1 Corinthians 2:6–3:4 (LSB)

• This block spans two LSB section headings: “Paul’s Reliance upon the Spirit” (2:1–16, entered here at v. 6) and “Jesus Christ, Our Foundation”.

This is a translator note, but significant. I try to stick to pericopes, but in a letter like this, they need bridges.

Remember this letter was read aloud at once. The Greek had no commas, no exclamation points, no paragraphs, note even capitalization differences. So the reader most likely heard the original voice in the transcription. They knew where the inflection points were and the pauses.

1 Corinthians 2:1–5 (LSB)1 And when I came to you, brothers, I did not come with superiority of word or of wisdom, proclaiming to you the witness of God. 2 For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified. 3 And I was with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling, 4 and my word and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, 5 so that your faith would not be in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God…

• No tricks of persuasion. No eloquence to dazzle. No salesman. Ambassador.

1 Corinthians 2:6–16 (LSB) We Have the Mind of Christ

6 Yet we do speak wisdom among those who are mature, a wisdom, however, not of this age nor of the rulers of this age, who are being abolished. 7 But we speak God’s wisdom in a mystery, the wisdom which has been hidden, which God predestined before the ages to our glory, 8 which none of the rulers of this age has understood; for if they had understood it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. 9 But just as it is written,

“Things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard,

And which have not entered the heart of man,

All that God has prepared for those who love Him.”

• The wisdom Paul speaks of, of which a Christian has, is a wisdom of a different order.
• Not of this age/nor of the rulers of this age… v8 none of the rulers of this age has understood.
• How does Paul know that? If they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of Glory.
• V. 8 “Lord of glory” – the only other NT use of this exact title is James 2:1; cf. also Psalm 24:7–10 “King of glory”:
• James 2:1 (LSB) 1 My brothers, do not hold your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ with an attitude of personal favoritism.
• Acts 7:2 (LSB)2 And he said, “Hear me, brothers and fathers! The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Haran…
• Psalm 24:1 (LSB)1 The earth is Yahweh’s, as well as its fullness, The world, and those who dwell in it.
• Psalm 24:8–10 (LSB)8 Who is this King of glory? Yahweh strong and mighty, Yahweh mighty in battle. 9 Lift up your heads, O gates, And lift yourselves up, O ancient doors, That the King of glory may come in! 10 Who is He, this King of glory? Yahweh of hosts, He is the King of glory. Selah.
• V. 9 “Things which eye has not seen… for those who love Him” – quoted from Isaiah 64:4, but famously loose/composite – the LSB wording of Isaiah 64:4 does not match this quotation verbatim in either clause; scholars generally read it as a free, composite rendering (possibly drawing on more than one OT text) rather than a direct LXX or Hebrew citation. LSB small caps confirm the whole quotation is marked as Scripture except the supplied word “which” in the second line:
• Isaiah 64:4 (LSB) 4 For from ancient times they have not heard or given ear, Nor has the eye seen a God besides You, Who acts in behalf of the one who waits for Him.
• In isolation, this verse makes us think of the future state, what “Heaven” will be like after it comes to earth.
• In context, he’s saying that this wisdom, does not come to man by observation or reason (eye seen, ear heard / heart entered (~mind)) This bears out throughout history of man trying to observe/reason morality & ethics.

