Graduate 125: 1 Corinthians 2:6-3:4
In 1 Corinthians 1:10-2:5, Paul sets about undercutting the motivation that drives people to factions. The Corinthian Christians have been placing their confidence in particular individuals or in associating themselves with particular individuals--Paul, Apollos, Cephas, even Christ. And the result is that they have become divided and quarrelsome. Paul reminds them that in Jesus Christ there is no need to advance oneself (or defend or protect oneself) by placing confidence in mere men or in any merely human resource. In fact, to take that route is just to follow after the pattern of this world's wisdom, which is contrary to God's wisdom. We need to place our trust and confidence and identity and security in Jesus Christ alone.
Now, having set up this juxtaposition between the wisdom of the world and the wisdom of God--having rejected the wisdom of the world and preoccupation with it, it is particularly interesting that Paul should continue with this next statement:
"Yet we do speak wisdom among those who are mature; a wisdom, however, not of this age, nor of the rulers of this age, who are passing away; but we speak God's wisdom in a mystery, the hidden wisdom, which God predestined before the ages to our glory;" (2:6-7)
At first glance, this appears to be a step backwards rather than forwards. Corinth, being a very cosmopolitan place--a center of trade and of the exchange of ideas--, is full of people who profess to have and to teach wisdom. In the last section, Paul speaks of the Greeks' quest for wisdom. (1:22) Part of the Corinthian Christians' problem just is that they are seeking to acquire wisdom--wisdom of a sort that they can then flaunt, hold over other people's heads, and use as a mark of status. Paul has just been undercutting that misguided pursuit. So for him then to 'concede' that there is a wisdom that is spoken among the mature seems, at first, to open the door to that very pursuit that he condemned just a moment ago.
One can imagine the ears of the Corinthian Christians perking up as they listen to this letter being read in their church. For a while they may have been shamed by Paul's rebuke, but now Paul seems to be moving in exactly the direction that they want him to go. Those who have claimed to be wise are gearing up to weigh and evaluate this new wisdom. Those who have never been considered wise are wondering if they will understand; if only they can grasp it, then they will be "wise" as well. Anticipation is high as Paul begins to tell them about the wisdom that is spoken only "among those who are mature." But what does Paul say about this wisdom? He says only that it is "not of this age, nor of the rulers of this age". He says that it is contained in "a mystery", that it is "hidden" and that it is was prepared for Christians by God. Of course these are all tantalizing details, but they don't tell us what exactly the wisdom is. Paul goes on to describe:
"the wisdom which none of the rulers of this age has understood; for if they had understood it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory; but just as it is written, 'Things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard, and which have not entered the heart of man, all that God has prepared for those who love Him.' " (2:8-9)
That's it. That's the description. Are you disappointed? Here Paul seemed to be gearing up to tell us about the secret, hidden wisdom of God and all he does is tell us that it consists in things which eye has not seen, ear has not heard, and which have not entered the heart of man. What a let-down.
Now different commentators have speculated on what exactly is being referred to by this 'wisdom from God'. [1] Their interpretations tend to turn on how they read Paul's reference to the 'mature.' Some take this "wisdom" to refer to the general revelation of Jesus Christ as savior (v. 8); others see a more eschatological emphasis (v.7); some look to the other letters of Paul, like Colossians (chs. 1-2) for clues to uncovering this mystery.
I will not focus on the exact character of the wisdom to which Paul refers in this passage. What I want to focus on is why Paul brings it up. He's not just giving the Corinthian Christians a lesson about the wisdom of God but he is making a very particular point. We can see this even more clearly if we adopt (if only provisionally) the reading of the text that I've offered above. Keep in mind the Corinthians' desire to acquire knowledge and wisdom as we read what Paul says next, beginning with yet another Reason Clause:
"For to us God revealed them [referring to the mysteries] through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God. For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the spirit of the man, which is in him? Even so the thoughts of God no one knows except the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things freely given to us by God, which things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words." (2:10-13)
[For a brief comment on Reason Clauses, see the preceding entry.]
When the Corinthians thought about wisdom, they very likely thought of it in terms of some secret creed or set of secret truths. In some of the mystery cults, it might have taken the form of incantations or mantras. According to certain philosophers, it may have consisted in certain special abilities of discernment. In every case, the wisdom is human-centered and within the power of the people who wield it. This is where the contrast, between what the Corinthians may have been expecting and what actual godly wisdom consists in, begins. Paul makes clear that wisdom is revealed by the Spirit of God; but it is not just "revealed" in the sense that the Spirit tells us the wisdom of God. Something much deeper and more profound is involved.
