I Corinthians

One of the most important things to understand about 1 Corinthians is that it is a book of reproof. It can be broken down into three parts:

1. Chapters 1-4 Paul reproves them because they were not thinking like God, they had succumbed to the world's wisdom. Paul is identifying the problem of not thinking correctly and in these four chapters he refers to wisdom, the wisdom of the world versus the wisdom of God.
2. Chapters 5-10 Paul reproves them for not living like God, they were not applying the sanctification truths of Romans 6-8. God has done something for us to enable us to live holy. We are made dead to sin and alive unto God so that we can live out the life that God has given to us.
3. Chapters 11-16 Paul reproves them for not laboring together with God in the work of the ministry.

Thinking like God, living like God and laboring together with God are the three components of godliness. God has given us the capacity to think like God, live like God and to labor together with God. All three of these components were missing in the Corinthians. The Corinthians had no appreciation for what God is doing today.

This study will focus on chapters 1- 4. Paul mentions wisdom because they were failing to think like God.

(1 Corinthians 2:5 KJV) That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.

We need to keep in mind that verse 2:5 is a reproof, Paul is correcting them because they have not been thinking like God. Instead of the Corinthians standing on the power of God (the effectual working of the Word of God) they were standing in the wisdom of men. The Corinthians were resting in the wisdom of men because they had desired to maintain a level of dignity and respectability in the eyes of the world.

They found it easier to rest in the wisdom of men because to stand on the wisdom of God would be costly. The Corinthians did not like the idea of paying the price for having their faith resting on the power of God.

(1 Corinthians 4:8-13 KJV) Now ye are full, now ye are rich, ye have reigned as kings without us: and I would to God ye did reign, that we also might reign with you. {9} For I think that God hath set forth us the apostles last, as it were appointed to death: for we are made a spectacle unto the world, and to angels, and to men. {10} We are fools for Christ's sake, but ye are wise in Christ; we are weak, but ye are strong; ye are honourable, but we are despised. {11} Even unto this present hour we both hunger, and thirst, and are naked, and are buffeted, and have no certain dwellingplace; {12} And labour, working with our own hands: being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we suffer it: {13} Being defamed, we entreat: we are made as the filth of the world, and are the offscouring of all things unto this day.

To rest your faith in the power of God is to be viewed as the filth of the world, viewed as foolish and the offscouring of all things. It will cost us a measure of respectability, a measure of acceptance in the eyes of the world.

(1 Corinthians 4:14-16 KJV) I write not these things to shame you, but as my beloved sons I warn you. {15} For though ye have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet have ye not many fathers: for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel. {16} Wherefore I beseech you, be ye followers of me.

Paul is correcting the Corinthians as a father to a son. He is correcting, warning, preparing, training them. And then he tell them to be followers of him: wear the title of offscouring! Stand for the doctrine, for the defense of the apostleship of Paul makes you a nothing, a failure in the eyes of the world.

The Corinthians placed great value in the wisdom of man and failed to realize that they had in their possession a privilege of possessing the greatest height of wisdom, the wisdom of God.

Why would you be influenced and/or intimidated by the wisdom of the world when you had the counsel of Almighty God?

In 1 Corinthians 2, we see that the Corinthians were operating under the course of this world. They allowed the world to dictate what is honorable, successful, wise and strong. Paul demonstrates that there is a higher wisdom than the wisdom of this world.

(1 Corinthians 2:6-7 KJV) 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: {7} But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory:

They did not need more of the wisdom of the world but the hidden wisdom of God. Paul contrasts the wisdom of the world with the wisdom of God.

(1 Corinthians 2:9 KJV) 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.

Eye, Ear, and Heart

1. Eye - the ability to see. Some think that if there is a God then why does He not show Himself?
2. Ear - rationalization
3. Heart - the idea that it is self-generating. To understand God or "that entity" that is out there is generated within man. It is intuitive, "I feel God is doing" or "I think God is doing", it is all self-generated.

This is not how God is operating today. We learn the wisdom of God by the “mystery” The wisdom of man will never be able to reveal who God is and what God is doing.

(1 Corinthians 2:10 KJV) But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.

The wisdom of God is revealed to us by His Spirit. The Spirit illuminates and reveals who God is and what God is doing. To know about God comes from an objective approach. It does not come from man's ability to interpret through the eye, ear, or heart.

The wisdom of the world is so different from the wisdom of God:

(1 Corinthians 2:11-16 KJV) 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. {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. {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.

Do you know that you have something that the world cannot possess? We have the wisdom and the counsel of Almighty God. And then Paul asks the Corinthians, and you are fighting amongst yourselves as to who knows more? You measure and judge yourselves by utilizing the standards and gauges of the world, neglecting what God has given you?

God has given us the mind of Christ.