Period

Tradition / figures

Core idea

c. 600–300 BC

Buddhism, Siddhartha Gautama

Reduce suffering through compassion, right action, and non-attachment

c. 500 BC

Confucianism, Confucius

Become virtuous through humane concern, family duty, and proper conduct

c. 470–399 BC

Socratic ethics, Socrates

Virtue requires self-examination; wrongdoing comes from ignorance

c. 427–347 BC

Platonism, Plato

Justice and goodness reflect an objective moral order

c. 384–322 BC

Aristotelian virtue ethics, Aristotle

Flourish by developing virtues and practical wisdom

c. 341–270 BC

Epicureanism, Epicurus

Seek tranquility through modest pleasure, friendship, and freedom from fear

c. 300 BC

Stoicism, Zeno, Epictetus, Seneca, Marcus Aurelius

Focus on what you control; virtue, reason, and character are the real good

16th–17th centuries

Natural-law theory, Grotius

Reason can identify moral principles grounded in human nature

1588–1679

Social-contract theory, Thomas Hobbes

Moral rules arise from agreements that make peaceful cooperation possible

17th–18th centuries

Sentimentalism, David Hume

Sympathy and moral feeling, not reason alone, guide moral judgment

1724–1804

Kantian deontology, Immanuel Kant

Act on universalizable duties; never treat persons merely as tools

1748–1832; 1806–1873

Utilitarianism, Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill

Choose what produces the greatest overall well-being

1903–1950s

Metaethics, G. E. Moore, A. J. Ayer, R. M. Hare

Studies what moral claims mean and whether they can be true or objective

1940s

Existentialist ethics, Jean-Paul Sartre, Simone de Beauvoir

Human freedom creates responsibility; moral choices occur without perfect certainty

1958–present

Modern virtue ethics, G. E. M. Anscombe, Alasdair MacIntyre, Martha Nussbaum

Revives Aristotle’s emphasis on character, practices, and flourishing

1971–present

Justice as fairness / contractualism, John Rawls, T. M. Scanlon

Just rules are those people could fairly agree to under equal conditions

1972–present

Contemporary utilitarianism, Peter Singer

Give equal moral consideration to comparable interests, including animal suffering and global poverty

1982–present

Care and feminist ethics, Carol Gilligan, Nel Noddings

Relationships, dependency, power, and care are central moral concerns

1949–present

Environmental ethics, Aldo Leopold, Arne Næss

Moral concern extends beyond humans to animals, ecosystems, and future generations

1960s–present

Applied ethics, bioethics, business ethics, technology/AI ethics

Uses ethical theories to address medicine, work, technology, privacy, climate, and public policy

• If man can not observe or reason this, it must be revealed.
• It’s something of a “Sacred Secret” like the mystery of the Church that Paul wrote of in Ephesians 3:5 (LSB)5 which in other generations was not made known to the sons of men, as it was now revealed to His holy apostles and prophets in the Spirit:
• And…. It HAS. God has chosen to reveal these things.

1 Corinthians 2:10-16 But to us God revealed them through the Spirit

for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God.

11 For who among men knows the depths of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so the depths of God no one knows except the Spirit of God.

12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the depths graciously given to us by God, 13 of which depths we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual depths with spiritual words.

• Tony Evans – “2:9–10 Spiritual wisdom is made possible by means of the personalized work of God in our lives. Quoting from the prophet Isaiah, Paul explains that for those who love God, he is able to make known things that no eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no human heart has conceived (2:9). This is not a reference to heaven but to God’s work in the life of the believer. It indicates that God can help believers understand things that they cannot learn through natural means. How does he do this? He reveals these things to us by the Spirit (2:10). This is called illumination.
• Though God has revealed to us his inspired, written Word, believers need illumination to give us understanding. This is the work of the Holy Spirit, through the Word of God, within the mind of a Christian that causes him to supernaturally learn, understand, and apply the things of God. It is the voice of God through the Word by means of the Holy Spirit becoming personalized to you. Illumination does not involve new revelation; rather, it involves God giving a believer understanding of the meaning and application of Scripture in the midst of his own experiences.”[1]
• Know one knows the depths of a man, except the man’s spirit? Same with you and me. My thoughts are mine, yours are yours.
• Even so God’s Spirit is the only one capable of knowing, and we receiving Him, receive this revealed wisdom.
• There’s an important implication here for us. If we know that this revelation can not be found by a person in any natural way, then we need to speak what we have come to know.

14 But a natural man does not accept the depths of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually examined. 15 But he who is spiritual examines all things, yet he himself is examined by no one. 16 For who has known the mind of the Lord, that he will direct Him? But we have the mind of Christ.

