Revelatory Work of the Spirit

Discussion Forum Q1 Week 2 - NT Survey

Part 1 - Why does Paul describe the revelatory work of the Spirit in 1 Cor 2:5-16?

Part 2 - How does his description of the Spirit contribute to his argument at that point in the letter?

Part 3 - In 1 Cor 1:31 and 2 Cor 10:17 Paul quotes Jer 9:24; how does this quotation contribute to Paul’s argument in each epistle?

Context. Exalting Worldly Wisdom.

Presenting the gospel under the power of the Spirit and not of man’s eloquence and worldly wisdom. In the larger section (1:17-2:16) Paul is exposing the fact that the Corinthians put too much confidence in human wisdom. (2:1-5) Paul reminds the Corinthians that his preaching relied on the dependence of God and not of his own ability. The result demonstrated a power far greater that man’s, the power of God’s Spirit. Consequently, the Corinthians’ faith rested securely in the effective work of God and not in any devices of man.

Commentary (2:6-16).

Outline.

Contrast between the natural man and the spiritual man:

The natural man is represented by the rulers of this age.

They possess only the wisdom of this age (v. 6);

they did not recognize the wisdom of God in the person of Christ (v. 8a);

thus they crucified the Lord of glory (v. 8b);

and finally they are coming to nothing (v. 6).

The result of the natural man’s ideology:

The wisdom of God is hidden from them (v. 7);

they have not learned the things God has prepared for those who love Him (v. 9);

they reject spiritual things as nonsense to them (v. 14);

they lack the powers of making spiritual judgment of things (v. 14);

They are only natural, that is they have only the life that animates man, and are without the regenerating life of the Spirit of God (v.14).

The Spiritual man:

has the regenerating life of the Spirit (v.14);

has the endowment of the Spirit to enable him to make spiritually-based judgment of all things (v. 15);

has come to know, by the revelation of God, the things God has prepared for and has freely given to the believer (vv. 9, 12);

therefore both understands and speaks the wisdom of God as spiritually expressed and grasped (vv. 7, 13);

is not subject to the searching evaluation of the unconverted (v. 15)

Truths concerning the Holy Spirit:

The Spirit searches the deep things of God;

The Spirit knows by nature the things of God;

The Spirit is the regenerator of the spiritual man, distinguishing him from the natural man;

The Spirit is the revealer of the things God has prepared for His people;

The Spirit teaches spiritual men the words for speaking spiritual truths:

The Spirit endows the spiritual man with the ability to make spiritual evaluations of things.

Comments:

(v. 6-8) There are two wisdoms, that of the world and the secrete wisdom that comes from God. It is secret in that it can be understood only as God chooses to make it known to us. (2 Cor 4:6)

(v.6) Mature is used of a person initiated into the understanding of something otherwise kept secret.

(v. 7) The secret wisdom is the gospel which was planned in the mind of God before time began (1 Peter 1:18-20).

(v. 7) in His wisdom through the work of His Son, God has destined believers for glory.

(v.9) Human wisdom is blind to the glory of Christ, but God opens our eyes to it.

(v. 10) God has revealed this secret wisdom to believers by His Spirit. The Spirit is able to make God’s wisdom clear and intelligible to us.

(v. 11) The Holy Spirit is the spirit of revelation. For those whom he indwells, He wants us to understand what God has freely given us. (. 12) cf. Rom. 8:32

(v. 12) He opens our eyes to the glorious realities of 1 Corinthians 1:30.

(v. 13) The God-given wisdom through the Spirit has a transforming effect on us. it influences our speech (. 13) and our judgments (v. 15) The spiritual man makes judgments about all things’ since the Holy Spirit equips him to make them.

Summary. To expose the absurdity of depending on human wisdom, Paul contrast the true wisdom of God with that of the natural man. Paul now in acknowledges that he is preaching wisdom, wisdom not of this age of those who reject spiritual things. But his wisdom is from God, which requires the work of the Holy Spirit. It is through God’s Spirit, that the spiritual man has been given the mind of the Lord.