1 Coríntios 2
John Piper · Citado em PreceptAustin
1 Coríntios 2
Piper - The Spirit enables us to appraise things with their true value, but when natural men appraise us they will always go wrong. Why? 1 Cor 2:16: Because apart from the Spirit no one thinks or appraises like the Lord, but we who possess the Spirit have the mind of Christ. We have begun to view and assess things the way Christ does. Therefore we do not reject but receive the things of the Spirit even when they mean death to self; because now we know what is really valuable. Pritchard - Second, unbelievers are in no position to judge believers because they do not know what we know. That’s the second phrase of verse 15—”He himself is not subject to any man’s judgment.” When the mighty philosophers of Athens called Paul a “seedpicker” (Acts 17:18 uses the word “babbler”), meaning something like “country bumpkin,” he ignored them and preached the gospel on Mars Hill anyway. In his mind, he said, “You aren’t qualified to pass judgment on me so I won’t pay any attention to what you say.” Later when Felix heard Paul preach about the resurrection of Christ, he said, “Paul, your great learning has driven you insane.” To which Paul replied, “I am not insane. What I am saying is true and reasonable” (Acts 26:24-25). He went ahead and pressed the truth home to King Agrippa. He would not let an unbeliever who doesn’t understand stop him from preaching the gospel. Think of it this way. We can understand unbelievers; they can’t understand us. We understand them because we were once just like them. They can’t understand us because they have never seen the light. A man who was blind and now sees can truly say, “I know what it’s like to be blind,” but the man who has always been blind can never say, “I know what it’s like to see.” That is why we must treat unbelievers with kindness, patience, with a winsome spirit and a gracious heart while we wait for God to open their eyes. The saved know why the lost do what they do. The lost have no clue about why the saved do what they do. Switzerland is known for its scenic mountains and beautiful waterfalls. A visitor to that picturesque country observed: "Some guidebooks name the time when rainbows may be seen on many of the waterfalls in Switzerland. One day, when I was at Lauterbrunnen, I went to the famous Staubbach Falls and watched and waited. Others did the same, and we all went away quite disappointed. The next day one of my friends said he would show us how to find the rainbow. So I went again and saw a lovely one, and stood almost in the center of it. Then I found that not only were sunshine and spray necessary to produce a rainbow, but also that it could be seen and enjoyed only at a certain point." WITHOUT THE LIGHT OF GOD'S SPIRIT, WE'LL BE IN THE DARK ABOUT GOD'S WORD. 1 Corinthians 2:16 For WHO HAS KNOWN THE MIND OF THE LORD, THAT HE WILL INSTRUCT HIM? But we have the mind of Christ.
1 Coríntios 2
Piper: What is this wisdom. We have seen two definitions. Now we need to put them together. 1. In past weeks we have seen the definition given in 1 Cor 1:23-24, "Over against the wisdom of the world that serves to stir up boasting, he says, "We preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, the power of God and the wisdom of God." So what is the wisdom of God? Christ crucified, and the preaching of Christ crucified. 2. The other definition of God's wisdom is given in 1 Cor 2:7-9. Verse 7: God decreed this wisdom for our glorification. And verse 9 says that it is something no eyes has seen nor ear heard nor man ever dreamed of, namely, what God has prepared for those who love him. Son in both verses 7 and 9 the wisdom of God is the revelation of what is in store for believers in the age to come -- something unimaginably great! Now how do these two aspects of God's wisdom fit together -- the preaching of Christ crucified and the hope of unimaginable glory? Verse 8 gives the clue: "None of the rulers of this age understood this (wisdom of God); for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory." Here the two things are brought together: the crucifixion and the Lord of glory. What the rulers of this age could not and cannot see is that the path to glory is through the cross. This is the wisdom of God that is foolishness to men -- the inheriting of an unimaginably glorious future in the presence of God, obtained by pride-abandoning faith in a scorned, weak, foolish-looking, crucified Jewish teacher who was the very Lord of glory. The reason (1 Cor 2:7) Paul