DM#20: We speak wisdom among them that are perfect

 

Doctrine of the Mysteries #20

We speak wisdom among them that are perfect

1Cor 2:6  Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought:  (7)  But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory:

My previous post ended by saying that due to ignorance of the progressive curriculum of Paul’s epistles, many believers today remain babes and children in Christ, unable to comprehend its spiritual nature. Let me explain this statement with a simple analogy. If a student, who is new to mathematics, ignores a prescribed mathematics curriculum, and skips over the first few chapters, jumping to calculus or trigonometry, it is safe to say that they will quickly get lost in the advanced concepts. The first few chapters would have introduced them to concepts that are crucial and relevant to the later understanding of these higher disciplines and theories.

As with this analogy, Paul’s epistles are a curriculum into increasing spiritual understanding. Romans lays the foundation to receive the knowledge. Corinthians and Galatians roots out bad carnal behaviours and thinking, and Ephesians introduces a spiritual faith and purpose which is expounded upon in Philippians to Thessalonians.

Without exposure to the concepts in Romans to Galatians, the spiritual contents, from Ephesians onwards, will quickly get lost in the deeper revelations of the wisdom given to Paul. In addition to stunted knowledge, we must also consider how it affects spiritual growth. It is interesting to note how the Corinthians are called ‘babes’, 1Cor 3:1, the Galatians are called ‘children’, Gal 4:19, the Ephesians are commanded to leave ‘childish’ things, Eph 4:14, and from Philippians onwards, the believers are called ‘sons’, Phil 2:15, with characteristics such as, to be perfect, to press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God, to walk worthy of the Lord, and to be examples to all in faith, love and hope, enduring persecutions. One cannot ignore a clear spiritual growth and maturity as one advances correctly up the curriculum, but consider the risks if a baby were to eat meat?

So, coming back to our key verse above, Paul speaks of a wisdom among those who are perfect. What does this mean, and what can we learn from this statement?

By “wisdom”, Paul refers to the doctrine of the mysteries which he had written and preached. In the context of this passage in Corinthians, he refers to the plan of salvation by the cross of Christ.

This word “perfect” is in reference to believers, as it is in Php 3:15, “Let us therefore as many as be perfect, be thus minded.” Perfect does not mean that believers were sinless, but that they were mature in ‘the faith’ and who had made progress in the knowledge of the doctrine of the mysteries, as opposed to those who were weak in the faith, babes in spiritual things, and the carnally minded, who rejected this wisdom as foolishness, 1Cor 1:21-27.

Isn’t it interesting to parallel this wisdom of Paul, hidden to those who are carnal and persistently ignorant, with the parables of Jesus, which were Kingdom truths purposefully hidden from Jews who had no desire to hear and see in faith. Notice what Paul writes to the Corinthians, saying,

1Cor 3:1  And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ.  (2)  I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.  (3)  For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?

Most of the Corinthians were oblivious to the deeper spiritual truths that Paul desired to share. There was no way they would perceive the spiritual truths as they were carnal. Their attention was on earthly things of the flesh. They had more interest in titles, positions, honour, status, and ego. They would envy for these credentials, causing strife and divisions. If one’s attention and desire is in the natural realm, there is no chance that they would receive spiritual truth. It would be like throwing pearls before swine.

1Cor 2:13  Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. (14)  But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. 

The ‘natural’ man, referenced above, can refer to an unbeliever, who, being unregenerated in spirit, is unable to perceive spiritual things, because they are spiritually dead. However, in the context here, Paul, writing to the carnal believers in Corinth, refers to them as ‘natural’ and unable to receive a spiritual message, just as a baby is unable to process meat.   

Thus, the moral we should get from our key passage is that we need to study the doctrine of the mysteries in the correct way. We need to identify and respect the curriculum and study it in the order it is presented to us. There is no limit to how we read the bible. This we can do freely, jumping about to be informed of its content, but when we choose to study it, then we must respect the curriculum, so that we layer our knowledge correctly; so that we can grow past babes and children; so that we can become perfect and likeminded in the knowledge of the mysteries of God.