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1st Corinthians 2.12-16
December 31st 2018
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So Paul has been taking a lot of time to illustrate that it is not fleshly man but spiritual man – who is humble and weak and even despised – whom God both uses to confound the wise and these KNOW things of God that natural men and women could not know by their sight, hearing or imaginations.
Our last verse last week was verse 11 where he wrote:
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.
At this point Paul continues and speaking to the believers there says:
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.
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.
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.
15 But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man.
16 For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.
So lets get back to verse 12 where Paul, continuing on the importance of the Spirit in the lives of believers says the following:
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.
Back in verses 9 and 10 we read last week:
9 But, as it is written, “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man conceived, what God has prepared for those who love him,”
10 God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God.
And so here he adds
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.
Here marks the single most important differences between folks who have not been regenerated by God’s grace through faith in Christ by the Holy Spirit and those who have – we have received NOT the spirit of the world but the Spirit which is of God.
If we look back to our diagram of life and spiritual regeneration, the Spirit of the World (which Paul speaks of here) that is NOT given to Christians thrived below the line of regeneration.
It is a spirit that thrives in the mind, will, emotions and body of Man and because it is so natural to us and the way we think and live, it is very easy to mix it up with the things of the Spirit from above – and justify all sorts of stuff in the name of God.
But the Spirit of this World does not operate like the Spirit from above (or of God.
Right before going to the cross Jesus said to His disciples in John 14:27
Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
There is a Spirit of the World that produces worldly peace – soothing music, snowfalls in the trees, wine by a fireside.
But the peace Jesus gives He said is NOT as the World giveth. What is that peace? How do we describe it?
I would define it as the personal knowledge that a person is right with God. Such peace transcends feelings and moves into the realms of personal knowledge.
That type of peace the World cannot produce – only the Spirit from above.
Paul said in Romans 14:17
“For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit.”
Again, we have a natural tendency to think of the peace of the Spirit being in or being obtained through things like meat and drink, but Paul adds in Romans 8:5
“For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.”
We have just left our annual Christmas celebrations world round. Meat and drink, and minding the things of the flesh.
I am not a humbug guy – I get the festivals and love winter ambiance. But I wouldn’t be doing my job as a pastor if I encouraged such things over the emphasis on eternal matter, things of the Spirit, things that are not carnal and do not require carnal minds to manage them.
The means or ways the Peace that is not of this world (but is of God) operates seems to have an effect on us internally, in our minds and hearts and upon our understanding of matters, as Paul says in Philippians 4:7
“And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”
Here Paul says that the believers of Corinth, representing us as believers here and now, have received . . .
“Not the spirit of the world.”
Not the wisdom and knowledge which this world can give; not the learning and philosophy which were so much valued in Greece.
BUT they (we) have received . .
“the Spirit which is of God.”
Again, for what reason or purpose has God graciously bestowed His Spirit upon us? In context with the other verses He tells us, saying:
“That we might know the things that are freely given us.”
I take this to mean that those who have received the Spirit of God “know” – comprehend, see, understand, comprehend” – the things that are freely given to all.
Back in verse 9 Paul, citing Isaiah, wrote
“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.”
But now he says that those who have the Spirit given them of God (and not the Spirit of this World) “KNOW the things that have been freely given to them.”
Talk about the living word! All around us we have men and women who, lacking the Spirit of God but abounding in the Spirit of this World, observe the “THINGS” God has freely given but do not see or understand their origins or value.
Instead they see them as the product of evolution, of a godless universe and dialectic materialism.
Those gifted with the Spirit NOT of this world see God’s hand in all things – nature, the cosmos, the birth of a child, the passing of a loved one – and with this knowledge of His grace and love in this world there comes an internal peace.
Paul now speaks of the Apostles and says
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
This has been his argument since the first lines of chapter one – someone has come in unto you, believers at Corinth, and, appealing to the wisdom of the world (philosophy, science, etc) has caused you to shift from what we have plainly taught without the wisdom of this world.
So he reiterates here:
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
That line – “But which the Holy Spirit teaches,” and “comparing spiritual with spiritual” seems to allude to the Holy Scriptures that came before through INSPIRIATION.
I think that is one application of the passage. But I am sure Paul is talking about the whole course of instruction by which the deep things of God were made known to the Christian church, all of which was not made known in just the words contained in the Old Testament.
The phrase, comparing spiritual things with spiritual is a difficult line in scripture and has been debated over the course of Christian history as to its meaning.
For this reason we have the line interpreted in the following ways depending on the translation:
1Co 2:13 (KJV) comparing spiritual things with spiritual.
1Co 2:13 (RSV) interpreting spiritual truths to those who possess the Spirit.
