1 Coríntios 2

A.T. Robertson · Citado em PreceptAustin

1 Coríntios 2

Robertson - Paul had been in prison in Philippi, driven out of Thessalonica and Beroea, politely bowed out of Athens. It is a human touch to see this shrinking as he faced the hard conditions in Corinth. It is a common feeling of the most effective preachers. Cool complacency is not the mood of the finest preaching. And in fear and in much trembling - The expression in fear most likely speaks of Paul's fear of failure. He did not fear that the Gospel would fail, but that he would fail to present it in simplicity without reliance on human reasoning or rhetoric. Much (not just a little) trembling speaks of "the anxiety of one who distrusts his ability completely to meet all requirements, but does his utmost to fulfill his duty." (Gilbrant) Hodge adds that the idea is that he came "in anxiety, or solicitude of mind arising out of a sense of his insufficiency, and of the infinite importance of his work. Pritchard - I am comforted by the thought that Paul was a man like I am—a man of like passions, if you will. As I consider his life, I realize that nothing in Paul could explain his success—except God! The New Testament doesn’t give us any descriptions of Paul’s appearance, but Paul himself quoted his opponents who said of him, “His letters are weighty and forceful, but in person he is unimpressive and his speaking amounts to nothing” (2 Corinthians 10:10). We do have this early description of Paul that comes from outside the New Testament. He was “a man of middling size, and his hair was scanty, and his legs were a little crooked, and his knees were far apart; he had large eyes, and his eyebrows met, and his nose was somewhat long.” If that is accurate, then Paul was no first-century Arnold Schwarzenegger. He wasn’t much to look at and he didn’t cut an impressive figure in the pulpit. Imagine two members of the Corinthian church meeting each other in the marketplace: “Hey, who’s preaching this Sunday?” “Paul.” “Paul? Oh, No! I’ve invited my neighbors to church this Sunday. I thought Dr. Smartypants was preaching. Paul is hard to understand. He’s too deep for me. And his sermons are so long.” Paul's other mentions of fear and trembling - 2 Cor. 7:15; Phil. 2:12; Eph. 6:5. What preacher of the gospel is there anywhere who has not often known exactly what Paul is describing? -- Gilbrant Barnhouse in his great commentary on Romans emphasizes the importance of a proper understanding of ministry out of our weakness rather than out of our supposed "power" writing "I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in me, and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for without me you can do nothing" (Jn 15:5). How many Christians read it, "Without me you cannot do very much," cling to their own imagined ability, and so fail to bear fruit! God never mingles His power with ours. Only when we recognize our own absolute nothingness does He work in full power. Paul learned this when he asked for deliverance from his "thorn in the flesh." The Lord replied, "My grace is sufficient for you; for my strength is made perfect in weakness." Glenn Spencer - When Paul went to Corinth he refused to rely upon the skills and schemes of oratory. He would not accommodate the gospel to the style of the Greek philosophers and did not try to decorate the truth with pagan wisdom to make it acceptable to the lost. Humanly speaking, Paul was in an impossible situation. He was a weak and sickly old man with an unappealing message so far as the religious intelligentsia were concerned. However, Paul had something that was much better than everything the world could offer. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us. (2 Corinthians 4:7+) Weakness (769) (astheneia from a = without + sthénos = strength, bodily vigor) means literally without strength or bodily vigor = want of strength = lacking strength. It expresses powerlessness. The weak are without strength, incapacitated in some serious way. Literally astheneia refers to bodily diseases or ailments (Lk 5:15, 13:11, 12, Jn 5:5, 11:4, 28:9). Another meaning of astheneia is incapacity to do or experience something, an inability to produce results, a state of weakness or limitation (1Co 15:43; 2Co 11:30; 12:5, 9, 10, 13:4; Ro 8:27; Heb 4:15; 5:2; 7:28; 11:34) Paul's use of astheneia in 1Co 2:3 conveys the sense of weakness in terms of courage. In some contexts astheneia (and related words) can be used as the opposite of dunamis or power (as in 2 Cor 12:9+). Fear (5401) (phobos from the verb phébomai = to flee from or to be startled) refers first to flight, to alarm, to fright or to terror (of the shaking type) (cf. Mt 14:26; Lk 21:26). This type of fear is connected with fear of the unknown, fear of the future, and fear of authorities. It speaks of the terror which seizes one when danger appears and in context is what Paul experienced in Corinth. A Biblical fear of God (a fear which Paul clearly had) includes elements of (1) awe of His greatness and glory and elements of (2) dread of the results of violating His holy nature causing Him displeasure and incurring His hand of discipline (He 12:6+, He 12:11+). In classical Greek phobos meant panic or flight ('Panic-stricken flight' = Homer) It conveyed the idea of running away, of fleeing panic-stricken from battle. (2) More generally phobos means fear in the widest sense means 'awe' or 'reverence' for some exalted ruler and especially for some divinity or some