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the cross of Christ, where, that which was foolishness in the eyes of the
world, was the very wisdom of God. Knowing this propensity of the
Corinthians to compare the very wisdom of God with their own faulty
philosophy, the apostle wrote to them as follows:
`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 ... 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' (1
Cor. 2:1 -7).
The apostle's determination here, to limit his preaching to the cross,
must not be taken as a divine rule for every evangelist on every occasion;
his `howbeit' in 1 Corinthians 2:6 and his comments in 1 Corinthians 15 (1
Cor. 15:12 -20) show that for a preacher to so limit his message to the cross
without the accompanying triumph of the resurrection would be to preach `in
vain'. In 1 Corinthians 2:13 `spiritual' things are to be compared with
`spiritual'. This emphasis is because of the antipathy already indicated
that must for ever exist between `the natural' and the `spiritual' (1 Cor.
2:14), `the wisdom of this world' and `the wisdom of God' to which even
common sense must approve.
`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' (1 Cor. 2:11).
To know the things which are freely given to us of God, we need:
(a)
not the spirit of this world, but
(b)
the spirit which is of God; to speak
(c)
not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but
(d)
which the Holy Ghost teacheth,
(e)
comparing spiritual things with spiritual.
Where shall we find `the words' which the `Holy Ghost teacheth'? where,
but in the Scriptures which are given by inspiration of God. Let us observe
the way in which the Holy Ghost is related with the Scriptures.
`Men and brethren, this Scripture must needs have been fulfilled, which
the Holy Ghost by the mouth of David spake before concerning Judas'
(Acts 1:16).
`They departed, after that Paul had spoken one word, Well spake the
Holy Ghost by Esaias the prophet unto our fathers' (Acts 28:25).
`Wherefore as the Holy Ghost saith, To day if ye will hear His voice
... ` (Heb. 3:7-11).
`The Holy Ghost this signifying, that the way into the holiest of all
was not yet made manifest, while as the first tabernacle was yet
standing' (Heb. 9:8).
`Holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost' (2 Pet.
1:21).
The word translated `Ghost' is the Greek word pneuma which is also
translated `spirit' eight times in 1 Corinthians 2 and this word pneuma