1 Corinthians 2:14-16 -- New Lenses Today

 

1 Corinthians 2:14-16

 

NKJV

But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.  But he who is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is rightly judged by no one.  For “who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct Him?” But we have the mind of Christ.

 

NLT

But people who aren’t spiritual can’t receive these truths from God’s Spirit. It all sounds foolish to them and they can’t understand it, for only those who are spiritual can understand what the Spirit means.  Those who are spiritual can evaluate all things, but they themselves cannot be evaluated by others.  For,

“Who can know the LORD’s thoughts?

Who knows enough to teach him?”

But we understand these things, for we have the mind of Christ.

 

The ancient Greek word for natural man is “psuchikos”, which can be described as “materialist”.  This man lives as if there is nothing beyond this life. (Enduring Word Commentary)

 

Isn’t this the very picture of how we are today? To often our whole focus is on the material things of this world and this can certainly block (or distract) us from what God would have for us.  This is true for sure of non-believers, but I think that believers can fall into this same trap.  When the world is LOUD, it can distract us from what truly matters.

 

The folks who haven’t accepted the free gift of the blood and grace of Jesus Christ (for forgiveness of sin), cannot understand what the believer understands about the Word of God.  Intellectual knowledge and human reason cannot produce faith.  At best, they produce facts; facts can be twisted and taken out of context.  Non-believers do not have the basis to judge spiritual things because these things are not revealed to them.

 

But, for the believer…we can judge (investigate, examine, appraise) all things.  This means we can see both the physical and the spiritual things.  We should be able to examine them and make decisions based on the revelation that God has given us (John 7:24 tells us to “look beneath the surface so we can judge correctly).  We have the mind of Christ and should be able to view all things through that lens (Isaiah 40:13).

 

The problem is that we don’t often do that.  Often, our lens is of the “what I want” variety.  So let’s make a change today.  Lets take off our “I” glasses and start looking at the world through the eyes of Jesus.  Examine everything as if Jesus Christ was right there beside you helping you make decisions (if you didn’t know, He has always been there).

 

New lenses today,

cej

1 Corinthians 2:13 -- Just a Peep!

 

1 Corinthians 2:13

 

NKJV

These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual.

 

NLT

When we tell you these things, we do not use words that come from human wisdom. Instead, we speak words given to us by the Spirit, using the Spirit’s words to explain spiritual truths.

 

How many times have you stared at some verses and just couldn’t make them make sense?  Clear to the point that just reading the words confuses you?  That’s where I was today, I just couldn’t wrap my head around this at all, despite what I wrote about verse 12 yesterday.  I just struggled today.  But finally, I got a little peep of understanding.

 

I can know about God with my own reasoning and wisdom, human wisdom.  I can study until I’m blue in the face and still just know about God.  As humans, our capacity for knowledge, and wisdom, is limited.  Limited by what everybody else knows and can discover.  The things of God just cannot be understood.

 

But, words given to us by the Spirit reveal spiritual truths.  We can only get these spiritual truths if we know God.  Knowing God means you have a salvation relationship with Him, that we have given our lives (selves) to Him.  Now the words revealed to us have a deeper meaning.

 

For Example, John 3:16. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”  When I first read this, I was probably more focused on the sacrifice and what it could mean to me.  As I matured, and this world has gone crazy, my focus has changed to “God so loved the world”.  Can you imagine a God, who so loved the world (no matter who you are or what you believe to the point of rejecting Him) that He would sacrifice it all because he loves you?

 

I believe as we pursue our relationship with God, He reveals deeper things.  Things that we cannot, and will not, understand as non-believers.  Things that will change as we mature in Christ.  There is a difference in knowing about God and knowing God; and this can only be revealed through the Holy Spirit.

 

Just a peep today,

cej

1 Corinthians 2:12 -- Know Who You Are!

 

1 Corinthians 2:12

 

NKJV

Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God.

 

NLT

And we have received God’s Spirit (not the world’s spirit), so we can know the wonderful things God has freely given us.

