The Spirit and Wisdom. 2:6-2:16

Introduction

Good morning and welcome to worship with us today. We will be back in 1 Corinthians chapter 2 this morning if you’d like to turn there now.

Tension

What is wisdom? Are you wise? Do you know wise people? What makes them that way? We’ve all heard that someone is “well-read” or knowledgeable but what makes a person one who is claimed by wisdom? Today’s passage dives deep into this conversation and give us some food for thought. So, let’s get into it.

Truth

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.

Pray

Exposition

Its been a couple weeks with our celebration with Easter so I want to take moment to get us caught back up with the context of where we are in 1 Corinthians.

Chapter 1 Starts with Paul's greetings to the church and a rebuke about the divisions that are going on in the church there. The source of most of them is that people have latched onto Christian leaders such as Paul, Apollos, and Peter. And instead of being happy to grow and learn from each of these men who have been called to lead by God, they are creating camps. They believe their to be better than the rest and bring about infighting and disunity.

Paul tries to help them see that such worldly understanding is a broken image of what God wants from us. In chapter 2 Paul explains that because of their taste for philosophy and arguing and secret knowledge that they could lord over others, he came on his first trip, when he established the church, and decided to take a less than popular approach. Instead of giving the people the kind of debates and seminars with high academic language and persuasive arguments, Paul chose to preach the simple Gospel. Jesus is the Lord and he was crucified for your sins, repent and believe.

Our passage for today comes out of Paul’s response to the people that they need to stop seeking the wisdom and methods that men like and instead devote themselves to having eyes that see God’s methods.

Real Wisdom is found by those who will genuinely seek it in the Lord. vs 6-9

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.

Paul differentiates between those mature and those who are immature. He ties the immature man or woman to be those that tie themselves to the wisdom that men come up with.

I thought about this in the course of human history and how many times men have thought they’ve gotten it right.

For roughly 2000 years the bodies physical health was said to be regulated by balancing 4 fluids: blood, yellow bile, phlegm, and black bile. If you were in bad health you might need some more bile to even you out.

In the middle ages a man named Sir John Mandeville, around the 14th century, made famous the discovery that cotton imported from India actually came from a plant that literally grew lambs. The plants contained gourds that actually contained tiny lambs.

The first locomotives, introduced in the late 19th century, could boast speeds of upwards of 50 miles per hour and Doctors put out orders that such speeds were not fit for women to even partake in. Such speeds would be enough to cause a woman’s uterus to literally fly out of her body and even cause some peoples skin to melt off due to such ludicrous speeds.

And in 1999 I remember telling my grandpa, after he and grandma got in a fight that she was wrong and he just needed to explain to her that she was wrong so that she would understand and correct herself.

The prevailing knowledge of the day ebbs and flows with the popularity of the mobs. Paul staples wisdom directly to eternality.

My dad gave me a definition of Wisdom when I was a kid that hung on with me. “Wisdom is the correct application of knowledge.”

So Paul is looking at these people and seeing a problem. They have some knowledge but they are misapplying it. Its like worshiping the creation instead of the one with the power to create it. These people are obsessed with fancy words from fancy teachers not realizing they are only using those words to talk about a creator who outshines anything they could hope to say about him.

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”—

Paul camps here for a moment. As these church members have become obsessed with finding secret human understandings and interpretations of the Old Testament and their own versions of Jesus’ agendas they are missing one thing in all of their worldviews: the truth. They run off from it in the pursuit of greener pastures when it was always only available in Christ’s mission and in his sacrifice.

And, one of the major pieces of doctrine that you and I must bank in how we understand the work of God in our lives is this: The reason they couldn’t perceive the wisdom of what God was doing in front of them is because they did not have the Holy Spirit to guide and direct them.

The work of the Holy Spirit is essential for life in Holiness. 10-16

Baptists have, unfortunately, shied away from teaching and preaching on the work of the Holy Spirit. Some of this is likely due to many in charismatic circles teaching and preaching that the Holy Spirit gives them special insight and action that would border on the mystical. However, the Bible teaches us a great deal about the Spirit’s work in and among us. We can know what his goals are and to what end he accomplishes them. He is a friend that should be embraced not avoided. So let’s get to some of them as we flesh out a picture of who the Holy Spirit is and what he does in the life of the believer.

10 these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God.

