Read the Passage: 1 Corinthians 2

Listen to the Redeemed Mind Podcast: 1 Corinthians 2

Weakness of Paul (2:1–5)

At 1 Cor. 1:30 Paul taught that it is in Christ (not through Him) that we have wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption. While the distinction between receiving the benefits of salvation in Christ rather than through Christ might seem pedantic, it is truly important, for one must first have Christ Himself before they can partake of His benefits. Jesus is not merely a conduit for salvation; rather, eternal life is found only through union with Christ. All that we need for salvation is found in Jesus, not in ourselves. Said differently, Christ and His benefits are inseparable, and the latter cannot simply be extracted from the former. Indeed, whenever the advantages of salvation are removed from Jesus, His person gets de-emphasized, and Christ merely becomes a means to an end. Observe that the phrase “in Christ” occurs 97 times in the Bible, whereas the words “through Christ” only appears 10 times.

In 1 Corinthians 2, Paul develops the role of wisdom in the Christian life, including in his own ministry. Note that the term “wisdom” occurs 6 times in the first 12 verses of this chapter. Paul begins this section by writing about “human wisdom” (1 Cor. 2:4), as he reminds the Corinthians that his own ministry was not marked by worldly wisdom or by excellent speech. Rather, Paul’s time in Corinth was characterized by weakness and trembling, as well as by the power of the Holy Spirit as Paul shared the gospel message. This is a helpful reminder to all believers—that is, while it is good to pursue excellence and clarity in ministry, the true power of the gospel rests with God alone. Indeed, faith comes by “hearing the Word of God” (Rom. 10:17), not by the skills of the minister. When someone is manipulated to react to the gospel by the wisdom of men, rather than by the power of God, such a response will be short-lived.

Wisdom of God (2:6–12)

Wisdom can be defined as the practical application of God’s Word to daily living. Wisdom is the ability to see life from God’s perspective and to act accordingly. For unbelievers, responding to divine wisdom results in salvation; for believers, applying divine wisdom produces sanctification. In 1 Cor. 2:6–8, when Paul writes about wisdom he is referring to God’s plan of redemption, which includes both salvation and sanctification. Earlier, at 1 Cor. 1:21, Paul referred to God’s wisdom as being “foolishness” to the world, here at 1 Cor. 2:7 Paul calls divine wisdom a “mystery.” In using this term Paul does not mean that salvation is confusing or unknowable, rather he is observing that God’s plan of salvation was once hidden but it has now been revealed. Yet even so, writes Paul, the gospel still remains a mystery to those for whom the Spirit of God has yet to birth faith and open the eyesight of their souls.

It is surprising that Paul teaches God’s wisdom was ordained “for our glory” (1 Cor. 2:7). With this teaching Paul means that in the wisdom of the gospel, Christians become like Christ who is Himself glorious. In quoting Isa. 64:4, Paul observes that believers’ acceptance of the gospel is not because they are wiser than unbelievers. Rather, it is because “God has revealed [the gospel] to us through His Spirit” (1 Cor. 2:10). In the following verses Paul explains that just as only a man’s spirit knows the depths of his heart, so “No one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God” (1 Cor. 2:11). Of course, what the Holy Spirit knows about God is that He is loving, kind, and the Redeemer of mankind. Earlier, Jesus taught that the role of the Holy Spirit is to comfort mankind (cf. John 15:26a), to testify about Christ (cf. John 15:26b), and to guide believers in the truth of the Word of God (cf. John 16:13; 17:17).

Mind of Christ (2:13–16)

At 1 Cor. 2:14, Paul gives the helpful teaching, “The natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned” (cf. John 8:43). This is a valuable reminder that when Christians share spiritual teachings with unbelievers, they ought not to expect that unbelievers will agree with divine wisdom. However, believers can also be confident that God opens the hearts of unbelievers (cf. Acts 26:18) and that He does so through His spoken Word (cf. 1 Cor. 1:21). In 1 Cor. 2:16 Paul again writes that no one can know God’s mind, except for the Holy Spirit; however, since the Spirit has revealed God to His people, “We have the mind of Christ” (cf. Phil. 2:5; 1 Pet. 4:1). The mind of Christ, then, is not a mysterious thing, but is that which the Holy Spirit teaches believers through and within Scripture.

Application Questions:

1. What is a biblical definition of wisdom? How does worldly wisdom differ from heavenly wisdom?
2. In 1 Cor. 2:2, why does Paul write that he wanted to “know . . . Jesus Christ and Him crucified”?
3. How can we distinguish between presenting the gospel in a culturally appropriate manner, and allowing culture to overshadow the gospel itself?
4. Given the witness of God in the events of Jewish history, how did the religious leaders misunderstand God’s plan of salvation?
5. How can believers guard against the prideful idea that they are wiser than those who have rejected the gospel?