THE POWER OF GOD

1 AND I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God.
2 For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.
3 And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling.
4 And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power:
5 That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.

TRUE WISDOM
6 Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought:
7 But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory:
8 Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.
9 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.
10 But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.
11 For what man knoweth 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.
12 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 to us of God.
13 Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.
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.
15 But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man.
16 For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.

1And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellencie of speech, or of wisedome, declaring vnto you the testimony of God.

2For I determined not to know any thing amōg you, saue Iesus Christ, and him crucified.

3And I was with you in weakenesse, and in feare, and in much trembling.

4And my speech, and my preaching was not with entising words of mans wisedome, but in demonstration of the Spirit, and of power:

5That your faith should not stand in the wisdome of men, but in the power of God.

6Howbeit wee speake wisedome among them that are perfect: yet not the wisedome of this worlde, nor of the Princes of this worlde, that come to nought:

7But wee speake the wisedome of God in a mysterie, euen the hidden wisedome which God ordeined before the world, vnto our glory.

8Which none of the princes of this world knewe: for had they knowen it, they would not haue crucified the Lord of glory.

9But as it is written, Eye hath not seene, nor eare heard, neither haue entred into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that loue him.

10But God hath reueiled them vnto vs by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deepe things of God.

11For what man knoweth the things of a man, saue the spirit of man which is in him? Euen so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.

12Now wee haue receiued, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is of God, that wee might know the things that are freely giuen to vs of God.

13Which things also we speake, not in the words which mans wisedome teacheth, but which the holy Ghost teacheth, comparing spiritual things with spirituall.

14But the naturall man receiueth not the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishnesse vnto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

15But he that is spirituall, iudgeth all things, yet he himselfe is iudged of no man.

16For who hath knowen the mind of the Lord that he may instruct him? But we haue the mind of Christ.

II == GAL 6:14 ; 1st COR 1:23 ; Phil 3:8

III == ACTS 18:1 , 6 , 12 ; 1st COR 4:10 ;

IV == ROM 15:19 ; 1st COR 4:20 ; 2nd Peter 1:16

V == 2nd COR 4:7 ; 6:7 ; 1st COR 12:9

VI == EPH 4:13

VII == ROM 8:29-30 ; Eph 3:5 , 9 ; 2nd Tim 1:9

VIII == ACTS 7:2 ; JAS 2:1 ; Luke 23:34 ; 2nd Cor 3:14

IX == IS 64:4 ; 65:17

X == MT 11:25 ; 13:11 ; 16:17 ; EPH 3:3 , 5 ; John 14:26 ; 16:13 ; 1st John 2:27

XI == Prov 20:27 ; 27:19

XII == ROM 8:15

XIII == 1st COR 1:7 ; 2:4 ; 2nd Peter 1:16

XIV == 1st COR 1:18 ; JAS 3:15 ; Matt 16:23 ; Rom 8:5-7

XV == 1st COR 3:1 ; 14:37 GAL 6:1 ; Prov 28:5 ; 1st Thess 5:21

XVI == Isa 40:13 ; Job 15:8 ; Phil 2:5

 

 

1. And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not in loftiness of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of Christ. 2 For I judged not myself to know anything among you, but Jesus Christ: and him crucified. 3 And I was with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling. 4 And my speech and my preaching was not in the persuasive words of human wisdom, but in showing of the Spirit and power:
5 That your faith might not stand on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God.
6 Howbeit we speak wisdom among the perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, neither of the princes of this world that come to nought.
7 But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, a wisdom which is hidden, which God ordained before the world, unto our glory: 8 Which none of the princes of this world knew. For if they had known it, they would never have crucified the Lord of glory 9 But, as it is written: That eye hath not seen, nor ear heard: neither hath it entered into the heart of man, what things God hath prepared for them that love him. 10 But to us God hath revealed them by his Spirit. For the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. 11 For what man knoweth the things of a man, but the spirit of a man that is in him? So the things also that are of God, no man knoweth, but the Spirit of God. 12 Now, we have received not the spirit of this world, but the Spirit that is of God: that we may know the things that are given us from God. 13 Which things also we speak: not in the learned words of human wisdom, but in the doctrine of the Spirit, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. 14 But the sensual manperceiveth not these things that are of the Spirit of God. For it is foolishness to him: and he cannot understand, because it is spiritually examined. The sensual man — the spiritual man... The sensual man is either he who is taken up with sensual pleasures, with carnal and worldly affections; or he who measureth divine mysteries by natural reason, sense, and human wisdom only. Now such a man has little or no notion of the things of God. Whereas the spiritual man is he who, in the mysteries of religion, takes not human sense for his guide: but submits his judgment to the decisions of the church, which he is commanded to hear and obey. For Christ hath promised to remain to the end of the world with his church, and to direct her in all things by the Spirit of truth. 15 But the spiritual manjudgeth all things: and he himself is judged of no man 16 For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.

v1.  Paul had not relied on human wisdom or great oratory, he called his speech contemptible, 2 Cor. 10:10, but the simple gospel message.

v2.  He preached other things, but the heart of his message was the death, burial and resurrection of Christ. See 3:10, 11 for the foundation and 15:3,4 for the death burial and resurrection of Christ.

v3.  Emphasizes his humble presentation. 2 Cor. 10:10 His speech was contemptible and his presence weak.

v4-8.  The wisdom of God is a mystery to the world. Pilate and other leaders lacked the wisdom of God or they would not have crucified Christ. [Some think this refers to the demonic powers of Eph. 6:12, who didn’t know crucifying Christ was what actually brought salvation to mankind.] 

v9.  This quotes Isaiah 64:4. It is beyond comprehension.

v10-12. Nevertheless, God reveals them to believers through the Holy Spirit.

v13.  The Holy Spirit taught men the words to write, not by mechanical dictation, but in their own vocabulary. To understand these scriptures we must compare spiritual things with spiritual as meticulously as a decorator compares the colors and designs for the most proper decor.

v14.  The natural man, though maybe very moral and intellectual, is unsaved, contrasted with spiritual men who are saved and carnal men who are saved but still walking after the flesh. The latter can only understand the milk, the simplest things of the Word.

V 15.  The spiritual man is able to judge, examine and / or discern what is right and wrong, or good and best in life situations in relationship to God. However, the unsaved simply can not understand the spiritual man. (An unsaved friend frequently discussed various issues with me and I would try to answer based on scripture. Once he said, “Leaving the Bible out of it, how do you explain thus and such.” I replied, “If I were to leave the Bible out of it, I couldn’t answer thus and such.”)

v16. God’s thoughts are so much higher than our thoughts, Isaiah 55:8,9 that we must let Him direct our paths, Prov. 3:5,6. But we have the beginnings of the mind of Christ because of the indwelling Holy Spirit.