Series: The Centrality of the Cross: A Study in 1 Corinthians
Passage: 1 Corinthians 2:14-16
Speaker: Daniel Sweet
July 20: I Corinthians 2:6-16, Part 4
The Centrality of the Cross: A Study in 1 Corinthians
We Have the Mind of Christ, I Corinthians 2:14-16
- The One Who is Spiritual: Believers in Christ, I Corinthians 2:10
- Appraising and Being Appraised
A. "Appraise" - To investigate, to evaluate content and worth (See Acts 17:11 and I Corinthians 4:3)
B. Spiritual individuals appraise spiritual words because of the Spirit of God within them
C. Spiritual individuals do not need others to appraise them because they have been appraised by God
- The Old Testament Usage in I Corinthians 2:6-16
A. Quotations from Isaiah as Israel struggles to discern what in the world God is doing
B. The lack of knowledge in Isaiah's day is contrasted with the knowledge of the believer in Jesus Christ, I Corinthians 2:9-10 and I Corinthians 2:15-16
- We Have the Mind of Christ
A. Connected to Receiving Christ as the Wisdom and Power of God, I Corinthians 1:24-25
B. Not the wisdom of humans, I Corinthians 2:5-6
C. But the wisdom that comes from God, I Corinthians 2:7
D. The wisdom concerning Christ which comes from the Spirit, I Corinthians 2:10-12
E. The wisdom that is not received by people in their natural thinking, I Corinthians 2:14
F. The mind of Christ has supernatural given wisdom which comes by the work of the Spirit, I Corinthians 2:15
G. The mind of Christ is possessed by a believer who has right thinking about and clear understanding of God's plan to save us through faith in His Son, Jesus Christ and Him crucified as revealed by the Spirit of God
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The Centrality of the Cross: A Study in 1 Corinthians
We Have the Mind of Christ, I Corinthians 2:14-16
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I Corinthians 2:14 But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised.
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I Corinthians 2:15-16 But he who is spiritual appraises all things, yet he himself is appraised by no one. For who has known the mind of the Lord, that he will instruct Him? But we have the mind of Christ.
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I. The One Who is Spiritual: A Believer in Christ, I Corinthians 2:10
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II. Appraising and Being Appraised
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A. "Appraise" - To investigate, to evaluate content and worth (See Acts 17:11 and I Corinthians 4:3)
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Acts 17:11 Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so.
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I Corinthians 4:3 But to me it is a very small thing that I may be examined by you, or by any human court; in fact, I do not even examine myself.
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B. Spiritual individuals appraise spiritual words because of the Spirit of God within them
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I Corinthians 2:10 For to us God revealed them through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God.
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C. Spiritual individuals do not need others to appraise them because they have been appraised by God
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I Corinthians 4:4 For I am conscious of nothing against myself, yet I am not by this acquitted; but the one who examines me is the Lord.
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III. The Old Testament Usage in I Corinthians 2:6-16
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A. Quotations from Isaiah as Israel struggles to discern what in the world God is doing
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I Corinthians 2:9 but just as it is written, “Things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard, And which have not entered the heart of man, All that God has prepared for those who love Him.”
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Isaiah 64:1-3 Oh, that You would rend the heavens and come down, That the mountains might quake at Your presence...When You did awesome things which we did not expect, You came down, the mountains quaked at Your presence.
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I Corinthians 2:16 For who has known the mind of the Lord, that he will instruct Him?
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Isaiah 40:27-28 Why do you say, O Jacob, and assert, O Israel, “My way is hidden from the Lord, and the justice due me escapes the notice of my God”? Do you not know? The Everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth does not become weary or tired. His understanding is inscrutable.
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B. The lack of knowledge in Isaiah's day is contrasted with the knowledge of the believer in Jesus Christ, I Corinthians 2:9-10 and I Corinthians 2:15-16
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IV. We Have the Mind of Christ
A. Connected to Receiving Christ as the Wisdom and Power of God, I Corinthians 1:24-25
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I Corinthians 1:24-25 but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.
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B. Not the wisdom of humans, I Corinthians 2:5-6
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I Corinthians 2:6 Yet we do speak wisdom among those who are mature; a wisdom, however, not of this age nor of the rulers of this age, who are passing away;
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C. But the wisdom that comes from God, I Corinthians 2:7
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I Corinthians 2:7 but we speak God’s wisdom in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God predestined before the ages to our glory
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D. The wisdom concerning Christ which comes from the Spirit, I Corinthians 2:10-12
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I Corinthians 2:12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things freely given to us by God
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E. The wisdom that is not received by people in their natural thinking, I Corinthians 2:14
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I Corinthians 2:14 But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised.
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F. The mind of Christ has supernatural given wisdom which comes by the work of the Spirit, I Corinthians 2:15
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I Corinthians 2:15 But he who is spiritual appraises all things, yet he himself is appraised by no one.
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G. The mind of Christ is possessed by a believer who has right thinking about and clear understanding of God's plan to save us through faith in His Son, Jesus Christ and Him crucified as revealed by the Spirit of God
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I Corinthians 2:15-16 For who has known the mind of the Lord, that he will instruct Him? But we have the mind of Christ.
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Philippians 2:5-7 Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men.
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Philippians 2:8 Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
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Colossians 3:2-3 Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God.
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I Corinthians 2:15-16 For who has known the mind of the Lord, that he will instruct Him? But we have the mind of Christ.
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