god. It is the feeling which a man experiences in the presence of someone who is infinitely his superior. Trembling (5156)(tromos from trémo = tremble, gives us our English word "tremor") quaking with fear or quivering often with the implication of fear and/or consternation (Mk 16:8). Tremor can express profound reverence and respect (2Co 7:15). "This word was used to describe the anxiety of one who distrusts his ability completely to meet all requirements, but religiously does his utmost to fulfil his duty. Paul admitted to them his mental weakness and shortness of confidence." (Mattoon) THOUGHT - He responded in a totally human fashion, which I find greatly encouraging. We’ve all had his experience when trying to share Christ with others. Have you ever tried to witness to someone only to find that you “tang” gets all “tongueled” up? Or have you tried to quote John 3:16 to a lost person only to discover that you’ve forgotten everything after “For God”? Certainly all of us have had seemingly disastrous witnessing experiences where everything we said ended up sounding like nonsense to us. It happens. Paul certainly knew what that was like. We need “holy nervousness” when we witness to others lest we fail the Lord or fail the person to whom we are speaking. (Pritchard) Pastor Keith Krell - Occasionally, someone asks me if I get scared or nervous before I preach. The answer is yes, and it happens every single time. No matter how many times I’ve preached or how well prepared I am there is always a sense of nervousness that comes just before I stand up. I hope I don’t ever lose that, because if I do I need to stop preaching. If speaking for Christ ever becomes routine, then something has gone wrong inside your heart. ILLUSTRATION - Someone said to Charles Spurgeon, “I get so nervous when I preach. When do I get over that?” Spurgeon said, “Pray you never do, for then God cannot use you.” G. Campbell Morgan does not speculate on the cause but the effect of Paul's words declaring “So great was his sense of weakness and fear, and so profound his lack of trust in himself that he quaked, he trembled. Those are the secrets of strength in all preaching.” ILLUSTRATION - Black Bart was a professional thief whose very name struck fear as he terrorized the Wells Fargo stage line. From San Francisco to New York, his name became synonymous with the danger of the frontier. Between 1875 and 1883, he robbed 29 different stagecoach crews. Amazingly, Bart did it all without firing a shot. Because a hood hid his face, no victim ever saw his face. He never took a hostage and was never trailed by a sheriff. Instead, Black Bart used fear to paralyze his victims. His sinister presence was enough to overwhelm the toughest stagecoach guard. That same kind of fear is what overwhelms Christians from sharing the Gospel or preaching the truths of Scripture. A kindergarten teacher wanted to understand her students’ struggle to master the fine motor skills of writing, cutting, and tying their shoes. For a period of time, she decided to use her weaker hand for all of her own fine motor tasks. She soon understood how it felt to fumble clumsily with a pair of scissors or a pencil. In his own ministry, Paul purposefully “disadvantaged” himself for the purpose of upholding the integrity of the gospel. There were methods and means he could have used that might have arguably been more persuasive, but he made the deliberate decision not to employ them. “I resolved to know nothing … except Jesus Christ and him crucified” (2:2). Paul did not avail himself of the rhetorical devices he could have used to make compelling arguments about Jesus. Instead, for Paul, there was only the cross and the God–Man, Jesus. From portraits of Paul in the book of Acts, we know that he was capable of powerful oratory. He was well–versed in the Hebrew Scriptures as well as the contemporary poetry and literature of his day. Notice his address to the scholars and philosophers of Athens in Acts 17! But Paul, for all his academic and religious training, gave up the tactics of logical persuasion and argumentation, at least in Corinth, to focus all the power of his message on the Cross. And the Cross, as we’ve seen yesterday, doesn’t fit neatly into common–sense categories. In the culture of Corinth (and the Roman empire at this time), men were admired and esteemed for their rhetorical abilities. If one succeeded in public speaking, he earned the iconic status that movie stars and professional athletes enjoy in our day. Today, beauty and athletic ability are the currency of fame; in the Roman empire, philosophical wisdom and rhetorical eloquence were sought–after gifts. The Corinthians obviously held these in high esteem, which is why Paul would not, in his preaching, capitulate to their terms and compromise the gospel in any way. Apply the Word - Everything seems upside–down in the kingdom of God. Weakness is power. Humility is strength. Foolishness is wisdom. (See Spiritual Paradox in the Christian Life) But the force behind preaching that centers on this “foolish” gospel is the Spirit’s power. When the Spirit of God animates His Word with power, there is healing, conviction of sin, and worship. There are real encounters with the living God, and in His presence everything is possible. Must we, like the Corinthians, repent of worldly values that displace our allegiance to the crucified Christ? 1 Corinthians 2:4 and my message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power,

