All right, here's our text and
you can see that we're breaking in the middle of a thought of
the apostle. This is a long section of scripture. We can only look at part of it
this morning. But verse 6 and following. How be it? We speak wisdom among
them that are perfect, are mature, are grown, yet not the wisdom
of this world nor of the princes of this world that comes to naught
or nothing, but we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even
the hidden 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 as it is written, I have
not seen nor ear heard, neither entered into the heart of man,
the things that God hath prepared for those that love Him. But
God hath revealed them unto us by His Spirit, for the Spirit
searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. For what
man knoweth the things of a man, except the spirit of man which
is in him? Even so, the things of God knoweth
no man but are except 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 that are freely given us of God,
which things also we speak, not in words which man's wisdom speaketh,
but which the Holy Ghost teaches, comparing spiritual things with
spiritual." Watch verse 14, "'But the natural man receiveth not
the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness unto
him, Neither can he know them, because they are spiritually
discerned or judged. But he that is spiritual judgeth
all things, yet he himself is judge of no man. For who hath
known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have
the mind of Christ. Now, I told you before we read
that we have jumped in the middle of a long discussion by the Apostle
Paul. It is an ongoing discussion and
this is a part of it. That there is no new subject
that begins at verse 6 only another aspect of the subject that Paul
is discussing at length. And because of that, I think
maybe we ought to take time to get our contextual bearings so
that we do not stray off, of course, that we see what it is
that is being discussed. what it is that has gone before,
that we might know then how it is that our present passage relates
to this flow of thought and this discussion and this subject that
we are in the midst of. Now, it is no secret to anyone
familiar with the Corinthian epistle that there were several
thoughts in the Corinthian church. Paul deals with these disorders
one by one in this great and lengthy epistle, correcting them,
rebuking them at time, exhorting and instructing them how it is
that they ought to conduct themselves in the house of God and in the
worship of God. Now the first issue that Paul
deals with in 1st Corinthians is the divisions and schisms
that were among them over or concerning their ministers of
the gospel. That begins in chapter 1 and
verse 10. And this subject of ministers,
I believe, carries down all the way to the end of chapter 4. He is discussing in one way or
another the ministers of the gospel. Now the divisions about
this were very serious as you can see in the margin of the
King James Version Bible In verse 10, the word division is actually
their schism. They were schisms. They had divided
themselves into sects, as it were, concerning their ministers
of the gospel. And this word schisma, five times,
it is translated division in the singular in the scripture. They are John 7, 43, 9, 16, 10,
19. Then twice it is translated in
the plural in 1 Corinthians chapter 1 verse 10 and chapter 11 and
verse 18 of 1 Corinthians. Twice the word is translated
rent. R-E-N-T, that is, as in a tare,
that's Matthew 9, 16 and Mark chapter 2 and verse 21. And one time it is translated
as schism, 1 Corinthians 12 and verse 25. But in the midst of
rebuking the people for their divisions over their minister,
we see and follow Paul on the defensive. We find him being
defensive. We find him having to defend
himself and the way that he was preaching the gospel, which in
turn gives him the occasion to make a contrast between two kinds
of wisdom that are found in the world. Number one, of course,
is the wisdom of the world, the wisdom of men, the wisdom of
this age. And number two is the wisdom
of God as seen in God's blessed gospel, as seen in God's way
of saving sinners, which is preached up in the gospel. Now, evidently,
there were those among them in Corinth, in the assembly. There
must have been those who criticized Paul and criticized Paul's preaching
as being deficient in wisdom. There were those who criticized
Paul that he lacked wisdom in his preaching. And we think that
because he made such an issue out of it in this section of
the Scripture, as not being a great orator, which Paul confessed
that he was not, not like Apollos who could stand and mesmerize
the people And we see that in Acts 18.24-28. He did not use
what Calvin called high sounding talk. And some of them seemed
to crave what Gil referred to as human eloquence and ority
and great swelling words of vanity. There were those there who must
have admired elegancy of diction, accuracy of expression, and the
cadency of words and beauty of oration." Could it be that this
desire for human wisdom originated or was pushed by the Gentile
section of the church? We read in 1 Corinthians chapter
1 and verse 22, the Greeks seek after wisdom. They loved wisdom
and they loved philosophy. They reveled in them in learning
