1 Corinthians Chapter 2

Paul left Antioch in Syria along with Silas, or Silvanus, and they went through Syria and Cilicia, confirming the churches which had previously been established. In Acts 16 he comes to Derbe, finds Timothy and takes him with him.

Acts 16:4 And as they went through the cities, they delivered them the decrees for to keep, that were ordained of the apostles and elders which were at Jerusalem.

Silas was one of the men who not only wrote down those ordinances but also went with Paul to deliver them to Paul's church in Antioch. After delivering the letter it "pleased Silas to abide there still" and Paul chose Silas to accompany him in this journey.

Acts 15:22 Then pleased it the apostles and elders with the whole church, to send chosen men of their own company to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas; namely, Judas surnamed Barsabas and Silas, chief men among the brethren:

Acts 15:23 And they wrote letters by them after this manner; The apostles and elders and brethren send greeting unto the brethren which are of the Gentiles in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia.

These are the ordinances that are later on referred to as the "handwriting of ordinances" which was against us. In other words these ordinances did two things. They made the Gentiles who were called Greeks who were associated with Israel acceptable, but they also prevented certain "other Gentiles" from hearing the word for a period of time. Later on Paul wrote further revelations. But during this period of time he consistently goes into the synagogues of the Jews and he preaches the gospel of Christ, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.

Acts 16:5 And so were the churches established in the faith, and increased in number daily.

Acts 16:6 Now when they had gone throughout Phrygia and the region of Galatia, and were forbidden of the Holy Ghost to preach the word in Asia,

The first time you find Paul in Asia is at the end of Acts chapter 18 on his return from Corinth. During that period of time from Acts 16 above until the latter part of Acts 18 he crossed over into Europe, went over Macedonia, eventually came to Athens and then to Corinth. So Paul's preaching and teaching in Corinth was at that time:

Acts 18:1 After these things Paul departed from Athens, and came to Corinth;

Acts 18:2 And found a certain Jew named Aquila, born in Pontus, lately come from Italy, with his wife Priscilla; (because that Claudius had commanded all Jews to depart from Rome:) and came unto them.

Acts 18:3 And because he was of the same craft, he abode with them, and wrought: for by their occupation they were tentmakers.

That is where he met Priscilla and Aquila. They eventually accompanied him to Ephesus at the end of Acts 18 and were instrumental in teaching Apollos before he made his trip to Corinth. So in 1 Corinthians chapter 2 Paul is making reference to the time he came there:

1 Corinthians 2:1 And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God.

1 Corinthians 2:2 For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.

Paul preached the cross of Christ in Corinth. He said in Chapter 15 that "I delivered to you that which I received," the fact that Christ died for our sins, that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day. He said earlier that the preaching of the cross is "to them that perish foolishness, but unto us which ARE SAVED it is the power of God.

If you happen to be one who has one of those new "easy to understand" translations, such as the NWT, NIV and the NKJ you get a bad misunderstanding of 1 Corinthians 1:18. The truth is that we ARE SAVED and not that we "are being saved" as those translations would have you to believe.

Paul said that he didn't come in excellency of speech or wisdom, as in human wisdom but that he came preaching the cross.

1 Corinthians 2:3 And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling.

That is because this treasure we have is in "earthen vessels."

2 Corinthians 4:5 For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake.

2 Corinthians 4:6 For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

2 Corinthians 4:7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.

Now in verse four:

1 Corinthians 2:4 And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power:

1 Corinthians 2:5 That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.

The power of God is the gospel of Christ. Paul calls it MY gospel:

Romans 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.

Romans 1:17 For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.

Paul prayed for the Ephesians that the eyes of their understanding would be enlightened that they would know "what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power."

Ephesians 1:20 Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places,

So Paul didn't come to Corinth with excellency of speech or of human wisdom. He simply preached the cross.

1 Corinthians 2:6 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:

1 Corinthians 2:7 But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory:

In other words, before the world God had ordained, he had already determined that at a point in time this hidden wisdom of God, this mystery, would be made known and it was unto our glory. Notice what Paul says about himself and Apollos

1 Corinthians 4:1 Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God.

Paul speaks the wisdom of God in a mystery among them that are mature enough to receive it. We find out though, that most of the Corinthians are babes and Paul said he had to feed them with milk and not with meat.

1 Corinthians 2:8 Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.

None knew of this mystery. Peter, James and John didn't know of this mystery. In Matthew 16, Peter didn't even believe that the Lord was going to die, much less die for men's sins. Notice:

Matthew 16:21 From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day.

Matthew 16:22 Then Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee.

Now during that time the gospel of the Kingdom was being preached. But obviously it did not include the cross of Christ. Peter had been preaching that gospel for three years and didn't even believe that Christ was going to die, and even in the garden he took out a sword and began to fight to stop the arrest of Jesus. So nobody knew.

1 Corinthians 2:9 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.

It was a mystery. It was the hidden wisdom of God. And it was kept secret since the world began.

Romans 16:25 Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began,

The mystery Paul refers to in the verse above and the "hidden wisdom" above has to do with the fact that first of all Christ died for our sins. Number two, that salvation comes through the FALL of Israel and not through their rise. And thirdly, a joint body of believers is being formed today. It is not a royal priesthood or holy nation but a joint body made up of both Jew and Gentile equal in the body. It is called the church, the body of Christ.

So Paul says that we speak wisdom among them that are "perfect." It carries the idea of growth, of maturity, of completeness.

1 Corinthians 2:10 But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.

1 Corinthians 2:11 For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.

1 Corinthians 2:12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.

The "spirit" which is of God is not a reference to the Holy Spirit. Notice the little "s." It is rather the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him. The Spirit of God in you reveals the things of God that were written in the book. They are the words of the Spirit.

1 Corinthians 2:13 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.

Spiritual things are words. In John 6:63 Jesus said "my words are spirit." Not the Holy Spirit but the fact that words are spiritual things. So when we compare spiritual things with spiritual we compare words with words. We "approve things that are excellent" which is to say we "discern the things that are different."

For instance it is much more excellent to be saved by grace through faith than to be under the Law. The preaching of the cross results in salvation but the teaching of the Law results in condemnation. Paul calls it the ministration of condemnation and the ministration of death in 2 Corinthians.

1 Corinthians 2:14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

To preach the cross would be preaching the things of God but to the natural man they are foolishness. In a man's natural way of thinking he opposes it. But the book of Hebrews tells us that FAITH is a substance. It is a spiritual substance. It is the evidence of things that the natural man cannot see. Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God.

1 Corinthians 2:15 But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man.

He that is spiritual is the inner man. That is where the Spirit of God and of Christ dwells in a believer. The spiritual man judges all things. But no man can judge him because no man can see him. He is the hidden man of the heart. The only way anyone can know about the inner man is by words. The words that you speak. You never know what is on a man's heart until you listen to him.

1 Corinthians 2:16 For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.

Christ spoke in Paul and through Paul and Paul wrote those words down. So in the words of Paul's letters of Romans through Philemon we find the mind of Christ for the church, the body of Christ revealed.