1 Coríntios 2

Robertson - This looks like a false disclaimer or mock modesty, for surely the preacher desires to be persuasive....gullible people are easy marks for these plausible pulpiteers. Corinth put a premium on the veneer of false rhetoric and thin thinking. Carson - Paul describes in negative terms what the orators called ‘presence’. He cut no charismatic figure for he was there in weakness and fear and with much trembling and his message (better ‘oratory’) and preaching were not undertaken by means of the persuasive techniques of orators by acting out a part, playing on the audience’s feelings and with classical demonstrations recommended in the handbooks on rhetoric (SEE EXAMPLE BELOW). Instead of using one of the demonstration techniques recommended by Aristotle, his message was accompanied by the Spirit’s power. (New Bible Commentary) Example of Secular Speakers in Paul's Day - Aristotle identifies three steps or "offices" of rhetoric—invention, arrangement, and style—and three different types of rhetorical proof: ethos (Aristotle's theory of character and how the character and credibility of a speaker can influence an audience to consider him/her to be believable—there being three qualities that contribute to a credible ethos: perceived intelligence, virtuous character, and goodwill);[note 3] pathos (the use of emotional appeals to alter the audience's judgment through metaphor, amplification, storytelling, or presenting the topic in a way that evokes strong emotions in the audience.); and, logos (the use of reasoning, either inductive or deductive, to construct an argument). As