and in philosophy and in reasoning and demanding rational explanation
for all things that were told them or that were taught them. They demanded a logical explanation. They required evidence that they
might believe a thing. And therefore, when they heard
the gospel, they considered it as foolishness that one man who
was put to death in a shameful way upon a cross could, by that
death, give eternal life unto others. But it pleased God, said
Paul, by the foolishness of preaching to save those that believe. To those that are perishing the
gospel may be foolishness, but to us which are saved it is the
power of God. Now we notice in our passage
In chapter 2, let's look at some things. Verse 6, the wisdom of
this world. Again in verse 7, the wisdom
of God. The former He did not speak in
preaching the Lord Jesus Christ. The latter He did speak. That
is the wisdom of God. We speak the wisdom of God. Now, at this point, let us say,
Paul makes an issue out of it. He strings it out, as we might
say. He keeps hammering away against
any ability in worldly wisdom to have any spiritual effect
upon sinners, as being able to enlighten them in any way concerning
the things of Christ, the gospel, or of salvation. He expresses
it in different ways. Back in chapter 1, verse 17,
he simply calls it the wisdom of words. Chapter 1, verse 19,
he calls it the wisdom of the wise. Chapter 2 and verse 5,
he calls it there, the wisdom of men. Chapter 2 and verse 6,
the wisdom of this world. Now, if you read this section,
you will find that Paul first breaches or brings up this subject
in chapter 1 and verse 17. And no doubt, he is even there
answering or beginning to answer a charge. He says this, Christ
sent me to preach the gospel, yet not with words of man's wisdom. Christ sent me to preach, but
He did not send me to preach with words of man's wisdom. And chapter 2 and verse 1, I,
brethren, when I came unto you, came not with excellency of speech
or of words, declaring unto you the testimony of God. And also
look at verse 4 of chapter 2. My speech and My preaching was
not with words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit
and of power. In chapter 2, verse 13, which
things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom
teaches, but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual
things with spiritual. Now, Paul is very careful to
state his reasons for not preaching human wisdom. He tells us very
clearly why he disdains the use or the value of wisdom in preaching
the gospel or of Christ. First, he said in chapter 1,
verse 17, Christ did not send me to preach the gospel with
words of human wisdom. Chapter 1, verse 17. It would
empty the cross of its power. Chapter 1, verse 19. God had
vowed to destroy, to bring to nothing the wisdom of the wise. Chapter 1, verse 20. God has
made foolish the wisdom of this world. God has actually demonstrated
the foolishness of human wisdom. Notice in chapter 1 verse 21,
The failure of it. The world, by wisdom, knew not
God. Chapter 1, verse 26. He bids
them notice another thing. That is, look at your calling,
brethren, how that not many wise are called. Chapter 1, verse
27 through verse 29. God has acted in such a way that
no flesh should find reason or room to glory in His presence. And besides, chapter 1 and verse
30, Christ is made unto us wisdom. Christ is our wisdom. So coming to our text, chapter
2 and verse 6, look at the word, how be it. When you see that
word, Paul is making a contrast. The word can mean contrary-wise,
contrary-wise from all of this. It can mean nevertheless, and
it can mean yet. It can mean notwithstanding,
and it can mean but. But! We preach in another way,
though we don't speak words with great wisdom of the world, or
of men, or of the wise, how be it? Yet, notwithstanding, but,
however, we speak wisdom among them that are perfect. Not the
wisdom of the world, but we are speaking a wisdom when we are
preaching Christ and the gospel. Now, let's look at two things
in verse 6. Number one, we speak wisdom. And in verse 7, it is the wisdom
of God. Yes, there is a wisdom in the
preaching of Christ, of the gospel, and of the Word of God. It is
not empty foolishness that we are declaring when we bring you
the message of Christ. Secondly, we notice in verse
6 that this wisdom is clearly evident to certain ones. Certain ones can discernably
see and know this wisdom. Who are they? Look at that. We
speak wisdom among them that are Perfect. Now what we preach
has the authenticity of real and genuine wisdom. And that
wisdom is manifest under the perfect one. Now the word perfect
here does not have the connotation of absolute perfection, but it
can be mature, it can be full grown of age, having reached
an age. Let it be known. We do speak
wisdom, yet it is perceived by them who have an ear to hear. What is foolishness to one is
wisdom to the other, and of course, vice versa. Now, as in chapter
1, verse 24, to the called Christ is the wisdom and the power of
God. To those who have the Spirit
of God, Christ is wisdom and Christ is power. Then again in
the last part of our text in verse 6, Paul repeats, that the
wisdom that he spoke, that he put forth, was not the wisdom
of the world, nor the men of eminence of the world, that comes
