Yet we do speak a wisdom to those who are mature, but not a wisdom of this age, nor of the rulers of this age who are passing away. 7 Rather, we speak God’s wisdom, mysterious, hidden, which God predetermined before the ages for our glory, 8 and which none of the rulers of this age knew; for, if they had known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. 9 But as it is written: “What eye has not seen, and ear has not heard, and what has not entered the human heart, what God has prepared for those who love him,” 10 this God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit scrutinizes everything, even the depths of God. 11 Among human beings, who knows what pertains to a person except the spirit of the person that is within? Similarly, no one knows what pertains to God except the Spirit of God. 12 We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit that is from God, so that we may understand the things freely given us by God. 13 And we speak about them not with words taught by human wisdom, but with words taught by the Spirit, describing spiritual realities in spiritual terms. 14 Now the natural person does not accept what pertains to the Spirit of God, for to him it is foolishness, and he cannot understand it, because it is judged spiritually. 15 The spiritual person, however, can judge everything but is not subject to judgment by anyone. 16 For “who has known the mind of the Lord, so as to counsel him?” But we have the mind of Christ.
Some believers in Corinth felt that they possessed a mature (divine) wisdom superior to others who they looked down upon, but Paul told them that among believers, there was no ‘wisdom’ reserved only for a chosen few. Those who are mature are those who through God’ mercy and grace have reached spiritual maturity. The wisdom of the leaders of the corrupt worldly society or the natural world would come to nothing. The only true wisdom lies in God’s plan of salvation, preordained before all time, which leads to man’s eternal glory. The rulers of that age were ignorant of God’s plan otherwise they would not have crucified Christ in an effort to stop it. The divine mystery is beyond human comprehension.
What lies in store for those who love God is revealed only by the Spirit of God which scrutinizes the depths of the human heart. It is only a person’s own inner spirit that can truly understand that person. Christians have received the Spirit of God which allows them to understand the spiritual things (divine mysteries) revealed by God as communicated by the Spirit and not by human wisdom. They become mature in their perceptions and behavior. The worldly person who does not know God cannot understand spiritual things and therefore cannot judge the spiritual person. God can only be known through Jesus Christ.
Almighty God, grant us the grace to love you as you want to be loved and awaken our inner spirit that we may perceive and understand the divine wisdom your spirit is revealing to us. This we pray through Christ our Lord. Amen!
Chiu, José Enrique Aguilar, et al. The Paulist Biblical Commentary. Paulist Press, 2018.
Brown, Raymond Edward, et al. The New Jerome Biblical Commentary. Upper Saddle River, NJ, United States, Prentice Hall, 1990.
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