1 Coríntios 2

Robertson says Lord of glory "means characterized by glory, “bringing out the contrast between the indignity of the Cross (Heb 12:2) and the majesty of the Victim (Luke 22:69; Lk 23:43)” (Robertson and Plummer). See Jas 2:1; Acts 7:2; Eph. 1:17; Heb. 9:5. HCSB - The rulers of this age did not recognize Jesus as the Lord of glory. Their lack of recognition resulted in His crucifixion, and this in turn became the basis of the gospel. So paradoxically our acceptance was made possible by Christ's rejection. Crucified (4717) see note above on stauroo Glory (1391) (doxa from dokeo = to think) in simple terms means to give a proper opinion or estimate of something. Glory is something that is a source of honor, fame, or admiration. Doxa conveys ideas of weight (OT word for glory is kabod = "heavy"), worth, wealth, splendor, and dignity. The glory of God expresses all that He is in His Being and in His nature, character, power and acts. He is glorified when He is allowed to be seen as He really is. To be where God is, is glory, which is every believer's reward! To be what God intended will be glory (cf 1 Jn 3:2+). To do what God purposed will be glory. Ray Pritchard has some practical words related to the statement that they did not understand - The world didn’t understand Jesus when he walked on the earth, and the world still doesn’t understand him today. That fact ought to give us patience when we talk to unbelievers. Sometimes when lost people say foolish things that are rude and unkind, we may be tempted to retaliate with unkind words of our own. That’s almost always a bad idea. It’s like cursing a blind man because he can’t see the color green. The lost are not only lost; they are also spiritually blind. Consider the words of 2 Corinthians 4:4+, “The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.” Note three important facts from this verse: (1) It is the work of Satan to blind unbelievers to the truth of the gospel. He has a personal interest in keeping the lost blind and confused so they will continue to serve him. (2) This blindness occurs in the realm of the mind so that unbelievers remain confused about the truth of God. The blindness is mental, moral and intellectual. The light shines all around them, yet they stumble along in the darkness. (3) As a result of this moral blindness, unbelievers literally cannot “see” the truth of the gospel. That is why when a person says, “I just don’t see what you’re talking about,” that’s not an excuse, it’s the literal truth. They don’t see it because they can’t see it because Satan has blinded their mind. This helps us in several areas: First, it saves us from the folly of thinking we can argue people into the kingdom. We can’t and it’s generally a waste of time to try. (When I preached this on Sunday, I noticed quite a few people nodding in agreement.) The danger of arguing with unbelievers is that when our ego gets involved, we start to take things personally. We get red-faced, we raise our voice, we get angry, and we start to insult the other person, as if by being rude we can convince them that God really loves them. Second, this truth humbles us because it teaches us that salvation is entirely the work of God from beginning to end. Yes, we are commanded to preach the gospel to the whole world, and we are to speak the truth in love and to tell the world that Jesus saves. But it is not our words that will save people. It is the power (dunamis) resident in the gospel itself (Ro 1:16+). Even though we sometimes talk about “winning” people to Christ, in the final analysis, we don’t win anyone. We preach and pray and share and talk and discuss and answer questions and we become all things to all people so that we might by all means win as many as we can (1 Cor 9:22-23+). But our efforts amount to a big fat zero apart from the mighty working of God’s Spirit (see 1 Cor 2:4+, cf Acts 1:8+). (1 Corinthians 2:6-9 What the World Doesn't Know) Third, this truth frees us to be bold because everything depends on God and not on us. One hundred and thirty years ago a man named William E. Blackstone wrote a book called Jesus is Coming that is still in print today. It was the first popular book on Bible prophecy. Based on his study of the Bible, Blackstone became convinced that one day the Jewish people would be regathered to the Holy Land and that a Jewish state must someday be re-established in Palestine. He was one of the first Christian leaders to say those things publicly. He was a contemporary of D. L. Moody and one of the most respected Christian leaders of the late 1800s. In 1891 he wrote the “Blackstone Declaration” that was signed by 413 Christian and Jewish leaders in the United States. The document, presented to President Benjamin Harrison, was the first public declaration in favor of a Jewish state in Palestine. Mr. Blackstone also had a great burden for world missions and gave over $6 million to the Lord’s work. He founded the Chicago Hebrew Mission—now called the American Messianic Fellowship. His interest in Bible prophecy led him to support the establishment of the nation of Israel and to support missionary endeavors to reach the Jewish people with the gospel. He truly loved the Jewish people and labored to see them have a homeland of their own. And because he loved them, he did all he could to bring Christ to them as well. He was considered by some to be the “father of Zionism.” By the time of his death in 1935, he had stirred the conscience of the nation on behalf of the Jewish people, had written the first popular work on Bible prophecy, and had raised millions of dollars for missionary work. His service for the Lord began in the early 1870s when he found himself scheduled to speak at a church one Sunday night. As a layman, he felt unqualified but in prayer God gave him his text, the words of Jesus in Mark 9:19, “Bring him unto me.” Though trembling with fear, he addressed the congregation that night on the truth that though he himself had no ability, God had given him the responsibility to bring others to the Savior so that God could deal with them. He declared that he was only “God’s little errand boy.” That phrase became the motto of his life. When he wrote his autobiography near the end of his life, he called it, “God’s Little Errand Boy.” When you hear of the nation of Israel, you should think of William E. Blackstone who was one of the first Christian leaders to see the need for a Jewish homeland. But there is one important part of the story I am leaving out. He was a layman, an author, a student of Bible prophecy, a supporter of world missions, and a fervent Christian. He also lived in Oak Park and was a member of the First Methodist Church of Oak Park. But do you know where he lived? William E. Blackstone lived in a house on Lake Street that is now the west parking lot of Calvary Memorial Church. Very old photographs show a house where our parking lot is today. He lived there for many years and raised his family there. Thus there is a connection between our church property and the great events happening in the Middle East today. Part of the story starts right here, less than 50 yards from where I stand today, in the heart of a man who understood that he was only “God’s little errand boy.” When you understand that truth, and when it grips your heart, when you know that the power rests with God and not with you, then you are free to speak up and free to step out in faith even though others may misunderstand and some may oppose you. You can be bold because it doesn’t depend on you anyway. It all depends on God! You’re just God’s errand boy. (1 Corinthians 2:6-9 What the World Doesn't Know) 1 Corinthians 2:9 but just as it is written, "THINGS WHICH EYE HAS NOT SEEN AND EAR HAS NOT HEARD, AND WHICH HAVE NOT ENTERED THE HEART OF MAN, ALL THAT GOD HAS PREPARED FOR THOSE WHO LOVE HIM."

