Read 1 Corinthians Chapter 2
Have you ever been in a situation where you wished God would just speak directly to you?
Most of us in the group had plenty of answers to this question. Our common answer was - in times of great decision we'd wished that God would just shout the answer at us.
What does it take to get your attention though? What are you listening too for your answers?
This study focused on how to help us hear God's message with renewed intensity.
I want to start with 1 Corinthians 1:17. This verse sets a tone to our study in a way that I think helped us understand Chapter 2. The NIV translation is: "For Christ did not send me (Paul) to baptize, but to preach the gospel - not with words of human wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power."
Right off in Verse 1 of Chapter 2 Paul states that he had not come with eloquence or superior wisdom as he proclaimed the testimony about God. He says he came to them in weakness and fear and with much trembling. His message was not with wise and persuasive words but with a demonstration of the Spirit's power, so that your faith might not rest on men's wisdom, but on God's power. Again, Paul is pointing to the power of the cross - and unless the Holy Spirit works in a listener's heart, the wisdom and eloquence of a preacher are ineffective.
What are the results of following God's wisdom vs man's?
(v.6) The wisdom of this age is purely human wisdom unaided by God's truth or spirit. Wisdom that ignores God leads to emptiness and irrational behavior. Wisdom from God leads to maturity and glory. Human wisdom alone is inadequate to answer the deepest of questions. One of the most significant statements was in v.8, "None of the rulers of this age understood it, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory." The wisdom of this age was insufficient.
(v.9) However, it is written: No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him, but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit. Ah Ha! Read on for some biblical wisdom.
Who knows the thoughts of a man except the man's spirit? Likewise, who knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God? In verse 12 it says we have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us. And we can trust our bible because... (v.13) "This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words.
If they speak the words taught by the Spirit then we are hearing God's words. The Word of God plus the Spirit of God equals the mind of Christ. A man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, as they are foolishness to him and he can't understand them. He is spiritually discerned. But the spiritual man makes judgements about all things but he is not subject to man's judgement. Who can instruct a man who knows the mind of Christ?
As we go deeper into our study about the Holy Spirit some of us are already experiencing God's power through the Spirit in our lives. Our eyes can see, our ears hear, and we can conceive what God has prepared for us. What would we have done if the Spirit had never been given to us? We would not have the indwelling. Paul never would have taught the Gentiles. We wouldn't be reading a lot of the books in the New Testament. Thank you Lord!
Our group had quite a lot of discussion on this chapter. Just sharing our experiences with one another can be a study in itself. And today in our Sunday service at church I could not help but feel blessed with the two ladies from our study that always sit with me. We don't talk much during service but sometimes I can sense when they are moved by the spirit. When you witness this the Holy Spirit moves inside you too. Often it will bring your heart to your knees.
And, I watched my pastor sing this morning with his eyes shut. Thank you Lord for this man. Pray for each other.
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