YOUR FAITH SHOULD NOT STAND IN THE WISDOM OF MEN
1Co 2:1 And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God.
1Co 2:2 For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.
1Co 2:3 And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling.
1Co 2:4 And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power:
1Co 2:5 That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.
One of the first doctrines of reproof given by the Apostle Paul to the Corinthians deals with their desire to be ‘enticed’ by men that preached unto them the “good words and fair speeches” that catered to their wants and desires concerning this world, and their thinking that God has a willingness to see that man’s earthly wants and desires are fulfilled (on a godly scale of course). The Corinthians witnessed the Apostle Paul experience “weakness,” “fear,” and “much trembling” while he was among them, but the Corinthians did not see the benefit that came with the “sufferings of Christ,” and quite frankly, they thought that it did not make much ‘sense’ to the ‘wise’ in Corinth. And it was the ‘wise’ in Corinth that desired to be taught by ones who seemed to be the ‘men of wisdom’ concerning God’s word. And Paul ‘demonstrated’ the effectual working of the Spirit (the word of God) through him when he experienced the things mentioned in verse 3, and when he “endured” them, the “power” of God was shown, whether the Corinthians were aware of it or not; they were witnesses of it just the same.
Rom 16:17 Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them.
Rom 16:18 For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple.
Rom 16:19 For your obedience is come abroad unto all men. I am glad therefore on your behalf: but yet I would have you wise unto that which is good, and simple concerning evil.
In today’s church, this world’s ‘wise’ men apply this world’s thinking to the word of God, instead of applying God’s word to their thinking, but there are some who do apply God’s word to their thinking, but these are often looked upon as the “simple” because of their “contrary” thinking to what this world says about how God’s word should be understood. This is why there are so many “divisions” among those who say they are Christians, each one has his own view point on how God’s word should be preached, and when his thinking differs from the norm, he out of his own ‘wisdom’ forms his own “doctrine” (denomination). The definition of denomination ought to be defined as “doctrine,” because each one has their own “contrary” views to which they stand upon.
1Co 2:6 Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought:
1Co 2:7 But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory:
1Co 2:8 Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.
1Co 2:9 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.
1Co 2:10 But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.
We as “sons” must follow God’s design for our edification, not this world’s; and the only way we can be educated unto a “perfect” man is by standing upon what our bibles say, regardless what this world comes up with next concerning God’s word. In verse 10 Paul says “God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit,” this is referring to what the Holy Spirit revealed unto Paul, whereby we can now understand and appreciate God’s unique wisdom towards us today. Also, as we can see the “Spirit searcheth all things when we use God’s word the way that He intended; and this is by being able to “discern” if what we hear is according to God’s word or not.
1Co 2:11 For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.
1Co 2:12 Now we have 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 of God.
1Co 2:13 Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.
1Co 2:14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
1Co 2:15 But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man.
1Co 2:16 For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.
Likewise, when we compare “spiritual things with spiritual,” we “mark them which cause divisions” and the doctrine that they preach, and identify it for being what it is; “man’s wisdom,” and we stand upon what the “Holy Ghost teacheth” us in our King James bibles. We also must judge this world’s wisdom just as our Father does, and the way the “Holy Ghost teacheth,” and that is as “foolishness,” and this is where our edification comes in; we should have the capacity to “judgeth all things” by what we have been properly taught, and this is what having “the mind of Christ is all about.”
1Co 4:8 Now ye are full, now ye are rich, ye have reigned as kings without us: and I would to God ye did reign, that we also might reign with you.
1Co 4:9 For I think that God hath set forth us the apostles last, as it were appointed to death: for we are made a spectacle unto the world, and to angels, and to men.
1Co 4:10 We are fools for Christ’s sake, but ye are wise in Christ; we are weak, but ye are strong; ye are honourable, but we are despised.
1Co 4:11 Even unto this present hour we both hunger, and thirst, and are naked, and are buffeted, and have no certain dwellingplace;
1Co 4:12 And labour, working with our own hands: being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we suffer it:
1Co 4:13 Being defamed, we intreat: we are made as the filth of the world, and are the offscouring of all things unto this day.
1Co 4:14 I write not these things to shame you, but as my beloved sons I warn you.