1 Coríntios 2

Robertson - The Gnostics used this passage to support their teaching of esoteric doctrine as Hegesippus shows. Heart (2588) kardia does not refer to the physical organ but is always used figuratively in Scripture to refer to the seat and center of human life. The heart is the center of the personality, and it controls the intellect, emotions, and will. No outward obedience is of the slightest value unless the heart turns to God. Kardia is used most often figuratively of the center of our personality, to so to speak to our "control center" (to make a play on the "air traffic control center" at the airport which carefully guards and guides what flies in and what flies out. How applicable to our "hearts" which are so prone to wander!). In short kardia refers to the the affective center of our being wherein lies the capacity of moral preference and volitional desire. The kardia generates thoughts that make the decisions which the mind works out. In other words, our logic flows out of our heart-decisions and not vice versa. Gleason Archer called the kardia, the "desire-producer that makes us tick" for it is the place where our "desire-decisions" occur, and which establish who we really are. WHO ARE YOU? HAVE YOU HAD A HEART CHECK UP RECENTLY? We are assiduous to do this medically, but woefully lax in doing it spiritually (beloved, I speak from experience!). At regeneration God reverses the spiritual atherosclerosis of our old sinful heart by giving us a total heart transplant! Daily confession and repentance are thereafter necessary to avoid "spiritual atherosclerosis" and gradual, subtle hardening (and becoming cold to the things of God) of our heart! (Read and practice daily "preventative maintenance" = 1 Jn 1:9+, Pr 28:13+). Gary Hill rightly reminds us that "Life is a continuous contest, waged and won in the heart. As the heart goes, so goes the rest of us. This is true in "both directions": negatively (Jn 14:1, 27; Acts 7:51, 8:21; Ro 1:21) and positively (Acts 16:14; Ro 2:29; Heb 10:22). (Discovery Bible) Kardia in the Corinthian letters - 1 Co. 2:9; 1 Co. 4:5; 1 Co. 7:37; 1 Co. 14:25; 2 Co. 1:22; 2 Co. 2:4; 2 Co. 3:2; 2 Co. 3:3; 2 Co. 3:15; 2 Co. 4:6; 2 Co. 5:12; 2 Co. 6:11; 2 Co. 7:3; 2 Co. 8:16; 2 Co. 9:7 ALL THAT GOD HAS PREPARED FOR THOSE WHO LOVE HIM - Those who love Him is a description of believers, because unregenerate men and women DO NOT love God (even if they say they love God they do not because they are not even able to love God - READ Ro 8:7+, 1 Jn 4:10+, Col 1:21+, Ro 5:10+). Love is present tense calling for a continual attitude/action, especially as manifest in loving obedience (see Jn 14:15, 23, 24), which in turn calls for continual dependence on the Spirit's supernatural enablement (Eph 5:18+, Php 2:13NLT+, Gal 5:22+). Stevenson - I used to think that this passage talked about the blessings that will someday be ours when we arrive in heaven. But Paul is not talking about heaven. He is not talking about the sweet by and by. He is talking about the nasty here and now. Don’t miss this! God has prepared some wonderful blessings for us and we possess those blessings right now. You do not have to wait until you are in heaven to become a child of God. You have already been adopted into the family of God and the benefits of being God’s child are yours right now. Eternal life is a present possession of those who believe in Him. His people have a righteous standing and are co-heirs of the Kingdom of God. All of these things are present possessions. The world cannot comprehend those blessings. The human eye has not seen them. No ear has heard them. Man’s rationality has not revealed it to them. They are not visible. They cannot be seen. They cannot be tasted. They can only be known as God had revealed them to us. (The Wisdom of the Gospel) Prepared (ready) (2090)(hetoimazo from heteos = fitness - see hetoimasia) means to make ready, specifically to make ready beforehand for some purpose, use, or activity. Paul's only use in the letters to Corinth (and only 2 other times by Paul in 2 Ti 2:21, Philemon 1:22). Robertson adds 1 Cor 2:9 is "the only instance where Paul uses this verb of God, though it occurs of final glory (Luke 2:31; Matt. 20:23; 25:34; Mark 10:40; Heb. 11:16) and of final misery (Mt. 25:41). But here undoubtedly the dominant idea is the present blessing to these who love God (1 Cor. 1:5–7)." Love (25)(agapao see noun agape) means to love unconditionally