Hear the scripture as I read. And I, brethren, when I came
to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring
unto you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know
anything among you save Jesus Christ and Him crucified. And I was with you in weakness
and in fear and in much trembling. And my speech and my preaching
was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration
of the spirit and of power, that your faith should not stand in
the wisdom of men, but in the power of God. Howbeit we speak
wisdom unto them that are perfect or mature, yet not the wisdom
of this world nor of the princes of this world that come to nothing. For we speak the wisdom of God
in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom which God ordained before
the world unto our glory. which none of the princes of
this world knew, for had they known it, they would not have
crucified the Lord of glory. But it is written, I have not
seen nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man
the things that God has prepared for those that love him. But
God has revealed them unto us by His Spirit, for the Spirit
searches all things, yea, the deep things of God. For what man knows the things
of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? Even so, the things of God knoweth
no man but the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the
spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is of God, that
we might know the things which are freely given to us of God,
which things also we speak, not in words, which man's wisdom
teaches, but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual
things with spiritual. But the natural man receives
not the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness
unto him, neither can he know them, because they are spiritually
discerned. But he that is spiritual judges
all things, yet he himself is judged of no man. For who hath known the mind of
the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of
Christ." Great text. Let me begin with this manner
of introduction. It was Paul that first carried
the gospel of Christ into the city of Corinth and it occurred
on what we call his second missionary journey. There were three of
them in all. You have a record of this in
the 18th chapter of the book of Acts and the first 17 verses. Paul's visit unto Corinth. He stayed there a year and six
months. He dwelt with them, teaching
them the things of God. Once while Paul was there, he
made the acquaintance of a couple of fellow believers in that city
in the second verse, which was Aquila and Priscilla. And because Aquila was a tent
maker by trade and by vocation, and Paul was too, then Paul made
tents to sustain and supplies need while he were in that city. Now a word or two about the city
of Corinth. It's always interesting to know
the city in which something occurred in the scripture. Now concerning
the city of Corinth, number one, it was a large city and it was
a seaport city. It was a shipping lane and on
the water. And a lot of merchants and a
lot of sailors, naturally, were found in that city at one time
or another. Secondly, about Corinth, It was
a very diverse city, as we use the expression today. Several
nationalities resided there in the city of Corinth. That's often
the case in very large cities. But the third thing that we noticed
about the city of Corinth, that it was, as most large cities
are, an immoral place, a wicked place, for the most part. There, there was a worship of
the Greek gods with their philosophy. There, there was a temple, an
idol's temple under their false god. And the city had an awful
reputation on account of its sexual immorality and prostitution. When they had their religious
feasts, there were prostitutes everywhere in the city. Now,
while Paul was there, He attended the synagogue on the Sabbath
day and took the occasion to lay lecture under the Jew and
the Gentile that gathered there in that particular place. We
find that in verse 4. Silas and Timothy joined Paul
here in Corinth and Paul pressed the Jew every opportunity that
he got, that Jesus was the Christ, that he's the anointed, that
he is the Messiah. And a church was established
there, people believed, and a church was raised up in the city of
Corinth. And there Paul sent them two
rather long letters that we have in our New Testament, one of
them we have read from this morning for this study. However, the
church at Corinth was beset with several shortcomings, confusion,
and problems, as seen by those that are mentioned in this book.
as Paul takes them up one by one. Now the first one that he
mentions begins in chapter 1 and verse 6 and actually runs all
the way to the end of chapter 4. What was it? It was their
partisanship It was their division. It was their discussion over
their various ministers. Some said, I'm of this one, I'm
of that one. Another said, I'm denominational. And the partisanship of that
provides Paul with a perfect lead in to our present subject
and our passage of scripture. And that is to make a contrast
between the wisdom of the world, the wisdom of men, and the wisdom
of God as displayed in the gospel of Jesus Christ our Lord. Now
it's very interesting, at least to me, to see how Paul transitions
into that discussion of the two kinds of wisdom and the time
and the space that he devotes unto it, or he draws it out well. He discusses it at great length
and brings in all matter of things that are related unto it. I think that the transition occurs
in chapter 1 and verse 17. And let me read it in your hearing,
where he says, For Christ sent me, not to baptize, but to preach
the gospel. And then he interjects this.
