1 Corinthians 2:12

‘But we received, not the spirit of the world but the Spirit of God, that we might know the things that are freely given to us by God.'

The contrast with the Spirit of God is the spirit of the world. There may be a verging here on to the idea of an elemental spirit that deceives men (‘the spirit of the world') and leads them astray, compare 1 John 4:4 where ‘He Who is in you is greater than he who is in the world' in a context where false spirits are in mind, but if so, as there also, it is not prominent. The main stress is rather on man's inadequacy and inability of himself to know God because his spirit is caught up in the aims, desires and attitudes of the world, the spirit of the world (compare 1 John 2:15). Man is of the world and has the spirit of the world directing his life.

‘The spirit of the world.' Here he sees the spirits of men (1 Corinthians 2:11) as one great whole, their hearts set on earthly things, bereft of God and unable to understand Him and His ways. But it may well be that he also has in mind in the background ‘the prince of this world' whose evil presence lies behind the princes of this world, who was condemned with them at the cross (John 12:31; John 14:30; John 16:11), along with his minions (Colossians 2:15 compare Galatians 4:8), spoken of by Jesus. It is noteworthy that the New Testament constantly assumes this evil, shadowy presence behind the world and its ways, without overemphasising him, although the idea is sharply brought out in Revelation.

‘But we received --- the Spirit of God.' (John 7:39; John 20:22; Acts 2:1; Acts 8:17; Acts 10:47; Romans 5:5; Romans 8:9; Romans 8:11; Romans 8:15; Galatians 4:6). God on the other hand has entered into the world through His Spirit in a vividly personal way, and it is He Who possesses and dwells in His people, illuminating them, transforming them, and empowering them in various degrees, and it is He Who brings into action and makes real the power of the cross. Thus are they freed from the spirit of the world, dying to the world that they might live to God.

‘That we might know the things that are freely given to us by God.' He comes as ‘the Spirit of Truth (John 14:17; John 14:26; John 16:13 - verses which more specifically apply to the Apostles, but in a secondary way to all Christians) and He makes known the truth to His people, both through men ‘inspired' by the Spirit and in His working in their inner hearts (Ephesians 1:17; Colossians 1:9; Colossians 2:2; 1Ti 2:7; 2 Timothy 1:7; 1 John 5:20; Hebrews 10:32).

‘The things that are freely given to us of God.' That which has been made available to us through the word of the cross, e.g. the grace of God (1 Corinthians 1:4), righteousness, sanctification, and redemption (1 Corinthians 1:30), justification, glorification (1 Corinthians 2:7), power from God (1 Corinthians 1:18), salvation by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8), the Holy Spirit (2 Corinthians 1:22; 1 Thessalonians 4:8) and above all God's unspeakable gift, our Lord Jesus Christ (John 3:16; 2 Corinthians 9:15).

We should note the movement here has been from ‘we' as referring to God's messengers, to ‘we' as all God's people (at 1 Corinthians 2:9). Whereas the messengers proclaim and declare the truth, all true Christians receive it fully because they have received the Spirit of God. It is He who takes their words and makes them known in the hearts of each of God's people.

So while the things freely given to us by God my be seen as including what is revealed through the genuine spiritual gifts of Chapter s 12-14, also brought to us by the Spirit of God, as compared with false spiritual gifts, which did occur elsewhere, the product of the ‘spirit of the world', it goes beyond that to the fact that we  all  receive the whole range of the things given to us by God because we have received the Spirit Who brings home to us the indwelling of Christ and makes God known to the heart.