Having the “mind of Christ” is contrary to having the mind of this world and Satan; and there is a proper designed way for the son to obtain “the mind of Christ,” and that comes from our standing upon the word of God in everything that we do as sons “in Christ.” Furthermore, as we are taught by Him with His word we will gain the ability to ‘judge’ what this world has to offer, and what our Father values and esteems based upon what His word says. The Corinthians thought this world’s thinking, and ways were what “godliness” was all about, they thought that the things that Paul experienced in verses 10-13 was ‘un-God-like,’ and by following this world’s standards and norms they assumed that having a perception of “wisdom” and ‘blending in’ with what this world is doing is what “godliness” was all about. But Paul comes along and ‘warns’ the saints about this “ungodly” thinking because of the danger that there is to the son’s edification, and his proper understanding upon what the will of God is all about.
1Co 4:15 For though ye have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet have ye not many fathers: for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel.
1Co 4:16 Wherefore I beseech you, be ye followers of me.
1Co 4:17 For this cause have I sent unto you Timotheus, who is my beloved son, and faithful in the Lord, who shall bring you into remembrance of my ways which be in Christ, as I teach every where in every church.
1Co 4:18 Now some are puffed up, as though I would not come to you.
1Co 4:19 But I will come to you shortly, if the Lord will, and will know, not the speech of them which are puffed up, but the power.
1Co 4:20 For the kingdom of God is not in word, but in power.
1Co 4:21 What will ye? shall I come unto you with a rod, or in love, and in the spirit of meekness?
Moreover, if we who are sons “in Christ” are not looked upon as “fools for Christ’s sake,” or made as “the filth of this world” by today’s church, then we are doing what I stated earlier; ‘blending in’ to what this world is doing regarding how godliness should be displayed by the members of the body of Christ. But by following Paul, through God’s word to us, we will see that “all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution,” and that as Paul says his ways “in Christ” should be taught “everywhere in every church.” And by having “ten thousand instructors in Christ” might not seem so bad to some, but if a preacher, pastor, or elder of a church can only ‘instruct’ the church in “Christ crucified” and nothing more than just going over the basic fundamentals of the gospel, then he is not following Paul, and does not have “the mind of Christ,” he will say he does, but if the local church is still “following” some of the things they used to do, or what this world does in an ‘assembly,’ then they are “reigning as kings” along with this world; in this world. And again, most will say they don’t (especially the ones that “rightly divide” the word of truth), but if your church does not teach God’s word from the time you sit down until the time you get up, then you are “following” this world’s “ways” instead of Paul’s. And you will think that things like ‘testimony,’ ‘altars,’ choirs, ‘mass prayer,’ and anything else that is not in God’s word to us is what God would have the church to be doing today.
2Co 11:12 But what I do, that I will do, that I may cut off occasion from them which desire occasion; that wherein they glory, they may be found even as we.
2Co 11:13 For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ.
2Co 11:14 And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.
2Co 11:15 Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.
2Co 11:16 I say again, Let no man think me a fool; if otherwise, yet as a fool receive me, that I may boast myself a little.
2Co 11:17 That which I speak, I speak it not after the Lord, but as it were foolishly, in this confidence of boasting.
2Co 11:18 Seeing that many glory after the flesh, I will glory also.
2Co 11:19 For ye suffer fools gladly, seeing ye yourselves are wise.
We must understand the Corinthians were justified, sanctified saints “in Christ,” but Paul was not content to let them just attend ‘church’ for the rest of their lives without any doctrinal growth. The goal of the saint ought to be to possess “the mind of Christ,” and filling his mind with the wisdom of the Father, and this is done by following Paul from Romans through Philemon and using our King James bibles for doctrine, reproof, correction, and instruction in righteousness the way God intended. But today’s church leaders rather base the doctrine of the church around the wisdom of this world, and this is displayed by their commands and ‘do’s and don’ts’ that their congregation must ‘follow’ to be a member of their church, but here is where we as sons ought to “judge” these things by what we are taught within God’s word, and determine whether if what we hear is from our Apostle who we are to follow; or are we ‘following’ doctrine, commands, and the wisdom of Satan’s ministers and this world.
Rod Jones