Mystery Revealed

People treat pastor’s differently. Once they find out that you are a pastor, they start using different words. They put out their cigarettes and pretend that they don’t get drunk every other evening.

They also have this idea that a pastor has a special connection with God. Even those who do not consider themselves religious will ask a pastor to pray for them.

Others will consider the pastor as the ultimate source of all things spiritual, because he is the one who has studied. He is the one who knows God.

Because of that, he alone can speak for God.

He alone can share the Gospel. He alone can counsel others in the ways of God.

And yes, I am here to share truth, to counsel those who need help, and to correct those who are sinning in belief or in action.

However, a pastor is not a super-Christian. I am a sinner just like everyone else, desperately in need of God’s grace. I do not have special access.

The truth is all those who are spiritually mature can know and reveal the things of God.

Paul opened his letter by reminding the Corinthians who they are:

1 Corinthians 1:2 NIV

To the church of God in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be his holy people, together with all those everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ—their Lord and ours:

They are saved by the blood of Jesus Christ, part of the family of God. Based upon who they are, they are to be unified, because their unity is based upon the truths of the Gospel alone.

He is reminding the Corinthians that the Gospel is based on the wisdom of God, not on any supposed human wisdom.

Let’s read the passage at hand:

1 Corinthians 2:6–16 NIV

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. No, we declare God’s wisdom, a mystery that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began. None of the rulers of this age understood it, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. 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— these are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. 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. 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. 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. 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. The person with the Spirit makes judgments about all things, but such a person is not subject to merely human judgments, for, “Who has known the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ.

Pray

We are going to spend two weeks on this passage. Over the course of these two weeks, we will see that the spiritually mature can know and reveal the things of God.

Today, we will discuss that the spiritually mature can know the things of God.

1A. The spiritually mature can know the things of God

I have to define two things.

First, I need to define “Spiritually Mature.”

The First Epistle to the Corinthians a. Exposition of the True Wisdom (2:6–9)

Those who are ready to receive σοφία are those who have attained the spiritually adult perception that wisdom is not a “human device and artifice”; it is “dangerous when preachers think they can use it as a substitute for Christ crucified.” Spiritual adulthood entails perceiving that wisdom comes from God as a gift in Christ (1:30) which enables the self to live responsibly and wisely for others and for the good of the whole community. This brings adult responsibilities.

Spiritual maturity means that one is following Christ, seeking his ways and reflecting his ways to the world around.

Spiritual maturity is the opposite of the Corinthians.

At the beginning of chapter 3, he bemoans the fact that they are spiritually immature:

1 Corinthians 3:1–3 NIV

Brothers and sisters, I could not address you as people who live by the Spirit but as people who are still worldly—mere infants in Christ. I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready. You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere humans?

They are not following Christ. They are not seeking his ways or reflecting his ways to the world around.

Part of spiritual maturity is understanding what wisdom is.

Wisdom is discussed a bunch in Scripture, but mostly in Proverbs.

Solomon associates wisdom with the Fear of the Lord

Proverbs 9:10 NIV

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.

For one to fear the Lord, one must respect God and live accordingly. Someone who says that they have an awe of God and yet lives completely against God, does not have an awe or a fear of the Lord. Action must follow knowledge.

Think about Job. He was described by God as someone who feared the Lord. Job lost everything and yet refused to speak disrespectfully about God. Even when his wife said: curse God and die; he didn’t.

So, let us parallel this with wisdom:

This is wisdom: Knowing something and living according to that knowledge. Specifically, knowing the ways of God and living accordingly.

Which is why the quote earlier said:

Spiritual adulthood entails perceiving that wisdom comes from God as a gift in Christ (1:30) which enables the self to live responsibly and wisely for others and for the good of the whole community. This brings adult responsibilities.

There are many people who know things, but they do not live accordingly. There are many people who know the Bible, but they do not live accordingly. These are not wise. They are just knowledgeable.

Most of the world is not wise. Why?

1B. God hid his wisdom

Because God hid his wisdom. The wisdom of God is found through the Salvation which Jesus Christ offers.

Paul says:

1 Corinthians 2:6–7 NIV

God hid his wisdom. Mankind could not know God by themselves. Paul wrote in Romans

Romans 16:25 NIV

Now to him who is able to establish you in accordance with my gospel, the message I proclaim about Jesus Christ, in keeping with the revelation of the mystery hidden for long ages past,

While God has revealed himself through creation, so that no one is without excuse. His plan of salvation, his process of bringing people to himself so that they might know him and act accordingly, was hidden since the beginning of time.