Paul draws an analogy between the Spirit of God and the spirit of a man. The only one who knows a man's thoughts is that man's spirit. This we may accept as a commonplace. Of course our thoughts and attitudes and beliefs can be revealed by our actions (even inadvertent actions), but it still remains the case that the only one who really knows what a person is thinking is the person himself. And the only way for anyone else to know what that person is thinking is for him to disclose that voluntarily. Similarly, Paul says, "[T]he thoughts of God no one knows except the Spirit of God." But God does not reveal His thoughts just by telling them to us. He goes farther than that; He gives us His Spirit. This kind of revelation is far deeper and more affecting and life-transforming than could possibly be achieved "in words taught by human wisdom". [2]
That it is the Spirit Himself that we receive totally changes the dynamic of life that follows. Mere "words" of wisdom we can weigh and evaluate and consider and either accept or discard; not so with the Spirit of God. After all, what standard could we use to evaluate God's wisdom? Can we apply a human standard to the wisdom of God? Paul has already told us that the wisdom of God is foolishness to the world. Imagine the people in the Corinthian congregation who may have been gearing up to consider and judge Paul's purported wisdom; given the chance, they would have evaluated his claims by their own standards and certainly would have found them wanting. But Paul has not given them that chance and, in doing so, has shown them how their mindset and methodology are mistaken and misguided. He goes on to make this contrast more explicit in the following:
"But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God; for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised. But he who is spiritual appraises all things, yet he himself is appraised by no man. For who has known the mind of the Lord, that he should instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ." (2:14-16)
This concludes Paul's description of the relationship between the wisdom of God and the revelation of the Spirit of God. Actually, his language would not be unfamiliar to those who were acquainted with the pagan philosophical systems that abounded in Corinth. But this is also the point where Paul completely turns the table on the Corinthian Christians. They have been chasing after wisdom. Unfortunately they have not been chasing after God's wisdom but the world's wisdom and have received the fruits of their efforts in the form of factions and divisions and quarrels. Throughout this passage Paul has been reminding them of where true wisdom comes from--that it comes from the Spirit and is spiritually discerned and cannot be appraised by the unspiritual or natural man. Finally he concludes this argument with this harsh rebuke of the Corinthian Christians:
"And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual men, but as to men of flesh, as to babes in Christ. I gave you milk to drink, not solid food; for you were not yet able to receive it. Indeed, even now you are not yet able, for you are still fleshly. For since there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not fleshly, and are you not walking like mere men? For when one says, "I am of Paul," and another, "I am of Apollos," are you not mere men?" (3:1-4)
Earlier Paul may have been taking jabs at the Corinthians by playing on their pursuit of wisdom (2:6-9) and expanding on the contrast between the spiritual and worldly (2:10-16) that he laid out in 1:10-2:5. Now he comes right out and tells them that they are unfit to receive the true wisdom that comes from God. These people who have boasted of their wisdom and quarreled with one another over their wisdom--Paul says quite plainly that not one of them is wise or fit to receive spiritual things.
In v.2 he refers back to a time when the Corinthians were not yet able to receive "solid food." That may have been when they first accepted Christ and were still young in their faith. Certainly there is nothing wrong with being immature, as such. But Paul goes on to say, "Indeed, even now you are not yet able," and that is the heart of his criticism. It's understandable that one is immature in one's faith when starting out. But the Corinthian church has been established for some time now, and they have not progressed and grown into maturity as they ought. Instead, they are still 'fleshly.' And what is the evidence of their fleshliness? The fact that they still have quarrels among themselves.
Do you see the irony? The Corinthians thought that they were wise, and because they thought they were wise, they quarreled amongst themselves. Now Paul comes along and says that the fact that they are still quarreling just is decisive evidence that they do not have wisdom.
Another interesting point to notice is how Paul's rebuke of the Corinthians in 3:1-4 contrasts with Paul's language in 2:10-16. Paul makes clear that wisdom comes only by the revelation of God. It is only by His Spirit that any man can come to grasp the mind and mysteries of God. But it is also within man's power to cut short that revelatory process. The natural man or the fleshly man can hinder or block God's revelation. This is important to keep in mind. Our attitudes and dispositions and character make a difference in our journey of growth toward maturity; we must not forget that.
