College Press Bible Study Textbook Series
1 Corinthians 2 - Introduction
Butler's Comments
Chapter Two
THE PROBLEM OF REVELATION
IDEAS TO INVESTIGATE:
1.
Why is revelation a problem? Why is it a problem to Christians?
2.
How is the apostolic message different from the philosophies of men?
3.
What vehicle or instrumentality did God utilize in revealing the apostolic message to man?
4.
Why can-'t man discover God's will and plan for his life?
5.
How spiritual does a person have to be to understand the apostolic message?
Applebury's Comments
CHAPTER TWO
Analysis
A.
Paul's preaching in Corinth (1 Corinthians 2:1-5).
1.
What he determined to do at Corinth (1 Corinthians 2:1-2).
a)
It was in accord with what he had just written about wisdom. Paul's own ministry illustrates the same issue as the lives of the Corinthian Christians.
b)
It was the thing he did when he first came to Corinth. It was an established pattern for his preaching everywhere.
c)
It was not with excellency of speech or wisdom, that is, not with exalted rhetoric or wisdom of man. It was the simple message of Christ and Him crucified; it was the gospel message which Christ revealed to him by the Holy Spirit.
2.
What his attitude was (1 Corinthians 2:3).
a)
It was one of weakness, fear, and trembling.
b)
Probably not fear of physical danger or what man might do to him, but fear lest he should fail to please his Lord Jesus Christ.
3.
What his preaching consisted in (1 Corinthians 2:4).
a)
Not persuasive words of wisdom such as characterized the speech of the wise men of Corinth.
b)
He said it was in demonstration of Spirit and of power, that is, it was in logically proven statements revealed by the Holy Spirit and supported by the miracles that accompanied his preaching.
4.
What his purpose was (1 Corinthians 2:5).
His purpose was to preach in such a manner that the faith of his hearers should not be based on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God.
B.
The apostles speak wisdom (1 Corinthians 2:6-16).
1.
The pronoun we suggests that he is speaking of himself and the other inspired apostles.
2.
It was wisdom for those who were full-grown. Some who took great pride in their own wisdom looked upon the Gospel as foolishness, but Paul considered it to be wisdom for those who were mature enough to appreciate it.
3.
It was not wisdom of the world or of the rulers of the world. Man's wisdom could not compare with the revealed wisdom spoken by the inspired apostles.
4.
Nature of this wisdom (1 Corinthians 2:7-9).
a)
God's wisdom is in a mystery, that is, God's revealed wisdom would have remained a mystery forever if He had not made it known through the inspired apostles and prophets.
b)
The rulers of the world, being uninspired, could not have known this wisdom by any means available to them.
5.
How the apostles received this wisdom (1 Corinthians 2:10-12).
a)
God revealed it to them through the Holy Spirit who searches the deep things of God (1 Corinthians 2:10).
b)
This was the only way by which man could have known this mature wisdom (1 Corinthians 2:11-12).
(1)
The spirit of man knows about the things of man.
(2)
The Spirit of God knows about the things of God.
(3)
The inspired apostles received the Spirit which is from God in order that they might know about the things God graciously gave them.
6.
The inspired apostles speak the words of this wisdom which the Spirit revealed to them (1 Corinthians 2:13-16).
a)
This is not in words which man's wisdom teaches, but which the Spirit taught the inspired apostles (1 Corinthians 2:13).
b)
The natural or uninspired man could not receive these things (1 Corinthians 2:14). Note: This does not say that man without the aid of the Holy Spirit could not understand the message revealed by the inspired apostles.
c)
They were foolishness to the uninspired man because they must be revealed through the inspired apostles who, by the power of the Holy Spirit, examine or investigate them and speak them so that they may be understood by all who read them (1 Corinthians 2:14).
d)
The inspired apostle (the spiritual one) investigates all things of the wisdom to be revealed through him, but no man passes on his qualifications to be an apostle (1 Corinthians 2:15).
e)
The reason for the apostles-' ability to make known God's revealed wisdom is that they have the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16).
Questions
1.
What is the relation between the subject matter of this chapter and chapter one?
2.
How does Paul's work at Corinth prove the same point which he illustrates by calling attention to the status of the Corinthians in chapter one?