Not with the wisdom of the word, lest the cross of Christ be made
of none effect. Now let's bear down upon that. Christ sent me not to baptize. Now that doesn't mean that Paul
didn't baptize or didn't have the authority. But it means that
the principal object of Paul was the preaching of the gospel. He was not a baptizer so much
as he was a gospeler, a herald of the gospel of our Lord. He
said, in effect, I came not among you that I might make disciples
unto myself. I did not come. I did not preach
or labor that I might make disciple unto myself. But I came to preach
Christ and to espouse you unto him in faith to such as said
I am a Paul in chapter 1 verse 12 there were those there who
said I am a Paul he cast it upon them in verse 13 of chapter 1
and Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized in the name
of Paul? Nay, not a thousand times no. He preached Christ crucified
and he preached baptism in relationship to that crucifixion and death
of the Lord. Now he might have directed the
very same question in regard to the others, Apollos and Cephas
and whoever might have ministered. Were you baptized in the name
of Apollos or in the name of Cephas? For some also said, I
am of Apollos and I am of Cephas. Now concerning those that he
did baptize, and he did baptize some, notice what he said. A strange thing. I thank God
that as providence would have it, I baptized but few of you,
so none can say that I baptized in my name or to raise up a party
or a sect. in my name. And in verse 17 again
of chapter 1, he declares this to be consistent with his commission
from the Lord Christ. For Christ sent me not to baptize,
but to preach the gospel. If we go back to chapter 1 and
verse 17, where the transition occurred. I thank God I baptized,
but few of you, because Christ did not send me as a baptizer,
but as a preacher of the gospel, but not with wisdom of words. And he throws that in. He sent
me to preach the gospel, but he did not send me to preach
it with wisdom of words. At chapter 1 and verse 17, the
margin has actually speech. He did not send me to preach
the gospel with wisdom of speech. This is no slip of the pen, for
Paul strongly emphasizes this point first in chapter 1 and
verse 17, and then repeatedly in this section of the scripture. For example, look again at chapter
2 and verse 1. And I, brethren, when I came
among you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring
unto you the testimony of God. We read it, but look at chapter
2 and verse 4 again. And my speech and preaching was
not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration
and power of the Spirit. And even in chapter 2 and verse
13, not in wisdom which man's words teach us. But notice something. in all of these places where
Paul mentions or brings that up. And that is that he follows
it up with a reason or with a conclusion or with a consequent. Why he
purposely avoided the use of man's wisdom and rhetoric in
the preaching of the gospel. Chapter 1, 17 again. Why did he do that? lest the
cross of Christ should be made of none effect, lest it should
be made void and empty and useless. I avoided that kind of speech. Then chapter 2, verse 1 and 2,
I came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, look at
verse 2, for I determined not to know anything among you but
Christ and Him crucified." Then look at chapter 2, 4 and 5 this
time, not with enticing words of man's wisdom. Why? In verse
5, that your faith should not stand, that your faith should
not be in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God. So in
addition to these, there are three more arguments in chapter
one against making worldly wisdom any part of the preaching of
the gospel. And let's look at them. First
of all, if you look at verse 19, 20, chapter 1, here's a reason
to not preach the wisdom of the world or of men. The testimony of Scripture is
for it is written. I do not use man's wisdom because
it is written. And I think probably the closest
Old Testament scripture would be Isaiah chapter 29 and verse
14 referenced here by Paul, where God declares that he will do
a marvelous work and wonders. And in the context of Isaiah,
it predicted that the wise men of Israel would lose their judgment
and do foolish things to the hurt and the harm of their country. That God can and God does turn
the wisdom of the world to become absolute foolishness as it is
exercise. Now, the second thing that he
would bring up is the experience of history. Here's why I don't
use human wisdom, the wisdom of the world, and highfalutin
sound and speech. The experience of history. which shows that the world, in
all of its wisdom, in all of its time, and in all of its history,
did not come to know God by the wisdom of the world. It cannot,
by wisdom, search out or find out God in verse 21. The world,
by wisdom, knew not God, and so the world, became what someone
called foolish wise men. Wise men who are actually foolish. Have you ever heard the expression
educated fools? There are people who are educated
fools. And yet, I had a friend one time,
he said if you educate a chicken thief, you got a bank robber.
