest on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God.

Know Jesus Christ

V. 1 - “When I came to you” - Paul was in Corinth at least twice, in his second and third missionary journeys (about 51-52 A.D., and 55 A.D., respectively). He spent about 18 months in Corinth (Acts 18:11), left there to go to Ephesus where he lived for three (3) years.

“I did not come with superiority of speech or of wisdom” - It would have been relatively easy for Paul to debate - having been a student of a famous rabbi teacher, Gamaliel, a Pharisee. He spent years studying the Law, debating. I am pretty sure Paul could have out-argued anyone, anywhere.

V. 2 - “I determined to know... Jesus Christ” - After Paul’s encounter with  the Lord on the road to Damascus (Acts 9:1-10), he went to Arabia to be taught about and by Jesus. Paul says elsewhere that he was there about three years (See: Gal. 1:17). This portion of Paul’s life does not seem to be clearly defined, other than he spent some time in the Sinai of Arabia, came back and then went to Damascus for three years. There may have been about six years between Paul’s conversion on the road and when his missionary ministry got into full swing. After that, it was event filled! (See: Acts 13-28.) This is an amazing declaration! Paul the primo debater, skilled in arguing fine points of the Law, forgoes all that and focuses on one person: Jesus Christ.

“Him crucified” - Paul taught the message he himself was taught by God (“proclaiming the testimony of God.” - (1 Cor 2:1). God taught - from Abraham to Moses to Jesus - that sin could only be covered by the death of an innocent. From Moses’ time up until the coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ, sins were forgiven by a sin offering, burnt on the altar in the Tabernacle or temple. The sacrifice of the lamb or goat or bull was for sins committed.

Jesus is the perfect sacrifice, sinless. He died for our sin - not sins, the things we’ve done - but because of our sin nature, inherited from Adam and Eve.

V. 3 - “weakness... fear... trembling” - Paul was not over-confident. He was determined to rely on God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ to preach the gospel. Why would he fear? Paul did not fear the Lord, but may have feared failing to preach the message of salvation in Christ clearly. (See: 1 Cor. 3:13, 15:1; Acts 15:7; Rom. 1:16) I believe Paul feared failing to preach and teach adequately the salvation through Jesus Christ. He did not want to fail in his calling.

V. 4 - “my message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom” - Paul’s goal was to show who Jesus Christ is. Many people have no knowledge of Jesus Christ. Some only know him as swear-word phrase. Some have never even heard the words, “Jesus Christ”. He had no plans to debate the relative merits of one religion over another (which was part of his formal training). Jesus came to offer you a better life, a better hope, future and not calamity. I love the verse from Jeremiah, “ ‘For I know what I have planned for you,' says the LORD. 'I have plans to prosper you, not to harm you. I have plans to give you a future filled with hope.’ ” (Jer. 29:11) And Peter tells us to share the hope that is in us! (1 Pet. 3:15) “But sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence.”

”demonstration of the Spirit and of power” - The power of the Holy Spirit, working in lives is the best witness.

V. 5 - “your faith would not rest on the wisdom of men” - The wisdom of men has given us the Greek and Roman gods, the Hindu gods, the Buddha’s godless faith, social justice warriors, worship of nature but not nature’s God, political parties, feminism, and a worship of science.

“Power of God” - Salvation comes from God, not by man’s efforts or deep thoughts. We cannot work our way to God; we cannot generate the faith unless He calls us. God calls to our hearts and minds. We can respond in faith or not; we do not need to generate the faith, nor can we generate the faith - it is a gift from God. See the following:

“LORD, the God of our ancestors, are you not the God who is in heaven? You rule over all the kingdoms of the nations. Power and might are in your hand, and no one can withstand you.” (2 Chron. 20:6)

“To God belong wisdom and power; counsel and understanding are his.” (Job 12:13)

“One thing God has spoken, two things I have heard: “Power belongs to you, God.” (Psa. 62:11)

“You, God, are awesome in your sanctuary; the God of Israel gives power and strength to his people. Praise be to God!” (Psa. 68:35)

“You are the God who performs miracles; you display your power among the peoples.” (Psa. 77:14)

“Praise be to the name of God for ever and ever; wisdom and power are his.” (Dan. 2:20)

Jude, the brother of our Lord Jesus Christ catches all of that in this wonderful doxology, (one of the most beautiful verses in the Scripture):
"Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy, to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.” (Jude 24, 25)

1 Cor 1:26-31 - We Cannot Boast

26 Think about the circumstances of your call, brothers and sisters. Not many were wise by human standards, not many were powerful, not many were born to a privileged position.
27 But God chose what the world thinks foolish to shame the wise, and God chose what the world thinks weak to shame the strong.
28 God chose what is low and despised in the world, what is regarded as nothing, to set aside what is regarded as something,
29 so that no one can boast in his presence.
30 He is the reason you have a relationship with Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification and redemption,
31 so that, as it is written, "Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord."

