WHEN I CAME TO YOU. In _chapter 1,_ Paul showed that God purposely chose what the world considers nonsense and weak, to put to shame and to destroy what the world thinks is important. To the Corinthian Christians he says: (1) the gospel is no philosophy; (2) you are no philosophers. He returns to hi... [ Continue Reading ]
EXCEPT JESUS CHRIST. If Paul were to proclaim a different message, he would use a different style. But he was simply telling the Good News of Christ. Therefore, he used a simple, direct style, because he did not want anything to detract from the power of "Christ on the cross!... [ Continue Reading ]
SO WHEN I CAME TO YOU. 1 Corinthians 2:1-2 tell how Paul _did not come._ 1 Corinthians 2:3-5 tell how he _did come._ Weak AND TREMBLED. The Greeks evaluated their philosophers by the power and style of their speaking. Paul deliberately used a style that was "weak and trembled all over with fear." [S... [ Continue Reading ]
WERE NOT DELIVERED. He did not use the skillful words that brainwash a person without really teaching him anything. BUT WITH CONVINCING PROOF. The Truth was made known by the Spirit and proved by supernormal powers. Compare 1 Thessalonians 1:5 and note.... [ Continue Reading ]
YOUR FAITH, THEN. This whole paragraph grows out of "When I came" in 1 Corinthians 2:1. He points back to his original work at Corinth. Paul was God's spokesman; therefore he acted so that God alone would receive the glory (see note on 1 Corinthians 1:31). If he had persuaded the Corinthians with sk... [ Continue Reading ]
YET I DO SPEAK WISDOM. So far Paul has said that his message is "nonsense," _out of step_ with the wisdom of this world. Yet at the same time, he makes it plain that his message (the gospel) is in the truest sense: _"God's wisdom!"_ But, he points out, _only to those qualified to understand it!_ SPI... [ Continue Reading ]
GOD'S SECRET WISDOM. The world does not understand the value of God's wisdom in "Christ on the cross," because they are completely unqualified to do so. The Corinthian Christians only partly understood, because they were "spiritual babies" (1 Corinthians 3:1-3). HIDDEN FROM MEN. _MacKnight_ sees in... [ Continue Reading ]
NONE OF THE RULERS. This points to the Jewish and Roman rulers who nailed Christ to the cross. They were completely ignorant of God's wisdom and plan. The stupidity of the philosophers in rejecting "Christ on the cross" was only surpassed by the stupidity of the politicians who nailed him there.... [ Continue Reading ]
AS THE SCRIPTURE SAYS. Paul paraphrases Isaiah 64:4 Septuagint. This describes "Christ on the cross," that is, _God's secret wisdom._ No one ever expected God to act in history by sending the Eternal Logos in human form and having him die on the cross as the means of salvation! The TOTAL glory of Go... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT IT WAS TO US. That is, _to we who love him._ Those things which human talents could not discover, God made known by means of his Spirit (compare John 14:26). THE SPIRIT SEARCHES EVERYTHING. That is, the Spirit knows the deep, unrevealed things of God, and he made them known to the apostles, who... [ Continue Reading ]
IT IS HIS OWN SPIRIT. He uses this as an illustration: your own spirit knows things about you which no one else can know. IN THE SAME WAY. Nothing of God's Plan and secret knowledge is unknown to God's Spirit. And, only God's Spirit can make these things known to us.... [ Continue Reading ]
WE HAVE NOT RECEIVED THIS WORLD'S SPIRIT. Paul contrasts _this world's spirit_ (the demonic inspiration of the pagan prophets, such as Acts 16:16), with the Spirit sent by God. SO THAT we MAY KNOW ALL. Compare Ephesians 1:17-18. THAT GOD HAS GIVEN US. This points directly to the historic gifts which... [ Continue Reading ]
SO THEN. The apostles _passed on to mankind_ all the Spirit made known to them. Paul has no esoteric secrets to be whispered only to a select circle. If only the spiritually mature understand, it is not because he limits the number who hear. BUT IN WORDS TAUGHT BY THE SPIRIT. _Evans_ writes: "with s... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT THE MAN. [PSUCHIKOS = unspiritual, non-spiritual, not possessing the Spirit of God.] Paul is saying that human nature at its very best, such as seen in the Greek philosophers, the highest aims and thoughts of natural life, still has no ability to evaluate, understand, and receive the gifts (1 Co... [ Continue Reading ]
THE MAN WHO HAS THE SPIRIT. The Spirit is God's gift to each Christian (_see notes on_ Acts 2:39; Acts 5:32). The man who has the Spirit is not blinded and biased by his human nature; therefore he has the ability to clearly see the true value of everything. BUT NO ONE IS ABLE TO JUDGE HIM. The spiri... [ Continue Reading ]
AS THE SCRIPTURE SAYS. Paul paraphrases Isaiah 40:13 Septuagint. He uses this to illustrate his statement in 1 Corinthians 2:14-15_. The_ greatest of the Greek philosophers, who were the most intelligent of "unspiritual man," could not give advice to God. [_MacKnight_ understands this to mean that t... [ Continue Reading ]