Now some will worry about the descriptions offered in 2:14-16 and the portrayal of a God who seems to be, at least sometimes, inscrutable. What, after all, does it mean to be "spiritual"? It's hard to find a straightforward answer to that question. Moreover, if God is so beyond our ability to comprehend, then how can He expect us to follow Him. In a world where so many people, with different and conflicting messages, claim to speak for God; how can I know which way is God's way? Indeed, the very fact that there are so many conflicting messages, even within the Church, might be taken as evidence that there is no such thing as a "Spirit of God," for if there was such a Spirit, then the Church would be unified. And Paul, himself, seems to indicate that lack of unity is evidence of a lack of spiritual maturity. What are we to make of such a situation?
This is a difficult set of questions, indeed. Paul is, here, addressing a very specific church community and taking them to task on their particular failings. What general principles can we draw from this to apply to our contemporary situation? Certainly we should keep in mind Paul's desire and instruction in 1:10, "Now I exhort you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all agree, and there be no divisions among you, but you be made complete in the same mind and in the same judgment." But, of course, Paul does not have in mind, here, unity at any cost or unity at the expense of clear doctrine. Paul understands that Christ needs to be at the center of the church and that nothing less will do. He emphasizes that the Corinthians' preoccupation with worldly wisdom and worldly standards of success have hindered their spiritual walk and growth. At the very least, we too need to reflect on and evaluate the shape of our own lives.
To what extent have I bought into the value-systems of this world? Do my goals and aspirations reflect God's express will or my own desires? How confident am I that I am right? What is the source of that confidence? How does that confidence lead me to treat others? (Recall that even though Paul may distinguish between immature and mature Christians, this is not a ground for boasting on the latter's part.) How much do I rely on myself as opposed to the Spirit in trying to determine God's will? Do my conclusions about God's will reflect a reliance on His Spirit and revelation or a desire to see my own will done? What are the obstacles that I need to overcome in my journey of following God? What does the next stage of spiritual maturity look like for me? Do I see myself as constantly needing to grow in grace or do I think that I have already arrived? How well do I think that I understand God? Have I put God in a box? Am I still open to being challenged by the Scriptures and the Spirit?
The juxtaposition, so far, has been between the ways and wisdom of this world and the ways and wisdom of God. The challenge is to keep the two straight and to be constantly pursuing the latter. It is so easy to become confused and to settle for a version of wisdom that is comfortable and, in truth, more closely matches the pattern of the world then of God. How do you discern between the two? The above questions may help you to begin to do so. And as we continue to read, Paul will continue to challenge the priorities and accepted values of the Corinthians. At each turn, we can again look at our own lives and compare; how do we measure up? What can we change? How can we improve?--recognizing all the while that the one and only true source is God.
Paul continues his critique of those who wish to judge himself and other Christian leaders by merely human standards in the next section.
--
Footnotes:
[1] "The gift however is one for the mature Christian. [This expression] is not common in the Greek Old Testament, but its use there suggests ethical perfection...; elsewhere it is used more generally of those who are full-grown, adult. ... The significant point here (see Sevenster, Seneca, pp. 144 f.) is that Paul does not have a simple Gospel of the cross for babes (iii. 1), and a different wisdom-Gospel for the perfect... . All Christians are potentially perfect or mature in Christ (Col. i. 28), though only some are actually what all ought to be. This is not a gnostic distinction between earthly and spiritual men." (Barrett, 68-69)
"Hering and others think that Paul is here contrasting simple Christians, who know the story of the cross, with the more 'mature' who go on to profound wisdom. But his words do not bear this out. He is developing the thought that the divine wisdom which brought about Christ's saving act in the cross is the real wisdom, and further, that this wisdom is in total opposition to the worldly wisdom so beloved in Corinth. ... Those who have welcomed the message of the cross are mature, whereas the worldly-minded who reject it are not." (Morris, 52-53)
See also: Fee, 98-103.