 

It’s been a weird couple of weeks, and I am guilty of not accepting what God has given me because I’m lazy and I didn’t like it.  But you reach a point where you must submit, which is a day by day, hour by hour, minute by minute choice.  So…

 

The verse today says we have received God’s Spirit, the Holy Spirit, so we can know the things God has given us freely.  To often, though, I (we) tend to fall into the trap of not actualizing this.  It doesn’t become real because we don’t pursue it.  One of the synonyms (big word here!) for actualize is to fulfil.  Think about that for a minute.  Along with the saving grace of Jesus Christ, God gave the Holy Spirit to fulfil us. 

 

To me, to be fulfilled by the Holy Trinity is to be free from fear (Romans 8:15, For you did not receive a spirit of slavery that returns you to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship, by whom we cry, "Abba! Father!"); to know that God chose me (1 Cor 1:27, But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.) and that I am anointed (1 John 2:27, And as for you, the anointing you received from Him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But just as His true and genuine anointing teaches you about all things, so remain in Him as you have been taught.)

 

I am encouraged today to lean in; to understand that we’re not all in the same place spiritually.  We grow and change as we pursue Christ.  Every believer does not have equal spiritual wisdom; every believer will not understand all spiritual mysteries.  But we can all understand the basics.  If you find yourself a little lost (as I was this past couple of weeks), lean into the basics (John 3:16).  Then continue to pursue Christ so that you gain that revelational wisdom.

 

Who I am,

cej

1 Corinthians 2:10-11 -- Lean into the Spirit

 

 

1 Corinthians 2:10-11

 

NKJV

But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God.  For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God

 

NLT

But it was to us that God revealed these things by his Spirit. For his Spirit searches out everything and shows us God’s deep secrets.  No one can know a person’s thoughts except that person’s own spirit, and no one can know God’s thoughts except God’s own Spirit.

 

This might be a little confusing…or it might not.  Depends where you are in your spiritual maturity.  The Pulpit Commentary says that the mysteries of God have been revealed to us, but that our knowledge of God must always be relative, not absolute.  It is not possible to measure the arm of God with the finger of man (paraphrasing a bit here).  What this means is that without revelation from God, through the Holy Spirit, this knowledge is not attainable through human wisdom or investigation (from the Enduring Word Commentary).

 

Huh?!?!  Confusing to say the least.  I have to put this in the simplest terms that I can understand and since I have horses, they are my subject.  I can walk out and feed my horse and guess that he is excited to see me, but unless He tells me…I don’t know what he is thinking.  Since horses can’t talk (who’da thunk it), then for Cracker (my horse) it’s his actions that speak to me.  Because all I have to do is pour his feed out and I know exactly what he is excited to see.  It’s the feed he likes, not so much me.

 

It is the same idea with God.  We can guess at what God is thinking, getting it wrong every time!  Or when we become followers of Christ, when we get a FULL dose of the third part of the Trinity.  We get all the Holy Spirit that we will ever need.  The Holy Spirit is the one who can tell us about God and His wisdom. The Holy Spirit is the Teacher, or Guide, who reveals Gods words and wisdom to us.  “no one can know God’s thoughts except God’s own Spirit.”  Make a point to lean in, you can’t get revelation of Gods word through your own power, only through the Holy Spirit.

 

Lean into the Spirit,

cej

1 Corinthians 2:9 -- ENOUGH!

 

1 Corinthians 2:9

 

NKJV

But as it is written:

“Eye has not seen, nor ear heard,
Nor have entered into the heart of man
The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.”

 

NLT

That is what the Scriptures mean when they say,

“No eye has seen, no ear has heard,

and no mind has imagined

what God has prepared

for those who love him.”

 

 

Paul is paraphrasing Isaiah 64:4, which says “For since the beginning of the world Men have not heard nor perceived by the ear, Nor has the eye seen any God besides You, Who acts for the one who waits for Him.”