So that's the difference in it. The expression, therefore, is
a wonderful thing. that in their wisdom, all of
their wisdom, and all of their learning, they knew not God.
And yet, they do not consider it to be foolishness. But the
preaching of the cross, they consider to be foolishness. Now, the third thing that we
notice, their own situation and experience is a good argument
against using the wisdom of the world. Why? Well, look down at
chapter 1. Verse 26 through verse 29. In
verse 26 you read, See, consider your calling, brethren, look
out among you, see what it is. Not many wise, not many mighty,
and not many noble are called. I take this to be those who are
called by the grace of God in and through the gospel. The irresistible
call of salvation from God. Not many. Now some, but not many,
was after the flesh. Not many mighty, not many noble. John Gill wrote this, this part,
of his commentary on verse 26, quote, the city of Corinth had
in it many noble families of high birth and quality and merchants
and learned philosophers, unquote. Now the city had many of those
and yet not many of such were called. Not many of such responded
savingly unto the gospel. Well, there were a few. There
was Crispus, the ruler of the synagogue in Acts 18 and verse
8. In 1 Corinthians chapter 1, 14,
Gaius, a well-to-do, hospitable type of Christian brother and
man, harassed us at Chamberlain or an office-bearer in the city,
Romans 16 and verse 23. So there were a few of that sort,
but there were not many. For the most part, the called
were not from the elite, they were not from the upper class,
or the high society. And this first and foremost applied
to the situation in the church at Corinth at that particular
time. that God had chosen, not the
mighty, not the wise, and not the noble, but that God had chosen
the foolish thing, the weak thing, the base things of the world,
and even things that were not. Despised things had God chosen
and revealed unto them the things of God. Even things which were
not, verse 27, And verse 28, paying no court to the high and
the mighty, being no respecter of person whatsoever. Therefore, I had the thought
concerning this, how in our day. How in our day, the rich and
the famous, the power brokers, the highly educated, the large
member, the politician, the judges, the celebrity, the athletes,
and so on, if they do go to church at all, it is usually that they
roost in the branches of a large liberal church with very little
gospel. The First Methodist, or the First
Baptist, or the Episcopal, or a cathedral, or something like
that, where there's nothing to disturb them, where there's nothing
to make them uncomfortable, or make them to realize that they
are a sinner. where they're shown respect of
person and are invited to take the chief seats in the synagogue. They're given special treatment
because of who they are. But Paul says in 1 Corinthians
1, And verse 29, that God acts in that way, God acts as he does
with respect to those he calls, quote, that no flesh should glory
in his presence, unquote. None should say, I'm called because
I'm great or wise. or because I am mighty. He is no respecter of person. Can I make a point here? How
many times have we, have you, have all heard the Arminian covet
the intelligent and the rich and the powerful for God? And they say, you know, so-and-so
is so smart. He is so wealthy. He's so influential. He is so talented. if only they
or she or they would use their talent and their notoriety for
God. It is God that calls them and
not they themselves. So God is all white. But so often
these are proud, these are high-minded men and women, vain and egotistical,
and they love the praises of men like the Pharisees did of
long ago. And God, in many cases, Matthew
11 and verse 25 hides these things from the wise and the prudent
and reveals them unto babe. Why? Matthew 11, 26, because
he is sovereign, because it pleased him to do so. Now, I think we're
at the point to make a distinction and then to raise a question
in conjunction with it. Is Paul condemning learning? Would Paul have everybody to
be ignorant and uneducated and know nothing? Does Paul, therefore,
condemn learning? Is he against secular education? Does he favor ignorance? Is it
better not to study and to learn and to get an education? Would
Paul abolish all secular wisdom at one sweep and blow? No. This word wisdom is somewhere
around 50 times in our New Testament. I think it might be the word
Safiya and is used in reference not only to the wisdom of the
world or of men, but also to the wisdom of God and of grace. So it is the same word wherever
it is applied of secular wisdom and spiritual wisdom, the word
is the same. It is from the same Greek word. You see that especially in James
chapter 3 and verse 15 through 17. So the question In 1 Corinthians
chapter 1 and chapter 2, Paul neither condemns outright secular
wisdom, nor does he even condemn eloquent preaching of the gospel. He's not endorsing secular ignorance
