1 Corinthians 2 … mind your matters

2 And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency* of speech** or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God***.

*G5247 ὑπεροχή huperoche (hï-per-o-chee’) n. 1. prominence. 2. (figuratively) superiority (in rank or character).

**from G3004 λέγω lego (le’-ğō) v. (properly) to “lay” forth. or a discourse (on a topic).

*** G3142 μαρτύριον marturion (mar-tï ’-riy-on) n. 1. a testimony, something evidential. 2. (genitive case) evidence given. 3. (specially) the Ten Commandments (Decalogue, the Ten Royal Edicts).

Paul is giving up the perspective of where his information is coming from. Paul states clearly that he is not a part of the Greco-Roman university crowd. My question now is this…. Why are all of our preachers now university students learning about Greek philosophy? Why are we not learning the truth of our Biblical framework?

² For I determined not to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.

• paraphase to follow: “I don’t want to make claims of superiority in the university subjects, only in the scriptures and the completeness that Jesus brought to them.”
• It would be assumption on my part to believe that Paul was incredibly well adept in the university training… yet that is exactly where I fall.
• Paul was more than capable of “laying forth” on many subjects and that is why the church weighs so heavily upon his letters.

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

⁴ And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing* words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power:

*G3981 πειθός peithos (pei-thos’) adj. persuasive. This is not the “Power of Positive thinking”… this is the pure evidence of the power of Yah manifested in the lives of people. Also absent from Paul’s delivery would have been anything remotely close to “Billy Amazing” and words that cause frantic emotional response. Paul delivered the plain simple truth of scripture fulfilled.

⁵ That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.

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##:

*G1161 δέ de (d̮e’) conj. 1. (additionally) “and”.

** G5046 τέλειος teleios (te’-lei-os) adj. complete. (neuter as noun, with G3588 “the thing”) completeness; in various applications of labor, growth, mental and moral character, etc.

# G758 ἄρχων archon (ar’-chōn) n. a first (in rank or power). chief (ruler), magistrate.

##G2673 καταργέω katargeo (kat-ar-ǰe’-ō) v. to render entirely idle (useless).

Revelation 21:1 “And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.”

There will be a day when the corruption of Genesis 3:17 will forever be corrected.

⁷ But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery*, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory:

• Mark 4:11 “And he said unto them, Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all these things are done in parables:”

⁸ Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.

Satan would have never put it into the minds of men to crucify Yeshua with the knowledge that it completed the Torah. Satan could only see the death of the flesh as a victory. This is true for the created but not the Creator!

1 Corinthians 15:55 “O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?”

⁹ But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.

• Isaiah 64:4 “For since the beginning of the world men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye seen, O God, beside thee, what he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him.”

¹⁰ But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.

¹¹ For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.

• paraphrase: “you cant possibly know the endgame that a person has when they tell you something or doing something….how can you presume to know what it is that God is doing?”…
• Too often, in my opinion, people will post claims (both for and against) aimed at God for things that are going on in their life without consulting the Scripture to see if this is really something “of God” or …if by some wild stretch of the imagination…. It is actually the Devil poking his cold little finger in the mix. Don’t be fooled…. The Devil can supply wealth and property, then, get you to applaud God for it all-the-while ensnaring you in it… just like the Garden!

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.

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.

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.

• This is the fodder for the denominational crowd. Here is where antinomianism and dispensationalism find their foothold in the 501©3.

¹⁵ But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man.

¹⁶ For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? but we have the mind of Christ.

• When will mankind return to this manner of life? When will we measure everything against scripture?
• Ephesians 5:25-27 “Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.”