Bullet Point Bible - 1 Corinthians 2

Paul's Reliance on the Spirit, Not Human Eloquence

¹ When I came to you, brothers and sisters, I did not come with superior eloquence or wisdom as I proclaimed the testimony of God.² For I decided to be concerned about nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and him crucified.³ And I was with you in weakness and in fear and with much trembling.⁴ My conversation and my preaching were not with persuasive words of wisdom, but with a demonstration of the Spirit and of power,⁵ so that your faith would not be based on human wisdom but on the power of God.

Paul contrasts his preaching style with the rhetorical sophistication highly valued in Greco-Roman culture, particularly in Corinth (1 Cor 2:1, 4).
His deliberate focus was singular: the message of "Jesus Christ and him crucified," which was considered foolishness by worldly standards (1 Cor 2:2; cf. 1 Cor 1:23).
Paul emphasizes his personal state of "weakness and fear and much trembling," countering any perception of self-reliant showmanship (1 Cor 2:3). This highlights reliance on God.
The effectiveness of his ministry came not from human rhetorical skill ("persuasive words of wisdom") but from a "demonstration of the Spirit's power" (1 Cor 2:4).
Theological Point: True spiritual transformation and faith are grounded in God's supernatural power, not human intellect or eloquence (1 Cor 2:5).
This approach ensures that believers' faith rests securely on God, preventing dependence on charismatic human leaders.
Paul's method directly challenges the Corinthian tendency to evaluate ministers based on worldly criteria like eloquence and wisdom (cf. 1 Cor 1:12, 3:4).
The "testimony of God" (1 Cor 2:1) refers to the gospel message, the revealed truth about God's plan centered on Christ.

God's Hidden Wisdom for the Mature

⁶ Now we do speak wisdom among the mature, but not a wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are perishing.⁷ Instead we speak the wisdom of God, hidden in a mystery, that God determined before the ages for our glory.⁸ None of the rulers of this age understood it. If they had known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.⁹ But just as it is written, " Things that no eye has seen, or ear heard, or mind imagined,are the things God has prepared for those who love him ."¹⁰ God has revealed these to us by the Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God.

Paul clarifies that he *does* impart wisdom, but it's God's wisdom, distinct from worldly wisdom (1 Cor 2:6).
This divine wisdom is intended for the "mature" (Greek: *teleios*), referring to spiritually developed believers, not necessarily the intellectually elite (1 Cor 2:6).
The "wisdom of this age" and its "rulers" (potentially both human authorities and spiritual powers) is temporary and ultimately futile ("coming to nothing") (1 Cor 2:6).
God's wisdom was "secret and hidden," part of His eternal plan ("decreed before the ages") established for the ultimate "glory" of believers (1 Cor 2:7).
The crucifixion demonstrates the ignorance of the "rulers of this age" regarding God's plan; understanding would have prevented them from crucifying the "Lord of glory" (1 Cor 2:8).
The title "Lord of glory" emphasizes Christ's divine majesty, contrasting sharply with the humiliation of the cross.
Paul quotes or alludes to scripture (likely a tradition related to Isa 64:4; 52:15) to describe the unimaginable blessings God has prepared for His followers (1 Cor 2:9).
Crucially, this hidden wisdom is not discovered by human effort but is "revealed" by God through the Holy Spirit (1 Cor 2:10a).

The Spirit Reveals the Depths of God

¹⁰ God has revealed these to us by the Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God.

The Holy Spirit possesses intimate knowledge of God, searching out even His profound depths ("deep things of God") (1 Cor 2:10b).
An analogy is used: Just as only a person's own spirit truly knows their inner thoughts, only God's Spirit fully knows God's thoughts (1 Cor 2:11). This highlights the Spirit's divinity and unique role.
Believers have received God's Spirit, enabling them to understand the spiritual truths and gifts ("things freely given") bestowed by God (1 Cor 2:12).
This contrasts with the "spirit of the world," which operates on worldly principles and cannot grasp divine realities.
Paul asserts that his teaching uses language ("words") provided by the Holy Spirit, not concepts derived from human philosophy (1 Cor 2:13).
Theological Insight: The Holy Spirit is the indispensable agent of both revelation (making God's truth known) and illumination (enabling believers to understand it).
The phrase "explaining spiritual realities with Spirit-taught words" (1 Cor 2:13, NET note) emphasizes matching spiritual content with Spirit-inspired language. An alternative translation suggests communicating spiritual truths to spiritual people.
This section underscores the necessity of the Spirit for any true understanding of God and His ways.

The Natural Versus the Spiritual Person

¹⁴ The unbeliever does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him. And he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.¹⁵ The one who is spiritual discerns all things, yet he himself is understood by no one.¹⁶ For who has known the mind of the Lord, so as to advise him? But we have the mind of Christ.

A sharp contrast is drawn between the "natural man" (Greek: *psuchikos anthrōpos*) and the "spiritual man" (Greek: *pneumatikos anthrōpos*).
The "natural man," lacking the Holy Spirit, cannot receive or comprehend spiritual truths; they seem like "folly" (foolishness) because spiritual discernment is required (1 Cor 2:14).
This explains the world's rejection of the gospel message highlighted in chapter 1.
The "spiritual man," indwelt by the Spirit, possesses the capacity to discern ("discerns all things") spiritual matters (1 Cor 2:15).
The spiritual person's perspective and judgment are often misunderstood or unappreciated by the natural world ("he himself is understood by no one") (1 Cor 2:15).
Paul quotes Isaiah 40:13 to affirm that God's mind is beyond human comprehension and instruction (1 Cor 2:16a).
The climactic declaration, "But we have the mind of Christ" (1 Cor 2:16b), asserts that believers, through the indwelling Spirit, share Christ's perspective and understanding of God's revealed wisdom.
Theological Point: Spiritual understanding is not a matter of intellect but of possessing the Holy Spirit, who aligns believers with Christ's thinking.
This provides the foundation for Christian discernment and unity based on God's revealed truth, countering the divisions in Corinth based on human wisdom.

Additional Content

¹¹ For who among men knows the things of a man except the man's spirit within him? So too, no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God.¹² Now we have not received the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things that are freely given to us by God.¹³ And we speak about these things, not with words taught us by human wisdom, but with those taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual things to spiritual people.

The Bullet Point Bible

1 Corinthians 2