[2] "Only God’s Spirit knows what is in his heart, but because believers have God’s Spirit, they can know his heart too. This was a radical statement for most of ancient Judaism, because most Jewish teachers did not believe that the Spirit was active in their day. "Spirit" had a broad variety of meanings, including "attitude," "disposition"; hence "spirit of the world" need not refer to any particular spiritual being (unlike God's Spirit)." (Keener:1993, 458)
--
God is in this place,
And that reality, seen and understood by the grace of God in Christ Jesus through the work of the Holy Spirit, makes all the difference in the world.
Now, having set up this juxtaposition between the wisdom of the world and the wisdom of God--having rejected the wisdom of the world and preoccupation with it, it is particularly interesting that Paul should continue with this next statement:
"Yet we do speak wisdom among those who are mature; a wisdom, however, not of this age, nor of the rulers of this age, who are passing away; but we speak God's wisdom in a mystery, the hidden wisdom, which God predestined before the ages to our glory;" (2:6-7)
At first glance, this appears to be a step backwards rather than forwards. Corinth, being a very cosmopolitan place--a center of trade and of the exchange of ideas--, is full of people who profess to have and to teach wisdom. In the last section, Paul speaks of the Greeks' quest for wisdom. (1:22) Part of the Corinthian Christians' problem just is that they are seeking to acquire wisdom--wisdom of a sort that they can then flaunt, hold over other people's heads, and use as a mark of status. Paul has just been undercutting that misguided pursuit. So for him then to 'concede' that there is a wisdom that is spoken among the mature seems, at first, to open the door to that very pursuit that he condemned just a moment ago.
One can imagine the ears of the Corinthian Christians perking up as they listen to this letter being read in their church. For a while they may have been shamed by Paul's rebuke, but now Paul seems to be moving in exactly the direction that they want him to go. Those who have claimed to be wise are gearing up to weigh and evaluate this new wisdom. Those who have never been considered wise are wondering if they will understand; if only they can grasp it, then they will be "wise" as well. Anticipation is high as Paul begins to tell them about the wisdom that is spoken only "among those who are mature." But what does Paul say about this wisdom? He says only that it is "not of this age, nor of the rulers of this age". He says that it is contained in "a mystery", that it is "hidden" and that it is was prepared for Christians by God. Of course these are all tantalizing details, but they don't tell us what exactly the wisdom is. Paul goes on to describe:
"the wisdom which none of the rulers of this age has understood; for if they had understood it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory; but just as it is written, 'Things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard, and which have not entered the heart of man, all that God has prepared for those who love Him.' " (2:8-9)
That's it. That's the description. Are you disappointed? Here Paul seemed to be gearing up to tell us about the secret, hidden wisdom of God and all he does is tell us that it consists in things which eye has not seen, ear has not heard, and which have not entered the heart of man. What a let-down.
Now different commentators have speculated on what exactly is being referred to by this 'wisdom from God'. [1] Their interpretations tend to turn on how they read Paul's reference to the 'mature.' Some take this "wisdom" to refer to the general revelation of Jesus Christ as savior (v. 8); others see a more eschatological emphasis (v.7); some look to the other letters of Paul, like Colossians (chs. 1-2) for clues to uncovering this mystery.
I will not focus on the exact character of the wisdom to which Paul refers in this passage. What I want to focus on is why Paul brings it up. He's not just giving the Corinthian Christians a lesson about the wisdom of God but he is making a very particular point. We can see this even more clearly if we adopt (if only provisionally) the reading of the text that I've offered above. Keep in mind the Corinthians' desire to acquire knowledge and wisdom as we read what Paul says next, beginning with yet another Reason Clause:
"For to us God revealed them [referring to the mysteries] through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God. For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the spirit of the man, which is in him? Even so the thoughts of God no one knows except the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things freely given to us by God, which things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words." (2:10-13)
[For a brief comment on Reason Clauses, see the preceding entry.]
When the Corinthians thought about wisdom, they very likely thought of it in terms of some secret creed or set of secret truths. In some of the mystery cults, it might have taken the form of incantations or mantras. According to certain philosophers, it may have consisted in certain special abilities of discernment. In every case, the wisdom is human-centered and within the power of the people who wield it. This is where the contrast, between what the Corinthians may have been expecting and what actual godly wisdom consists in, begins. Paul makes clear that wisdom is revealed by the Spirit of God; but it is not just "revealed" in the sense that the Spirit tells us the wisdom of God. Something much deeper and more profound is involved.
