February 11, 2014
THE HOLY SPIRIT SPEAKS!
1 Corinthians 2
Kyle Belitz
Central Truth
Knowing your audience is critical to the message you communicate. But also remember whose message you are communicating and where it came from.
Key Verse | 1 Corinthians 2:4
[A]nd my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power. (1 Corinthians 2:4)
1 Corinthians 2
Proclaiming Christ Crucified
1 And I, when I came to you, brothers, 1 2:1 Or brothers and sisters did not come proclaiming to you the testimony 2 2:1 Some manuscripts mystery (or secret) of God with lofty speech or wisdom. 2 For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. 3 And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, 4 and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, 5 so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men 3 2:5 The Greek word anthropoi can refer to both men and women but in the power of God.
Wisdom from the Spirit
6 Yet among the mature we do impart wisdom, although it is not a wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are doomed to pass away. 7 But we impart a secret and hidden wisdom of God, which God decreed before the ages for our glory. 8 None of the rulers of this age understood this, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. 9 But, as it is written,
“What no eye has seen, nor ear heard,
nor the heart of man imagined,
what God has prepared for those who love him”—
10 these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. 11 For who knows a person's thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. 12 Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God. 13 And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual. 4 2:13 Or interpreting spiritual truths in spiritual language, or comparing spiritual things with spiritual
14 The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. 15 The spiritual person judges all things, but is himself to be judged by no one. 16 “For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ.
Dive Deeper | 1 Corinthians 2
To set the stage in the second chapter of 1 Corinthians, Paul reminds the church at Corinth that wisdom comes from the Spirit. He encourages the Corinthian church to know their audience and reminds them that wisdom does not come from man.
Funny story: as I was over-thinking what to write for today's Journey, my thoughts ran all over the place. First, what if I write something that no one likes or what if I write something that is biblically inaccurate? Second, what can I write to sound like I really know the Scripture and come across as a mature believer? Third, as I was driving down the highway, I literally laughed out loud ("LOL" for the cool kids) as the Lord smacked me with a nice slice of humble pie. Clearly the Lord knew He had a plan for me in this assignment (verse 13).
So, my lesson has been learned, but I think what Paul says plays out in one of the ways Christians struggle the most: sharing the gospel story of God's love for us through Jesus' life and death. I distinctly remember the first few times I shared the gospel. I was a nervous wreck, worrying about what I could say to make sure the person understood "my message." I quickly learned that I do not have all the words to say or the answers to all the questions. I also learned, most importantly, that it is not my message.
In that process I was humbled once again at how the Holy Spirit used me to communicate His beautiful message. Do not hear me saying you can just wing it. Instead, I want to encourage you that it is not about you. Remaining obedient in knowing His Word is critical in deepening our faith and understanding and in creating the urge to share our love for Him (Joshua 1:8).
I will leave you with this last piece of advice. You are not the deal closer. You did not close the deal on your salvation, so do not expect to do it for someone else's. But be ready (1 Peter 3:15)!
Discussion Questions
1. When was the last time you shared the gospel, and how reliant were you on God?
2. What are you doing to prepare for the opportunity to share the gospel?
3. Take a few minutes and pray about how God could use you today to share His love.