3.
Why does Paul address them as brethren as he begins this chapter?
4.
What is known about the history of Paul's first ministry at Corinth?
5.
What had been doing immediately prior to his coming to Corinth?
6.
What can be said to refute the charge that Paul failed at Athens?
7.
Why did Paul say that he did not come with excellency of speech?
8.
What did he mean by his remark about rude of speech?
9.
What is known about the academic training of Paul before he was commissioned by Christ as the apostle to the Gentiles?
10.
In what two ways may we understand the expression testimony of God? Explain how each may fit the context of 1 Corinthians 2:1.
11.
How explain Paul's determination not to know anything save Jesus Christ and him crucified in the light of his educational background?
12.
On what was his determination based?
13.
What evidence is there to prove that Paul, from the beginning of his ministry to its close without exception, preached Christ and him crucified?
14.
In what way does the preaching of Paul stand in striking contrast to the method of the Greek teachers of his day?
15.
How did Paul regard his responsibility in relation to the mysteries of God?
16.
Why did Paul mention his weakness? What did he mean by it?
17.
What is known of the dangers Paul faced in his ministry?
18.
Is there any evidence to support the theory that he feared for his personal safety?
19.
What assurance did the Lord give him in face of danger?
20.
What is a probable meaning of his remark about fear and trembling?
21.
What kind of foundation for faith did Paul present to the Corinthians?
22.
How did God demonstrate that the message of the apostles was true?
23.
Why is it impossible for men to have produced the revelation of God's mind which we have in the Bible?
24.
In what way was the world ready for this final revelation of God's will which was preached by the inspired apostles?
25.
How did Paul prepare his readers for the discussion of wisdom for the mature?
26.
What is the antecedent of the pronoun we in 1 Corinthians 2:6-16?
27.
Why is it impossible to refer it to all Christians?
28.
What is implied by the statement, Wisdom among the fullgrown?
29.
How is this wisdom contrasted with the wisdom of the world or of the rulers of this age?
30.
What evidence that uninspired man without the aid of miraculous illumination can and did understand the message revealed by the Holy Spirit and spoken through the apostles?
31.
What is meant in the New Testament by mystery?
32.
What proof is given in Ephesians that the ordinary reader can understand the Bible?
33.
What are some rules that will help us to understand the Bible? See Ephesians 3:4; Acts 17:11; Psalms 1:2; 2 Timothy 3:14.
34.
What is meant by the two Greek words translated know in this chapter?
35.
In what connection does Paul use each of them?
36.
How do the remarks of Jesus in John 14:7 illustrate the meaning of these two words?
37.
To whom did Paul refer when he said We received the Spirit which is from God?
38.
When should the word spirit be capitalized in the Bible?
39.
What bearing does this have on the meaning of 1 Corinthians 2:12?
40.
What enabled the apostles to speak the things of God?
41.
What is the source of the words spoken by the apostles?
42.
What does James say about the two-fold classification of wisdom?
43.
What bearing does this have on Paul's statement to the Corinthians?
44.
How did Chrysostom understand the statement, combining spiritual things with spiritual?
45.
What other explanations are there for this expression?
46.
What bearing does it have on verbal inspiration?
47.
What does traditional theology say about the natural man?
48.
With what does Paul contrast the natural man?
49.
What is the natural man?
50.
What evidence that Paul means the same thing by natural man and the rulers of this age?
51.
Who is the one who is spiritual?
52.
What is the difference between the way the word spiritual is used in chapter two and in chapter three?
53.
Why are the mysteries of God foolishness to the natural man?
54.
What is meant by the expression, he cannot know them?
55.
What is the definition of the word know in this expression?
56.
What is meant by judged in 1 Corinthians 2:14-15?
57.
How can this word be used to explain the apostles-' ability to reveal the truth of the gospel?
58.
What is meant by saying that the one who is spiritual is judged of no man?
59.
Is this world capable of judging the acts of Christians?
60.
To whom does Paul refer when he says we have the mind of Christ?
For Discussion
1.
What place should education have in training today's ministers?
2.
What place should Bible training have in preparing men to preach?
3.
What would happen if all preachers today limited their preaching to the subject, Christ and him crucified?