1Co 2:13 (Oracl) explaining spiritual things in spiritual words.
1Co 2:13 (MNT) but by the Spirit; interpreting spiritual things to spiritual men.
1Co 2:13 (BBE), judging the things of the spirit by the help of the Spirit.
1Co 2:13 (WNT) adapting, as we do, spiritual words to spiritual truths.
1Co 2:13 (MKJV) comparing spiritual things with spiritual.
1Co 2:13 (ASV) combining spiritual things with spiritual words.
1Co 2:13 (DBY) communicating spiritual [things] by spiritual [means].
1Co 2:13 (TCNT) explaining spiritual things in spiritual words.
The Greek words are literally:
“sugkrino pneumatikos pneumatikos”
Sugkrino: to judge by comparison
Pneumatikos: non-carnal, supernatural with Pneumatikos.
So to just say it:
Comparing the non-carnal supernatural with non-carnal supernatural.
Most of the Early Church leaders rendered it close to the following way,
“Comparing the things which were written by the Spirit of the Old Testament, with what is now revealed to us by the same Spirit, and confirming our doctrine by them.”
Jean Calvin translates the word “comparing,” to fitting or adapting, (aptare,) and says that it means, that “he adapted spiritual things to spiritual men, “
Grotius agrees with the Fathers, and writes, “Explaining those things which the prophets spake by the Spirit of God, by those things which Christ has made known to us by his Spirit.”
Though there are many differences on how to understand this because of the tense of the Greek words, the bottom line is whether the comparison is between words reveals in the Old Testament to the New, or spiritual things from heaven being compared with the minds of spiritual men here and now, Paul clearly is stating that Spiritual things or people are understood by Spiritually inclined things or people – that is the point. (verse 8)
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.
Coming out of Mormonism I used to think that Joseph Smith was so original in the Book of Mormon when he (or better yet, when Sydney Rigdon wrote) in Mosiah 3:19
“But the Natural man is an enemy to God.”
It is obviously founded on these Words of Paul here in 1st Corinthians 2.
You may wonder how this occurs and I want to take 15 seconds to tell you. If you have spent a considerable amount of time in the Bible, when you go to write or prepare a speech or email or if you are talking extemporaneously to someone trying to convince them of a point, passages pop up in your head that support the point you are trying to make – and you paraphrase them as they come to you.
It happens to me all the time.
Sydney Rigdon was a fiery speaker who knew his bible like the back of his hand who was sidled up to Alexander Campbell for years before meeting Smith.
He had this skill and assisted (or Smith assisted him) in creating the fictitious BOM which echoes biblical sentiments front to back.
But back to the point. Paul writes in Romans 8:5-7
5 For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.
6 For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.
8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.
9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.
When Paul writes that to be carnally minded is death I have a view of this which may assist you or you may disagree with – but here it is.
It seems to me, from a contextual study of the scripture, that there is a natural world and there is a spiritual world. In fact, let me correct this already – there is a natural kingdom and there is a spiritual kingdom.
The Kingdom of this world operates by the mind of Man, the mind of the flesh, and will of humanity – and we are all equipped in some form or fashion to exist in this world – in the least with an ability to breath oxygen and at the most to engineer space stations and cure disease.
This Kingdom is meaningful – it has purpose, it is a gift and we have to do things here to thrive. We must consume hydration and food and oxygen – to some extent protein and fat and seek shelter in conditions that would kill us.
And so we are equipped with tools and capacities to do such things – and if we don’t have these capacities others do along the way to contribute to our existences and very survival.
In the human experience, this material kingdom comes first. We will read in 1st Corinthians 15 where Paul is talking about resurrection and speaking of our temporal bodies says:
1st Corinthians 15:44 It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.
45 And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.
46 Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual.
47 The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven.
48 As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly.
49 And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.
We’re going to break these verses down when we get to them but at this point we can see that there are two realms or environments present for all human beings.
Vs. 44 There is a natural body
There is a spiritual body vs 44
For it is written, the first Adam was made a living soul
The last Adam was made a quickening spirit
But the spiritual was NOT first but that which was natural
Then that which is Spiritual
The first man was of the earth, earthly
The second man is the Lord from heaven
As is the earthly, such are they also that are earthly
And as the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly
As we HAVE born the image of the earthly
We shall also bear the image of the heavenly
In the face of these passages and then others we have to realize a few biblical facts.
All human beings have received a physical body according to the creator, who appears to be working in harmony with the natural outcome of human events and circumstances.
What I mean by this is when a woman choses to abuse methamphetamine while pregnant the physical body her baby will receive is subject to whatever side effects her choices make on the physical and psychological make-up of her child.