to nothing, that is, will perish. Verse 7, Paul states the nature
of the wisdom which he spoke. We speak the wisdom of God, notice,
in a mystery. We are speaking the wisdom of
God in a mystery. There are some expositors in
exegete who think that it expresses this thought, quote, we speak
a wisdom of God in mystery, or in mystery form. This word mystery
is one that you'll find, oh, probably some 25 times in the
New Testament. You'll find it both singular
and plural. in the scripture, being the word
musterion, meaning to shut the mouth. It will shut the mouth
of those that hear it. In other words, It is a secret
being something outside of natural comprehension. It is something
we do not learn by our human ability, our human education,
or whatever. It is not a thing known by natural
ability, is the best way to put it. You can preach it all day
to men that are but natural, and it is not within their ability
to receive these things. Therefore, it is known only by
and through a divine revelation. These things must be revealed. And in the context of our passage,
it refers to that spiritual truth revealed in the gospel. So a mystery, a divine secret,
is something that formerly was hidden and then was uncovered
or unveiled or made manifest or brought to light so that we
might see it. And Paul adds that this mystery,
this wisdom, this formerly hidden and covered and secret mystery
was ordained by God before the world began. and that in regard
to its object. For look what he says here, unto
our glory, ordained before the world unto our glory. Now this means that the gospel
way of salvation is Number one, not invented by Paul, not invented
by any other man or preacher. It is not of men, as Paul tells
the Galatian assembly. The second thing that it means
is that it is designed, it is suited to the need of the elect,
which they perceive by or through a revelation. Now, the gospel
ordained by God, appointed by God for man's happiness and for
man's good. Calvin put it this way, it was
imparted by the eternal decree of God before time, that is before
the world, unquote. But then look at verse 8, which
wisdom none of the princes of this world knew, for had they
known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. Now this confirms how well the
wisdom of God in Christ was hidden or was a mystery. It was not
understood, it was not perceived by the rulers of the age, it
was not known by those men who should have been learned and
wise, who were the heads of government, who ruled over their subject,
especially those who had a hand in crucifying the Lord of glory,
such as Acts 4, 26, 27, taken from Psalm chapter 2, verse 1 and 2, where
it is stated that the kings of the earth, the rulers, were gathered
together against the Lord's anointed. And it names Herod and Pilate,
the Gentiles, and the people of Israel. Paul said, had they
known who He was and what they were doing, they would not have
crucified the Lord of Glory. Did the Lord not say much the
same thing upon the cross in Luke chapter 23 and verse 34? They know not what they do, our
Savior cried out. We hear the Apostle Peter, Acts
3 and verse 17, that in killing the Prince of Life, the Apostle
Peter tells them both they and their leaders acted in ignorance. See also Acts 13 and verse 27,
John 16 and verse 3. Now such things as we preach
and believe and that enlighten the elect of God, such things
are hid from the wise and the prudent." Jesus thanked the Father
for that in Matthew 11 and verse 25 through verse 27. Thank you,
you've hid these things from the wise, the prudent, and revealed
them unto babe. So, acting in blind ignorance,
they crucified the anointed one of God, being totally oblivious
to the person that he was and to the wisdom of God worked out
in Christ. Being ignorant, they therefore
by wicked hands took and crucified the Anointed One. That leads
us to say how dangerous, how deadly, is ignorance in matters
of religion. How dangerous is ignorance. Yet the majority of people today
think absolutely nothing of it. And I've met people who are proud
of their ignorance in things biblical and Christian. But with
that in mind, coming to verse 9. Here's a good verse. Let's
look at it. Take some time up on it. but
as it is written, eye hath not seen, ear has not heard, neither
entered into the heart of man the things that God has prepared
for those that love him." Lange's commentary calls verse 9 something
that I kind of like. Quote, a confirming citation
Verse 9 is a confirming citation. When Paul says it is written,
he always has in mind a part of the Old Testament canon of
the Scripture. And in this case, with verse
9, we see that the closest resemblance to it is Isaiah chapter 64 and
verse 4. And some are stumped by this
verse, since Isaiah seems to address a totally different situation
than Paul is addressing in referring to the Scripture. For the prophet
in Isaiah is stating the favors that God will bestow and put
upon His people, and so as Calvin wrote, it beyond the comprehension
of the human mind, unquote. What God would do to that people
in bondage when He returned them was beyond human comprehension. But Paul quotes that passage
of the Scripture and he is applying it to the mystery and wisdom
that is revealed in the Gospel of Christ. The point concerning