in this play, nor condemning the preaching of the gospel in
a way that might sparkle with some kind of elegance or magnificence
as Apollos was a man mighty in the scripture as we read in Acts
18 24 and verse 25 but in the context these chapters, it is speaking
against the ability of human wisdom to attain unto the knowledge
of God. That one cannot, by human wisdom
or worldly wisdom, or worldly education come to the knowledge
of God or of Christ or of the gospel. Paul condemns it as being
useless, even a hindrance in coming to the knowledge of God
and salvation in Christ. His critics had said of Paul
that he did not preach the wisdom of men and a good dose of philosophy. They love that. Remember in chapter
1 they seek after wisdom? His answer is the wisdom of the
world cannot bring one to know God or to know Christ or the
gospel. Charles Hodge put it this way
of worldly wisdom, quote, whatever may be its value and its value
in its own sphere and ends, it is worse than useless as a substitute
for the gospel, unquote. That's where Paul is coming from. Thus we conclude, Paul is not
trying to ban wisdom or learning philosophy, from the classroom,
or even from secular society, but from the pulpit and from
the church. It has no place in the preaching
of the gospel. It has little or no value in
educating men in the things of God. Now if you will, catch 1
Corinthians 2, 4, and 5. Paul's reason. He wanted his
preaching to be void of the enticing the margin has persuasible. He wanted his preaching to be
void of the persuasive words of men's wisdom. It is so that
there might be a demonstration of the spirit and the power of
God, that not mighty words have worked, but that an inward work
of the Spirit of grace, in order that their faith should not stand,
not be founded on the wisdom of men, but in the power of God. You know, if you had the experience
when God called you, that no soul winner got a hold of you,
no preacher got you, drug you down the aisle, that God worked
with you inwardly before you ever had an interest in going
to church or hearing the things of God, then you understand what
Paul is talking about in this play. It appears such an unlikely
thing that what so many considered foolishness has resulted in the
conversion of sinners. to the Lord Jesus Christ. Also
consider what Paul says about himself as did others. That is, as a preacher and an
instrument of God, 2 Corinthians chapter 10 And verse 10, his
bodily presence is weak. That's what men said about Paul. He was not a great form, an impressive
form when he came among them like people sometimes like their
preacher to be. They said his bodily presence
is weak and his speech is contemptible. And in verse 1, 2 Corinthians
chapter 10, Paul says, who of himself, who in presence, am
base among you, myself as a man. To be fair, in verse 10, is the
assessment of his enemies. That's what his enemies said
about him. But still, it is an evidence
of the power of God that a man like Paul, so despised by many,
and particularly by the Jews, His name cast out as evil. So controversial was this man,
Paul, and preaching what so many counted foolishness, Christ crucified,
Christ dead on the cross to save sinners, should be an instrument
of converting so many. That a man like that, should
be an instrument in converting so many, and that without and
apart from human wisdom whatsoever. In chapter 2, verse 6 through
verse 8, Paul answers the charges that he, number one, opposed
true wisdom. They said, you're an opposer
of true wisdom. And secondly, he faces the fact,
they said, his preaching lacked wisdom, saying this unto them,
how be it? Now that is a word with very
broad meaning in the scripture, how be it, used numerous times
in the New Testament. And it can mean something like
contrary wise, no matter what they thought, contrary wise,
but nevertheless, can be the meaning of that word. We preach
wisdom. No matter what they say, no matter
how they charge us with being without wisdom, we do preach
wisdom. And see what things he said about
wisdom. Number one. This wisdom is among
them that are perfect, or mature, or of age, have grown in the
things of God. Number two, it is not the wisdom
of the world or the wisdom of the age, nor of the leaders or
the rulers of the age, who are considered wise men, but often
are the biggest fools of all. And thirdly, in verse seven,
It is the wisdom of God in a mystery. The hidden mystery, which God
ordained before the foundation of the world. This wisdom that
we preach, that is found in the gospel, is hidden, it's a mystery,
and it was ordained before the world. Number four, It is or
not known by the rulers in verse 8 of that chapter. Now, consider
1 Corinthians chapter 1 and verse 24. Let me read it. But unto
them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power
of God and the wisdom of God. So to the called, to the perfect,
to the converted. And look at verse 30, the last
verse of chapter 1. Christ is of God, made unto us
wisdom. Some other things, but wisdom.