But somehow God is involved in the bestowal of human bodies on human beings.
We know from scripture that ALL human beings will after this life receive a spiritual body that will be given them according to the mind and will of God Himself.
Scripture also tells us plainly that we are not to kid ourselves – we do reap what we sow.
If, as Paul himself seems to clearly articulate, that when it comes to the resurrection there is a sowing and a reaping, I would suggest strongly that by putting it all together, all human beings have a physical existence.
This is first as the first Adam was first and physical or earthly.
And while here every human being with the reasonable capacity for choice, gets to decide how much time, talent and attention they will give to sowing to their fleshly kingdom and how much time, talent and attention they will give to sowing to the spiritual Kingdom to come.
Remember, all will receive a body resurrected body, after this life. All. But Jesus describes that universal resurrection in the following way, saying:
John 5:29 And shall come forth; they that have done good (and the good we do, based on other passages is to belief on Him unto eternal life and to love God and others), unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.
So, some will – most will choose to serve the first, natural, carnal kingdom. This is their right – God has given them a blessed state and many decide that it is the place that they want to focus.
Live like there is no tomorrow.
Eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow we die.
They have their reward and the principles of those rewards seem to work the same for anyone who apply them to their earthy existence.
But the purpose of Jesus and the faith is all about – and we cannot kid ourselves about this – but the New Testament tenets are all about choosing to refocus our time and attentions of the spiritual Kingdom.
Now note that I did not say, the Kingdom to come. Because I do not believe it is to come. I believe what Jesus said – the Kingdom of God is within you – and all who have come to understand Jesus by faith through the Spirit are part of that kingdom here and now.
And it seems, it appears that we are daily choosing to do the following as member of this heavenly, spiritual Kingdom, that we have been given entrance to through the Second Adam:
To be poor in spirit
To mourn
To be meek
To hunger and thirst after righteousness
To be merciful
Pure in heart
Peacemakers
To suffer persecution for His sake
To take up His cross
To die daily to our will and to choose to live to His
To be women and men of faith
To be men and women who love as He loved
To love not the world and all that it offers and affords us.
To put NOTHING before Christ in our lives – not father, mother, son or daughter, occupation or vocation, our dead, our heritage, or religious allegiences, our fears, our wants, our desires.
Paul makes it clear that hanging between the Kingdom of Carnality and the Kingdom of Heaven is a tension that never goes away while we inhabit flesh.
But with the Kingdom of God within us, those who are His have the power and capacity to overcome the carnality within BY the Spirit and the power it affords.
It seems – to me – and my personal estimation of scripture – that in creating us and assigning material elements to our first estate of flesh, that God – creating us humans in His image – has in some way taken Himself – His life-giving Spirit – and sort of given all of us as (potential Sons and daughters) the freedom to choose this day whom we would want to serve.
Who we would freely love. Who we would want to please over our own desires and wills.
I’m not so sure there is more to it than that. In the end He loves all of us. In the end He will redeem and resurrect all as He will not lose to anyone’s will or love for self over Him.
But it seems that in going through all of this mortal life and exposure to pain, and suffering, and difficulty and temptation that God is saying:
Who will choose to love me? Who will choose of their own free will and volition to want a relationship with me.
I don’t think it has to do with arrogance on His part – I think it has to do with Him allowing all who are made in His image to choose –
Between the tangible and immediate and the intangible and distant . . .
Between the carnal and self and the spiritual and others . . .
And in the end, those who want the Kingdom, who seek first the Kingdom of God, who desire His will over their own while here will find themselves part of His Kingdom here and then at death, will discover that they are fitted with a resurrected body that will place them in His Kingdom there – whatever that means or whatever that looks like.
My friends – hear my heart – this is why I am such a stick in the mud when it comes to what we offer in and through CAMPUS.
I enjoy a good time, food and worship concerts and anecdotal stories that entertain as much as the next guy.
My ego gets lifted when there are crowds pursuing what we have to say and share.
But my mind and determinations here are single – they are not looking to the right or to the left. And I will exit this world having done my part in preparing those who want or have the Kingdom of God within in to exist in it fully, through their resurrected bodies, after this life, as God sees fit.
Nothing short will do so nothing short-sighted (or earthly based) can take precedence.
So Paul says,
“But the natural man,” he who stands in full or in part opposed or indifferent to the spiritual, “receives not the things of the Spirit of God.”
I would suggest that we need to look at this line on a continuum – from one polarized extreme to the other.
On the far left end the natural man cannot receive ANYTHING of the Spirit of God.
Here we might be talking about a Nero or some other human animal that is entirely void of any spiritual inclination.
