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was quoting not from the O.T., but the apocryphal Apocalypse of Elijah, but this would
not justify the introductory "it is written" which always refers to the Scriptures.
Whatever the answer to the problem is, we may be sure that the Apostle, under the
guidance of the Spirit of God, was quoting truth, and therefore we need have no
misgiving.
He now stresses what is most important to grasp, namely that understanding of the
Word of God is something that is beyond unaided human capability, however great this
may be. Such understanding only comes from the Holy Spirit Who inspired men to write
the Word. The Divine Author alone can be the Explainer:
"But unto us God revealed them through the Spirit; for the Spirit searcheth all things,
yea, the deep things of God . . . . . even so the things of God none knoweth, save the Spirit
of God. But we 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 by God" (2: 10-12 R.V.).
Man's knowledge is confined to human things (verse 11). Only God can
communicate the truth about Himself, His purposes and His ways. There is no other
means of attaining to this Divine knowledge. Human intellectual capacity and education
will not throw one ray of light of itself upon the Word of God. Why? Because it is
spiritual and can only be spiritually discerned, as enabled by the Holy Spirit. A
theological course may teach a lot about the Bible and its background, but this is no
substitute for Divine enlightenment. When will men learn this? A man may come from a
university with a brilliant theological degree and in the eyes of Christendom be eminently
suited for preaching and teaching the Scriptures, but if he is not a humble believer
depending upon God to give him "opened eyes", he is as blind as a bat spiritually, and
merely becomes a blind leader of the blind.
Not that we despise education, but we should know its limitations and keep it in its
rightful place. No one knows the things of God save the Spirit of God (verse 11), and
He has been given to us in order that "we might know the things that are freely given to us
by God, which things also we speak", says the Apostle, "not in words which man's
wisdoms teacheth, but which the Spirit teacheth, comparing spiritual things with
spiritual" (verse 13 R.V.). The spirit of the world and human wisdom and knowledge are
less than useless here. The Holy Spirit Himself must be the Teacher, and He
communicates His truth to us as we grow in grace and love and compare spiritual things
with spiritual.
We may well ask, just what is the meaning of this last phrase? There have been a
variety of translations and interpretations. It all depends on the meaning of sugkrino
translated comparing, and the gender of the adjective pneumatikos spiritual. This can be
either masculine or neuter. If masculine it will mean "spiritual persons"; if neuter it will
be "spiritual things" or "spiritual words". Sugkrino can mean "combine", "interpret", or
"compare". It only occurs again in II Cor. 10: 12 rendered "comparing". Darby
translates I Cor. 2: 13 "communicating spiritual things by spiritual means". Knox:
"matching what is spiritual with what is spiritual". Moffatt: "we interpret what is
spiritual in spiritual language". Coneybeare: "explaining spiritual things to spiritual