and sacrificially as God Himself loves sinful men (John 3:16), the way He loves the Son (John 3:35+, Jn 15:9, 17:23, 24). Agapao is a verb and by its verbal nature calls for action and can be known only from the action it prompts. This quality of love is not an emotion but is an action initiated by a volitional choice, a decision of the will which is empowered by the Holy Spirit. Agapao is given or offered even if the love is not received or reciprocated. Agapao love differs from phileo which is based on affection. Agapao is "the purest, noblest form of love, which is volitionally driven, not motivated by superficial appearance, emotional attraction, or sentimental relationship."(MacArthur) "gapao speaks of a love which is awakened by a sense of value in an object which causes one to prize it. It springs from an apprehension of the preciousness of an object. It is a love of esteem and approbation. The quality of this love is determined by the character of the one who loves, and that of the object loved." (Wuest Word Studies - Eerdman Publishing Company Volume 1, Volume 2, Volume 3) Vance Havner - These things God has prepared (1Cor 2:9) refer not only to joys awaiting us in heaven but blessings available NOW. We can have a foretaste of glory and of the powers of the age to come. We can sample the fruit of the land before we reach the heavenly fields or walk the golden streets. If such advance blessings are to be had we ought to lay hold upon them now! The promises of God are not mere mottoes to hang on the wall, but checks to be cashed—and if we ever needed them we do now! If there is a bank account in our name we ought to use our checkbook of faith and prayer. While we lay up treasure in heaven we may also draw funds to our credit and heavenly cash for our earthly needs today. (Though I Walk Through the Valley) A "Descriptive Definition" of Love LOVE IS... … commanded of believers (John 13:34, 15:12, 15:17) … empowered by the Holy Spirit in the heart of the surrendered saint (Gal 5:22+) … commanded of Spirit filled husbands for their wives even as Jesus demonstrated for His bride, the church, giving Himself up for her (Ep 5:25+) … to be given in the same way Spirit filled husbands love their own bodies (Ep 5:28+) … the love with which the Father loved the Son and which may be in believers (Jn 17:26) … a debt we are to always seek to repay but can never fully discharge (Ro 13:8+) … taught by God (1Th 4:9+) … manifested by specific actions and attitudes (1Cor 13:4, 5, 6, 7, 8 -notes 13:4 5 6 7 8) (The Summum Bonum) … shown not just by words but by deeds (1Jn 3:17, cf such love in action as a manifestation of genuine faith in James 2:15, 16-+) … manifested by keeping God's commandments (Jn 14:15, 21, 23, 24) … the response Jesus called for one to demonstrate to his or her enemies (Mt 5:44+) … love calls for one to love one's neighbor as one's self (Mt 19:19) … love that seeks the recipient's highest good, not activated by virtue in the recipient (undeserved) (Jn 3:16+) … love that finds its perfect expression in Jesus Christ and the Cross (Jn 3:16+, cp 1Jn 3:16+) … the love of the overcomers in Revelation who did not love their life even to death (Re 12:10+) … love that cannot be manifested by unregenerate individuals in its true Biblical sense of being Spirit enabled. Agapao when used in the context of the unregenerate means generally to have a high esteem for or to take pleasure in something. This type of agapao love is based on one showing a high regard for the object's perceived value or importance as shown in the following passages… Luke 7:5+ of a Roman centurion who loved Israel Luke 11:43+ of Pharisees who loved the front seats in the synagogues and the respectful greetings in the market places John 3:19+ of unregenerate men who loved the darkness rather than the light John 12:43 of the men who loved the approval of men rather than the approval God 2 Timothy 4:10+ of Demas who loved this present world and as a result deserted Paul and went to Thessalonica 1 John 2:15+ of those who love the world which indicates they do not possess the love of the Father within them (Compare uses in LXX translation of Ps 4:2, 11:5, Ps 52:3, 4) 2 Peter 2:15+ of the false teachers who forsook and went astray from the right way because they like Balaam loved the wages of unrighteousness 1 Corinthians 2:10 For to us God revealed them through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God.

