1 Corinthians 2:6, commentary and pictures

Paul speaks God's wisdom among those who are spiritually mature in faith, not babes, having discernment and experience in the things of the Spirit. The wisdom he denies is the wisdom of this world and of its princes, rulers and learned men, which is temporary and comes to nothing and in God's sight is foolishness. The wisdom he speaks is God's own hidden wisdom in a mystery, ordained before the world unto glory, centered on Jesus Christ and Him crucified as the power and wisdom of God around whom all truth clusters. None of the princes of this world knew this wisdom, for had they known it they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. God has revealed it by His Spirit who searches the deep things of God, declared not with excellency of speech or enticing words of man's wisdom but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power.

Two Wisdoms Contrasted

The perfect among whom wisdom is spoken are those mature in faith, not babes in Christ, but those with discernment and experience in the things of the Spirit. That maturity belongs to humble, praying, believing saints who search the Word and gain a spiritual knowledge and experience for facing the future. It includes those clothed in Christ's righteousness, whose speech and conduct are changed to represent Him. The wisdom spoken to them is God's hidden wisdom, ordained before the world unto their glory for those who love Him, and not the wisdom of the world.

The wisdom denied is the wisdom of this world and of its princes, rulers, learned men and earthly status, with their power, plans, schemes and claims. That worldly wisdom and the rulers who rely on it are temporary, passing away and coming to nought, rather than the foundation of faith. In God's sight it is foolishness to those made worldly-wise by worldly pursuits and sharp business traits after a worldly order, to whom the preaching of the cross is foolishness. Human learning, strength, or status cannot replace true wisdom, add to true worth, diminish it, or give ground for pride, boasting, or confidence in human knowledge. God has chosen the foolish, weak, base and despised to confound the wise and mighty and bring to nothing the things that are, so that no flesh should glory in His presence.

The saying we speak rather than I speak is deliberate and to be carefully noticed, with the use of we and us alongside I running through the chapter.

God's Hidden Wisdom Revealed

The wisdom spoken is God's own hidden wisdom in a mystery, ordained before the world unto glory for believers and for those who love Him. It is things eye has not seen nor ear heard nor heart imagined, prepared for those who love Him. It is God's, not human, planned before creation for His people's glory and spoken among those mature in faith.

That hidden wisdom is centered on Jesus Christ and Him crucified, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. It is His sacrifice as an atonement for sin and the mighty power of the cross of Calvary to transform character and restore what was lost. It is the great central truth around which all other truths cluster, and every truth from Genesis to Revelation must be studied in the light streaming from Calvary in connection with the Saviour's atonement. Christ uplifted on the cross, when lifted up drawing all men, is to be the theme of every discourse, and those who study the Redeemer's sacrifice grow in grace and knowledge.

Christ Himself is made unto believers wisdom and righteousness and sanctification and redemption. True greatness comes through Christ, and the value of a person's work rests on the estimate Christ places upon it. Human learning cannot replace this wisdom or give grounds for boasting, for believers must rely on God's power rather than human wisdom.

None of the princes of this world knew this wisdom, for had they known it they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. In blindness of mind and ignorance they rejected the crucified Christ Jesus. Their ignorance kept them from applying the prophecies of Christ where they belong.

God has revealed this wisdom by His Spirit, who searches all things, even the deep things of God. It is known not by the spirit of the world but by the Spirit of God, that the things freely given by God may be known. It is spoken not in words man's wisdom teaches but in words the Holy Ghost teaches, by comparing spiritual things with spiritual. The world by its wisdom knew not God, and this wisdom is spiritually discerned, hidden from the wise and prudent and revealed unto babes.

It is declared not with excellency of speech or enticing words of man's wisdom, human philosophy, oratory, pomp, energy or agencies. Human eloquence, criticism, and human ability are not its foundation, for faith must rest on God's power rather than human ability. It comes in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that faith stands not in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.

Receiving and Sharing Wisdom

True wisdom is knowledge of God and understanding of His ways, found in knowing God and in Christ, who is made unto believers wisdom and righteousness and sanctification and redemption. True education shaped by God's word receives and practices that wisdom rather than crowding it out with human learning, strength or status, for human learning cannot replace it or add fitness for heaven. It gives no ground for pride, boasting, seeking the world's favor, or glorying in human wisdom, since to seek the world's favor and influence is to exchange God's wisdom for human wisdom, which in His sight is foolishness. Its power and claims are not those of this world and its rulers, whose wisdom, power, plans and status are temporary, pass away and come to nothing.

To be among the mature who receive it requires laboring to be placed in right relation to truth, gaining a right experience and close connection with God, searching the pages of the Word, and being fed with the bread of life and heavenly manna. It requires trimming the lamp and having the oil of grace in the heart, watching and not sleeping, recognizing Christ, understanding His will, fearing to offend Him, discerning need and laying hold upon it. Earthly and temporal things outside eternal interest must not absorb time and attention and leave the soul without the daily preparation by which Christ reveals Himself to those who seek Him. This study and spiritual knowledge and experience prepares for the future, for opposition and the trials of the last days and for translation, whether changed if alive or raised if in the grave, with right to the tree of life to see the King in His beauty.

Receiving this wisdom requires humility and entire dependence on God and Christ, emptying the soul of foolishness, pride and folly, sitting at the feet of Jesus to listen to His instruction, feeling weakness, fear and inefficiency, and inviting Him to possess heart and soul and character. It requires hiding self in Christ, keeping the garments of humility and contrition, being cleansed from self-exaltation and never placing human merit where God's honor should be, keeping the eyes fixed on Christ and God's glory ever in view, and being men and women of faith and prayer. It requires depending wholly on God rather than on human minds, working in unity of the Spirit, shutting out subjects of contention, and putting away envy and strife as carnality that weakens the church. Those so clothed in Christ's righteousness show it in changed speech and conduct.

Those who have this wisdom from above, which dwelt in the early disciples as the secret of their success, receive counsel from a divine source in Jesus the fountain of all such wisdom. Only they can walk in wisdom toward them that are without, with eyes anointed to see deeper and afar off, discerning the dishonesty, craftiness, selfishness, eye-service, pretense, boasting and grasping covetousness of the world. They represent truth by sound principles, firm integrity, holy boldness in acknowledging Christ, good works and humble preaching that turns souls from idols to serve the living God. That work yields deep, thorough, substantial fruit, letting light shine so others glorify the Father, with abundant fruit in good ground for the third angel's message.

The chapter gives a glimpse of a person's present spiritual condition, and while mercy still lingers it calls him to fall on the Rock and be broken so Christ may build him into His own likeness and he will cease leading others in false paths. It is instruction of the greatest importance to all in the Lord's army, to be thought over at home and applied. With God's help its application leads to separating from all hindrances, knowing God's will, walking in that pathway, becoming free and all light in the Lord, confessing Christ and coming out of darkness into His marvelous light.

Missing this wisdom brings loss even in this life and loss of future eternal life in the kingdom of God, while keeping it before the people and shutting out contention brings victory and is the earnest work for this time. Men given to worldly pursuits and sharp business traits after a worldly order are too worldly-wise to receive it and count the preaching of the cross foolishness, for not many wise after the flesh, mighty or noble are called, but God has chosen the foolish, weak, base and despised to confound the wise and mighty and bring to nothing the things that are, so no flesh glories in His presence. The chapter is practical instruction to be studied and practiced for overcoming indulged appetite and unnatural craving, arousing the moral powers, keeping the body in healthful condition and the intellect clear, and living in self-denial and self-control in God's service.