More About Wisdom
1 Cor. 2: 6 – 9
Introduction
We have touched about wisdom previously. If we are in Christ, we have wisdom. The Apostle Paul now tells more about wisdom here. The Gospel is simple that even a child or an illiterate pagan can understand it but it is rooted on the deep things of God and it was God’s plan to put into shame the vain wisdom of the world by the weak and lowly ones whom the world despised. The intellectuals and the people whom the world thinks are wise cannot fathom its depths. The verses here are hard to explain, Paul ‘s words here help us to distinguish between God ‘s wisdom and worldly wisdom. God ‘s wisdom was revealed in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ at His first coming, but the world rejected Him and the wisdom He revealed.
I. Wisdom of them that are perfect against wisdom of the princes (1 Cor. 2:6)
A. Wisdom here is the spiritual wisdom of the genuine believers who have been saved
by Christ.
B. “Perfect” means full-grown or mature, fully developed and does not mean “sinless”.
1. There is a necessary difference between babes (Cor. 3:1) and adults or grown
men (1 Cor. 14:20; Phil. 3:15; Eph. 4:13; Heb. 5:14). We begin the Christian life
as “babes” in Christ. We must not remain babes, but must grow in Christ (2 Pet.
3:18).
2. There were different levels of maturity as we grow as Christians, different levels
of spirituality also.
3. Paul want to emphasize his readers that those who believed in the gospel were
wiser and more spiritually discerned that those unbelievers who thinks that the
gospel is just foolishness despite of their social status.
4. “World” in verses 6, 7, and 8 is “aion,” or age, referring to a time period. Each
age of the world has a conceit of its own. God’s wisdom is eternal and superior
to the wisdom of any age or time.
C. Princess of this world. I would call this the leading men of this world.
1. They are the intellectuals among the Jews, Greeks, and Romans. Considered the
elites but cannot learn and understand the divine wisdom.
2. Paul has previously written that not many noble, not many of the aristocrats are
able to receive the wisdom of God. They cannot accept the truth of the gospel;
thus, they remain unsaved.
Illustration 1: Illustration: Who are the wise men?
Who were the Wise Men in the long ago? Not Herod, fearful lest he lose his throne;
Not Pharisees, too proud to claim their own;
Not priests and scribes whose province was to know;
Not money changers running to and fro;
But three who travelled, weary and alone,
With dauntless faith, because before them shone
The star that led them to a manger low.
Who are the Wise Men now, when all is told?
Not men of science; not the great and strong;
Not those who wear a kingly diadem;
Not those whose eager hands pile high the gold;
But those amid the tumult and the throng
Who follow still the star of Bethlehem
II. Characteristics of this Divine Wisdom (1 Cor. 2:7)
A. This wisdom comes from God, not man. It is of Divine origin. This wisdom tells the
mature saint about the eternal plan that God has for His people and His creation.
The wisest of the “princes of this world ” could never understand or discern this
wisdom that comes from God.
B. This wisdom has been hidden, it is called “mystery”, in the New Testament. A
mystery is a “sacred secret” a truth hidden in past but now revealed to the people of
God.
1. The mystery is Christ crucified (Col. 2:2). This was once hidden from the ages
(Col. 1:26). It is now made plain in Christ (Rom. 16:25). The mystery has now
been revealed. It may be grasped by the mind of man.
C. This wisdom is ordained by God. It was planned by God. The salvation of man was
planned by God even before the foundation of the world. Christ is the lamb of slain
before the foundation of the world. (Rev. 13:8)
D. This wisdom results in the glory of God’s people. One of the greatest expositions of
this “plan of the ages” is in Eph. 1. Three times in that passage, Paul explains that all
of this is done for God’s glory (Eph. 1:6,12,14). It is a staggering thought that we
shall one day share in the very glory of God! (John 17:22-24; Rom 8:28-30)
Illustration 2: Glory of God
J. S. Bach said, “All music should have no other end and aim than the glory of God and the soul’s refreshment; where this is not remembered there is no real music but only a devilish hub-bub.”
He headed his compositions: “J. J.” “Jesus Juva” which means “Jesus help me.”
He ended them “S. D. G.” “Soli Dei gratia” which means “To God alone the praise.”
Kingdom Conflict, J. Stowell, Victor, 1985, pp. 77
III. ignorance of Divine wisdom the cause of crucifixion of Christ (1 Cor. 2:8)
A. Paul says the wisdom the apostles preach is not of this world. Consequently, the
rulers of this age are not able to understand it. Even those who are the wisest and
most powerful people of this age are unable to grasp it.
1. This is evident at the cross of Calvary. There, at the cross, the Jewish rulers
rejected Jesus as the Messiah and as God ‘s means of salvation. They crucified
Him. (Acts 13:27-29). Take note of the words “they knew Him not, nor yet the
voices of the prophets which are read every Sabbath Day, they have fulfilled
them in condemning Him…”
2. The Apostle Peter blames the children of Israel of their ignorance. Acts 3:17 And
now, brethren, I wot that through ignorance ye did it, as did also your rulers.
3. At present people around the world are still ignorant of the truth of the gospel
but ignorance does not excuse them. Bibles are printed in the languages of the
world and missionaries are sent in every nation for man to know Christ as the
power of God unto salvation.
4. In 2 Peter 3: 8-9, after the Holy Spirit spoke of Israel’s ignorance. He said “but
that all should come to repentance”. The Lord commands all should come to
repentance.
B. Satan still blinds the unbelievers
1. We cannot disregard the truth that Satan still actively blinds the minds of
unbelievers so that they will never see the spiritual beauty and glory of the
gospel. (2 Cor. 4:4).
2. Satan himself also does not understand God’s eternal plan. Satan thought that
Calvary was God’s great defeat but it turned out to be God’s greatest victory and
Satan’s defeat! (Col 2:15) From the time of our Lord’s birth into this world, Satan
had tried to kill Him, because Satan did not fully understand the vast results of
Christ’s death and resurrection Had the demonic rulers known, they would not
have “engineered” the death of Christ. (Of course, all of this was part of God’s
eternal plan. It was God who was in control, not Satan.)
IV. Insufficiency of Human Wisdom (1 Cor. 2:9)
A. “But as it is written, Eye hath not seen…” (I Cor. 2:9): Paul combines verses in Isa.
64:4; 65:17; 52:15 and Romans 3:10-18 in the New Testament.
1. God prepares for those who love and wait for Him those things that eye saw not,
ear heard not, and which did not enter into man’s heart.
2. That is the wisdom of God. Now that wisdom has been shown to us in Jesus
Christ.
B. This verse tells about the unseen glories of heaven prepared for those who really
love Him.
Illustration 3: Within This Bible Lies…
Sir Walter Scott, of Abbotsford, wrote of the Bible:
“Within this wondrous Volume lies
The mystery of mysteries;
Happiest they of human race
To whom their God has given grace
To read, to fear, to hope, to pray,
To lift the latch, to find the way;
And better had they ne’er been born,
That read to doubt, or read to scorn.”
—Acts and Facts Encyclopedia of 15,000 Illustrations: Signs of the Times.
V. Conclusion:
God’s wisdom is revealed in Christ Jesus but the Jews rejected Him. Until now the
intellectuals or the wise of this world cannot understand and comprehend the divine
truth of the gospel and still reject it. How about you? Repent from your sins now and
receive Him as your personal saviour. Christ has prepared things for you beyond your
imagination.