calls this wisdom of God a "secret and hidden" wisdom is that the relationship between the age of glory and the humiliating execution of the Messiah was not fully revealed until the days when Christ and his apostles began to unfold it. But now it is being revealed by the guidance of the Holy Spirit to the apostles, and they are imparting it (1 Cor 2:13) to others -- to us. . . Not only is the wisdom of God a gift because it comes through revelation (that's the point of 1 Cor 2:9-13a); it is also a gift because the ability to recognize it as wisdom and receive it is a work of the Holy Spirit. Paul ends 1 Cor 2:13 by saying that he interprets spiritual truths (which I take to mean "the wisdom of God," the revelation he has received from the Holy Spirit -- which is why it is called spiritual) -- he interprets spiritual truths to "those who possess the Spirit," or literally, "spiritual people". It's the same words used at the beginning of verse 15, "the spiritual (man)." In other words the last part of 1 Cor 2:13 seems to say that the only people who are willing and able to receive what Paul has to teach are spiritual people, that is people who have the Holy Spirit. . . When it says at the end of 1 Cor 2:14 that the things of the Spirit of God are spiritually discerned it means that what a natural man needs is the work of the Holy Spirit in his heart to liberate him from his irrational pride and free him to own up to the wisdom and power of the cross of Christ. Without the Spirit, we are so rebellious against the cross and against the Lord of glory that we will not cannot recognize the truth and beauty of a crucified Christ. Whom Do We Sound Like? - Mart De Haan - We have the mind of Christ. —1 Corinthians 2:16 - French scientists have succeeded in causing chickens to sound like quail. Researchers took tissue from the part of the Japanese quail brain thought to control the bird’s call, and they implanted it in the brains of five chicken embryos. The experiment worked. Researchers say the hatched chicks sounded like quail. Here’s a far greater miracle: God has “implanted” the mind of Christ in those who have accepted His Son as their Savior. First Corinthians 2:12 tells us that the Spirit of God has taken up residence in us. In some mysterious way we now have a capacity for divine wisdom that no scholarly degree or natural experience could ever provide. Having the mind of Christ enables us to see life increasingly from God’s perspective. This doesn’t mean that we can think on God’s level and instruct Him (v.16). But it does mean that we have a new capacity to think and talk and act more and more like Christ Himself. May the mind of Christ my Savior Live in me from day to day; By His love and power controlling All I do and say. —Wilkinson To think and talk like Christ, you must walk with Christ.
1 Coríntios 2:10-16
Piper explains Paul's comparison - He uses an analogy: among men a person’s thoughts and concerns are only known to the spirit of that person. And only if he wills can another person become privy to what those thoughts and concerns are. If he desires he can reveal his thoughts. So it is with God: no one knows His mind except His own Spirit. But God has willed to impart His wisdom by His Spirit. After the incredible revelation of truths of the Gospel in Romans 1-11, Paul explained "Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways! For WHO HAS KNOWN THE MIND OF THE LORD, OR WHO BECAME HIS COUNSELOR?" (Ro 11:33-34-note) The Forgotten God- Marvin Williams - When we quote The Apostles’ Creed, we say, “I believe in the Holy Spirit.” Author J. B. Phillips said, “Every time we say [this] we mean that we believe that [the Spirit] is a living God able and willing to enter human personality and change it.” Sometimes we forget that the Holy Spirit is not an impersonal force. The Bible describes Him as God. He possesses the attributes of God: He is present everywhere (Ps. 139:7-8), He knows all things (1 Cor. 2:10-11), and He has infinite power (Lk 1:35). He also does things that only God can do: create (Ge 1:2) and give life (Ro 8:2). He is equal in every way with the other Persons of the Trinity—the Father and the Son. The Holy Spirit is a Person who engages in personal ways with us. He grieves when we sin (Eph. 4:30). He teaches us (1Cor. 2:13), prays for us (Rom. 8:26), guides us (John 16:13), gives us spiritual gifts (1Cor. 12:11), and assures us of salvation (Rom. 8:16). God’s guidance and help that we need day to day Is given to all who believe; The Spirit