(Isaiah 40:10-14 KJV) Behold, the Lord GOD will come with strong hand, and his arm shall rule for him: behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him. {11} He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young. {12} Who hath measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, and meted out heaven with the span, and comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure, and weighed the mountains in scales, and the hills in a balance? {13} Who hath directed the Spirit of the LORD, or being his counsellor hath taught him? {14} With whom took he counsel, and who instructed him, and taught him in the path of judgment, and taught him knowledge, and showed to him the way of understanding?

In verse 11, we see the shepherd ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ for the nation of Israel. Isaiah asks some questions in verses 13 and 14 and we need to notice that there is no answer to these questions. In Isaiah's time there is no one who possesses the mind of the Lord. Paul provides an answer.

(1 Corinthians 2:16 KJV) For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.

We are mutual counselor together with God Almighty in proclaiming the manifold wisdom of God. We have the mind of the Lord revealed to us by the Spirit. We have the mind of Christ, that is the ability to view everything from the perception of Christ. To delight in the full genius of God revealed to mankind. And then Paul asks the Corinthians, 'Why are you out there fixing your faith on the wisdom of the world?

The Corinthians wanted to Christianize the wisdom of the world; that is to have a form of godliness but deny the power thereof. Why? So the world can still view them as a significant people. Don't try to make yourself presentable to the world.

(1 Corinthians 1:18-24 KJV) For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God. {19} For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent. {20} Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? {21} For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. {22} For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom: {23} But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness; {24} But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.

There are two categories in the wisdom of this world, the wise and the scribe. Each will dispute God's wisdom and defend their cause.

Verse 22: Jews - scribes; Greeks - wise (humanism); both of these are in direct contrast to the wisdom of God. [Greek wisdom - Aristotle, Plato, Aesop's Fables]

(Proverbs 18:1-2 KJV) Through desire a man, having separated himself, seeketh and intermeddleth with all wisdom. {2} A fool hath no delight in understanding, but that his heart may discover itself.

The purpose of human wisdom is to discover self. In Romans, Paul tells us that mankind when they knew God did not like to retain God in their knowledge. So man created a system of wisdom so his heart can find "self". The heart of those systems (Greek wisdom) is to promote man.

How and why does this human wisdom come about? Satan has a plan of evil and he energized a plan of ungodliness. He set in motion a system of wisdom that is fortified by ungodliness (not thinking like God).

(Ezekiel 28:17 KJV) Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness: I will cast thee to the ground, I will lay thee before kings, that they may behold thee.

The driving force of Lucifer was that his heart was lifted up, pride. Pride is the fuel that fires and supplies that energy of the wisdom of the world. Lucifer was corrupted by his wisdom in which he sets out to usurp God's authority. He recruits man to be willing participants and the way he keeps man motivated is the same way he is motivated, a sense of pride, superiority, and independence. This is what motivated the creature to rebel against God and this is how he leads man in rebellion by instilling into man the same sense of conceit, superiority, and independence and authority outside of God.

In Corinth, they were thinking outside of God. Look up how many times Paul says, "You are puffed up", "boasting". They were a proud people but they had no reason to be proud.

(Genesis 3:1-6 KJV) Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? {2} And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: {3} But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. {4} And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: {5} For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. {6} And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.

Words are important. Satan uses four words in his dialogue with Eve, "Yea, hath God said" He wanted to cast doubt on what God had said. In verse 5, notice that the tree appealed to the EYES. Satan is telling Eve that here faith must rest on something more that what God had said. It must rest on something you can see. Satan appeals to Eve's imperial approach to God's word. "I can see what God is saying." "You will have the capacity to figure it out for yourself (know good and evil). Verse 6, to make one wise, was to intend to convince Eve that she can make her life to be made of something she can see, feel, touch. Eve is now operating independently of God's words given to her. Being wise was being defines as being able to discern on her own what is good and evil.(eye, ear, heart).

(1 John 2:16 KJV) For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.

The human wisdom that began in Genesis has accelerated in John's time, for all that is in the world, this is the wisdom the Corinthians were operating in. They were full of pride, they had a status in the world's system.

(Job 41:34 KJV) He beholdeth all high things: he is a king over all the children of pride.

The high things are the things that the Corinthians wanted. But Paul says that when they have the wisdom of God they are become as the offscouring, filth, and lowthing. When God destroys the world's wisdom He will destroy the high things, that is, the things that man esteems.

The course of this world is run by pride. The middle letter of "pride" is I. If you are in pride, do you really need to submit to an authority higher than you? No, those who operate in pride operate independently, they are their own authority.

(1 Corinthians 1:25 KJV) Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

Wisdom of man would interpret the wisdom of God as foolishness. If the wisdom of this world looks at what God is doing and it concludes that it is of wisdom, then it would be a lot wiser than what man can think of.

(1 Corinthians 2:5 KJV) That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.

We will never tap into the power of God until we are willing to be the nobodies of the world.