Sermon Tone Analysis

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Welcome

Introduction

Paul introduced this sermon series three weeks ago.

He gave us some geographical and historical information on Corinth that is helpful to understand the context of the book.

If you missed that sermon you should go to our website at crosswayofpembroke.org and scroll the homepage until you see a circle that says “CrossWay Sermons.”

Click on it and enjoy.

Paul also began to help us understand purpose of the apostle Paul’s letter to the Corinthian church.

In chapter 1, verses 10-13 we read...

1 Corinthians 1:10–13 ESV

There are divisions of allegiance among the church at Corinth.

Now although Paul goes out Apollos, Cephas (the apostle Peter), and Jesus.

It is unlikely that there was any disagreement between Apollos, Peter, and Paul.

And all three are recorded to have been faithful teachers of Jesus’ teachings.

So, then it is more likely that Paul was only using these three other gospel teachers as an example of how some Corinthian believers where aligning themselves with different teachers.

But his point is, DON’T DO THAT.

Let me say it this way.

The apostle Paul has no problem with Apollos or Peter’s ability to preach the gospel better than he can.

He does have a problem with anyone who says that they can preach a better gospel.

Beloved, there is one Lord with one gospel, but there can many preachers who preach the Lord’s gospel.

Two weeks ago, Dennis’ sermon began to dig away the root of these divisions.

The wisdom and power of God in Jesus’ gospel, that Paul and Apollos had taught the Corinthians, was now being regarded as folly when compared to the eloquent talkers of the day.

These talkers came presenting worldly ideas popular in their day that had distorted gospel of Christ.

Listen to this introductory note from the ESV study Bible.

(Corinth) was a place where many cultures and religions mingled.

Since it was a Roman colony, Roman law and customs were important, particularly among the upper classes, but “many ‘gods’ and many ‘lords’” found a home in Corinth (8:5).

The worship of these gods was fully integrated into governmental affairs, civic festivals, trade guilds, and social clubs, and everyday life in general.

Corinth was also a destination for traveling professional orators who charged a fee for attendance at their entertaining rhetorical displays and advised people on how to advance socially.[1]

So, you hear how this worldly wisdom was shaping the Corinthian society and now had crept into the Corinthian church.

The church had the pure gospel on one side and world philosophies on the other.

And as Dennis pointed out, the gospel cannot be mingled with human wisdom, “lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.”

Well our text picks up at verse 6 of chapter 2. But I want us to back up and begin our reading at verse 1 of chapter so that we feel the flow.

AFTER VERSE 5 IS READ, READ THIS.

At this point in the reading you might think that Paul has not use for wisdom in the proclamation of the gospel.

But notice now in verse 6 a change.

The word wisdom is mentioned twenty times in chapters 1 and 2. And in our passage for today it is the single focus of Paul.

To answer why that is and what Paul is driving at we are going to answer 4 questions.

1.

What is this Wisdom?

2. Who can receive this Wisdom and how?

3. Who can’t receive this Wisdom and why not?

4. What does it look like for one to possess this Wisdom?

What is this Wisdom?

According to verse 6 this wisdom is “not a wisdom of this age” nor does it originate with the rulers of this age.

The phrase, “this age,” means the time in history that Paul was writing, which was 1st century Roman Empire, but it is in the sense of a time in history understood according to its values, beliefs, and morals in distinction to God’s (or different from God’s).

So then “the rulers of this age” would have been the Roman rulers, philosophers, elites, the leaders among Jews, and in particularly in verse 8, the rulers who crucified the Lord of glory.

It would also include anyone in a position of influence and power who had adopted the leading anti-Christian philosophies of that time.

And so, in verse 13 Paul says, “we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom…” This wisdom does not come from men.

In the affirmative, in verse 7, Paul says that “we impart a secret and hidden wisdom of God.”

Other places in the N.T. were God is revealing something that was once hidden point to the death of Christ on the cross.

16 of the 27 verses that include this Greek word that is translated as hidden in verse 7 and mystery in other places, have our redemption by Christ at Calvary as the subject or object.

Listen a few of them.

Romans 16:25

1 Cor.

4:1

Eph.

1:9

Eph.

3:3-4

Eph.

6:19

But before we go to far, lets go back to

1 Cor.

1:21-25.

So, what is the hidden wisdom God, decreed before the ages for our glory?

It is everything God ever thought of in eternity past pertaining to the redeeming work of Christ, in his full and complete atonement for the sins of all who have been called by God and who love God.

It is every O.T. testament verse, word, or idea that illuminates our great redemption story.

My friends the wisdom of God is Christ and Him crucified.

Plain and simple it is the Gospel.

No wonder Paul breaks in praise and proclaims…

1 cor.

2.9

Man could never fathom this.

Who can receive this Wisdom and how?

To begin with, the mature can receive this wisdom.

In verse 6 of 1 Cor. 2 Paul says, “...yet among the mature we do impart wisdom.”

Up until this point Paul has been speaking from the perspective of how the ‘sign demanding’ Jews and the ‘wisdom seeking’ Greeks regard the gospel.

That is, as foolishness or folly.

But here Paul is saying that there is a group of people who receive the message of the cross as wisdom.

They are mature people in verse 6 and not infantile as in chapter 3 verse 1.

They love God, verse 9. Verse 13 and 15 indicate that they are spiritual people as testified by their ability to have spiritual truths concerning the gospel taught to them and they apply to their lives and live it.

In short, only those who are indwelt with the Holy Spirit receive the gospel message and believe it wholly.

But how?

Three times in this passage Paul uses the phrase, “…we impart,” indicating the passing own of something that was first received.

We know it was the gospel, the wisdom of God, but how was it imparted?

Look in verse 10,12 & 13

1 Cor.

2:10;12-13

For Paul, since the gospel has been revealed to him through the Spirit, and he has understood the gospel by the Spirit.

Then the teaching of these truths will be in the words of the Spirit and in the power of the Spirit.

Here I want to take moment and show you how awesome God is in way our bible is put together and interprets itself.

Turn to

Gen. 1:2

The Spirit of God or the breath of God (ruach Elohim), active in the creation.

Now turn to

2 Timothy 3:16

God-breathed.

That is, in this sense, all scripture produced by the Spirit of God; understood as the air that was physically expelled out of the lungs of God.

The Spirit of God active in inspiring the Holy Scriptures.

Now, quickly turn to Acts 18:4,11 and you will find there that Paul’s method of imparting the wisdom of God really was to teach the words taught by the Spirit.

So, who can receive this wisdom and how do they receive?

Those who are born again of the Spirit can hear the wisdom of God and be transformed into the image of Christ.

Who can’t receive this Wisdom and why not?

1.

The rulers of this age.

Why?

Because they were on the wrong side of the crucifixion.

In verse 8 Paul says that their treatment of the Lord of glory as a murder proved that they were blind and could not see truth right in front of them.

2. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of God.