Comments on 1 Corinthians 2 Herein, Paul attacks the logical arguments of the pseudo- intellectuals within the Church who are causing division. The attack is particularly poignant given Paul's educational background. Having been high in the ranks of the Pharisees, schooled by Gamaliel (cf. Acts 22:3), Paul is one of the intellectual elite of the Church. Yet here he is discounting it entirely in favor of receiving a testimony of Christ via the Spirit. While Paul is addressing one group in specific. The general message of the text is that people are converted by the Spirit and not be logical debate, evidence, or reason. Nobody ever was convinced using debate, facts, or reason that Jesus is the Savior. Religious convictions are not obtained in that fashion. They are obtained in humility, or by being humbled, and receiving and accepting a witness of the Spirit. This is why missionary work relies on relatively simple concepts and emphasizes the necessity of obtaining a spiritual witness. It is also why Bible-bashing is a waste of time. The contentious, the sign seekers, and Satan all demand proof (cf. Matt. 4:1-11, John 6:30). "Prove it!" they demand. But regardless of the proof given, they ignore it, demand more, and rationalize away the proof given. While I was serving a full-time mission I came across a group of Christians of various backgrounds who studied together privately one night a week in one of their homes. When we came into contact with them they invited my companion and I to participate, and we accepted. The meetings turned away from fellowship and Bible study into a forum wherein we were questioned and proof was demanded. Over the course of several weeks a great deal of proof was provided, mainly dealing with the authenticity of the Book of Mormon and seeming anachronisms and the perceived lack of archaeological support. Whenever proof was presented, the subject was changed and a new concern was generated. After some time they gave up on trying to disprove the Book of Mormon and instead attacked unique LDS doctrines. We parted company over John 4:24. Some time afterwards I came across this chapter and read it with open eyes and was stunned at Paul's wisdom and my own lack thereof. v1-5 Paul reminds them that when he preached to them he did so without sophistry, appearing to them as one who is weak, so that they might focus on Jesus Christ alone. He did not use fancy words and impressive speeches, instead he chose to demonstrate the Spirit to them that their faith might be in God and not him. Compare 1 Thes. 1:5 for a similar statement. v6-8 While Paul speaks in terms of relatively simple things when dealing with new converts, he does discuss more complex doctrine with people who have been in the Church for a long time (v. 6). But, even then, the wisdom discussed is spiritual wisdom, and not the false wisdom of men (v. 7). This spiritual wisdom is not grasped by the great and powerful men of this world, for had they taken hold of it they would not have killed the messiah (v. 8). v6 "them that are perfect", in this context the translation of "teleion" to "mature" would be better than "perfect". Paul's intent is to point out to them they are new in the Church, like babies per 3:1-2, and so he does not teach them with obscure doctrine which one who has been in the Church for a long time might be ready for. v9-16 Paul quotes Isa. 64:4 (v. 9), a passage which alludes to personal revelation, and says the Spirit searches all things, knows all things, and teaches all things (v. 10-13). The carnal man will not receive the Spirit, it is the spiritual man who will be examining all things by the Spirit. And even though the spiritual man may be discerned by the carnal man, the carnal man will not examine the spiritual man (v. 14-15). While Isaiah said that it is not possible for man to know the mind of the Lord, it is possible, as was the case with Christ, for a mortal to discern the mind of God by the Spirit. Thus, spiritual people have a mind like Christ's wherein they discern God's will by the Spirit (v. 16). These verses can be arranged as a synonymous parallelism, as follows (the bracketed text in v. 11 is the IV/JST emendation): A - 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. B - 10 But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. C - 11 For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? D - even so the things of God knoweth no man, [except he has] the Spirit of God. A - 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. B - 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. C - 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. D - 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. The A's discuss revelation via the Spirit of God. The B's indicate it is the Spirit that perceives and teaches all of God's wisdom. The C's point out that men left to themselves can only perceive human things because of the limitations of their own spirits and the rejection of the Holy spirit. The D's conclude that it is only by communing with the Holy Spirit that a man may have the mind of the Lord revealed to him. v11, 15 Regarding the idea of personal revelation, Paul forwards revelation by the Spirit as the means of obtaining knowledge concerning Christ's nature in Eph. 1:15-23 and Eph. 3:14-19. v11 is obscure, regardless of the translation you read. The best translation I have found, which hopefully helps more than hinders, is the Concordant Literal NT (CLNT), as follows: For is any of humanity acquainted with that which is human except the spirit of humanity which is in it? Thus, also, that which is of God no one knows, except the spirit of God. Paul's intent here is to contrast man's ability to perceive things with the Spirit's ability to perceive things. We carnal humans perceive carnal things because that is our nature, the spirit that is in us. This is the "spirit of the world" he refers to in v. 12. However, the Holy Spirit can perceive heavenly things because it is Holy. No carnal human can perceive the things of God because we are unholy. It is only by the intervention of the Holy Spirit that humans can perceive the mind of God. So, Paul's primary intent is to undercut man's wisdom. Man's wisdom is limited by his carnal nature, so any attempt at sophistry is intrinsically flawed. Hence Paul's reliance on the Spirit to teach them. The IV/JST emends the last line of the verse from "knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God" to "knoweth no man, except he has the Spirit of God". This emendation is supported by this verse's parallel compliment in v. 15. v15 "judgeth...judged", the Greek "anakrino" means to hold something up so as to examine or inspect it. "yet he himself is judged of no man", the meaning is obscure. I would assume what Paul means is that while the spiritual man examines spiritual things, the carnal man examines nothing spiritual, not even his fellow man who is spiritual. There, before his very eyes, is evidence of the Spirit in the spiritual man's testimony and walk, yet the carnal man chooses to ignore it. v16 Paul paraphrases Isa. 40:13 here, and does so similarly is Rom. 11:34 as well. Copyright © 2002 by S. Kurt Neumiller . All rights reserved. No part of this text may be reproduced in any form or by any means for commercial gain without the express written consent of the author. Digital or printed copies may be freely made and distributed for personal and public non-commercial use.