1 Corinthians 2:1-16

(1 Corinthians 2:1-16)

And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified. And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling. And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power:  That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.  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: But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory: Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. 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. But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. 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.  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.  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.  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.  But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man.  For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.

 

『And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. 』This is the word of God, not human words and human wisdom. This means that the Word of God was witnessed by the power of the Holy Spirit. 『For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified. And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling..” And the Apostle Paul says that he decided not to know anything but the Christ on the Cross, which is a witness of God. Only while living in this world Paul tells us that we cannot be saved unless we hold onto the cross. That is why we must die on the cross every day. The church is the place to be dead, and the church confirms it. The reason the Apostle Paul decided to know nothing but the Christ on the cross is that only the Christ on the cross is God's way and evidence of eternal God's salvation.

 

『And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.』 And the apostle did not evangelize with his words of persuasion or wisdom, but only wanted the power of the Holy Spirit to appear, and the faith of the Corinthian church members was also the result of the power of the Holy Spirit. First, the Holy Spirit will come to those who died with Jesus. In Romans 6:7-8, "For he that is dead is freed from sin. Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him: 』

 

The initiative of evangelism and faith is not with me, but with the Holy Spirit. The fruits and faith of evangelism are the result of the actions of the Holy Spirit. Only believers obey in the actions and calls of the Holy Spirit. In 1 Corinthians 3, the Apostle Paul says that planting or watering is nothing, but it is God who made it grow. Therefore, keeping the faith to the end and living for the Gospel is the wisdom to live the opportunity of glory and the right answer to the call.

 

『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: But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory: Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. 』
It is a plan that God predestined Jesus Christ before the creation of the world, and sent those who left God to this world with Christ (the first Adam), and to return to the kingdom of God with Christ (the last Adam). That is why those who repent and were crucified with Jesus could return to the kingdom of God. This is the wisdom that God gives.

『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. 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..』

Christians are those who have received the Spirit of God. Those who died with Jesus die, their physical body, and reborn as a spiritual body, and the spirit of God is with them. People believe that the Spirit of God enters into the body, but the physical body dies and the spirit body is reborn by the power of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit comes into the body of this spirit, and the Spirit becomes one in the Holy Spirit. So, those whose physical bodies do not die do not receive the power of the Holy Spirit. The present body is nothing more than an empty shell.