Therefore, since the beginning of time, true wisdom could not be found.

But, since the beginning of time, humanity has tried to worm their way to God.

Think about all the religions of the world. Each one has tried to bring human wisdom to bear on knowing God. Each religion has an aspect of Christianity, but ultimately, each religion brings spiritual death.

Remember, Paul has spent the last several paragraphs saying that human wisdom will not bring someone to God. In the wisdom of God, only God can bring someone to himself.

So, Paul begins a list of where true wisdom is not found.

He says that it is not found in the rulers of this age.

He of course is speaking of the political leaders of his time. But, the same is true of today. Wisdom is not found in the political leaders of our society. You say, “I know that. Never trust a politician.”

I can guarantee that everyone has someone that they look up to. Some Republicans look to Donald Trump. Others look back to Bush or Reagan. And these politicians can do no wrong. Democrats look to Obama, Kennedy, or FDR. However, they are all human and they all do not bring wisdom.

No one in government has ever provided wisdom on how to live life, on what laws should be made, on anything. Because no one in government is God.

Now, even though wisdom is not found in government and policies, God does bestow wisdom on governing officials so that they do not completely run a nation into extinction…most of the time.

Wisdom is not found in the rulers of this age.

He says that wisdom is not found in the wisdom of this age.

He is speaking of cultural understanding.

Every society and culture has a way of doing things. If you have traveled to Omaha, you will notice that those in Omaha live differently than we do. Often, they think differently. Those on the west coast or the east coast are definitely different than we are.

Travel to Mexico, Brazil, Germany, China, Russia, Korea, and you will notice that they live differently and think differently than we do.

Each culture has a list of what is appropriate and what is not appropriate. They have what is considered right and what is considered wrong. They have the phrase: “But we have always done this. You can’t do that!”

Ah, but culture does not contain the wisdom of God. The question is not, which culture is right, because every culture is wrong. They do not contain the wisdom of God. That is hard to swallow, because we do not want to admit that our culture here in Nebraska is wrong, ungodly even. But everything that comes from man is wrong. Everything that comes from God is right.

Wisdom is not found in the wisdom of this age.

Paul says that wisdom is not found in the non-Christians around us.

Paul writes later in our passage:

1 Corinthians 2:14 NIV

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.

This one is even harder for us to come to terms with.

We all have non-Christian family and friends. And they all have opinions. Many of these people we have a lot of respect for and when they say something, we want to listen. However, while they can tell us some great stuff and knowledge about life, they do not contain God’s wisdom. And often, because of this, they will ultimately lead us in the wrong direction.

Those who do not know Christ cannot lead us in the way of God. They cannot teach us to know the truth of God and how to live accordingly. Because wisdom only comes through salvation in Jesus Christ.

How do we know that wisdom cannot be found in our government, in our culture, or in our unsaved family and friends?

Well, there is the simple fact that Scripture tells us that fact. But there is also evidence. Unfortunately.

People’s actions show they don’t have God’s wisdom.

Paul writes about the rulers of his age:

1 Corinthians 2:8 NIV

None of the rulers of this age understood it, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.

The Pharisees and the teachers of the Law studied the Old Testament. They had all the prophecies. They knew where the Messiah would come and what the Messiah would do. Some turned to him in faith and were ostracized. The others stirred up the crowd to have Jesus killed. For all their study, they did not understand the wisdom of God. So, they acted according to their foolishness.

We could consider Pilate. He talked with Jesus. He believed that there was no fault in him. His wife had a dream that Jesus shouldn’t be killed. And yet, he still bowed to the crowd and his own depravity. And crucified the Lord of glory.

People’s actions show they don’t have God’s wisdom.

Jesus said it this way, speaking of false prophets, but the principle can be applied to everyone:

Matthew 7:15–20 NIV

“Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.

Not only do people’s actions show they don’t have God’s wisdom, but their destiny shows that.

Paul says something very sobering:

1 Corinthians 2:14 NIV

The person without the Spirit is the non-Christian. They have refused to accept the Gospel. They have refused to recognize common grace and the general revelation of God around them, not following him or surrendering their lives. Their destiny is destruction, an eternity in Hell. They cannot understand or relate the things of the Spirit because they don’t have the spirit.

One day, we will enter into eternity, leaving behind all these people that we turned to for wisdom, wondering at God’s grace that we are allowed in ourselves.

Why would we cause those around us to think that they are okay, because we are turning to them for wisdom on how to live, when they don’t have that wisdom? And their sense of being okay is going to land them in hell?