Paul draws an analogy between the Spirit of God and the spirit of a man. The only one who knows a man's thoughts is that man's spirit. This we may accept as a commonplace. Of course our thoughts and attitudes and beliefs can be revealed by our actions (even inadvertent actions), but it still remains the case that the only one who really knows what a person is thinking is the person himself. And the only way for anyone else to know what that person is thinking is for him to disclose that voluntarily. Similarly, Paul says, "[T]he thoughts of God no one knows except the Spirit of God." But God does not reveal His thoughts just by telling them to us. He goes farther than that; He gives us His Spirit. This kind of revelation is far deeper and more affecting and life-transforming than could possibly be achieved "in words taught by human wisdom". [2]
That it is the Spirit Himself that we receive totally changes the dynamic of life that follows. Mere "words" of wisdom we can weigh and evaluate and consider and either accept or discard; not so with the Spirit of God. After all, what standard could we use to evaluate God's wisdom? Can we apply a human standard to the wisdom of God? Paul has already told us that the wisdom of God is foolishness to the world. Imagine the people in the Corinthian congregation who may have been gearing up to consider and judge Paul's purported wisdom; given the chance, they would have evaluated his claims by their own standards and certainly would have found them wanting. But Paul has not given them that chance and, in doing so, has shown them how their mindset and methodology are mistaken and misguided. He goes on to make this contrast more explicit in the following:
"But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God; for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised. But he who is spiritual appraises all things, yet he himself is appraised by no man. For who has known the mind of the Lord, that he should instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ." (2:14-16)
This concludes Paul's description of the relationship between the wisdom of God and the revelation of the Spirit of God. Actually, his language would not be unfamiliar to those who were acquainted with the pagan philosophical systems that abounded in Corinth. But this is also the point where Paul completely turns the table on the Corinthian Christians. They have been chasing after wisdom. Unfortunately they have not been chasing after God's wisdom but the world's wisdom and have received the fruits of their efforts in the form of factions and divisions and quarrels. Throughout this passage Paul has been reminding them of where true wisdom comes from--that it comes from the Spirit and is spiritually discerned and cannot be appraised by the unspiritual or natural man. Finally he concludes this argument with this harsh rebuke of the Corinthian Christians:
"And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual men, but as to men of flesh, as to babes in Christ. I gave you milk to drink, not solid food; for you were not yet able to receive it. Indeed, even now you are not yet able, for you are still fleshly. For since there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not fleshly, and are you not walking like mere men? For when one says, "I am of Paul," and another, "I am of Apollos," are you not mere men?" (3:1-4)
Earlier Paul may have been taking jabs at the Corinthians by playing on their pursuit of wisdom (2:6-9) and expanding on the contrast between the spiritual and worldly (2:10-16) that he laid out in 1:10-2:5. Now he comes right out and tells them that they are unfit to receive the true wisdom that comes from God. These people who have boasted of their wisdom and quarreled with one another over their wisdom--Paul says quite plainly that not one of them is wise or fit to receive spiritual things.
In v.2 he refers back to a time when the Corinthians were not yet able to receive "solid food." That may have been when they first accepted Christ and were still young in their faith. Certainly there is nothing wrong with being immature, as such. But Paul goes on to say, "Indeed, even now you are not yet able," and that is the heart of his criticism. It's understandable that one is immature in one's faith when starting out. But the Corinthian church has been established for some time now, and they have not progressed and grown into maturity as they ought. Instead, they are still 'fleshly.' And what is the evidence of their fleshliness? The fact that they still have quarrels among themselves.
Do you see the irony? The Corinthians thought that they were wise, and because they thought they were wise, they quarreled amongst themselves. Now Paul comes along and says that the fact that they are still quarreling just is decisive evidence that they do not have wisdom.
Another interesting point to notice is how Paul's rebuke of the Corinthians in 3:1-4 contrasts with Paul's language in 2:10-16. Paul makes clear that wisdom comes only by the revelation of God. It is only by His Spirit that any man can come to grasp the mind and mysteries of God. But it is also within man's power to cut short that revelatory process. The natural man or the fleshly man can hinder or block God's revelation. This is important to keep in mind. Our attitudes and dispositions and character make a difference in our journey of growth toward maturity; we must not forget that.
