Sermon Tone Analysis

Mature wisdom is revealed wisdom.

Paul accused the Corinthians of being immature and still incapable of understanding the deeper spiritual truths.

Their party spirit was itself evidence of their immaturity and lack of God’s Spirit.

What a put-down of the arrogant Corinthians who were claiming to have been perfected in the Spirit!

Great verse that outlines Paul’s maturity in the Spirit:

Start with

What type of maturity do you think Paul is speaking of in verse 6?

Paul had spiritual maturity in mind.

The contrast is between Christian wisdom and the wisdom of the world.

Christian wisdom is the gospel, while the so-called wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age is the worldviews, sophistry, and belief systems which fail to recognize the gospel.

So what do we know about the Corinthian church?

Worldly

In many ways the Corinthian church models our modern day here in the U.S.

This verse reinforces the idea of 1 Corinthians 1:24–25 that God’s wisdom far surpasses the world’s wisdom.

The metaphor of maturity points out that the world’s wisdom is so defective that it is similar to the simplistic thoughts of children (cf.

13:11).

By this argument, Paul let the Corinthian church know that their pursuit of human wisdom made them look like immature children who did not recognize what truth and wisdom were.

By their boasting and dividing according to the folly of the world, they lived and thought like immature children.

Paul let the Corinthian church know that their pursuit of human wisdom made them look like immature children who did not recognize what truth and wisdom were.

By their boasting and dividing according to the folly of the world, they lived and thought like immature children.

The Greek word used here, teleios, refers to those who understand and conform to the message of Jesus Christ.

Paul also may be applying the term ironically to the Corinthian believers, who considered themselves to be highly spiritual when in fact they were immature in the faith (compare 3:1–2).

Verse 7: Why do you God keeps some knowledge hidden from us?

The particular age that Paul refers to is the time between Christ’s ascension and His return—the time that people are living in now (compare 2 Cor 4:4; Gal 1:4).

Paul understands Jesus’ work to have changed the very nature of creation and thus time itself.

For him, time is about what will happen between now and when Christ returns (which he considers the end of time as we know it).

The Greek word used here, archōn, can refer either to humans or to divine beings.

This term may refer to the Jewish and Roman officials who were involved in the crucifixion of Christ.

It also could refer to evil spiritual entities (compare John 12:31; 14:30).

Paul emphasizes that everything that these leaders have and do is temporal, whereas Christ is eternal.

The wisdom of Christ’s crucifixion was first revealed when Jesus ministered on the earth, but it had been hidden in the secret counsels of God before time began.

Within the context of 1 Corinthians, Paul intends for this statement to address the Corinthians’ tendency to favor people who have special speaking abilities.

Paul emphasizes that an ability does not make someone what they are; instead, everything should focus on Christ—the only one worth favoring.

The Corinthians would have regarded this as dichotomous and countercultural (see note 1 Cor 1:22, and see note on 1:27).

2:7.

Paul first described the wisdom of the gospel as God’s secret wisdom … that has been hidden.

The wisdom of Christ’s crucifixion was first revealed when Jesus ministered on the earth, but it had been hidden in the secret counsels of God before time began.

This eternal wisdom was also destined for our glory, unlike the wisdom of this age which is earthly, temporal, and brings destruction.

The wisdom of the gospel is divine, eternal; and it brings the glory of eternal life to those who believe.

The Corinthians needed to repent of their human wisdom and to return to the pure gospel.

They could only receive glory through Christ.

2:7 Meaning, it is not plain to the person looking for understanding of the world, themselves, and others.

Rather, it can be understood only through revelation from God’s Spirit.

2:8.

To contrast earthly and divine wisdom even further, Paul noted that none of the powerful of the world (the rulers of this age), such as Pilate and Herod (Acts 4:27–28), understood God’s true wisdom.

On the surface it may have seemed that earth’s leaders had discovered the wisdom of God.

They were successful in earthly terms.

Yet, their wisdom led them to crucify the Lord of glory.

Their antagonism toward Christ made it clear that they had no wisdom at all.

By pointing out this folly, the apostle showed that the pretense of human wisdom has no place in the Christian community.

Paul dealt the Corinthians’ pride a severe blow by telling them that their pursuit of human wisdom placed them in the same company as the people who crucified the Lord they claimed to worship.

