1 Corinthians 2
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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:
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:perfect
i.e. full grown. (See Scofield "Matthew 5:48") .
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.mystery (See Scofield "Matthew 13:11") .
ordained Predestination, trans. predestinated, Romans 8:29 Romans 8:30 ; Ephesians 1:5 Ephesians 1:11 ; Acts 4:28 .
world foreordained before the ages. Cf. See margin ref., Romans 16:25, (See Scofield "Romans 16:25") .
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.world
kosmos = world-system. 1 Corinthians 7:31 1 Corinthians 7:33 ; John 7:7 . (See Scofield "Revelation 13:8") .
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.words
(1) The writers of Scripture invariably affirm, where the subject is mentioned by them at all, that the words of their writings are divinely taught. This, of necessity, refers to the original documents, not to translations and versions; but the labours of competent scholars have brought our English versions to a degree of perfection so remarkable that we may confidently rest upon them as authoritative.
(2) 1 Corinthians 2:9-14 gives the process by which a truth passes from the mind of God to the minds of His people.
(a) The unseen things of God are undiscoverable by the natural man ( 1 Corinthians 2:9 ). (b) These unseen things God has revealed to chosen men ( 1 Corinthians 2:10-12 ). (c) The revealed things are communicated in Spirit-taught words ( 1 Corinthians 2:13 ). This implies neither mechanical dictation nor the effacement of the writer's personality, but only that the Spirit infallibly guides in the choice of words from the writer's own vocabulary ( 1 Corinthians 2:13 ). (d) These Spirit-taught words, in which the revelation has been expressed, are discerned, as to their true spiritual content, only by the spiritual among believers ; 1 Corinthians 2:15 1 Corinthians 2:16 ; (See Scofield "Revelation 22:19") .
natural man
Paul divides men into three classes: psuchikos, "of the senses" James 3:15 ; Jude 1:19 or "natural," i.e. the Adamic man, unrenewed through the new birth John 3:3 John 3:5 pneumatikos, "spiritual," i.e. the renewed man as Spirit-filled and walking in the Spirit in full communion with God Ephesians 5:18-20 and sarkikos, "carnal," "fleshly," i.e. the renewed man who, walking "after the flesh," remains a babe in Christ 1 Corinthians 3:1-4 . The natural man may be learned, gentle, eloquent, fascinating, but the spiritual content of Scripture is absolutely hidden from him; and the fleshly, or carnal, Christian is able to comprehend only its simplest truths, "milk" 1 Corinthians 3:2 .