Now some will worry about the descriptions offered in 2:14-16 and the portrayal of a God who seems to be, at least sometimes, inscrutable. What, after all, does it mean to be "spiritual"? It's hard to find a straightforward answer to that question. Moreover, if God is so beyond our ability to comprehend, then how can He expect us to follow Him. In a world where so many people, with different and conflicting messages, claim to speak for God; how can I know which way is God's way? Indeed, the very fact that there are so many conflicting messages, even within the Church, might be taken as evidence that there is no such thing as a "Spirit of God," for if there was such a Spirit, then the Church would be unified. And Paul, himself, seems to indicate that lack of unity is evidence of a lack of spiritual maturity. What are we to make of such a situation?
This is a difficult set of questions, indeed. Paul is, here, addressing a very specific church community and taking them to task on their particular failings. What general principles can we draw from this to apply to our contemporary situation? Certainly we should keep in mind Paul's desire and instruction in 1:10, "Now I exhort you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all agree, and there be no divisions among you, but you be made complete in the same mind and in the same judgment." But, of course, Paul does not have in mind, here, unity at any cost or unity at the expense of clear doctrine. Paul understands that Christ needs to be at the center of the church and that nothing less will do. He emphasizes that the Corinthians' preoccupation with worldly wisdom and worldly standards of success have hindered their spiritual walk and growth. At the very least, we too need to reflect on and evaluate the shape of our own lives.
To what extent have I bought into the value-systems of this world? Do my goals and aspirations reflect God's express will or my own desires? How confident am I that I am right? What is the source of that confidence? How does that confidence lead me to treat others? (Recall that even though Paul may distinguish between immature and mature Christians, this is not a ground for boasting on the latter's part.) How much do I rely on myself as opposed to the Spirit in trying to determine God's will? Do my conclusions about God's will reflect a reliance on His Spirit and revelation or a desire to see my own will done? What are the obstacles that I need to overcome in my journey of following God? What does the next stage of spiritual maturity look like for me? Do I see myself as constantly needing to grow in grace or do I think that I have already arrived? How well do I think that I understand God? Have I put God in a box? Am I still open to being challenged by the Scriptures and the Spirit?
The juxtaposition, so far, has been between the ways and wisdom of this world and the ways and wisdom of God. The challenge is to keep the two straight and to be constantly pursuing the latter. It is so easy to become confused and to settle for a version of wisdom that is comfortable and, in truth, more closely matches the pattern of the world then of God. How do you discern between the two? The above questions may help you to begin to do so. And as we continue to read, Paul will continue to challenge the priorities and accepted values of the Corinthians. At each turn, we can again look at our own lives and compare; how do we measure up? What can we change? How can we improve?--recognizing all the while that the one and only true source is God.
Paul continues his critique of those who wish to judge himself and other Christian leaders by merely human standards in the next section.
--
Footnotes:
[1] "The gift however is one for the mature Christian. [This expression] is not common in the Greek Old Testament, but its use there suggests ethical perfection...; elsewhere it is used more generally of those who are full-grown, adult. ... The significant point here (see Sevenster, Seneca, pp. 144 f.) is that Paul does not have a simple Gospel of the cross for babes (iii. 1), and a different wisdom-Gospel for the perfect... . All Christians are potentially perfect or mature in Christ (Col. i. 28), though only some are actually what all ought to be. This is not a gnostic distinction between earthly and spiritual men." (Barrett, 68-69)
"Hering and others think that Paul is here contrasting simple Christians, who know the story of the cross, with the more 'mature' who go on to profound wisdom. But his words do not bear this out. He is developing the thought that the divine wisdom which brought about Christ's saving act in the cross is the real wisdom, and further, that this wisdom is in total opposition to the worldly wisdom so beloved in Corinth. ... Those who have welcomed the message of the cross are mature, whereas the worldly-minded who reject it are not." (Morris, 52-53)
See also: Fee, 98-103.
[2] "Only God’s Spirit knows what is in his heart, but because believers have God’s Spirit, they can know his heart too. This was a radical statement for most of ancient Judaism, because most Jewish teachers did not believe that the Spirit was active in their day. "Spirit" had a broad variety of meanings, including "attitude," "disposition"; hence "spirit of the world" need not refer to any particular spiritual being (unlike God's Spirit)." (Keener:1993, 458)
--
God is in this place,
And that reality, seen and understood by the grace of God in Christ Jesus through the work of the Holy Spirit, makes all the difference in the world.
posted by Metaphysician_delta | 1:52 PM
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