verse 9, if we lifted it out of this context and we let the
verse stand apart and alone, We would likely apply verse 9
to the life that is to come yonder beyond this world and beyond
the grave. We would probably apply verse
9 to the eternal heavenly state. being the reasoning that we cannot
fathom, we cannot know, we cannot understand fully what it is that
awaits the saints of God in heaven. There is truth in that. For we know not what we shall
be. It has not yet appeared what
we shall be. Verse John chapter 3 and verse
2. Who can imagine heaven and the
glory and the bliss and all of that? But when we take verse
9 in its context, as we do, it is clear that Paul is referring
here, and he has reference to the gospel revelation in Jesus
Christ in this life, in this world, the wisdom of the gospel. So, let's view verse 9. in the
context. Verse 6 says, we speak a wisdom. Verse 7 said, we speak the wisdom
of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom. And then verse
8 said, which none of the princes of this world knew. And then
verse 9 said, and rightly so, for the glorious mysteries and
wisdom of the gospel are beyond comprehension of the natural
unregenerate man. Those things that God has prepared
are beyond the comprehension or the understanding of a natural
man. Now, look at verse 10. I think
it confirms what is said and pertains to the life that is
lived in this world. Yes, it is a secret wisdom. Yes, the rulers of this world
were ignorant of it, and no such things have entered into the
heart of man. But, in verse 10, God has revealed
them unto us by His Spirit. The things that have not entered
into the heart of man, God has revealed unto us by His Spirit. And this tells us why the natural
man is unable to see the true wisdom that is in the gospel,
because such requires a revelation by the Holy Spirit, as well as
why some are highly blessed to perceive the wisdom of God in
the gospel, because it is revealed unto them by the Spirit of God. Now, let's consider a family
of words here in the scripture, in the New Testament. The words
reveal, reveal past tense, and the word revelation. They come
from a root word that means to uncover or to take the veil off,
to disclose by taking off the cover. Thus, this brings to view,
this makes manifest, this makes it to appear, this brings it
to light, this makes it known, brings it out into the open.
Now, how is this revelation accomplished, we next ask? For, strictly speaking,
this revelation is not discovered. It is not something we look around,
dig around for, and it is discovered. rather than discovered by the
person, it is revealed to the person by the Spirit of God. And the instrument or the agent
in revealing these things is the Holy Spirit of God. Notice. God has revealed them,
that is, these things. Paul keeps mentioning the things,
the things. In verse 9, these things are
revealed unto us by His Spirit. It is the Spirit of God that
quickens the mind, that opens the heart, and the understanding
gives a hearing ear and a seeing eye unto people. That opens the
heart to the truth of the gospel and that then seals up the testimony
of Christ. of the faith of God's elect into
the heart of those. The Spirit reveals, quote, the
things which God has prepared before the foundation of the
world. Now, remember, if you will, what
the Lord told the Apostle Peter on a most blessed occasion. Remember what the Lord said,
Peter, not flesh and blood, not flesh and blood has revealed
this unto you, but my Father which is in heaven. That's in
Matthew 16 and verse 17. You remember when Peter made
that great confession, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living
God. That's when the Lord said, Peter,
flesh and blood did not make this known unto you, but my Father
which is in heaven. But in verse 10 of our text here
this morning, it gives the reason why the Spirit is the fittest
to make this revelation unto the people of God. Why the Spirit
is the fit one to reveal this mystery and this great wisdom. And it is this, the Spirit searches
all things. Yea, the deep things of God. That's why he's the fittest,
and that's why he can. The blessed, holy Spirit of God
searches out, or sounds out, or knows the depths of God's
counsel. There's not a thing pertaining
to the eternal purpose of God, but the Spirit knows it altogether. The Spirit is familiar with the
things of God. Nothing is hid from Him. He has what Gil called, quote,
His perfect and complete knowledge of them, unquote. Paul doubles
it. Look at that. All things. all
things He searches out, yea, the deep things of God. One expositor summed it up that
this refers to, quote, the mysterious doctrines of the gospel, the
mystery which was hid in God, His wise counsels of old concerning
man's salvation, the scheme of things drawn up in the eternal
mind, Unquote. Ah yes, the Spirit searches them
out. Did not the Lord promise His
disciples and promise His apostles before His death that the Spirit
would take the things of God and show them unto them? He shall
call to your remembrance He shall take the things of God and shall
make them known or show them unto you. Thomas Goodwin called
the Holy Spirit in this context, and I'm quoting, the keeper of
all of the archives of eternity, unquote. He knows them all and
is the manifestor or is the revealer of all these things unto the