God has hidden his wisdom. It is only found through him. Nothing else.

2B. God revealed his wisdom

But, that is not the whole story.

By his grace, he has revealed his wisdom. Though humanity cannot give it, he has provided a way that the spiritually mature can know the things of God.

Paul mentions several ways that God reveals his wisdom.

Wisdom is revealed through the Holy Spirit

Paul writes in our passage, and I cannot cut this passage down:

1 Corinthians 2:9–13 NIV

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— these are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. 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. 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. 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.

So many people quote verse 9 in funerals or in sermons about eternity. And yes, it can be applied to what eternity will be like, streets of gold and such. But it means so much more.

It speaks of our salvation and sanctification. It speaks of the restored relationship that we have with the creator of the universe. It speaks of our ability, though a sinner, to come boldly before the throne of grace to find help and grace in our time of need. It speaks of strength and comfort, endurance and mercy, the ability to know and the ability to love.

It speaks of all the things that God has prepared for those who love him.

All those things are revealed to the people of God by the Spirit of God.

It’s like God has given us an instruction manual. I know I am getting into sacrilege, but have patience with me.

I’ve bought a lot of furniture in my lifetime that have to be put together. They always come with an instructions manual. Some manuals are more helpful than others. Some are just worth throwing into the trash. Others are great.

Without the manual, the furniture will not be put together correctly. You might debate me on that…but it is true. Without the manual, the furniture will not be put together correctly.

Who is the most qualified for creating a manual? The person who created the product.

God created us. God created the rules and morality of this life. He called us to come into the salvation which he created. Once we turned to him in faith, he gave us his spirit, that which knows him completely, because he is part of him. He is the instruction manual for knowing the wisdom of God.

Unfortunately,

The Bible Exposition Commentary Chapter Two: Be Wise about … the Christian Message (1 Corinthians 2)

The Corinthian Christians were so wrapped up in the miraculous gifts of the Spirit that they were neglecting the basic ministries of the Spirit. And in their emphasis on the Spirit, they were also neglecting the Father and the Son.

God gave us his Spirit that we might know him and in knowing him, we might act accordingly.

Wisdom is contained in the mind of Christ

Paul writes:

1 Corinthians 2:15–16 NIV

The person with the Spirit makes judgments about all things, but such a person is not subject to merely human judgments, for, “Who has known the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ.

When we are saved, God performs brain surgery on us. We are able to think differently, respond to situations differently.

Jesus said:

John 15:15 NIV

I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.

The Holy Spirit helps us know the things of God, convicts us to do the things of God, and empowers us to live the things of God.

The mind of Christ helps us process and live the things of God.

The Spirit provides motivation and will. The mind controls the actions.

Paul says it this way:

Philippians 2:1–5 NIV

He continues to describe who Jesus is in a beautiful poem. Then he says:

Philippians 2:12–13 NIV

Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.

God, through the new mind, or way of thinking, that has been given to us works in us to know him and to act accordingly. Wisdom.

The Bible Exposition Commentary (Chapter Two: Be Wise about … the Christian Message (1 Corinthians 2))

To “have the mind of Christ” means to look at life from the Saviour’s point of view, having His values and desires in mind. It means to think God’s thoughts and not think as the world thinks.

So, wisdom is revealed by the Spirit. Wisdom is contained in the mind of Christ.

Wisdom is received through the teaching of the mature

Consider Paul, at the start of this passage:

1 Corinthians 2:6 NIV

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.

Paul is speaking a message of wisdom to the Corinthians.

Remember the definition of spiritually mature?

Spiritual maturity means that one is following Christ, seeking his ways and reflecting his ways to the world around.

The Bible Exposition Commentary Chapter Two: Be Wise about … the Christian Message (1 Corinthians 2)

One of the marks of maturity is discernment—the ability to penetrate beneath the surface of life and see things as they really are. Unsaved people “walk by sight” and really see nothing. They are spiritually blind. The maturing Christian grows in his spiritual discernment and develops the ability (with the Spirit’s help) to understand more and more of the will and mind of God. The Corinthians lacked this discernment; they were spiritually ignorant.

The spiritually person is following the leading of the Holy Spirit and living according to the mind of Christ.

This person is able to turn around and teach the wisdom of God. This wisdom is not in addition to the Word of God nor is it a subtraction to the Word of God, but it is an application of the Word of God. God gave the church pastors and teachers Eph 4 12 “to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up”.

These are merely humans. Wisdom is not contained ultimately through them, but God has chosen to work through them to reveal himself to others.

