What is the meaning of 1 Corinthians 2:7? No • Paul has just contrasted worldly wisdom with God’s wisdom (1 Colossians 2:6). By beginning with “No,” he firmly rejects any notion that the gospel message rests on fashionable philosophy or human eloquence (cf. 1 Corinthians 1:17–18). • Like 1 Corinthians 1:23, “we preach Christ crucified,” this denial reminds believers not to mingle the cross with self-exalting ideas (Galatians 6:14). we speak • The apostles do not keep silent; they actively declare God’s truth (Acts 4:20). • Their speaking is Spirit-directed, not self-generated (1 Colossians 2:13), echoing 2 Corinthians 5:20 where they serve as “ambassadors for Christ.” of the mysterious and hidden wisdom of God • “Mysterious” does not mean puzzling forever; it refers to truth once concealed, now revealed in Christ (Ephesians 3:3–5; Colossians 1:26–27). • This wisdom stays hidden from the proud (Matthew 11:25) yet becomes clear to those who receive the Spirit (1 Colossians 2:10). • It centers on the redemptive plan accomplished through the cross (1 Colossians 1:24). which He destined • God’s plan is intentional, never accidental. Just as Jesus was delivered up “by God’s set plan and foreknowledge” (Acts 2:23), so every aspect of salvation unfolds under divine appointment (Ephesians 1:11). • The verb underscores God’s sovereignty: “He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world” (Ephesians 1:4). for our glory • Salvation is not merely rescue from judgment; it lifts believers into glory with Christ (Romans 8:30). • Jesus prayed, “I have given them the glory You gave Me” (John 17:22). This shared glory begins now in transformed lives (2 Colossians 3:18) and culminates at His return (Colossians 3:4). • God’s wisdom, therefore, is purposefully aimed at exalting His children, displaying His grace throughout the ages (Ephesians 2:7). before time began • The plan predates creation itself (2 Titus 1:9). • In Titus 1:2 we read of “the hope of eternal life, which God, who cannot lie, promised before time began.” • Such language assures believers that their salvation rests on an eternal foundation, untouched by changing circumstances (Malachi 3:6; Hebrews 13:8). summary Paul insists that the gospel he and the other apostles proclaim is not a human invention but the timeless, once-hidden wisdom of God. Formulated in eternity past, accomplished through Christ, and announced by Spirit-empowered messengers, this wisdom has one stunning goal: to bring believers into shared glory with their Savior. |
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