No One Can Boast in Front of God

V. 26 - “Think about the circumstances of your call” - Look through the Gospels in the New Testament. Note how many times Jesus sought out the kings, governors, and religious leaders. Did He go to the Roman rulers? Did he make a plea to the king in Jerusalem? No. Jesus went to the working men and women. He talked to women! He talked to a Samaritan woman! She was truly the ‘underclass’, so despised by other Samaritans she was forced to get water from the well when no one else was there. Do you think fishermen like Peter, James and John were upperclass? He talked with lepers (maybe even lower than Samaritans). He talked with beggars, and the lame, and the sick. He came to seek and save the lost! (See: Luke 19:5-10)

The church of believers in Jesus Christ is aimed at all who would believe. The rich, the famous, the powerful often do not see the need for salvation. The offer is there just as for the poor, or just plain folks, but the rich, famous, and powerful cannot see their own need. They have the money they need to buy what they want; they are known by everyone, perhaps their fame counts with God; their power gets them what they want when they want it. Blinded by self-aggrandizement, their absolute failure to meet God’s standard blows by them like a 100 mph fastball. They are blinded by themselves, and cannot see their need.

Perhaps that is one of the weaknesses of the church in the United States. We are a rich nation, many of us do not know the need for salvation - we have it all!

V. 27-28 - “God chose...” - The way of God, the way of Jesus, forces you and me to recognize we are helpless in face of God’s glory and righteousness. We are as useful as dirty rags in cleansing ourselves to be presented to God. It must be done for us. It has been done for us. Praise God that Jesus died for my sin. That I cannot work for my salvation is ‘foolish’. What is it worth then, if I have not earned it? How can this faith be worth much if its leader/founder was executed as a criminal and could not save Himself from that humiliation?

Look at this list: God chose: foolish, weak, base, and despised things. The world looks at these things and judges them useless for salvation.

V. 29 - “so that no one can boast in his presence.” - This is the key, no one can say, “I did this!”

V. 30 - “He is the reason” - The NASB version translates it as “by His doing you are in Christ Jesus”. Everything that is needed by us, those who are saved, who would be saved, is completely supplied, provided, and empowered by our Lord Jesus Christ. We have been transferred from the “domain of darkness” (Col 1:12).

“Wisdom... righteousness... sanctification... redemption” - The wisdom of God has been fully covered in the previous verses. (See verses 26-29 above) The next three words, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption, all have distinctly religious implications. ( Not exclusively, of course, but primarily.)

Righteousness - Being set apart as holy and pure - having a pure heart, a pure life, living and doing what is right before God. It is part of God’s divine nature - his holiness, his absolute perfection. Christ also demonstrates this characteristic.

Sanctification - The dominant idea is separation from the secular and sinful, and setting apart for a sacred purpose. In the OT, things, places, times, people were sanctified, i.e., consecrated to holy purposes - usually only in a ceremonial and legal sense, to remind the Jews of the need for spiritual cleansing and the grace of God. In the NT, people are called to consecrate themselves to God, that is the inward cleansing work of God and Holy Spirit.

Redemption - The idea is to purchase an item or person. A slave could be redeemed by a family member - a purchase price was paid. A home or land could be redeemed - again purchase price is paid. God gave the Jews the formula for the redeeming price, based on Sabbath year, or Jubilee year. God has stepped into our lives to save us. Jesus paid the price for our salvation by dying on the cross. The price was deemed acceptable because God raised Him from the dead to live forever - which we get to share. The advantages of redemption by God is that it is freely offered to all; however it works only for those to choose to believe in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.

V. 31 - “Let the one who boasts...” - This is a quote from Jeremiah, “Thus says the LORD, ‘Let not a wise man boast of his wisdom, and let not the mighty man boast of his might, let not a rich man boast of his riches; but let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD who exercises lovingkindness, justice and righteousness on earth; for I delight in these things,’ declares the LORD.” (Jer. 9:23-24)

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End of Chapter