Sermon Tone Analysis

*Three Categories of Humans*

*1 Corinthians 2:1-3:3a*

 

Paul had two basic purposes for writing 1 Corinthians: (1) to reprove the Corinthian Christians for the flagrant sins that were being permitted in the church; and (2) to answer their questions about Christian life and doctrine (which they appear to have asked in a letter they wrote to him).

*(READ 1 CO 2:1-5)* In chapter 2 of the First Epistle to the Corinthians, Paul remembers back to the time when first he came to Corinth, and three things stand out.

(i) He came speaking in /simplicity/.

It is worth noting that Paul had come to Corinth from Athens.

It was at Athens that, for the only time in his life, as far as we know, he had attempted to reduce Christianity to philosophic terms.

There, on Mars’ Hill, he had met the philosophers and had tried to speak in their own language (Acts 17:22–31); and it was there that he had one of his very few failures.

His sermon in terms of philosophy had had very little effect (Acts 17:32–34).

It would almost seem that he had said to himself, “Never again!

From henceforth I will tell the story of Jesus in utter simplicity.

I will never again try to wrap it up in human categories.

I will know nothing but Jesus Christ, and him upon his Cross.”[1]

(ii) He came speaking in /fear/.

Here we have to be careful to understand.

It was not fear for his own safety; still less was it that he was ashamed of the gospel that he was preaching.

It was what has been called “the trembling anxiety to perform a duty.”

The very phrase which he uses here of himself Paul also uses of the way in which conscientious slaves should serve and obey their masters.

(Ephesians 6:5).

It is not the man who approaches a great task without a tremor who does it really well.

The really great actor is he who is wrought up before the performance; the really effective preacher is he whose heart beats faster while he waits to speak.

The man who has no nervousness, no tension, in any task, may give an efficient performance; but it is the man who has this trembling anxiety who can produce an effect which artistry alone can never achieve.1

(iii) He came with results and not with words alone.

The result of Paul’s preaching was that things happened.

He says that his preaching was unanswerably demonstrated to be true by the Spirit and by power.

The word he uses is the word for the most stringent possible proof, the kind against which there can be no argument.

What was it?

It was the proof of changed lives.

Something re-creating had entered into the polluted society of Corinth.1

As God had determined to save people not by human wisdom but by the Gospel, Paul, when he appeared in Corinth, came neither as an orator nor as a philosopher, but simply as a witness (verses 1–2).

He had no confidence in himself but relied for success exclusively on the demonstration of the Spirit (verses 3–4).

The true foundation of faith is not reason, but the testimony of God (verse 5).[2]

 

*(READ VV. 6 – 8) *

* *

V.6 - The *wisdom* (σοφία: the capacity to understand and function accordingly, /wisdom.

/natural /wisdom/ that belongs to this world; transcendent wisdom is wisdom that God imparts to those who are close to God.) *shown in the gospel is divine in its origin* (vv.

6, 7).

*We speak wisdom among those who are mature *(τέλειος: Xð perfect; perfect, complete, expert ... | BDAG) or full-grown.

*Yet* it is *not the wisdom of this age*, nor would it be wisdom in the eyes of *the rulers of this age*.

Their wisdom is a perishable thing which, like themselves, is born for one brief day.

[3]

In the early Church there was a quite clear distinction between two kinds of instruction.

(i) There was what was called /Kerygma/.

/Kerygma/ means /a herald’s an announcement from a king/; and this was plain announcement of the basic facts of Christianity, the announcement of the facts of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus and his coming again.

(ii) There was what was called /Didache/.

/Didache/ means /teaching/; and this was the explanation of the meaning of the facts which had already been announced.

Obviously it is a second stage for those who have already received /kerygma/.[4]

* *

*V.7 - We speak the wisdom of God in a mystery*.

*A mystery* (μυστήριον: (God’s) secret; transcendent~/ultimate reality, secret | BDAG) is a NT truth not previously revealed, but now made known to believers by the apostles and prophets of the early Church Age.

This mystery is the *hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory*.

The mystery of the gospel includes such wonderful truths as the fact that /now/ Jews and Gentiles are made one in Christ; that the Lord Jesus will come and take His waiting people home to be with Himself; and that not all believers will die but all will be changed.