 

When I read this, I am drawn to this idea that even at our best, we really don’t understand what God has in store for believers.  This love that God has for us is so unfathomable to our human mind that we can’t really grasp the concept of it.  Think about what we do know; that God would love us so much, that He didn’t want separation between us; that He would send His only Son as a sacrifice for our sin.  Can you really get that idea in your mind?  That Someone could love you so much they would sacrifice His only Son to a horrible death….because He loves you?  That’s the hard part for us though, we are our own worst critic.  How could anyone love me enough to sacrifice to that level?  Don’t they know what I’ve done?

 

To me, this verse speak to the value God has for you and me.  The noun of value speaks to the relative worth or importance; the verb says to consider with respect to worth or excellence.  God considered our worth when He made a way for us to come back to Him and our value was worth everything to God.  Romans 5:8 says, “But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.” Shouldn’t that be enough for us to recognize our own value?

 

Quit focusing on what the world is trying to sell you.  YOU ARE ENOUGH!

 

 

Enough,

cej

1 Corinthians 2:6-8 - Beyond the Surface

 

1 Corinthians 2:6-8

 

NKJV

However, we speak wisdom among those who are mature, yet not the wisdom of this age, nor of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory, which none of the rulers of this age knew; for had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.

 

NLT

Yet when I am among mature believers, I do speak with words of wisdom, but not the kind of wisdom that belongs to this world or to the rulers of this world, who are soon forgotten.  No, the wisdom we speak of is the mystery of God—his plan that was previously hidden, even though he made it for our ultimate glory before the world began.  But the rulers of this world have not understood it; if they had, they would not have crucified our glorious Lord. 

 

Here we see Paul addressing the hidden wisdom, or mystery, of God.  Sounds kinda cryptic, doesn’t it?  I believe this to be wisdom only available to the believer.  The folks that are unsaved are slaves to this world and all it offers.  They end up with no discernment from the Holy Spirit.  When we come to know Christ as our Savior, then we start to get revelation of God’s word and understanding of that word.

 

As a believer, we should have a hunger to know God better.  To understand this “mystery” and the only way we can is to pursue God with as much fervor as possible.  As we mature, as believers, His Word should reveal different things to us in knowledge and understanding.  The Bible is a living document, meaning that as I mature…what I understand before, could be deeper now.

 

Take Philippians 4:4, it says “Rejoice in the Lord always, Again I will say, rejoice!”  When I was a young Christian, it was pretty surface level.  I read it and then moved along to the next verses.  I didn’t have a good understanding of applying it to my life.  After my wife went through cancer, chemo and radiation; it took on a whole new meaning.  Rejoice always, became a call to celebrate the Lord NO MATTER WHAT!  My understanding of that verse changed dramatically as I “matured” as a believer.  To understand better, we must grow up!

 

Beyond the surface!

cej

1 Corinthians 2:4-5 -- Pursuer!

 

1 Corinthians 2:4-5

 

NKJV

And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.

 

NLT

And my message and my preaching were very plain. Rather than using clever and persuasive speeches, I relied only on the power of the Holy Spirit. I did this so you would trust not in human wisdom but in the power of God.

 

Paul didn’t speak with persuasive preaching at this time (although there is a place for that style), He knew it was not the time for that.  Because there was an element that were looking for signs (Jews) and wisdom (Gentiles), Paul spoke fully relying on the power of God.  There was no doubt where His words were coming from.

 

You may ask yourself, “how does this relate to me?” It does in that when we witness to people on the subject of Jesus, we need to speak on where we are in our hearts.  As believers, we’re all in a different place…we grow differently.  When we’re a new Christian, should we try to speak like we’re biblical scholars?  I believe we should speak on our excitement and joy of our salvation as newbies.  As mature Christians we can speak a little differently because (hopefully) we’ve studied the Word some and have more knowledge.

 

Even as I write this, I’m struck by the “human wisdom” of my statements.  Is there truth in them?  Yes, some of it is truth as I understand it.  We are all in different places, so the real question is…what is God telling you?  Are you seeking Him out?  Pursue God if you want to know Him better!

 

Pursuer!

cej

1 Corinthians 2:3 -- Fear Not!

 

1 Corinthians 2:3

 

NKJV

I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling.

 

NLT

I came to you in weakness—timid and trembling. 

