The Cross: True Wisdom Revealed by the Spirit

Introduction

Everyone wants to be seen as wise and spiritual. At the mayor's New Year address, at the office, among friends, we'd love for people to say of us: "he's really wise" or "she's such a spiritual person." But what is true wisdom? What is true spirituality? In 1 Corinthians 2:6-16, Paul answers a church divided over its leaders, drawn in by fine philosophy and oratorical skill. His answer is radical: true wisdom is the cross of Jesus Christ. A wisdom prepared before all ages, revealed by the Spirit, and recognized only by those in whom the Spirit is at work.

Sermon Outline

1. The Cross Is True Wisdom (v. 6-9)

• Paul insists: the message of the cross is not actually foolishness (it is true wisdom. But not a wisdom "of this age" nor "of the rulers of this age"), not a wisdom born of human reasoning.
• It is a mysterious, hidden wisdom. In the New Testament, a mystery is not something that stays hidden; it is something that was hidden and is now revealed.
• It's like the ending of a good detective story, where Hercule Poirot or Benoit Blanc ties all the clues together. The clues were always there, but only now do we understand them, and we think: "of course, how did I not see it before?"
• In the Old Testament, the promises, the prophecies, the prophets gave us clues, images. Everything was there. But it is only now, with the coming of Jesus, his death and resurrection, that we see the full wisdom of God's plan in Jesus Christ.
• Verse 8 gives the reason this plan remained hidden: if the rulers had known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.
• This wisdom, God prepared before all ages for our glory. What Jesus did on the cross is not a plan B, not a sudden reaction to an unexpected situation, not a divine patch job. From eternity past, God planned to send his Son to the cross for our salvation.
• Paul quotes Isaiah in verse 9: "What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, God has prepared for those who love him."
• Like friends who, in the middle of planning their wedding, take the time to hand-make you a recipe book with illustrations as a gift: you're stunned, you never would have imagined such a special present. All the more, be stunned before what God prepared before all ages for you.
• God the Son, in his eternal glory, decides to take on flesh, to be born of the Virgin Mary, to be rejected by his own people all the way to death on a Roman cross. He, the righteous one, suffered God's wrath against your sin in the place of the unrighteous, so that you might be spared, forgiven, adopted by the Father. Who could have imagined such a plan?
• Be on guard against every other claim to wisdom: "the sure-fire method to be spiritual," "the technique that will change everything in your Christian life," or interpretations of the cross that make it more palatable but reject God's plan of salvation.

2. A Wisdom Revealed by the Spirit (v. 10-13)

• No one could have imagined this plan. It is the Spirit who revealed to Paul the wisdom of God in the cross. No room for pride: Paul did not deduce the cross through his own intelligence.
• Why the Spirit? Because only he knows the thoughts of God. In verse 11, Paul uses the example of the human spirit: no one knows your thoughts except your own spirit. All the more, no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God, and unless God himself reveals them.
• The "we" in the text refers to Paul and his co-workers, Peter, Apollos, the apostles and founding teachers of the church. It is to them that God revealed the message of the cross by his Spirit.
• Verse 13: Paul claims not only to have received a revelation but also to pass it on "in words taught by the Spirit." This is one reason we accept Paul's writings as God's word for today.
• This is also a remedy for the divisions in Corinth: Peter, Paul, and Apollos received by the Spirit the same wisdom concerning Jesus Christ, and all three proclaim the same message. No reason to divide over their personality, their style of dress, or their speaking skill.
• Today, when Christian leaders pass on the same message revealed by the apostles, there is no reason for us to divide over their personality or style. Listen to them when they teach the true wisdom of the cross.
• But stay alert: if someone (whether close to you or among the many teachers accessible at the tap of your phone), starts proclaiming "another wisdom" or "another way to be even more spiritual," take care.

