Spiritual Discernment Series

Infected by our consumerist, entertainment culture, in too many churches there is a mentality that says, “Entertain me, but don’t make me think and don’t force me to grow.” This creates a situation in which people never get out of spiritual kindergarten. Some churches are anti-intellectual huddles of people scared to engage in the arena of the mind. This is far from Paul’s teaching. Christians should foster full intellectual engagement because we are unafraid of truth. We worship the One from whom all truth comes.

Paul says he speaks this wisdom among the “mature.” The word “mature” was likely a buzzword for the Corinthians with certain groups viewing themselves as more mature. Today certain Christian groups think they are more mature based on a view of the end-times, a focus on Jewish backgrounds, a view of spiritual gifts, the gospel or grace itself.

I think Paul is being deliberately ironic here by playing with the word “mature.” On the one hand, his point is that all Christians are mature in the sense that have the Spirit, so there is no super-mature class of Christians. On the other hand, it is clear from the entire book that the Corinthians are far from mature. They are spiritual babies. The biblical text is calling us to a maturity that comes from embracing God’s wisdom in the cross in which all Christians find solidarity. Spiritual maturity is to follow Christ, becoming like him in the power of the Spirit. There is no secret, deep knowledge of God reserved for the spiritual elite who go to seminary or some special seminar. It is God’s plan for all Christians to move toward maturity in Christ by the Spirit.

Walk with me through the following verses as we see Paul describe this wisdom with several phrases. This is a wisdom which was a hidden mystery. What does he mean that it is a mystery that has been hidden? The word mystery does not mean mysterious, but refers to something previously not revealed. Prior to Christ coming to our world, humanity did not see what God was doing to save the world. Now this wise plan is known.

In contrast Paul says what this divine wisdom is not. This is wisdom is not the wisdom of this world or its rulers who are passing away, who do not understand God’s wisdom, who crucified the Lord of glory. However we identify the rulers of this age, the big point is that the wise and powerful of this world cannot grasp God’s wisdom in Christ crucified. Here Paul takes a swipe at the Corinthians’ confidence in Roman political wisdom and Greek philosophical wisdom. God’s superhuman wisdom prevails over all other wisdom, human or demonic. Ironically, in crucifying the Lord of glory, they signed their own death warrants because the cross affected their ultimate defeat.

By focusing on worldly status and power, the Corinthians risk identifying with the supposedly powerful people who crucified the truly powerful Lord of glory (2:8), and who are coming to nothing. Rather than coming to nothing, in Christ we are destined for glory. This spiritual wisdom revealed by God is that which God destined for our glory before time began.