The contrast is, it is not the wisdom of the world, it is the
wisdom of God ordained before the world and seen in the glorious
gospel of Christ. Look at the word mystery. We
find that often in the New Testament. It seems that every time that
this word is used in the New Testament, it is the same word,
something like musterion, mystery, something that is hidden, something
that is covered. something that is out of sight,
something that cannot be known, cannot be found out by natural
reasoning and is a secret. You'll see it in Ephesians chapter
3, verse 1 through 10, Colossians 1 and verse 26, the mystery of
God, a thing that is unknown until it is revealed. until it is uncovered, until
it is brought to light. The mystery is the hidden wisdom
before the foundation of the world ordained, which to be ignorant
of it led them to crucify the Lord of glory. It was ignorance
of whom Christ was that they crucified him. Now, in 1 Corinthians
chapter 2 and verse 9, It needs to be very closely looked at
and examined, and that in light with its context and with Paul's
flow of thought. One call, verse nine, quote,
a confirming citation," unquote. If that be so, then it is part
of the explanation concerning the wisdom and the ignorance
that Paul has been contrasting and how much wisdom is known
by only some and is viewed as foolishness by others. I want you to look with me at
verse 9. This is a good verse and I think
a lot of people have taken it the wrong way. It is written,
Eye has not seen nor ear heard, neither has entered into the
heart of man the things which God has prepared for them that
love him. For or but it has been written. And I think the closest resemblance
under that is in Isaiah chapter 64 and verse 4. Now there is a difficulty in
the minds of some as how to reconcile the two passages, one from Isaiah
and the other from Paul. Since Paul seems to be making
different application than Isaiah and yet it is the Holy Spirit
that has inspired both Isaiah and Paul. Now the prophet Isaiah
in that passage speaks of how God had exceeded the expectation
of the people to help them and to sustain them. Comprehension,
of the human mind. His favors are beyond our comprehending
the goodness and the graciousness of God. Even so, Paul said that
eyes have not seen, ears have not heard, nor has it entered
into the heart the things that God has prepared for them that
love him. I agree with Gil and with others. that this concern, verse 9, not
first and foremost the eternal coming state of glory that awaits
for us in heaven, but it concerns the great display of the wisdom
and the grace of God in gospel salvation, which is also beyond
human comprehension it is useless except it be revealed by God
so then in verse 10 but God It has not been revealed, but God
has revealed them unto us by His Spirit. That is the things
which God has prepared for those that love Him. For the Spirit
searches all things, yea, the deep things of God. Now, it's
not that the spirit ever learns anything new about God or about
the purpose of God. The Holy Spirit is divine and
knows everything, and it is not that the spirit searches and
learns by education or by process. But as God searches the hearts
of men, Psalm 44 and verse 21, he means he knows all about man. There's nothing about man that
he does not know. And God reveals to them. God reveals to the Father whomsoever
he will. Now look at verse 11 as we move
along as Paul uses what is this a similitude or an analogy to
illustrate what he had just said of the Spirit of God and let
me read verse 11. For what man knows, the things
of a man, save the spirit of man that is in him. Even so the things of God knoweth
no man, but the Spirit of God." So there we have it in verse
11. Only a man's spirit can know
the things of that man. Why? Because it dwells in him. It is actually part of him. Of course, God knows every thought
of the heart. Psalm 139, one person might tell another
every thought of his heart or the secret thoughts of his heart.
