20160717 Sunday, July 17 2016
1 Corinthians 02: Humans In Their Natural State

by Wayne Blank
See also 1 Year Holy Bible Reading Plan

"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"

The English-language word "wisdom" is derived from an ancient Anglo-Saxon word that meant to see (hence also the long-ago origin of the term "I see" when one understands something).

Unlike "worldly smarts," true wisdom is a spiritual quality, not necessarily a measure of intelligence i.e. there are some very intelligent people in the world who do some very unwise things, while conversely there are some people of lesser intellectual ability who have wisdom that is superior to people with supposedly greater intelligence.

Intelligence itself is manifested in two sometimes-conflicting forms - greater thinking power on one hand, and acquired knowledge on the other. Paradoxically, great intelligence is sometimes used to do very unintelligent things in "great" ways e.g. people with computer programming abilities wasting it on producing viruses and malware.

In the Holy Bible, "wisdom" is used to translate the Hebrew word of the Old Testament (see also The Older Testament) (pronounced) kok-maw that means to be wise in thought and deed, and the Greek word of the New Testament (pronounced) sof-ee-ah that means clear, or wise.

The Holy Scriptures emphasize that wisdom that is based upon the Word of God is the only true wisdom, while carnal "worldly" wisdom is nothing more than dead-end self-righteous vanity i.e. "There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death." (Proverbs 14:12 KJV) and "For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness. And again, The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain." (1 Corinthians 3:19-20 KJV)

True wisdom (keeping in mind that wisdom means "to see"), based solely upon the spiritual Light of God's Word, is not yet widely appreciated in the world, but the means is coming (see the Fact Finder question below).

Paul was a highly educated man, a powerful teacher, but he proclaimed that what he taught was not a matter of a man's personal abilities, "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."

"2:1 And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God. 2:2 For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified. 2:3 And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling.

2:4 And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: 2:5 That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God." (1 Corinthians 2:1-5 KJV)

"Christianity" (see also Where Believers Were First Called Christians) was not a new or rebellious religion. It was a fulfillment of what the prophets long before knew and taught. Notice how Paul quotes Isaiah 64:4 ("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" verse 9 below) and Isaiah 40:3 ("For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him?" verse 16 below) in the present tense. The Messiah Himself began His Ministry with such a quote (see What Did The Messiah Read From Isaiah That Day?).

"2:6 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: 2:7 But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory: 2:8 Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. 2:9 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.

2:10 But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. 2:11 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. 2:12 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. 2:13 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. 2:14 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. 2:15 But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man.

2:16 For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him?

But we have the mind of Christ." (1 Corinthians 2:6-16 KJV)

Fact Finder: When will humanity as a whole be better able to use the intelligence that the LORD gave to them?
See The Cure For Confusion