4

* *

*V.8 - The rulers of this age* may refer to demonic spirit beings in the heavenlies or to their human agents on earth.

They didn’t understand the hidden wisdom of God (Christ on a cross) or realize that their murder of the Holy Son of God would result in their own destruction.

*Had they known* the ways of God, *they would not have crucified the Lord of glory*.[5]

* *

*(READ VV. 9)*

*V.9 – *Verse 9 may be a free quotation from Isaiah 64:4 and 65:17.

(Many translations footnote those verses as cross references to Verse 9.) Usually when you see the phrase “*As it is written”* the Bible is stating that what follows is a direct quotation of another part of scripture.

Here, however, it is not, in this case, the form of quotation, but is rather equivalent to saying, “To use the language of Scripture …”.

Here the apostle most likely did not intend to quote any one passage of Scripture but to appeal to its authority for a clearly revealed truth.

It is certainly taught in the Old Testament that the human mind cannot penetrate into the counsels of God; his purposes can only be known by a supernatural revelation.

This is the truth for which the apostle cites the authority of the Old Testament.

There is, therefore, not the slightest ground for imputing failure of memory or an erroneous interpretation to the inspired apostle.[6]

Verse 9 is often memorized.

But it is also frequently misapplied.

This verse has often been misunderstood to mean that while we are in the body we will never be able to understand what the Lord plans for His people.

As J Vernon McGee said, “There are certain things which cannot be attained by human means.

You cannot discover God by searching for Him.

The things which God has prepared for them who love Him are not gotten through the eye-gate, the ear-gate, or by reasoning.

Then how are you going to get them?”[7]

Paul is not referring to the wonders of heaven, but to the wisdom God has prepared for believers.

His point is that the natural eyes, ears, and hearts of men cannot know or comprehend His wisdom.

It is *prepared* only *for those who love Him*.[8]

 

*(READ VV. 10-12)*

V.10 - There are many things we can learn by studying the Bible—such as the history of it, the poetry of it—but we cannot get spiritual truths that way.

Why?

Because “God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit.”

There are certain things that only the Spirit of God can reveal to us.

“for the Spirit searches all things, even the c*depths* of God.”

 

*Depths* – *βάθος** (1) the space or distance beneath a surface/; /(2) Something nonphysical perceived to be so remote that it is difficult to assess.*[9]

In V.11, Paul says that the only person who can tell us about God is the Spirit of God.

He uses a human analogy.

There are feelings which are so personal, things which are so private, experiences which are so intimate that no one knows them except a man’s own spirit.

Paul argues that the same is true of God.

There are deep and intimate things in him which only his Spirit knows; and that Spirit is the only person who can lead us into really intimate knowledge of God.

This verse aims to illustrate two points.

First, just as no one knows the thoughts of a man but the man himself, so no one knows the thoughts of God except God himself.

Therefore, no one but a divine person is competent to make a revelation of the thoughts and purposes of God.

Second, as every man does know his own thoughts, so the Spirit of God knows the thoughts of God.

His knowledge of what is in God is analogous to that which we have of the contents of our own consciousness.[10]

* *

A parallel passage to V.11 is Proverbs 20:27:

*     **27     A person’s breath is the lamp of the Lord, *

*          searching the innermost parts.*

o p 

* *

In V.12 he says that even then it is not every man who can understand these things.

Paul speaks about interpreting spiritual things to spiritual people.

The apostle has set forth two sources of knowledge: the human and the divine.

One is the informing principle that is in man; the other is the informing principle that is of God.

And Paul asserts that the source of the wisdom or knowledge that he communicated was not the former, but the latter.

It was not human reason, but the Spirit of God.

*The spirit of the world* does not here mean a worldly disposition or temper; *spirit* is that which knows and teaches.

*The spirit of the world* is, therefore, another way of saying reason, which is the principle of knowledge in men.

When Paul says he had not received that spirit, he means that human reason was not the source of the knowledge he communicated.

*The Spirit who is from God* is the Holy Spirit proceeding from God and sent by him as our instructor.