3. A Wisdom Applied by the Spirit (v. 14-16)

• The cross is true wisdom, revealed by the Spirit, and applied by the Spirit. Verse 14: "The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him."
• The natural person is the non-Christian, the one in whom God is not yet working by his Spirit. And because God is not yet working by his Spirit in them, they are unable to recognize the wisdom of the message of the cross.
• To "judge" here means to discern, to recognize the wisdom of the cross in order to place one's trust in it. It is judged spiritually: without God working by his Spirit, one cannot discern the wisdom of the cross.
• Sadly, speaking about the cross to someone without the Spirit at work is like describing the colors of a Monet painting to someone who is colorblind: they cannot distinguish the colors.
• Verse 15: "The spiritual person judges all things." The person in whom God works by his Spirit discerns the beauty of the message of the Son of God crucified to pay the penalty for our sins, and rejects the weakness of the wisdom the world offers.
• We need the Holy Spirit to recognize the wisdom of the cross. A comparison: at the unveiling of a monument, two things were needed to see the picture, the mayor had to pull back the curtain, and I had to have my glasses on. In the same way, God reveals his plan to the apostles by his Spirit, and he opens the eyes of the Corinthians by his Spirit so that they receive this plan.
• If the Corinthians recognized the message of the cross, it was not because they were smarter or wiser. It was not because of some special speaking technique. It was because God was at work by his Spirit.
• And for you, if you have recognized the wisdom of God and placed your trust in Jesus Christ, it is not because you were smarter or wiser. It is because God was at work by his Spirit. What generosity from God!

Key Takeaways

• The cross is not foolishness, it is the true wisdom of God, a wisdom prepared before all ages, one that should leave you in awe every time you contemplate it.
• No one figures out this wisdom through their own intelligence: it was revealed to the apostles by the Spirit, and passed on by the Spirit in their writings, which we call the Bible.
• If you believe the message of the cross, it is not because of your intelligence or a speaker's technique: it is because the Spirit of God was at work in you. No room for pride.
• The unity of a church comes through listening to the same message revealed by the apostles, not through attachment to a leader's personality or style.
• When faced with the strategy that's "a hit" in evangelism, or the "spiritual" method that will change everything, be on guard: it is God by his Spirit who makes the difference, not the technique.

Personal Application

1. Does the cross still leave you in awe, or has it become old news you've grown weary and used to? When was the last time you took time to contemplate this plan prepared before all ages for you?
2. What "other wisdoms" (spiritual methods, techniques, promises of a transformed Christian life) are tempting you right now? How might they turn you away from the simple wisdom of the cross?
3. Are you attached to a Christian leader for his message, or for his style, personality, or charisma? What would Paul say to your church if it were dividing over your preferences?
4. Do you have a friend, coworker, or family member who "doesn't get it" when you talk about Jesus? Do you stop explaining clearly, or do you stop praying for God to work by his Spirit?
5. When did you last pray this simple prayer: "God, help me see what is true; help me understand what you have done in Jesus Christ"?

Verses Cited

• 1 Corinthians 2:6-16 · sermon text
• 1 Corinthians 1:23 · "we preach Christ crucified"
• 1 Corinthians 2:6 · "we do impart wisdom among the mature"
• 1 Corinthians 2:7 · "a wisdom decreed before the ages for our glory"
• 1 Corinthians 2:8 · "they would not have crucified the Lord of glory"
• 1 Corinthians 2:9 · quotation of Isaiah 64:4
• Isaiah 64:4 · "what no eye has seen"
• 1 Corinthians 2:10 · "God has revealed to us through the Spirit"
• 1 Corinthians 2:13 · "in words taught by the Spirit"
• 1 Corinthians 2:14 · "the natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit"
• 1 Corinthians 2:16 · "we have the mind of Christ"

Further reading

• How to Prepare a Personal Bible Study
• What Does Repentance Mean in the Bible?
• Which Bible Translation Should You Choose?

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does Paul say the wisdom of the cross is "hidden" when it is preached everywhere?

In the New Testament, a mystery is not a riddle left without an answer; it is something that was hidden in the Old Testament and is now revealed in Jesus Christ. The promises, prophecies, and images of the Old Testament gave clues, but it is only with the coming of Jesus, his death and resurrection, that the full wisdom of God's plan in Jesus Christ appears. As in a good detective novel, the clues were always there; it's the ending that brings them to light.

Can I understand the cross on my own, just by thinking honestly about it?

No. Paul is very clear: "The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him." It's not a matter of intelligence, it's a matter of spiritual discernment, which only the Spirit of God can give. It's like describing the colors of a Monet painting to someone who is colorblind. If you're seeking to understand the Christian faith, pray this simple prayer: "God, help me see what is true; help me understand what you have done in Jesus Christ."

If it's God who gives faith by his Spirit, what's the point of evangelizing or explaining the gospel clearly?

The two go together. Keep doing everything you can to explain the message of the cross clearly and simply, but redouble your efforts in prayer, asking God to be at work by his Spirit. If a friend doesn't get it, even laughing at this "foolish" message, don't be surprised: that's normal for the natural person. But you can pray: "Please, Lord, work by your Spirit." And when someone promises you the evangelism technique that's guaranteed to work, remember: it's God by his Spirit who makes the difference, not the method.