are a general one that people may know their heart by the heart
of themselves. They might know the heart of
others. The proverbial writer said, chapter 27, verse 9, one
man's heart is a reflection of another. But basically, what
is the general principle? That only a person knows the
thoughts and the feelings of his own heart and of his own
inner being. Their own spirit knows them because
their spirit is in them and is part of them. Even so, no mortal
can spiritually know the things of God unless the spirit of God
reveal it unto them. Now the application. in verse
12 and 13 of chapter 2. He mentioned the Spirit of God
in both verse 10 and 11 and writes in verse 12, we have received
the Spirit of God that we might know, in order that we might
know, so that we might know the things which are freely given
us of God. I agree with those who say that
the we particularly here the we in verse 12 can and might
and probably means Paul and the apostles and ministers and it's
continued in verse 13 which things we also speak the things that
have been revealed by the Spirit to the servants of Christ concerning
salvation by Christ crucified, and that suited neither the Jew
nor the Gentile to preach Christ crucified upon the tree. And in verse 13, he emphasizes
again that it is not worldly wisdom, but wisdom imparted by
the Holy Spirit. So that, and I want you to look
at this phrase, comparing spiritual things with spiritual, which
I have never been able to fully understand or to grasp or to
explain. So we look at it here in its
context. He had contrasted the wisdom
of the words of the wise of men and of the world with the wisdom
of God and that in the gospel. And he had compared the enticing
words of man's wisdom with the hidden wisdom of God. So in verse 13, Let's join the
first part with the last part, which completes the thought in
verse 12. So verse 13, which things we
speak, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. Now, the middle
part, at least to me, kindly resembles a parenthesis when
we look at it overall and in that light. And now this comparing
is but twice the word in the New Testament, both of them from
Paul, here and in 2 Corinthians 10 and verse 12. And the words
are not to be separated from the earlier phrase in verse 13,
not in the words of human wisdom teaches, but which the spirit
teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. Now, can you explain that? What's
that mean? Calvin used the word adapt. adapting spiritual things
with spiritual. So the apostles say combining
or collating spiritual things with spiritual matters, spiritual
words to explain spiritual matters. to those that are spiritual,
since the natural man cannot know, he cannot understand, he
cannot spiritually discern the things of God. So Paul says here,
explaining spiritual things in harmony with the teaching of
the Spirit. He declared the wisdom of God
in such words as corresponds to the reality, declaring the
heavenly wisdom in the plainness of speech For Paul is contrasting
man's wisdom with God's wisdom. So such is only spiritually discerned. The things of God are spiritually
discerned or judged or known or understood. That requires
regeneration. A person must be regenerate then
in order to understand or to determ. Otherwise, they cannot
know them. Now, I see here a very strong
argument against gospel regeneration, but that's another matter for
another time. You can't make the gospel. by your eloquence or your wisdom,
your learning or your skill. You cannot make the gospel appealing
to the natural man in a spiritual way. You cannot do it by eloquence. You cannot do it by wisdom. You
cannot do it with great oratory skills, high sounding words,
great spelling, great swelling words of vanity. nor what he
can't discern. You can't do that. You can't
make the gospel appealing by those things. God alone can open
the heart and open the understanding and teach us the things of God. God alone can reveal them, and
He does so by His Spirit and with the aid of the preaching
of the gospel. Only the Spirit can impart unto
us that ordained, that once hidden, a mystery and wisdom that lies
in the work and purpose of God in salvation of sinners. And
thank God if he's opened our heart to be able to understand
the things of God. And this is a wonderful passage
of the scripture. We have to leave much unsaid.
because it is such a long one, but may the Lord take it, apply
it to our heart, give us understanding about this matter of the wisdom
that is found in the gospel. Now, would you agree? A lot of
people today think the more educated the preacher, the wiser he is. in the things of the world, the
more schooling he's had, the more he will be able to preach
the gospel. And what about Peter and John?
Ignorant, unlearned, yet God mightily taught them, mightily
used them. So it's not the wisdom of the
world, but it is a wisdom nonetheless. Great wisdom. The greatest wisdom
is that in gospel salvation.