has sealed us—He’s God’s guarantee Of power that we can receive. —Branon The Christian who neglects the Holy Spirit is like a lamp that’s not plugged in. Are You A Parakeet? - M. R. De Haan - No one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. —1 Corinthians 2:11 - On several occasions I visited a retired pastor who had a pet parakeet named Gibby Gibson. It would say, “Gibby Gibson is the prettiest bird in all the world.” Or it would repeat, “Dr. Gibson is a preacher—a Baptist preacher.” But, of course, the bird didn’t understand one word it was saying. Herein lies a lesson. Too many Christians go through the habitual motions of worship and Bible reading without the slightest idea of the meaning of what they are doing. They seem to think there is some secret charm or mystical benefit in just going through it. The issue is not how much of the Bible you read, but how well you read it. I have heard many people boast about how many times they have read through the Bible, but their conversation revealed a tragic ignorance of the Word of God. Better to read one verse prayerfully, seeking the guidance of your “Paraclete” (translated as “Comforter” or “Helper” in John 14:16), the Holy Spirit, than to rattle off a whole book from memory like a parakeet. The important question is, “Do you understand what you are reading?” (Acts 8:30). Ever-present, truest Friend, Ever near Thine aid to lend; Guide us as we search the Word, Make it both our shield and sword. —Anon. It's better to live one verse of the Bible than to recite an entire chapter. 1 Corinthians 2:12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit Who is from God, so that we may know the things freely given to us by God: Greek: hemeis de ou to pneuma tou kosmou elabomen (AAI) alla to pneuma to ek tou theou, hina eidomen (RAS) ta hupo tou theou charisthenta (APP) hemin: Amplified - Now we have not received the spirit [that belongs to] the world, but the [Holy] Spirit Who is from God, [given to us] that we might realize and comprehend and appreciate the gifts [of divine favor and blessing so freely and lavishly] bestowed on us by God.
1 Coríntios 2:10-16
Piper has an interesting thought on who is "spiritual" - When Paul speaks of a “spiritual” person he does not mean an especially religious person or a person who spends much time in prayer and Bible reading. He means a person who is led by the Spirit of God and bears the fruit of the Spirit. We know this from Gal 5:16-6:1 where Paul calls believers to walk by the Spirit, to be led by the Spirit, and to bear the fruit of the Spirit, and then in Gal 6:1 says, “If anyone is overtaken in a trespass you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of meekness.” In other words, the spiritual people are the people in whom God is at work producing the fruit of meekness, love, joy, peace, kindness, and the rest. Tony Evans - The Spiritual Man - Spiritual men and women—Christians—have learned to think as Christ thinks because they have the mind of Christ. To “appraise” in the verse above means to examine. A spiritual person examines life from God’s perspective. What our brain is to our body, our mind is to our soul. A spiritual person has developed spiritual perception. In our planning and decision making, do we ask ourselves what God would think about this? Spiritual people should consistently take God’s viewpoint into consideration in all they do. Of course, we’re not expecting perfection, but our lives should reveal a pattern of including God in everything. Spiritual people connect present decisions with future consequences because they are mature. Immature people often fail to connect their present decisions with future consequences. They want gratification now. Their thought is for the moment. Children are like that. How often do we encounter a child who talks about saving money? However, we do hear children talk a lot about spending money. Because of their maturity level, they see only short-term consequences. Their view of the future is limited. Spiritual people have learned to perceive things from a divine vantage point. They have the ability to discern. (A moment for your soul: devotions to lift you up) EXCURSUS ON ILLUMINATION The remainder of the note on 1Cor 2:10 is a brief excursus on the necessity of spiritual illumination when reading the Bible. Puritan writer Steven Charnock emphasizes the intimate association of the Holy Spirit and illumination writing that "The Word is the chariot of the Spirit, the Spirit the Guider of the Word." Illumination