elect, knowing the deep things of God, the things we've not
even imagined or entered into our heart before we knew the
Lord and the gospel. Now, coming to verse 11. Paul
illustrates this with, let's call it an analogy or let's say
by logic. Paul illustrates it by logic. He illustrates or he confirms
one thing by another. When he says in the midst of
the verse, even so, as one thing is so, even so another is so. First he says, only the spirit
of a man knows what's in that man. Isn't that real? Can't we
say amen to that? Only the spirit of that man can
know what is in him. The spirit of a man knows his
inner life, knows his secret thoughts, knows his motions,
and his motives, and his intent, and his purposes, even in the
same way, says Paul, only the spirit of God can know the things
which be of God. Now, this is not to exclude Christ,
from having a knowledge of all of the things of God, for he
too has a perfect knowledge of all of God's counsel. But it
confirms the earlier statement in verse 10 that the Spirit fully
knows the things of God. Now look at verse 12, Paul goes
on to say, we have received a spirit, not the spirit of the world,
but the spirit which is of God. Compare the contrast over in
Romans 8, 15. Not the spirit of bondage to
fear, but the spirit of adoption. And by this spirit, we might
know the things that are freely given us of God, the things that
God has ordained before the world ever began. And in the 13th verse,
these things freely given us of God, we therefore in turn
speak, not using words, which man's wisdom teaches, but speaking
spiritual truth in a spiritual way by the help of the Spirit. Now, let's look at that 14th
verse while there's a little bit of time left. Paul contrasts
the natural man, that while we may know the things that are
freely given unto us by God, the natural man, on the other
hand, receives not the things of the Spirit of God. So the question is, what is this
natural man? What is his state and what is
his condition? Goodwin wrote, the natural man
is the same man that he was when he came from Adam. having only
the principle that He brought into this world. It is the same
word that is used in 1 Corinthians chapter 15, verse 44 through
verse 46 of the natural body as compared to the spiritual
body, the body that we were born in, the body that we lived in
in this world. In short, the natural man is
a man that is yet unregenerate. He's a man whose understanding
is yet darkened. A veil is yet upon the eye and
the heart. And in order to understand the
things of God, a brand new principle must be put into the heart of
that person, must be put in so to alter it, or to elevate, Enlighten
the mind and the understanding of that person. Not only is the
natural man unable to receive the things of God, but his case
is far worse. Notice, they are foolishness
unto him. Not only can He not receive them,
but they are in their principal foolishness unto Him. As the
Jews in their natural estate saw no beauty in Christ that
they should desire Him in the flesh, Isaiah 53 tells us that,
so the natural man has no real taste are no real delight in
the gospel. First, they're foolish in it,
then secondly, notice what he said in that verse, they are
spiritually discerned. In verse 14, The word judges,
in verse 15, are basically the same word. To distinguish, to
investigate, to examine, to scrutinize, we might express it. Only a spiritual
man with new eyes and new ears and a new heart can see the wisdom
in the gospel. And that natural person cannot
see it. Now, that a natural person is
not able to see the wisdom of God in the gospel is no reflection
upon the gospel that we preach, because men and women are not
able to understand it. It is no reflection upon the
gospel or the things of God. Now, in closing, What wisdom
in God's scheme of saving sinners do we discover in the scripture? And that is that God, the holy,
righteous, just one, who is of two pure eyes, than to behold
iniquity. that that just God is able to
save sinners without sacrificing His justice or His righteousness. He is able to save sinners by
upholding His law and yet save them who are lawbreakers. His law is fully satisfied while
lawbreakers are saved. He is able to save, He is able
to give life by and through the death of God's Son, that the
Son became incarnate. A member of the Godhead put on
flesh and took on the likeness of men and dwelt among us, and
that one bore the sin of many. God lay upon him. the iniquity
of us all. Is that not wisdom? Not a sacrifice
of His justice or His righteousness or of His law? And yet sinners
are saved who have done all of those. Now that so few believe
the gospel proves, I believe, that it is spiritually discerned. That so few believe it is evident
that there must be a divine influence for one to know and to understand
the gospel. We say with Paul, in closing,
do you itch for wisdom and for philosophy? that we have not
for you, but we preach the wisdom. We preach the wisdom of God in
a mystery. We preach the wisdom of God once
hidden. We preach the wisdom of God ordained
before the foundation of the world. There is great wisdom
in the gospel for those who have eyes to see and who have ears
to hear. Praise God for the wisdom in
the gospel of Christ, our blessed Lord.