• The natural man – Do you want to know why aunt Bessie thinks you are out of your mind? This is why.
• Yet, they hear (deaf) and think we are fools.
• You can not make this message impressive to the natural man.
• It’s not our place to discern between the two futures of the people we are speaking to. They might be either and you will never be able to know. Your job is … to proclaim. Their response isn’t going to be dependent on your ability to orate, or their ability to be wise and understanding.
• 1 Corinthians 1:18 (LSB)18 For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved, it is the power of God.
• We are ambassadors, not sales men.
• How different would my message be, if “closing the deal” is dependent on me.
• What a pickle. Half our effort goes to the church. The Whole of our effort should go to the lost.
• V. 16 “who has known the mind of the Lord” – quoted from Isaiah 40:13; LSB small caps confirm the quotation ends at “direct Him”, with “But we have the mind of Christ” as Paul’s own addition. Paul’s wording follows the LXX (νοῦν κυρίου, “mind of the Lord”); the LSB Hebrew-based rendering of Isaiah 40:13 itself reads “Spirit of Yahweh,” not “mind”:
• Isaiah 40:13 (LSB) 13 Who has encompassed the Spirit of Yahweh, Or as His counselor has informed Him?
• A spiritual person considers each matter from Christ’s perspective (2:16), guided by Scripture and illuminated by the Spirit, then applies that perspective to life’s decisions.

1 Corinthians 3:1–4 (LSB) Infants in Christ

1 And I, brothers, was not able to speak to you as to spiritual men, but as to fleshly men, as to infants in Christ. 2 I gave you milk to drink, not solid food, for you were not yet able to receive it. Indeed, even now you are still not able, 3 for you are still fleshly. For since there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not fleshly, and are you not walking like mere men? 4 For when one says, “I am of Paul,” and another, “I am of Apollos,” are you not mere men?

• Believers possess “the mind of Christ,” yet this possession of the Spirit doesn’t automatically guarantee growth in understanding divine wisdom. The Corinthians remain “infants in Christ,” unprepared for anything beyond the basic proclamation of the gospel. Their jealousy and quarreling reveal they’re still influenced by worldly wisdom.
• Vv. 1–2 “milk to drink, not solid food… infants” – shared image for spiritual immaturity; cf. Hebrews 5:12–13 (same corrective sense) and 1 Peter 2:2 (positive sense – newborns urged to desire milk, not rebuked for needing it):
• Hebrews 5:12–13 (LSB) 12 For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you the elementary principles of the oracles of God, and you have come to need milk and not solid food. 13 For everyone who partakes only of milk is not accustomed to the word of righteousness, for he is an infant.
• 1 Peter 2:2 (LSB) 2 like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation,
• Milk is preprepared. Easy to digest.
• Milk is not the diet of mature Christians any more than meat which can be tough, sometimes even gristly, is for infants.
• You have to feed YOURSELF.
• Evans – “Without spiritual growth, believers will continue to live as they did before coming to Christ. They will operate from a worldly and earthly perspective and behave like mere humans (i.e., unbelievers), rather than spiritual people”
• The Corinthian church was beginning to pride itself on spiritual knowledge, but they were actually still immature in Spiritual matters.
• It’s not wrong to be young. Expectations are different for the mature. Think of a grown man still nursing – somethings wrong with him.
• Knowledge can puff up. Nothing feeds that (without the chew) as being spoon-fed doctrine. Think of the cults. Even aside from the cults, I can speak from experience in Charismania. Having to chew it yourself means you have to put in the work.
• “How do I interpret this Scripture?”
• “Are there other Scriptures that speak to this issue?”
• “Are there other Scriptures that seem to counter this? What interpretations are left?”
• “Lord help me apply this correctly to my own thinking, and my own life..”
• It’s not wrong to be young. “for you are still fleshly.” – Starting point is fleshly.
• V. 3 “jealousy and strife” – the same vice pair (in reverse order, “strife, jealousy”) recurs in Paul’s deeds-of-the-flesh list:
• Galatians 5:19–21 (LSB)19 Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions, 21 envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
• 1 Corinthians 3:5–7 (LSB)5 What then is Apollos? And what is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, even as the Lord gave to each one. 6 I planted, Apollos watered, but God was causing the growth. 7 So then neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but God who causes the growth.

True wisdom can not be naturally reasoned or observed. It must be revealed.

We have the Spirit of God, who has chosen to reveal to us.

We have the ability to grow, or we will continue in immaturity.

We must proclaim the message from our King. We are ambassadors, not sales people.

God must do the work. He invites us to join him.

[1] Evans, Tony. The Tony Evans Bible Commentary. Holman Bible Publishers, 2019, p. 1151.