and Conviction - Christians’ knowledge of divine things is more than a knowledge of biblical words and theological ideas (Ed Comment: It is more than "intellectual" knowledge. It is "heart" knowledge which with the enablement of the Spirit hopefully becomes experiential knowledge! See the illustration that follows this paragraph!). It is an understanding of the reality and relevance of the works of God testified to by Scripture. The natural man (1Cor 2:14) who does not have the Spirit, even though familiar with Christian ideas, still lacks this deeper understanding, and is like the blind leaders of the blind (Mt. 15:14). Only the Holy Spirit, Who searches the deep things of God (1Cor 2:10), can bring this understanding to minds and hearts darkened by sin. It is called a spiritual understanding because it is an understanding given by the Holy Spirit (Col 1:9-note; cf. Luke 24:25; 1 John 5:20). Those who, along with correct instruction from the Scriptures, have an anointing from the Holy One … know all things (1John 2:20-note). The work of the Spirit in imparting this understanding is called illumination or enlightening. It is not a giving of new revelation, but a work within us that enables us to grasp and to affirm the revelation of the Bible, as it is read, preached, and taught. Sin clouds our minds and wills so that we miss and resist the force of Scripture. The Spirit, however, opens and unveils our minds and attunes our hearts so that we understand what God has revealed (2Cor 3:14-16-note; 2Cor 4:6-note; Eph. 1:17-18-note; Eph 3:18-19-note). Illumination is the application of God’s revealed truth to our hearts, so that we grasp as reality for ourselves what the sacred text says. Protestant theologians shortly after the Reformation spoke of illumination as an act of grace that proceeds in two stages. The first stage of illumination takes place when one encounters the ministry of the Word. This external illumination prepares a person for the second stage, the internal ministry of the Holy Spirit that leads to salvation. The Spirit speaks through the law, that convicts a person of sin, and the Gospel, that conveys knowledge of God’s grace and forgiveness (cf. Luke 1:79). It is through the illumination of the Spirit that the ministry of the Word conveys the effectual calling to salvation. Although illumination by the Spirit begins the process, or order, of salvation (Heb. 6:4; 10:32), it continues throughout the life of the believer. The Holy Spirit leads us to a deeper understanding of God (John 16:13), prompting both repentance for the sins that we commit and assurance of God’s grace and the certainty of our election. We receive this illumination through the ministry of the Word and through prayer, meditation on God and His revelation, and the struggle to live our lives in a manner consistent with revelation. (Reformation Study Bible) ILLUSTRATION OF OUR NEED FOR ILLUMINATION - Tony Evans writes that "Before cable television came into my neighborhood, I used a television antenna. I had a workman come out one time because I was having problems with my reception. He said, “Your signal is strong, but your antenna is not pointed in the right direction.” The Word of God is strong. There’s no problem with the “signal.” But our heart’s antenna is often not pointed in the right direction. A lot of us are fiddling with our lives trying to fix them when the problem is that our spiritual antenna is not pointed toward God. Therefore, we cannot pick up the Spirit’s signal. John
1 Coríntios 2:10-16
Piper - If God does not open our eyes, we will not see the wonder of the Word. We are not naturally able to see spiritual beauty. When we read the Bible without the help of God, the glory of God in the teachings and events of the Bible is like the sun shining in the face of a blind man. Not that you can’t construe its surface meaning, but you can’t see the wonder, the beauty, the glory of it such that it wins your heart… we must pray to God for supernatural illumination when we read the Bible. “Open my eyes."