The design of this chapter is the same as the concluding part of 1 Corinthians 1:17, to show that the gospel does not depend for its success on human wisdom, or the philosophy of men. This position the apostle further confirms: (1) 1 Corinthians 2:1, By a reference to his own example, as having bee... [ Continue Reading ]
AND I, BRETHREN - Keeping up the tender and affectionate style of address. WHEN I CAME UNTO YOU - When I came at first to preach the gospel at Corinth. Acts 18:1 ff. CAME NOT WITH EXCELLENCY OF SPEECH - Came not with graceful and attractive eloquence. The apostle here evidently alludes to that nice... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR I DETERMINED - I made a resolution. This was my fixed, deliberate purpose when I came there. It was not a matter of accident, or chance, that I made Christ my great and constant theme, but it was my deliberate purpose. It is to be recollected that Paul made this resolution, knowing the special f... [ Continue Reading ]
AND I WAS WITH YOU - Paul continued there at least a year and six months. Acts 18:11. IN WEAKNESS - In conscious feebleness; diffident of my own powers, and not trusting to my own strength. AND IN FEAR, AND IN MUCH TREMBLING - Paul was sensible that he had many enemies to encounter Acts 18:6.; and... [ Continue Reading ]
AND MY SPEECH - The word “speech” here - if it is to be distinguished from “preaching” - refers, perhaps, to his more private reasonings; his preaching to his public discourses. NOT WITH ENTICING WORDS - Not with the persuasive reasonings (πειθοῖς λόγοις peithois logois) of the wisdom of men. Not... [ Continue Reading ]
THAT YOUR FAITH - That is, that your belief of the divine origin of the Christian religion. SHOULD NOT STAND - Greek, “should not be;” that is, should not rest upon this; or be sustained by this. God intended to furnish you a firm and solid demonstration that the religion which you embraced was fro... [ Continue Reading ]
HOW BE IT - But δε de. This commences the “second” head or argument in this chapter, in which Paul shows that if human wisdom is missing in his preaching, it is not devoid of true, and solid, and even divine wisdom - Bloomfield. WE SPEAK WISDOM - We do not admit that we utter foolishness. We have sp... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT WE SPEAK - We who have preached the gospel. THE WISDOM OF GOD - We teach or proclaim the wise plan of God for the salvation of people; we make known the divine wisdom in regard to the scheme of human redemption. This plan was of God, in opposition to other plans which were of human beings. IN A... [ Continue Reading ]
WHICH NONE OF THE PRINCES - None of those rulers who were engaged in the crucifixion of the Messiah, referring both to the Jewish rulers, and the Roman governor. KNEW - They did not perceive or appreciate the excellency of his character, the wisdom of his plan, the glory of his scheme of salvation.... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT AS IT IS WRITTEN - This passage is quoted from Isaiah 64:4. It is not quoted literally; but the sense only is given. The words are found in the apocryphal books of Elijah; and Origen and Jerome supposed that Paul quoted from those books. But it is evident that Paul had in his eye the passage in... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT GOD HATH REVEALED THEM - That is, those elevated views and enjoyments to which people everywhere else had been strangers, and which have been under all other forms of religion unknown, have been communicated to us by the revelation of God - This verse commences the “third” part of this chapter,... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR WHAT MAN ... - The design of this is, to illustrate what he had just said by a reference to the way in which man acquires the knowledge of himself. The purpose is to show that the Spirit has an exact and thorough knowledge of the things of God; and this is done by the very striking thought that... [ Continue Reading ]
NOW WE HAVE RECEIVED - We who are Christians; and especially we, the apostles. The following verse shows that he had himself and the other apostles chiefly in view; though it is true of all Christians that they have received, not the spirit of this world, but the spirit which is of God. NOT THE SPI... [ Continue Reading ]
WHICH THINGS WE SPEAK - Which great, and glorious, and certain truths, we, the apostles, preach and explain. NOT IN THE WORDS WHICH MAN’S WISDOM TEACHETH - Not such as human philosophy or eloquence would dictate. They do not have their origin in the devices of human wisdom, and they are not express... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT THE NATURAL MAN - ψυχικὸς, δὲ ἄνθρωπος psuchikos de anthrōpos. The word “natural” here stands opposed evidently to “spiritual.” It denotes those who are governed and influenced by the natural instincts; the animal passions and desires, in opposition to those who are influenced by the Spirit... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT HE THAT IS SPIRITUAL - The man who is enlightened by the Holy Spirit in contradistinction from him who is under the influence of the senses only. JUDGETH - Greek: “Discerns.” (margin); the same word as in the previous verse. It means that the spiritual man has a discernment of these truths in r... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR WHO HATH KNOWN ... - This passage is quoted from Isaiah 40:13. The interrogative form is a strong mode of denying that anyone has ever known the mind of the Lord. The argument of Paul is this, “No one can understand God. No one can fully comprehend his plans, his feelings, his views, his designs... [ Continue Reading ]