Scripture

My speech and my proclamation were not with plausible words of wisdom, but with a demonstration of the Spirit and of power so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom but on the power of God.

Observation

Paul did not come to Corinth with lofty words and human wisdom. He had decided to know only Christ crucified. He wanted the church there to see the power of God and just trust Him rather than human wisdom.

There is a wisdom that comes from God, but it is not accessible to the rulers of the age. God’s wisdom comes as a revelation from the Spirit of God who searches everything even the deep things of the Lord.

We have received the Spirit of God rather than the spirit of the world. And the words to describe these hidden things of God must be words from the Spirit not the words of human wisdom.

The unspiritual reject spiritual gifts because they do not understand them. But we have the mind of Christ.

Application

This is one of those difficult passages that one needs to wrestle with to really understand.

Paul is trying to draw a distinction between human wisdom and the wisdom that comes from the Spirit of God. They are totally opposed to each other.

As christians we need to be led by the Holy Spirit, relying on the gifts of the Spirit and not just human wisdom. When we were saved we received the Holy Spirit not the spirit of this world, so why rely on worldly thinking when we have the mind of Christ.

The christian life is about depending on the Holy Spirit for all things, learning to discern the voice of God, learning to minister in the power of God and with the grace of God.

Prayer

Holy Spirit come and overwhelm me. Grant me your wisdom and the grace to daily depend on you alone. Amen.