… We will never see the beauty of spiritual reality without God’s illumination. We will never see the wonder and glory of what the Word teaches without God’s opening the eyes of our hearts and giving us a spiritual sense of these things. The point of teaching this and knowing this is to make us desperate for God and hungry for God, and to set us to pleading and crying out to God for his help in reading the Bible… (You can see many things when you come to the Word without God’s opening the eyes of your heart. You can see words and grammatical constructions. You can see logical connections. You can see historical facts. You can see an author’s rational intention. You can see some human emotions. None of that requires that God open your eyes in a special spiritual way. But what you cannot see is the spiritual beauty of God and his Son and their work in the world. You cannot see that God is infinitely desirable above all things. A blind person cannot see the sun, though he can know many facts about the sun and pass a test in astronomy with a score higher than a person who can see the sun. Knowing about and knowing by sight are not the same. Knowing that honey is sweet and tasting honey are not the same.)… In Ephesians 1:18 Paul prays this way. He says, “I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling …” In other words, “I’ve taught you these things and you have received them with your external senses, but unless you perceive the glory of them with your spiritual sense (“the eyes of your heart”) you will not be changed. (See also Ephesians 3:14–19; Colossians 1:9 with Col 3:16). Now these are Christians he is writing to, which shows that we need to go on praying until we get to heaven for spiritual eyes to see. (Open My Eyes That I May See) Piper - And therefore we must pray for it—“Open my eyes.” And if we would stay alive in God and be real and authentic and intense in our love for Him, we must be desperate to have this enabling every day. So pray, pray, pray. Read Psalm 119 and see how many times he prays for divine help in knowing God and his ways. John Piper - We should pray … 1. That God would teach us his Word. Psalm 119:12b, “Teach me Your statutes.” (See also Ps 119:33, 64b, Ps 119:66, 68b, Ps 119:135). True learning of God’s Word is only possible if God Himself becomes the Teacher in and through all other means of teaching. 2. That God would not hide his Word from us. Psalm 119:19b, “Do not hide Your commandments from me.” The Bible warns of the dreadful chastisement or judgment of the Word of God being taken from us (Amos 8:11). (See also Ps 119:43). 3. That God would make us understand his Word. Psalm 119:27, “Make me understand the way of Your precepts” (Ps 119:34, 73b, Ps 119:144b, 169). Here we ask God to cause us to understand—to do whatever He needs to do to get us to understand His Word. 4. That God would incline our hearts to His Word. Psalm 119:36, “Incline my heart to Your testimonies and not to [dishonest] gain.” The great problem with us is not primarily our reason, but our will—we are disinclined by nature to read and meditate and memorize the Word. So we must pray for God to incline our wills. 5. That God would give us life to keep his Word. Psalm 119:88, “Revive me according to Your lovingkindness, so that I may keep the testimony of Your mouth.” He is aware that we need life and energy to give ourselves to the Word and its obedience. So he asks God for this basic need. (See also verse 154b) 6. That God would establish our steps in his Word. Psalm 119:133, “Establish my footsteps in Your word.” (Ed: First pray Ps 119:38) We are dependent on the Lord not only for understanding and life, but for the performance of the Word. That it would be established in our lives. We cannot do this on our own. 7. That God would seek us when we go astray from his Word. Psalm 119:176, “I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek Your servant.” It is remarkable that this godly man ends his psalm with a confession of sin and the need for God to come after him and bring him back. This too we must pray again and again… How earnest was he in these kinds of prayers? How earnest should we be? One answer is given in Psalm 119:147, “I rise before dawn and cry for help; I wait for Your words.” He gets up early! This is top priority. Would you make it that? (Open My Eyes That I May See) Ian Paisley - Oh for the illumination of the Holy Spirit! For He Who wrote the Book can best expound what He Himself wrote. Vance Havner - We cannot understand the Scriptures or Gospel truth in any form without spiritual discernment. A keen mind and theological training are useful tools when they are sanctified but the Holy Spirit is our teacher and He who inspired the Bible is the best interpreter of it. Bruce Hurt - O blessed holy book, the Bible, for there is no other book one can read in which the Author Who wrote it is present with (in) you and ready and willing to explain what He wrote! The Holy Spirit and the Holy Word operate together.