But, that is why we should take care that every pastor of this church, every teacher in this church, shows himself to be someone who knows the ways of God and lives them. That they show wisdom.

Finally, wisdom is freely given as a gift

Paul says of the gift of the wisdom from the Spirit:

1 Corinthians 2:13 NIV

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.

The Spirit teaches godly wisdom. We know that anyone who has placed their faith in Jesus Christ has the spirit. They are able to know the things of God and live accordingly.

There are sometimes when we reach situations that we don’t know what wisdom is.

In those situations, we are able to ask God for wisdom.

James says:

James 1:5 NIV

If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.

James is specifically talking about wisdom in how to count trials as joy. But, the truth is true across the board. If we need wisdom in how to live godly in a specific situation, God will give us that wisdom, through the work of the Spirit, the mind of Christ, or the teaching of of the spiritually mature.

God reveals wisdom.

3B. Application

All those who are spiritually mature can know the wisdom of God.

So, what do we say? How do we apply all this?

Seek wisdom from God

We have such an amazing privilege to know what has been hidden since the beginning of time, to have the mind of Christ, the ministry of the Spirit, to know what God has in store for those who love him.

So why do we not pursue seeking wisdom from him? Why is that on the backburner?

Warren Weirsbe with Back to the Bible wrote this:

The Bible Exposition Commentary Chapter Two: Be Wise about … the Christian Message (1 Corinthians 2)

I suggest that you make time every day to read the Word and meditate on it. Follow a regular schedule in your reading and give yourself time to pray, think, and meditate. Let the Spirit of God search the Word and teach you. The study and application of basic Bible doctrine can transform your life.

We are to seek wisdom from God, daily. And remember, wisdom is knowledge put into practice. It is not knowledge to puff us up or to make us better than others. It is knowledge so that we can live more like Christ.

I appreciate what Doug Moo wrote:

The First Epistle to the Corinthians 3. God’s Wisdom—Revealed by the Spirit (2:6–16)

Paul’s concern needs to be resurrected throughout the church. The gift of the Spirit does not lead to special status among believers; rather, it leads to special status vis-à-vis the world. But it should do so always in terms of the centrality of the message of our crucified/risen Savior. The Spirit should identify God’s people in such a way that their values and worldview are radically different from the wisdom of this age. They do know what God is about in Christ; they do live out the life of the future in the present age that is passing away; they are marked by the cross forever. As such they are the people of the Spirit, who stand in bold contrast to those who are merely human and do not understand the scandal of the cross. Being spiritual does not lead to elitism; it leads to a deeper understanding of God’s profound mystery—redemption through a crucified Messiah.

We seek wisdom from God: Knowledge which brings about life-change.

How are we doing in seeking the wisdom of God? Is most of our time spent seeking the wisdom of the world or the entertainment of the world? Seek wisdom from god

Second, Glory in the wisdom from God

There is an awe which should come from spending time with God and learning from him.

If we lose that awe, we start lifting up various teachers, or heaven preserve us, our own teaching.

Perhaps we dive into hyper-intellectualism, where the academic study of Scripture replaces faith, and we forget that Christ is the glue in every department of life.

Or on the flip side, we jump into anti-intellectualism where people do not read Scripture according to a defined wisdom of God and “the church plays the role of the frightened, insecure institution and not that of the people who gather weekly to worship the God of all true wisdom.”

We should glory in the wisdom of God. Knowing that we can know God and his ways concretely. We can see his order, his logic. We can see his power as he works through us to change us. We can turn around and reflect that to those around us.

I look at that last sentence of Paul’s and I see the wonder in his eyes: 1 Corinthians 2:16 “But we have the mind of Christ.”

Seek the wisdom of God. Glory in the wisdom of God.

Finally, Live the wisdom from God

I’ve said it multiple times. Wisdom is knowledge in action. Godly wisdom is the knowledge of God lived out in our lives. If we have the Spirit of God, the mind of Christ, and the teaching of spiritually mature brothers and sisters, we should be living differently. If we are not, something is wrong.

Listent to Paul in Philippians 2 1-16

Philippians 2:1–16 NIV

Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose. Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.” Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky as you hold firmly to the word of life. And then I will be able to boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor in vain.

Can this be said of us? Can we shine among the non-Christians around us like stars in the sky? Can all those who have poured into this church boast that they did not run or labor in vain.

Are we living the wisdom from God?

All those who are spiritually mature can know the wisdom from God.

Next week, all those who are spiritually mature can reveal wisdom from God.

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