1 Corinthians 1

Review

Reviewon1 Corinthians 1

1 Corinthians 1:1-3 –Greeting

•Pauldeclareshimselfasanapostle,which

thechurchdidn’treallyappreciateandhe

wasappointedbyGod,notbymen

•Paulstartedtalkingaboutsanctification

Reviewon1 Corinthians 1

1 Corinthians 1:4-9–Thanksgiving

•PaulisthankfulforthegraceofGodtohelp

buildthechurchatCorinth

•Paulisremindingthechurchthattheir

“success”wasn’tbasedontheireffortsbut

bythegraceofGod

Reviewon1 Corinthians 1

1 Corinthians 1:10-17 –DivisionsintheChurch

•Paulisadmonishingthechurchforhaving

divisions,especiallyforfollowingaparticular

humaninsteadofJesus

•Ibelongto________.Iwasbaptizedby

________.

•Paulisrebukingthespiritualelitismthatthe

churchwasmanifesting.

Reviewon1 Corinthians 1

1 Corinthians 1:18-31 –ChristtheWisdomandPower

ofGod

• WordofGodisfollytothosewhoareunsaved,butit

isthepowerofGodforus

• WordofGodisfarsuperiortothatofanyhuman

wisdom

• JewswereseekingsignswhiletheGreeks/Gentiles

wereseekingproofandreason

• Jesuswithoutcrucifixionwasworthless

1 Corinthians 2

1 Corinthians 2:1 (ESV) Proclaiming Christ

Crucified

1AndI,whenIcametoyou,brothers,didnotcomeproclaimingtoyou

thetestimonyofGodwithloftyspeechorwisdom.

• PauldeclareshecameasawitnessofGod.

• Notasalesmanorphilosopher

• Didn’tcatertoorfollowwhattheaudiencewanted

• HealreadyknewwhattheJewsandGreeks/Gentilessought

• Hedidn’tusefancywordsoreloquencetodrawpeopletoHim

• Hewasmorethancapableofdebate,butthatwasn’thisapproach

1 Corinthians 2:2 (ESV) Proclaiming Christ

Crucified

2ForIdecidedtoknownothingamongyouexceptJesusChristandhim

crucified.

• PaulpreachedChristandHimcrucified…thatwashisdetermination

andresolution

• JesusChristcrucifiedisexemplifiedinALLfourofthegospels

• JesusChristwithoutthecrucifixionmessageisworthless

1 Corinthians 2:3-5 (ESV) Proclaiming Christ

Crucified

3AndIwaswithyouinweaknessandinfearandmuchtrembling,

4andmyspeechandmymessagewerenotinplausiblewordsof

wisdom,butindemonstrationoftheSpiritandofpower,

5sothatyourfaithmightnotrestinthewisdomofmenbutinthe

powerofGod.

1 Corinthians 2:3-5 (ESV) Proclaiming Christ

Crucified

• PaulwaswiththechurchofCorinthforatleast1-1/2years(Acts

18:11)

• Pauladmittedasmuchthathedidn’tcomepreachingwith

confidencebutinweakness,infear,intrembling

• Showinghewashuman,butthatwashisstrength

• It’shuman’sjobtopreachbuttheHolySpirittodemonstratethroughHis

power

• Becareful,whatyoudrawpeoplewithiswhatyoudrawthemto

1 Corinthians 2:6-7 (ESV) Wisdom from the

Spirit

6 Yet among the mature we do impart wisdom, although it is not a

wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are doomed

to pass away.

7 But we impart a secret and hidden wisdom of God, which God

decreed before the ages for our glory.

• Spiritual things are hidden and not obtained by natural means

• Apologetics and evangelism are valuable, but the work of the

Spirit is what regenerates the heart and ushers believers into

the Kingdom

1 Corinthians 2:8 (ESV) Wisdom from the

Spirit

8 None of the rulers of this age understood this, for if they had,

they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.

• If spiritual things were known to the world, then they wouldn’t

have crucified Jesus

• “Lord of glory” is from Psalm 24:7-10

1 Corinthians 2:9-10 (ESV) Wisdom from the

Spirit

9 But, as it is written, “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the

heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love

him”—

10 these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the

Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God.

• Verse 9 is from Isaiah 64:4, also possibly from the book of Elijah

• It’s not necessarily talking about heaven but here on earth as verse

10 indicates as well as Ephesians 3:4-6

• Only the Spirit can impart spiritual knowledge or wisdom

• No amount of human effort can attain this kind of wisdom

• Paul wasn’t sharing the “basics” of the gospel, but the deep things of

God

1 Corinthians 2:11 (ESV) Wisdom from the

Spirit

11 For who knows a person's thoughts except the spirit of that

person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the

thoughts of God except the Spirit of God.

• Same way where only a person can know his own thoughts

through his own spirit

• We have received His Spirit so we can know His thoughts

• Not all of us have equal spiritual wisdom, but we all can

understand the basics

1 Corinthians 2:12-13 (ESV) Wisdom from the

Spirit

12 Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who

is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by

God.

13 And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but

taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are

spiritual.

• That’s why we as believers can commune with each other, fellowship

with each other because we have the Spirit imparting

knowledge/wisdom among us to understand and related to His

reality

• Every believer has access to the same spiritual wisdom

1 Corinthians 2:14 (ESV) Wisdom from the

Spirit

14 The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God,

for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them

because they are spiritually discerned.

• Natural person is what we are all born as (but living or dealing with

material things isn’t sinful)

• We can’t receive the things of God until we are born again

• Things of God seem foolishness (folly) to the natural person

• And they don’t want it either

• They can’t understand it as well as he’s spiritually discerned

• It’s like a dead man trying to see the material world around

1 Corinthians 2:15 (ESV) Wisdom from the

Spirit

15 Thespiritualpersonjudgesallthings,butishimselftobejudgedby

noone.

• Natural man can’t judge a believer as they have no spiritual

discernment

• Believers on the other hand can discern and understand

spiritual things and thus they can sharpen their brethren, but not

take God’s place as judges

1 Corinthians 2:16 (ESV) Wisdom from the

Spirit

16“ForwhohasunderstoodthemindoftheLordsoastoinstructhim?”

ButwehavethemindofChrist.

• Verse 16 is from Isaiah 40:13

• No one can understand God. No one can fully comprehend His plans, His

feelings, His views, His designs.

• No one by nature under the influence of sense and passion is either disposed

to investigate His truths, or loves them when they are revealed

• But we have the mind of Christ as to discern His plans, His feelings, His

desires, His purposes

• If you don’t know His mind, then maybe you need to find the time to get to

know Him better

• Remember this as Paul’s talking about spiritual people

understanding the spiritual things of God for the next chapter