1 Corinthians 2

1 Corinthians 2 elaborates on Paul's approach to preaching in Corinth, emphasizing reliance not on persuasive words of human wisdom, but on the demonstration of the Spirit and power. This chapter underscores the distinction between human wisdom and the wisdom that comes from God, which is revealed through the Spirit to those who believe. Paul discusses the spiritual discernment necessary to understand God’s wisdom, contrasting the spiritual person with the natural person.

1 Corinthians 2:1-5 (NKJV)
And I, brethren, when I came to you, did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom declaring to you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling. 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.

In these verses, Paul recounts his approach when he initially preached to the Corinthians. He chose to forsake eloquent language or sophisticated arguments, opting instead to focus solely on the fundamental message of the Gospel—Jesus Christ and His crucifixion. Paul highlights his own vulnerabilities by admitting that he was with them "in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling." This reflects his deliberate decision to depend not on his own abilities but entirely on divine guidance and strength. By doing so, Paul ensured that the demonstration of the Gospel came through the Holy Spirit's power, not from persuasive human rhetoric. This was aimed at grounding the Corinthians' faith in God's power rather than in any human wisdom or skill, emphasizing that true spiritual conviction should rest on divine, not human, influence.
In verse 4, Paul asserts that his preaching did not depend on the artfulness of his words but on the tangible demonstration of the Spirit's power. This approach aimed to ensure that the faith of his listeners was based on the supernatural power of God rather than on his rhetorical skills. Similarly, in Romans 15:19, Paul describes how his ministry was marked by "mighty signs and wonders" through the "power of the Spirit of God." This description aligns with his method of evangelism, underscoring that his successful spread of the Gospel across diverse regions was not due to personal eloquence but to the Spirit’s miraculous workings.

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.

Paul contrasts the transient wisdom of contemporary leaders with the eternal wisdom of God, which remains a mystery to those who are not spiritually mature. This divine wisdom, hidden and predestined for the believers' glory, was so misunderstood by earthly rulers that they crucified Jesus, unaware of the divine purpose they were fulfilling.

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.'"

This verse quotes from the Old Testament (Isaiah 64:4) to emphasize the surpassing greatness of what God has in store for His followers. The point Paul is making here is that the blessings, wisdom, and spiritual insights that come from God are beyond human comprehension. These things are so profound and extraordinary that they cannot be perceived by normal human senses or even imagined by the human mind.

Paul uses this scripture to underscore the idea that the wisdom and plans of God are not accessible through human wisdom or effort. Instead, they are revealed to us by the Spirit. This revelation is a special privilege for those who love God, showing that the depths of God's provisions for His people are both unimaginably wonderful and beyond natural discovery. The verse sets the stage for the next verses, where Paul explains how these things are revealed to us through the Spirit of God, highlighting the spiritual nature of understanding God's hidden plans and blessings.

1 Corinthians 2:10 (NKJV) "But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God."

This verse explains that the profound and hidden things of God, which are beyond human understanding, are made known to believers through the Holy Spirit. The Spirit is described as searching all things, even God’s deepest secrets, highlighting its role in revealing divine wisdom to us. This portrayal emphasizes the completeness of the Holy Spirit’s knowledge and its ability to fully disclose God’s will to those who follow Him.

1 Corinthians 2:11-13 (NKJV)
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. 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. These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual.

Paul uses human experience to illustrate spiritual truths: just as only a person's spirit truly knows their inner thoughts, only the Spirit of God fully understands and communicates divine realities. Believers, having received the Holy Spirit, are thus equipped to comprehend and articulate the gifts and teachings of God, conveyed not in conventional human wisdom but through spiritual insight.

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 spiritually 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.

Paul concludes that a person living according to natural instincts cannot grasp spiritual truths, which seem foolish to them because such insights require spiritual discernment. Those who are spiritual can evaluate all matters through the perspective they gain from the Holy Spirit. Quoting Isaiah again, Paul reinforces that no one can counsel God, but believers, through the Spirit, share in the perspective and understanding of Christ Himself.