Lesson 17 January 18, 2004

 Rabbit Trail 1 Cor 2:9-16   True wisdom!  Its source!

2:9  True wisdom cannot be discovered by human research, thru human systems of perception.

The emphasis here is not on the wonders of Heaven but on the wisdom God has prepared for believers.

 

With the eyes and ears we have external searching, observation.

 

With the heart, the intellect, the mind, he brings into focus the internal, subjective means of discovering God's wisdom, called rationalism.

 

***  With that in mind Paul sets us up for the next section which deals with just how God's wisdom is known and understood, the means = revelation and its linked to ministry of the Holy Spirit.

 

Where True Wisdom is Found - 2:10-13 

 

1.  Source of revelation - 2:10a

When considering the Bible as a source of revelation, it is important to note the order.

 

"To us, God has revealed..."

 

 

*** Revelation is man not knowing anything and God saying to man, here is the truth!

 

 

In revealing to us did God use an instrument or an agent to do so?

 

 

 

2.  Agent of revelation - 2:10b-12

 

"through the Spirit":   dia. tou/ pneu,matoj = agency = the Holy Spirit.

 

Then we see His qualifications given.

"for the Spirit searches all things"

 

 

He searches, investigates and fathoms, "all things even the depths of God".

 

 

Question: Is not the H-S God?   Is not God OmSc??

Then there is nothing about God, His essence, His character, His Plan that the H-S does not know!

 

 

2:11 Paul Illustrates

 

 

Point of Illustration:  If we cannot know the mind of another human being, how can we know the thoughts of God? His wisdom?

 

 

Then he makes an application: "Even so the thoughts of God no one knows except the Spirit of God."

What's the point??  Only God knows the mind of God, His thoughts, His plan.

The Holy Spirit is God  and therefore knows God's mind and is therefore qualified to be the agent of revelation.

 

 

If we are to know the mind of God, Revelation is an absolute necessity.

If God does not talk to man, we do not know!

 

 

Not only is the H-S the agent of revelation but He also illumines us to that revelation.

In 2:12 we begin to see the H-S's operational presence.

 

 

"Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God,"

 

What is He there for?? one of His functions is given here.

(i[na) "that we might know the things freely given to us by God."

 

Thus he introduces us to the BD of Illumination.

 

 

Def:  The work of H-S that causes us to understand the Word of God in terms of its implications and of obedience to it.

 

 

He makes the text real, its implications known and just where it all fits in God's plan so we see the necessity to apply the truths learned as appropriate and the need for submission and obedience to it.

 

 

 

Need to also note in vs:12 that illumination is so that we may know "the things freely given to us by God."

What is revealed under the BD of revelation.

What is inspired under the BD of inspiration.

What is then the content of the written Word.

 

*** Prin: God/H-S illumines the Believer to revelation not beyond  revelation.  [not beyond the purpose and intent of the revelation]

 

 

3.  Product of revelation - 2:13

"Which things we also speak"

 

Paul says that the revelation given by God is something that is spoken, words communicating truth.    

 

The words do two things to the revelation.

1. Confine it

2. Define it

 

First it confines;  note Paul says "we speak"

The confining element is "we" which refers to those that were used as instruments of revelation;

 

 

Second it defines revelation in the sense that the revelation of God is given to us in human language.  That is  in a form that we can understand.

 

 

Paul gives us three features of divine revelation.

1.  God's revelation is not in words chosen by men.

(neg) "not in words taught by human wisdom."

 

- It is NOT from the human systems of perception, empiricism or rationalism both influence and colored by the sin nature, both its strengths and weakness.

 

 

 

2.  God's revelation is in words chosen by God the Holy Spirit.

but in those taught by the Spirit"

1st its words spoken that are not taught by human systems of  perception  but (avlla,) by words taught by agency of the Holy Spirit.

 

 

 

What if the words of Scripture didn't match the thoughts of God?    

 

 

3. The words of Scripture are a perfect match for the truth that they convey.

"combining spiritual (thoughts) with spiritual (words)"

 

combining  =  sugkri,nw;  to combine;  to compare;  to join together in a perfect fit.

 

The spiritual truth taught by the Holy Spirit  =  pneumatiko,j     (spiritual things i.e. truth)  the truth that God chose to reveal is expressed perfectly in the words of the Bible.

 

 

              2:10                                                                        2:13

     -  H-S reveals                                                       -   H-S inspires

     -  deals with the giving of the truth                     -  deals with man recording the truth revealed                                                                          

     -  Truth from God's mind to                                -  Truth from Paul's mind  to his

         Paul's mind                                                        vocabulary to put into Scripture

                                                           

 

 

*** The fact that God chose to reveal truth and that He did so through words perfectly matched in the original provides the basis and conviction for expository preaching, which I believe is the only method that fully honors the inspiration of Scripture.

 

 

The last section is this argument for unity based on the nature of true wisdom deals with,  How does man respond to the revelation, God's truth. 2:14-3:4

 

 

2:14 The response of the Perishing

Paul gives the UB'r , the one perishing a new name   yuciko.j; the natural or soulish man

 

- this term always denotes the life of the natural world in contrast to the spiritual world. (natural vs supernatural)

 

It is also a word that indicates being devoid of the Holy Spirit   - Jude 19

 

It also refers to one who lives totally on the material level and therefore is untouched by the Spirit of God.

 

Being a psuchikos type leads to deficiencies:

1. "he does not accept the things of the Spirit of God"

 

 

His evaluation is that God's truth, His wisdom is foolishness.

 

2.  He is unable to know / understand a basic failure to understand the spiritual implications and impact of what is read or heard??

 

3. The reason for this inability = the absence of the Holy Spirit!

            "because they are spiritually appraised."