Further, by mentioning that Christ is the Lord of glory, who possesses glory himself and is able to give it to those who believe in him, Paul made sure the Corinthians realized that the glory they sought could never come through association with particular church leaders.

The Corinthians needed to repent of their human wisdom and to return to the pure gospel.

They could only receive glory through Christ.

Who do you believe to be the rulers of the present age in verse 8?

2:8 this age.

Jewish people contrasted this ruined age with the eternal age to come.

This age’s rulers had human power that would pass away (1:27–28); God’s wisdom in the cross is eternal (1:18–25).

Lord of glory.

Jewish sources normally reserved this title for God; “Lord of glory” can also be translated idiomatically as “glorious Lord.”

Herod, Pilate and Caiaphas.

Those three mentioned were either dead or out of power at this epistle's writing, making the vs. 6 present tense who are doomed to pass away difficult to attribute to them.

A few verses where demons are called rulers or princes: , , , ,

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Paul here contrasted the belief that the rulers of this world understood wisdom with the reality that they did not understand.

To draw out this contrast, he alluded to , and added elements from ; and .

Paul uses Isaiah 64:4 to assert that people cannot understand the things of God through human faculties (compare Isa 52:15; 65:17); they must rely on the Spirit graciously given to believers by God (1 Cor 2:10).

Emphasizes that God grants insight regarding His work to those who follow Him and do His will.

2:9–10a.

Paul here contrasted the belief that the rulers of this world understood wisdom with the reality that they did not understand.

To draw out this contrast, he alluded to , and added elements from ; and .

He pointed out how the prophets occasionally indicated that God’s wise plan remained hidden from all but those who loved him.

The ordinary ways of understanding (eye, ear, mind) cannot perceive the mysteries of God.

The rulers of the world may be adept at these means of perception, but these senses cannot discern the wisdom of God.

God must reveal wisdom in a special way.

To drive home his main point, Paul applied the prophetic word directly to the Corinthians.

Although the world cannot perceive the wisdom of God, God has revealed it.

It has come in a supernatural way directly from God.

Moreover, this word came not to the world but to us—to Paul and other followers of Christ.

What Paul was saying here:

It was foolish for the Corinthian believers to turn to human insight when they had discovered the ways of Christ through divine revelation by his Spirit.

2:10 God has shown the hidden wisdom of God to those who follow Christ (v. 7).

Paul argues that people desiring to know more or have greater wisdom should seek to walk more closely with Christ, as God reveals His eternal work to people this way.

Nothing is hidden from the Spirit of God; he shares in the divine attribute of omniscience.

So what are ways we can, as humans, learn to discern the will of the Spirit?

None of this insight comes through the human wisdom of which the Corinthians boasted and over which they divided, so their divisions and quarrels were unjustified.

2:10b.

Paul began with a bold statement, proclaiming that the Spirit searches not only all things of this world, but also fathoms the deep things of God.

Nothing is hidden from the Spirit of God; he shares in the divine attribute of omniscience.

Although an infinite number of things about God will always remain hidden from the human mind, even these hidden thoughts of God are evident to the Holy Spirit.

For this reason, he is the reliable source of all human insight into the wisdom of God.

None of this insight comes through the human wisdom of which the Corinthians boasted and over which they divided, so their divisions and quarrels were unjustified.

Although an infinite number of things about God will always remain hidden from the human mind, even these hidden thoughts of God are evident to the Holy Spirit.

For this reason, he is the reliable source of all human insight into the wisdom of God.

None of this insight comes through the human wisdom of which the Corinthians boasted and over which they divided, so their divisions and quarrels were unjustified.

How does Paul use the analogy in v. 11 to rebuke the Corinthians?

2:11 no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God.

Jewish thinkers in this period recognized that people could understand God’s plans only by the gift of his wisdom and his Spirit (cf.

Wisdom of Solomon 9:17; see note on 1Co 2:16).

Paul drew upon an analogy between the human spirit and the Holy Spirit.

He began by acknowledging that many things about a person’s thoughts remain hidden to other people.

Yet, the person’s own spirit knows these thoughts.

No one can get inside the minds of other people as deeply as they can understand themselves.