Paul wrote to the
Corinthians about the way he spoke to them and it is interesting to see how
aware he is of the process.
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. (1 Cor. 2: 4-5)
Paul’s initial
preaching was all of Christ, using testimony so that the Spirit could
testify. This meant that the
people’s conversion and faith would be spiritually based rather than based on
rhetoric.
Once conversion takes
place, whoever, Paul’s preaching gains something more--
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:
(1 Cor. 2:6-7)
Conversion by the
Spirit gives us access to hidden wisdom that comes from God, which Paul calls
“the wisdom of God in a mystery.”
Paul says this is
spoken among them that are “perfect,” but I don’t think he means “flawless,”
but instead “whole and complete.”
This kind of wisdom
is hard to grasp by a carnal mind and seems foolish, but it makes sense for
those prepared for it.
In this context, Paul
gives a description of this hidden wisdom--
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.
(1 Cor. 2:9-10)
We usually think of
v9 as referring to the glory of the celestial kingdom, but in the context of
Paul’s discourse we also see it refers to the wisdom from God that we gain
after conversion. It would be a
shame if we were to cease to learn from the Spirit and to cease to search all
things.
One of the things
these verses explain is why certain principles of truth can seem so obvious to
members of the church and yet the rest of the world seems completely oblivious
to it, and if they are informed of it, they think it silly or they are
threatened by it.
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. (1 Cor. 2:13)
How many principles are
founded in the wisdom of God!
Chastity. Fidelity. Sacrifice. Obedience to prophets.
Continuing revelation.
Priesthood authority.
Eternal families. Vicarious
ordinance work for the dead. I
could go on and on. You can’t
justify these adequately using only man’s wisdom because man’s wisdom only
deals with mortal life and temporal consequences, whereas the full consequences
of these principles stretch into the eternities, which fallen man knows nothing
about. (Also, we’ve been told that
this life is a time of probation, so consequences are delayed in order for us
to practice living by faith.) In
order to grasp them, you have to start with faith in Christ as the Savior.
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