1 Coríntios 2

Robertson on appraised - The word means a sifting process to get at the truth by investigation as of a judge. In Acts 17:11 the Bereans scrutinized the Scriptures. These psuchikoi men are incapable of rendering a decision for they are unable to recognize the facts. They judge by the psuchē (mere animal nature) rather than by the pneuma (the renewed spirit). Arnold - God’s wisdom can only be discerned, appraised, judged, scrutinized, examined and evaluated by those who are spiritually awakened. Those who do not have the Holy Spirit cannot examine and discern spiritual truth. The unsaved man does not have the Holy Spirit; therefore he has no capacity for spiritual truth. The soulish man is like a deaf person judging music - he has no capacity to do so. The word “discerned” (appraised) is a legal term used by a lawyer in a preliminary trial before going to the Grand Jury. The thought is that even a preliminary investigation of scripture by the unsaved man demands a work of the Holy Spirit. The saved man sees the same things in the Bible that the unsaved man sees, but the unsaved man does not understand them. He may be able to rejoice a little in the Bible before he is saved, but only because he is in the period prior to his salvation when the Holy Spirit is convicting and teaching him. For this reason, it is difficult to expect one to believe who is exposed to the gospel for the first time. It is like gestation. No child is born without a pregnancy. So also in spiritual things there is a period of preparatory grace or setting apart before the new birth actually takes place. The soulish, natural, unsaved man cannot grasp the gospel or appreciate spiritual truth. He cannot view marriage or sex or divorce or abortion or euthanasia or homosexuality or murder or crime as does the Christian because he does not have the Holy Spirit enabling him to understand God’s body of truth, divine revelation, the Bible. It is logical and reasonable for the unsaved man to involve himself in premarital sex if it is pleasurable and does not hurt anyone. It is logical and reasonable for an unsaved person to commit adultery if a marriage is not working out. It is logical and reasonable for the soulish man to abandon his marriage through divorce if it doesn’t go his way. It is logical and reasonable for the natural man to accept homosexuality as a legitimate alternative lifestyle, it is logical and reasonable to put older people to death when they are no longer able to function in society. It is logical and reasonable to abort a fetus because no one really knows when life begins and a woman has the total right over her own body. It is this kind of natural reasoning which produces a Nazi philosophy of racism which commits six million Jews to the gas chamber or enslaves millions of people because they are black in skin color. Why these atrocities? They come because the unsaved man has no capacity to understand the secret and hidden wisdom of God. Just because the world does not understand these things does not affect the Christians responsibility to teach the truth about these subjects and to legislate this truth if possible because God’s moral law and wisdom are unchangeable. There are electrical waves passing through this room. You cannot see, hear or feel them, but they are there. Bring a TV, plug it in, and these waves are made real by a picture and by sound. With a converter, these electrical waves are discerned. So it is with the unsaved man. There is a real spiritual world all about him, but he does not know it exists. He needs a converter and that converter is the Holy Spirit. When he gets the proper equipment, he will pick up the vibrations of the real spiritual world. (1 Corinthians 2:14-16 Understanding The Truth) Spiritually appraised - As Jesus explained to the teacher of the Jews (so he had some element of knowledge, but not spiritual knowledge) "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” (John 3:3+) Spiritual (Biblical) truth can only be seen with spiritual eyes, eyes that have been illumined by the Spirit of God. This truth explains why so many wise, cultured and educated men and women can see the great spiritual truths of the Scripture. THOUGHT (PRACTICAL APPLICATION FOR SPIRITUAL MEN AND WOMEN) - Studying theology is therefore a spiritual activity in which we need the help of the Holy Spirit. No matter how intelligent, if the student does not continue to pray for God to give him or her an understanding mind and a believing and humble heart, and the student does not maintain a personal walk with the Lord, then the teachings of Scripture will be misunderstood and disbelieved, doctrinal error will result, and the mind and heart of the student will not be changed for the better but for the worse. Students of systematic theology should resolve at the beginning to keep their lives free from any disobedience to God or any known sin that would disrupt their relationship with him. They should resolve to maintain with great regularity their own personal devotional lives. They should continually pray for wisdom and understanding of Scripture. Since it is the Holy Spirit who gives us the ability rightly to understand Scripture, we need to realize that the proper thing to do, particularly when we are unable to understand some passage or some doctrine of Scripture, is to pray for God’s help. Often what we need is not more data but more insight into the data we already have available. This insight is given only by the Holy Spirit (cf. 1 Cor. 2:14; Eph. 1:17–19+). (Wayne Grudem -Systematic Theology) As noted above natural man can read the Bible or even memorize the Bible and yet still fail to understand the Bible! ILLUSTRATION - The story is told of a seminary professor visiting the Holy Lands who met a man claiming to have memorized the entire OT in Hebrew! The astonished professor asked for a demonstration and so beginning in Psalm One, for two hours, the man effortlessly and flawlessly recited the Psalms from memory as the professor sat in stunned silence. When the demonstration was over, the professor was shocked to discover this man did not even believe in God but was an atheist! Intellectually he could go through the Scriptures, but without the Spirit’s illumination the Scriptures never once went through him! Richard

1 Coríntios 2:10-16

Robertson adds that the for "explains why this is no longer hidden, “for God revealed to us” the wonders of grace pictured in 1Corinthians 2:9. We do not have to wait for heaven to see them. Hence we can utter those things hidden from the eye, the ear, the heart of man." Kenneth