I would think that such a persons resurrection will be one of reaping very little to the Spiritual body he is given because his whole person was about carnality in its extreme.
But we don’t begin and end with this extreme. There are those, as illustrated by the parable of the Sower, who will with joy receive the word of God into their hearts but due to the cares and/or riches of the world, or because they have been offended by the Word, will shrivel up and stop growing spiritually.
We call it a proverb for a reason because what Jesus describes in it is proverbial – see it all the time.
This takes us back to Paul and his insights on the constant war all people face between the draws of the Kingdom of Carnality and the Kingdom of Heaven.
It is not by mistake that believers are told to, “die daily.”
Paul makes this statement even more clear, saying in 2nd Corinthians 4:10-11
10 Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.
11 For we which live are alway delivered unto death for Jesus’ sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh.
Depending what is being allowed to reign in our lives – our flesh or our spirit – we all seem to have a greater or lesser ability to discern or know the things of God.
So once again, Paul has returned to the idea that the doctrines of heaven are not discoverable by human wisdom, or by any skill which the natural man may have, but were to be learned only by revelation, or as he puts it, “they are spiritually discerned.”
We all ebb and flow back and forth between the demands of life and the invitations of the Spirit.
And because of where I came from I can still (ashamedly) hang with the best of them when it comes to fleshly meanderings.
But I have finally arrive in my life where my most honest, most satisfying, most heart-felt engagements with others are all solidly based on the spiritual things of the Kingdom.
So much so that I find myself having very little relation to the things of this world but instead engage with them constantly looking at my watch or phone (and waiting for them to end).
The Kingdom within every believer, and the things of that Kingdom, will never end, and investing in them with heart and mind and soul will someday provide a return that cannot be matched by the fleeting temporal pastimes surrounding us.
At this point Paul takes us to a very rewarding conclusion – one I hope will not be lost by a single person who places their trust in the Spirit of the Living God as he now says:
15 But he (or she) that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man.
From a contextual view we have to admit that what Paul is probably saying here is that natural Man cannot judge the spiritual insights and beliefs of Spiritual.
It’s impossible. So when it comes to spiritual matters those who are spiritually minded they are in a position to judge all matters over what the secular animal world might say.
The word translated judge here is anakrino and it means to assess and to scrutinize spiritual things.
It seems that Paul is saying that no person (who is natural) has the right to judge the things a spiritual person has scrutinized.
However, if we go back to seeing carnal understanding on a continuum, then I would go so far as to say that whoever – whoever – is lead of the Spirit to see or understand spiritual matters – and the fruit of that is the fruit of the Spirit, leading to greater love and allegiance to God and Man, then it seems that the terms ANY MAN applies, whether believers or not.
This is why opinions on doctrine need to be taken with a grain of salt. God is the judge of such things and if and when others are manifesting the fruit of the Spirit, and the insights do NOT contradict the scripture (which is a whole other bag of worms) I think we need to all slow down and take a back seat to criticizing or ostracizing our brothers or sisters who see things in the faith differently.
Speaking of this we come to the last verse of chapter 2 and for today and it brings to my mind some thoughts I personally find interesting.
So Paul says:
16 For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.
Now this first line:
“For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him?”
This is taken and quoted from Isaiah 40:13 which says:
“Who hath directed the Spirit of the LORD, or being his counsellor hath taught him?”
The interrogative form of this verse provides us with a very very strong denial that any one has ever known the mind of the LORD – which comes from JEHOVAH.
The argument of Paul is this: “No one can understand God. No one can fully comprehend his plans, his feelings, his views, his designs.” And this is the stance from the Old Testament writer.
Here we sing:
For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has become His counselor, or who has first given to Him and then it shall be given to them?
The answer again is NONE – no one.
JEHOVAH is unsearchable and no man – even those filled with His Spirit can say that they know His mind.
But then . . . just listen to what Paul says next! It’s fascinating because Paul says, quoting Isaiah of old:
16 For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? (BUT THEN HE ADDS)
But we have the mind of Christ.
Wait, what? No one knows the mind (nous) of YAHWAY but “we,” Paul says of the believers there and himself, “have the mind (nous) of Christ?
The ramifications of this passage in my mind are significant.
We could, I suppose, take some measures to explain this way as saying that “no natural man knows the mind of the Lord,” which is certainly true, but the Isaiah passage seems to indicate that this was said to all human beings – I mean which of really has a grasp of the mind of God? None, really, right?
So that appears to be the meaning too.
But, Paul adds, we have the mind of Christ.
A line that seems to imply that the mind of Christ, that we as believers possess, is different from the Mind of Yahweh.
Im gonna chew on this and dig into it and we will continue on with it next week.
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