And I, when I came to you, brethren, came not in excellency of word, or wisdom, announcing to you the testimony of God.

1 Corinthians 2:1 DBY

The Apostle Paul begins NOT with a reminder of his considerable credentials but with an apologia for God’s evidence in Christ crucified and risen.

1 Corinthians 2:

I did not come with superiority of word or of wisdom [sophia]..

Superiority, (elevation, pre-eminence, excellence in) Wisdom would have been what many Hellenists in Corinth might have expected in Paul.

Note that the Apostle’s approach of rebuke of his Corinthian ‘brothers’ in the faith relies ONLY on the Authority of Almighty God. NOT speech (logos), NOT of wisdom [sophia], but an ANNOUNCEMENT and PROCLAIMATION.

proclaiming to you the witness of God.

καταγγέλλω – katangellō –

to announce, declare, promulgate, make known, to proclaim publicly, publish

Strong’s G2605 – katangellō – BlueLetterBible.org

AND shortly Paul will ask these Corinthian believers:

For who among men knows the depths of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him?

1 Corinthians 2:11a LSB

Even so the depths of God no one knows except the Spirit of God.

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testimony – μαρτύριον – martyrion

The APOSTLE of the RISEN CHRIST JESUS is providing ‘something evidential, i.e. (genitive case) evidence given or (specially), the Decalogue (in the sacred Tabernacle):—to be testified, testimony, witness.

Paul has already written his thanks to God for the Corinthians, ‘even as the witness ^G3142 about Christ was confirmed in you – 1 Cor 1:6

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DO YOU FEAR GOD?

Here is my testimony as Christ's apostle to you, my Corinthian brothers and sisters in the Lord:

Jesus Christ, and Him crucified

And I was with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling, and my word and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power..

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Listen to some of the descriptions Paul uses here for their condition:

• WEEKNESS of the body: its native weakness and frailty, feebleness of health or sickness
• of the soul: want of strength and capacity requisite
  • to understand a thing
  • to do things great and glorious
  • to restrain corrupt desires
  • to bear trials and troubles
• φόβος – phobos – FEAR, dread, terror
• MUCH TREMBLING
  • quaking with fear
  • with fear and trembling, used to describe the anxiety of one who distrusts his ability completely to meet all requirements,
    • but religiously does his utmost to fulfil his duty

Does this description of the Apostle Paul (who rebukes these Corinthians) resemble the pastoral approach of the ministers of YOUR church in any way?

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for ministers mature in Christ

Yet when I am among mature believers, I do speak with words of wisdom, but not the kind of wisdom that belongs to this world or to the rulers of this world, who are soon forgotten.

1 Corinthians 2:6 NLT – Paul’s ‘word to the wise,’ mature ministers of God’s word

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Jesus taught followers to be mature

“For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?

“And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same?

“Therefore you are to be perfect ^G5046, as your heavenly Father is perfect ^G5046.

Gospel of Matthew 5:38 LSB

Jesus said to him, “If you wish to be complete G5046, go and sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.”

Matthew 19:21 LSB

PAUL writes to the Corinthians who are MATURE ministers of the Lord to “be PERFECT,” become COMPLETE in your TESTIMONY of GOD.

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the Mystery of God’s Wisdom

No, we speak of the mysterious and hidden wisdom of God, (we speak God’s wisdom in a mystery ) which He destined for our glory before time began.

8 None of the rulers of this age understood it. For if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. 9 Rather, as it is written:

“No eye has seen,

no ear has heard,

no heart has imagined,

what God has prepared for those who love Him.”

Isaiah 64:4

But God has revealed it to us by the Spirit.
The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God.

1 Corinthians 2:10 Berean Study Bible

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How are mature ministers of God different?

The relationship of God and Man can become a Spirit to spirit love in Christ our Lord.

14 The natural [psychikos] person does not accept the things of the Spirit [pneuma ] of God, for they are folly [foolishness] to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. – ESV

We have not received the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us.

And this is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom, but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words.

1 Corinthians 2:12-13 BSB

Natural human? OR Spiritual minister?

• a natural man [anthrōpos] does not accept the depths of the Spirit of God
• 15 The spiritual man judges all things, but he himself is not subject to anyone’s judgment.

The Apostle again returns to the Prophet Isaiah:

16“For who has known the mind of the Lord [LORD or kyrios – ],

he to whom a person or thing belongs, about which he has power of deciding; master, lord

so as to instruct Him?”

The APOSTLE here rebukes ministers of the church to be complete or mature in the Lord Jesus Christ:

But we have the mind of Christ.

1 Corinthians 2:16b BSB

Paul will later mention Peter's testimony (1 Cor 15).

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Christ Crucified AND Risen!

Then He opened their minds G3563 to understand the Scriptures…

Gospel of Luke 24:45 LSB

Comfort, comfort My people,” says your God..

11 He tends His flock like a shepherd;

He gathers the lambs in His arms

and carries them close to His heart.

He gently leads the nursing ewes.

Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand,

or marked off the heavens with the span of his hand?

Who has held the dust of the earth in a basket,

or weighed the mountains on a scale

and the hills with a balance?

Who has directed the Spirit of the LORD *,

or informed Him as His counselor?

Isaiah 40:13 BSB
*Or mind of the LORD in the Septuagint (LXX)

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NEXT: Meat for Ministers

and Milk for New Babes

and we — we have the mind of Christ. And I, brethren, was not able to speak to you as to spiritual, but as to fleshly — as to babes in Christ..

1 Corinthians 2:16b-3:1 – Young’s Literal Translation

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