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Timothy: I Corinthians 2:9-16
Misconceptions about Preaching the Gospel (2)

9 according as it has been written, “Eye has not seen, and ear has not heard,” nor has it risen up into the heart of man, the things which God has prepared for those that love Him. Isa. 64:4

10 But God revealed them to us by His Spirit, for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God.

11 For who among men knows the things of a man, except the spirit of a man within him? So also no one has known the things of God except the Spirit of God.

12 But we have not received the spirit of the world, but the Spirit from God, so that we might know the things that are freely given to us by God.

13 Which things we also speak, not in words taught in human wisdom, but in Words taught of the Holy Spirit, comparing spiritual things with spiritual things.

14 But a natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he is not able to know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

15 But the spiritual one discerns all things, but he is discerned by no one.

16 For “who has known the mind of the Lord?” “Who will teach Him?” But we have the mind of Christ. Isa. 40:13

[Literal Translation of the Holy Bible]

Dear God, my Beloved Father, I thank You for giving me another day in this life. My family is safe and happy, blessed by Your grace. Although my body is getting weaker with age, Christ still gives me the strength to continue serving You. And the Holy Spirit still gives me wisdom as I reflect on the Eternal Living Word of God. I thank the Triune God.

Father, I would like to present my understanding of I Corinthians 2:9-16, which continues the Holy Spirit’s message through Paul regarding the misunderstanding of preaching the Gospel.

Verse 9: The Gospel of God is a mystery, just like God Himself. The Gospel is something that no one has seen, heard, or imagined, but God has prepared it for those who love Him. When the Gospel is preached, only those who have a heart of love and reverence for God can understand and accept it.

Verses 10 and 11: After the Lord Jesus Christ ascended to heaven, everything that belongs to God was revealed by the Holy Spirit to those who have faith in God. Only the Holy Spirit, in His divine nature, can comprehend everything that belongs to God. Similarly, no one can fully know a person’s thoughts and feelings except that person’s spirit.

Verse 12: God’s people do not receive the spirit of the world, which is Satan, the leader of the fallen angels who rebelled against God. Instead, they receive the Spirit from God, who guides them into all truth and helps them understand what God has freely given them. I understand that those who worship demons, idols, or the dead are those who have received the spirit of the world and are, therefore, misguided and cannot understand the blessings that God has given humanity until they desire God and seek to be saved from sin. Then, they will understand the Gospel of Salvation.

Verse 13: “Which things” refers to the gifts bestowed by God, with the most important one being the Gospel. The proclamation of the Gospel and speaking about the gifts bestowed by God cannot be expressed in the wisdom of human flesh. These things must be spoken with the words taught by the Holy Spirit through the Bible and with the spiritual understanding of God’s people, as He pours out His holy spirit upon them. The holy spirit of God is life, wisdom, and all the necessary abilities to understand God and act according to His will, which the Holy Spirit bestows upon God’s people. The spiritual things are the Gospel of God’s salvation and all knowledge about God, along with all the gifts bestowed by God. Only the words in the Bible and the words led by the Holy Spirit in the spiritual understanding of God’s people can explain these holy things.

Verses 14 and 15: “The natural person” is the person who lives according to reason and the desires of the flesh. “The spiritual person” is the person who lives according to the spirit, that is, lives according to the knowledge of God and has desires that please God. Those who live according to the flesh cannot understand or receive spiritual values, so they cannot receive wisdom and abilities from the Holy Spirit. Those who live according to the spirit have an understanding of spiritual things, know the standards of love, holiness, and righteousness of God, and apply them to their lives. No one can judge them because they have judged all things and themselves according to God’s standards to live in His will.

Verse 16: Humans cannot have the mind of God, but humans can have the mind of Christ when they truly believe in Christ and are united with Him. “Having the mind of Christ” means having faith, obeying God as Christ did, and also having the wisdom and will of Christ.

Father, I am thankful and grateful to You for giving me the opportunity to believe in the Gospel, be united with Christ, and have the mind of Christ. Thanks to that, I can live to please You and be content in life, even if I have to go through any situation. Because I understand and believe that all things work together for the good of those who love You.

In the grace of Jesus Christ, my Lord.

Timothy Christian Huynh
04/21/2023

Note:

[1] (a) Please note that when the term “spirit” is used without a definite article in Greek to refer to God and Christ, it refers to their mindset and should not be capitalized. (b) If it is used to refer to humans, it refers to the human mindset aligning with God’s. (c) When used with a definite article, it refers to the spiritual essence of either God or humans.

[2] Please note that when the term “holy spirit” is used without a definite article in Greek, it refers to the power and life coming from God, not the person of God the Holy Spirit, and should not be capitalized.