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might know the things that are freely given to us of God, which
things we speak' (1 Cor. 2:12,13). Here we are back again to the
subject of verses 6 and 7, which deal with what the apostle said,
and how he said it. In verse 13, he repeats the statement that he
did not speak `in the words that man's wisdom teacheth, but
which the Holy Ghost teacheth, explaining spiritual things to
spiritual persons'. Then follows in verses 14 to 16 the contrast
between the natural man and the spiritual man, and then in
chapter 3 the subject of chapter 1 is resumed. A careful
examination of the context shows that `wisdom', either human or
divine, is the subject, and that being so, there is no necessity to
question the apostle's statement that he did not go beyond that
which `the prophets and Moses did say should come'.
We must now pass on to the second `mystery' of Corinthians,
which is found in chapter 15 and has to do with resurrection:
`Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom
of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption. Behold, I shew you a
mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment,
in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound,
and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For
this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on
immortality ... then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written,
Death is swallowed up in victory' (1 Cor. 15:50-54).
We observe first of all that the `mystery' here is associated
with the testimony of the prophet Isaiah, whose prophecy relates
to Millennial times (Isa. 25:6-9). Both in 1 Thessalonians 4 and
here in 1 Corinthians 15, the apostle distinguishes between those
who shall be `alive and remaining' at the coming of the Lord,
and those who have already `fallen asleep'. When the change