The spirit gives us eyes that can see and understand God’s World through His Word. vs.10 Belief

Somewhere we were told that science and faith were enemies and somehow we believed it. Its simply not true. Science does its best to observe the world around us and then hazard guesses and ideas for explaining their observations. Its base knowledge and its goal is to ask questions and test answers. However, wisdom is the correct application of knowledge. Science can tell you that the human body is made of 18.5% carbon, 3.5% Nitrogen, 9.5% hydrogen, 65% oxygen, trace elements of sulfur, potassium, sodium, chlorine, and magnesium but it can’t fully recognize the beauty inherent within those elements when God breathes life into it and gives it personality, attitude, agency, and the ability to do complex thinking. It can tell us how fragile life is but it can’t create it. All it can hope to do is figure out what God created in the first place.

This is why most of founding fathers of scientific and mathematics thought drew closer to their belief in God the deeper they dove into studying his creation. Robert Boyle, Francis Bacon, Blaise Pascal, John Wilkins, Nicolas Steno, Issac Newton, and so many more looked deeply into creation and saw only a reflection of intelligent design that made them want to get to know the designer more.

Proverbs 9:10 (ESV)

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

The home for such knowledge is that it points us to a God who made it all possible. By his word and in his power the world holds its shape and moves and has being. Become a student of creation and allow its wonder and beauty direct you to God’s power. But notice here, that the Holy Spirit is who reveals such beauty and design to us. He searches and knows the mind of God and the depths of his power and wisdom. We could never know of see such things without a tutor and he provides for our curiosity, showing us where to go to find truth and knowledge.

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.

The Spirit helps us interpret God’s will. vs.11 Belief

What does God want from me? What does he want me to do? Where should I live? Who do I marry? Should I take the job? Sell the house? take the promotion? start the company? Talk to that guy? In my time in ministry such questions are the things that weigh heavy on so many people’s hearts. Often my answer is very unsatisfying even while it can be freeing. 95% of God’s will for your life can be found in his word. Yet, in our frustration and desire for good outcomes for ourselves and our loved ones, we only seem to focus on the remaining 5% of situations that we don’t have answers for. The answer is simple, fulfill God’s will in your life in general until he reveals the specific. Jobs come and go and often will take care of themselves. We know this but boy can it feel so unsatisfying when curiosity and anxiety plague our peace. In those times, we need to pray. But I mean pray, not as one demanding answers to our frustrations but as one who knows there is answers in time. One who realizes that God’s timing is perfect and his will, will ultimately be fulfilled. One who sees that my ultimate peace is found not in getting my answers or my way, but in living in his will, in his time, in his plan.

A friend and mentor of mine said it this way, “Juston your goal is to stop wanting anything. This job, this church, this thing, that opportunity. Stop. Just stop wanting them. Instead, pray over and over until it becomes the genuine cry of your heart. God give me a desire for nothing other than your will to be accomplished in me.”

Paul illustrates the impossibility of the task of knowing God’s will by comparing to the simple task of knowing the thoughts of even another person. How many men and women would pay good money for the ability to just know for a minute what was going through the mind of their spouse?

“Does he just not see the laundry or is he just trying to make me mad on purpose? What is she thinking when she takes my rivet gun and uses it as a hammer, especially when the hammer was right under the rivet gun?” Yet, we couldn’t even do that. How could we ever hope to know or understand the will of God? That is, with out help. The Spirit gives us that insight that we would otherwise not be capable of. He convicts us and moves our heart towards God’s will and gives us peace in the waiting. That is, if we will listen. If we will pray. If we will slow down and wait on him.

For many things, “Should i share the gospel with my coworker?” Go ye therefore, making disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the father, the son, and the spirit, teaching them to obey all that i have commanded, and lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the age. So, yeah, according to the word of God, yes you should. Many things can be interpreted and understood simply by reading and owning God’s word. For the rest, pray and wait. Rest in him and pray that your will and anxiety would fade as you seek only his pleasure.

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.

The Holy Spirit is given to us by God. vs.12 Belief

Jesus told us this himself. John 15:26-16:15

John 15:26–16:15 (ESV)

26 “But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me.

27 And you also will bear witness, because you have been with me from the beginning.

1 “I have said all these things to you to keep you from falling away.

2 They will put you out of the synagogues. Indeed, the hour is coming when whoever kills you will think he is offering service to God.

3 And they will do these things because they have not known the Father, nor me.

4 But I have said these things to you, that when their hour comes you may remember that I told them to you. “I did not say these things to you from the beginning, because I was with you.