1 Coríntios 2:10-16

Robertson - (For believers) the initiative comes from God whose Holy Spirit makes it possible for us to accept the things of the Spirit of God. They are no longer “foolishness” to us as was once the case (1Cor 1:23). Today one notes certain of the intelligentsia who sneer at Christ and Christianity in their own blinded ignorance. Foolishness (3472)(moria from moros = foolish) is a noun which is that which is folly, foolish, intellectually weak or irrational. It means lacking good judgment. Webster's Dictionary definition of folly - lack of good sense or normal prudence and foresight; A weak or absurd act not highly criminal; an act which is inconsistent with the dictates of reason, or with the ordinary rules of prudence. In this sense it may be used in the singular, but is generally in the plural. Hence we speak of the follies of youth. TDNT - A. The Group in Classical Greek. moros and cognates denote deficiency, e.g., physical sloth, but more especially mental dullness. We find such varied uses as for insipid foods, animals that are sluggish in winter, or people suffering from fatigue. With a human reference the main use is psychological. What is meant is a weakness of understanding or judgment, sometimes through stupidity, sometimes through confusion, but always demanding censure. Along with a more rationalistic view, the Greeks suggest at times that folly of this nature is a fate. It is notable that all 5 uses occur in 1 Corinthians… (1Cor 1:18) For the word of the cross (~ the Gospel) is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. (1Cor 1:21) For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not come to know God, God was well-pleased through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. (1Cor 1:23) but we preach Christ crucified (~ the Gospel), to Jews a stumbling block and to Gentiles foolishness, (1Cor 2:14) But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised. (1Cor 3:19) For the wisdom of this world is foolishness before God. For it is written, “He is THE ONE WHO CATCHES THE WISE IN THEIR CRAFTINESS”; There are two uses of moria in the apocrypha - "Better is the man who hides his folly than the man who hides his wisdom." (Sirach 20:30, 41:15 RSV) Vance Havner - The wise Christian wastes no time trying to explain God’s program to unregenerate men; it would be casting pearls before swine. He might as well try to describe a sunset to a blind man or discuss nuclear physics with a monument in the city park. The natural man cannot receive such things. One might as well try to catch sunbeams with a fishhook as to lay hold of God’s revelation unassisted by the Holy Spirit. Unless one is born of the Spirit and taught by Him, all this is utterly foreign to him. Being a Ph. D. does not help, for in this realm it could mean ‘Phenomenal Dud!’ Illustration of foolishness - Several years ago, there was a massive volcanic explosion in the state of Washington when Mount St. Helens erupted. Sheriff Bill Closner said, “People were in the danger areas around the mountain because they refused to obey roadblocks. The bottom line is that nobody would listen.” As a result, there were needless deaths and injuries. Even though danger was physically imminent, people still refused to obey the regulations. Sin or disobedience always has consequences. If people refused to listen in the midst of dangerous circumstances like the Mount St. Helens eruption, we should not be so shocked at the depravity and stubbornness of men in spiritual matters. (Illustrations for Biblical Preaching: Over 1500 sermon illustrations arranged by topic and indexed exhaustively, Green, Michael P) A T Robertson on he cannot understand them - He is not able to get a (an experiential) knowledge (ingressive second aorist active infinitive of ginosko). His helpless condition calls for pity in place of impatience on our part, though such a one usually poses as a paragon of wisdom and commiserates the deluded followers of Christ. Can (not = absolute negation!) (1410)(dunamai) conveys the basic meaning of that which has the inherent ability to do something or accomplish some end. Thus dunamai means to be able to, to be capable of, to be strong enough to do or to have power to do something. It is usually translated able (50x), can (61x and cannot 58x) or could. BDAG says that dunamai means "to possess capability (whether because of personal or external factors) for experiencing or doing something." Cannot understand - More literally "cannot know (ginosko)" -- Paul's point is not the unregenerate or unsaved man cannot read the Word and in some sense cognitively apprehend it, but that he cannot know the Word in an experiential sense. I think for example of Psalm 19:8 where David writes "The precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart." Believers can experience joy in their heart, that a natural man simply does not know! As an aside, how thankful we should be that God's Spirit taking God's Word can produce joy in our innermost being! (cp 1Th 1:6, Gal 5:22-23, Ro 14:17, 15:13, Acts 13:52) We are the most blessed of all people! Roy Zuck adds that "An unbeliever does not know God's truth experientially. He may grasp portions of it mentally, but he does not discern it spiritually nor experience it personally. Virkler summarizes this point well when he writes: 'Thus unbelievers do not know the full meaning of scriptural teaching, not because that meaning is unavailable to them in the words of the text, but because they refuse to act on and appropriate spiritual truths for their own lives. Furthermore, the psychological results of such refusal make them less and less able (and willing) to comprehend these truths.'" [Henry A. Virkler, Hermeneutics: Principles and Processes of Biblical Interpretation ] (The Role of the Holy Spirit in Hermeneutics) Understand (1097)(ginosko) means to acquire information through some modality, as through sense perception (hearing). However ginosko involves experiential knowledge, not merely the accumulation of known facts. Ginosko is one of the major verbs of the Bible and because of its numerous uses, it is not surprising that Greek lexicographers ascribe a number of nuances of meaning including to get to know, come to understand, to ascertain, to have intimate relations with another, etc. The various meanings are outlined, discussed and illustrated in the notes that follow. Keep in mind that the basic meaning of ginosko is to know by experience. The natural man can read the Bible or even memorize the Bible and yet still fail to understand the Bible! ILLUSTRATION - The story is told of a seminary professor visiting the Holy Lands who met a man claiming to have memorized the entire OT in Hebrew! The astonished professor asked for a demonstration and so beginning in Psalm One, for two hours, the man effortlessly and flawlessly recited the Psalms from memory as the professor sat in stunned silence. When the demonstration was over, the professor was shocked to discover this man did not even believe in God but was an atheist! Intellectually he could go through the Scriptures, but without the Spirit’s illumination the Scriptures never once went through him! Richard