 

Not really words you want to read when it comes to one of the heroes of the faith, is it?  This man faced storms and stoning and many other trials…yet he came to Corinth in fear and trembling.  In my opinion (and keep in mind, opinions are like arm pits…everybody has a couple and they all stink), I think Paul knew his own heart.  He knew where he stood with Christ and he knew what his heart was capable of.  He had a lack of trust in himself.

 

 “So great was his sense of weakness and fear, and so profound his lack of trust in himself that he quaked, he trembled. Those are the secrets of strength in all preaching.” (G. Campbell Morgan)

 

I completely get this.  At times, I am so overcome with my calling that fear takes over.  At those times, my lack of trust in my own ability can overshadow what the Lord is telling me.  The good news is that we get this Word for encouragement.  It’s at those times when we are in weakness, fear and trembling that we need to turn to the Bible and find places where God says, “trust me” and you can go just about anywhere throughout His Word to be encouraged.  I typed What Does the Bible Say About Encouragement? (openbible.info).  There are at least 100 verses that offer encouragement to us. (check it out). 

 

God says fear not all the time.  He says fear not and trust in me.  God can use our fear and weakness because it takes the reliance out of us and puts it completely in God.  My encouragement to you today is to lean in and trust God with your fear.  We are co-heirs with Christ, who in the world can overcome that?  Fear, as the world understands fear, is not for us.  Psalm 56:34 says, “When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can flesh do to me?”

 

Fear not!

cej

1 Corinthians 2:2 - That Was Easy

 

1 Corinthians 2:2

 

NKJV

For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.

 

NLT

For I decided that while I was with you I would forget everything except Jesus Christ, the one who was crucified.

 

Paul was determined to keep the cross in the forefront of his teaching.  To not pander to the Jews, who were seeking signs, nor to the Gentiles, who sought wisdom.  To the Jews and Gentiles death on the cross was the lowest of deaths, this speaks volumes to the uncompromising teaching of Paul.  He never waivered from his belief about Jesus Christ and why Jesus was crucified.

 

I think we need to get there too.  The world will push and push and push to try and get us to compromise what we believe.  But we need to make a stand, to hold our ground and not move away from what the Word of God teaches us.  Easier said than done, but nothing worthwhile is ever easy to accomplish.  Today I encourage you to hold fast to the truth.  Question everything through the lens of the gospel, don’t assume that just because somebody has a title, or speaks well, that what they are saying is the truth.  Be like Paul, forget everything but Christ crucified if it has to get that simple.

 

That was easy,

cej

1 Corinthians 2:1 - Simple Words

 

1 Corinthians 2:1

 

NKJV

And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God.

 

NLT

When I first came to you, dear brothers and sisters, I didn’t use lofty words and impressive wisdom to tell you God’s secret plan.

 

Proverbs 4:20-22 says “My child, pay attention to what I say. Listen carefully to my words. Don’t lose sight of them. Let them penetrate deep into your heart, for they bring life to those who find them, and healing to their whole body.”

 

I wonder how often we lose sight of ourselves because we’re in the way. 

 

That statement may sound confusing, but bear with me for a bit.  At times when speaking in public I can focus so much on what I want to say, I lose what God has given me to say.  Whether out of the fear of public speaking or my own vanity…I quit relying on God to use me as a vessel for His word. 

 

I believe it can be the same when we are sharing Christ with others too.  We can get caught up in our own insecurity about our lack of knowledge of the Bible that we miss the opportunity to share the basics.  Or we can get so caught up in our own importance that we overwhelm those who we are called to witness to.

 

Don’t get me wrong, I believe the more we know (hide it in our hearts); the more we’re able to help the need in the moment.  So, I encourage you study more, to pray more; to spend more time with God.  But don’t forget the basics are all we really need to testify to the goodness of God and what the sacrifice of Christ was about.

 

We are not here to be philosophers or salesmen…we are here to be a witness.  These are the basics…. who is Christ…. who is Christ to me….and who Christ can be to you!  There is a time for “excellency of speech or of wisdom”, but it’s not all the time.

 

Simple words,

cej