Study notes
When I came to you: see Acts 18:1–17.
with eloquence or wisdom: Human wisdom and philosophy do not bring people to Christ (see 1 Corinthians 1:17, 21; 2:2). The message of the cross has its own power to change the human heart (see 1:17; Romans 1:16; Galatians 6:14).
the testimony about God: See study note on 1 Corinthians 2:7.
God's control made Paul's preaching successful. Paul did not depend on his intelligence or personality for evangelism. Instead, he relied on the Holy Spirit's power (see also study note on 1 Corinthians 1:18–31).
Paul was an example to the Corinthians of how God works through weak people. Paul didn’t act smart and clever with them. He taught them about God’s love and Jesus’ death on the cross.
It wasn’t Paul’s words or the way he spoke that made the Corinthians have faith. They had faith in God because they saw the Holy Spirit’s power working through Paul. Without God’s power Paul was weak.
Paul explained how God’s power and wisdom are different from the world’s power and wisdom. He was talking about human authorities who think that they have a lot of power. They try to control others and make them do things by force. It was rulers like this who had Jesus killed.
They didn’t understand the mystery of Christ. They didn’t understand that Jesus is the Son of God and is the true Lord. They didn’t understand that Jesus is the leader who serves others. He sacrificed himself for others.
This message about Jesus can’t be understood based only on the way human beings think. People need the help of God’s Spirit to understand spiritual things. The Holy Spirit teaches God’s wisdom to believers. This way they can think and act like Jesus. They can do what God wants them to do. That is what it means to have the mind of Christ.
Human weakness does not stop God's work (2 Corinthians 12:7–10). The true power is not in charismatic preaching, presentation skills, or logical arguments (compare 2 Corinthians 10:10). It is in the message itself, focused on Christ and his death for our sins. It is also in the power of the Holy Spirit, who touches the human heart.
Among the mature: Only those who are spiritually mature will recognize God's wisdom. Many Corinthians could not recognize it (see 1 Corinthians 3:1–3).
the rulers of this age: The rulers of this world (see also 2:8) are soon forgotten because Christ now rules. His enemies were defeated by his death on the cross (see 15:24–25; Colossians 2:15).
Paul highlights God's wisdom as different from the world's wisdom. True wisdom comes from the Spirit and is revealed in the so-called "foolishness" of the good news (see 1 Corinthians 1:20–25).
mysterious and hidden wisdom: In Paul’s writings, "mystery" often means a truth that was once hidden but is now revealed in the good news about Jesus and his saving work (see Romans 11:25–27; 1 Timothy 3:9, 16).
Before time began: From the start, God wanted to save his chosen people through Jesus (see Romans 16:25–26; Ephesians 1:9–12; 3:3–12; Colossians 1:25–27) and lead them to ultimate glory in the future age (see Romans 5:2; 8:18–21, 29–30; 1 Thessalonians 2:12).
The leaders of this world are likely political leaders, not spiritual ones (see also 1 Corinthians 15:24; compare Acts 3:14–15; 4:10; 5:29–32).
This quotation of Isaiah 64:4 supports Paul's prior point (1 Corinthians 2:8): People without spiritual awareness do not understand God's plan for redemption.
God has revealed it to us: Those who believe in Christ and have received his Spirit (see 1 Corinthians 6:19; 12:13; Galatians 3:2; Ephesians 1:13; Titus 3:5) are different from the rulers of this world (1 Corinthians 2:8). We cannot understand God's deep secrets through worldly wisdom or philosophy. Only God's Spirit can reveal God's thoughts to his people (see 1 John 2:20, 27; compare Matthew 11:25–27). God has kindly given his Spirit to his people so they can know the wonderful things he has freely given them (compare John 16:13–14).
in words taught by the Spirit: Spiritual wisdom differs from human wisdom. The way spiritual wisdom is taught must differ from the way human wisdom is taught. Communicating and learning spiritual truth must happen through the Spirit's dimension and power. It is not just a rational, human exercise.
The natural man: Unbelievers have minds that are closed to the Spirit. They live in the natural world and see life only through physical eyes (see 2 Corinthians 4:4). They cannot understand the importance of the good news about Jesus, as it is mainly a spiritual message.
The spiritual man: Those with the Spirit have a true understanding of divine revelation.
This quote from Isaiah 40:13 illustrates how divine wisdom goes beyond human understanding (see also Romans 11:34).
But we have the mind of Christ: Connected to Christ, believers receive the Spirit of Christ, which reveals Christ’s thoughts to them.
Verse notes: Adapted by Mission Mutual (Aquifer Open Study Notes) from Tyndale Open Study Notes © 2023 Tyndale House Publishers. CC BY-SA 4.0. Section notes: Biblica Study Notes © 2023 Biblica, Inc. CC BY-SA 4.0, via BibleAquifer. About the sources