5 But now I am going to him who sent me, and none of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’

6 But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart.

7 Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you.

8 And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment:

9 concerning sin, because they do not believe in me;

10 concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer;

11 concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.

12 “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.

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.

14 He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you.

15 All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.

In the beginning, God knew that Adam needed a helper. So he made Eve to accompany him and shore up the ways he was weakest. In the same way, the Holy Spirit has been sent to help us in our areas of greatest weakness. Namely, knowing and doing the will of God. Righteousness is not natural to us, sin is. So God sent one who could help us see, and guide us to honor him in our lives. This is for our good and we should embrace his word, even if it shows us as conviction and shame. As we do so, we will find peace in moving to God’s grace and mercy.

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.

The Spirit opens our hearts and minds to the truth regarding the Gospel. vs.13-16 Belief

In a world where we can often be guilty of thinking that we need the right words to say, or a better presentation, or a more apologetic mind, or a good debating skill to win people to Christ, we must come back to this essential doctrine about the Holy Spirit.

As we said a moment ago, Jesus referenced this himself.

8 And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment

The word for this is Regeneration. Regeneration is the act of God alone to bring about a man’s faith to believe upon the truths of Christ. Matthew Barrett, professor of Christian theology at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary denotes 3 things we should know regarding the work of the spirit in regeneration. (https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/essay/regeneration/)

Regeneration is the supernatural work of the Spirit. This is part and parcil of Jesus primary teaching while he sat with Nicodemus about being born again. John 3:5 “unless one is born of water and the spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.” This has echoes of Ezekiel in 36:27, “And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes.”

Regeneration is no the work of man but God alone. Ezekiel 36 uses the imagery of a “heart of stone” being replaced with a “heart of flesh”. This surgery is one that only the spirit of God can do. In fact, much like physical birth is not the work of the infant, who is passive in the process, but the mothers, for those who are spiritually not alive, but dead in sin, they must be spiritually birthed and brought to life. No metaphor is perfect to describe this other than to say we must hold that sinners are not just spiritually in need of assistance but spiritually dead. They can offer nothing to the equation to make themselves alive. They don’t just need some grace to believe, they are incapable of belief aside from the interaction of the spirit. Dr. Barrett puts it this way,

The unregenerate sinner is not merely injured and in need of assisting grace; no, he is spiritually lifeless. He is not a man on the verge of drowning in the ocean merely in need of Jesus to throw him a life preserver. Rather, he has drowned and lay dead at the bottom of the ocean. Needed, then, is a resurrection. This is the way Paul speaks to the Ephesians: “you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked … But God … made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved” (Eph. 2:1, 4–5).

Regeneration precedes faith. The work of the Holy Spirit is first. That bleeds all of the pressure off of you and I. He can take the most lacking speaker with the most simple presentation, in the most inopportune timing and cause a miracle to happen in someones life. When he steps in nothing else matters because eyes are opened for the first time, the heart of stone melts and flesh grows within. Sin isn’t ignored or endorsed because its stain is for the first time acknowledge and grieved within us. A new hunger than never grew before wells within us, unsatisfied by anything other than a thirst for the things of God. A hunger and thirst for righteousness.

1 Peter 1:3 (ESV)

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

Paul is spelling out to the Corinthians church that they are only able to discern the spiritual matters at all because God has saved them and opened their eyes. It is due to that regeneration that he can see the world as God does. He can see sin for what it is and righteousness for what it is. He’s been born anew and because of that he is under no judgement of men but only God can judge him. He’s redeemed, remade, renewed, and restored.

Landing.

So what do we take away from such teaching that we should apply in our lives, that is besides these doctrines of the Holy Spirit?

Wisdom, real wisdom, comes from God so make sure that is where you are looking for it.

There is nothing wrong is reading a learning many different disciples. Knowledge is great but make sure you that come back to the Word so that you know where to put that knowledge to work.

The MOST important thing you can do in gospel situations is pray for the Holy Spirit to do his work.

Prayer is not a consolation prize when we’ve done all we can do. Prep as much as possible then, when you’re at the end of what you can do, call on God. No friends, this is where we start. Pray before sharing the gospel. Pray for your lost friends and family. Pray that the Holy Spirit would make a way where there seems to be no way. Pray that he would give you words to say and wisdom in using those words. When he shows up in ways that defy your understanding then turn around and thank Him in prayer because he’s really good at his job. We need him. He’s our helper. We can’t do any of this without him.