Knowledge Lesson for July 16, 2013
Demonstrated their Power
Paul not only spoke mysteries, as we have already seen, but he demonstrated their power. 1 Corinthians 2:1- 10, is our next Scripture, and it is here that Paul says he is not interested in the wisdom of man, but rather insists on revealing the power in the mystery of Christ.
1 When I came to you, brethren, I did not come with excellence of speech or wisdom, proclaiming to you the mystery of God.
2 For I decided not to know about anything among you except Yeshua the Messiah—and Him crucified.
3 I was with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling.
4 My speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power— 5 so that your faith would not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.
Today, much wisdom is preached from our pulpits and we are repeatedly told it’s not about the healing or the power, but it’s about Jesus and a relationship with him. Sounds good and wise, but let me tell you, if you’ve got a real intimate relationship with Jesus, then the power is there. And if it’s not about the power, then what you’ve got is a friendship, not a resurrected life. It is about the power, because Jesus and what He achieved are inseparable.
6 We do speak wisdom, however, among those who are mature—but not a wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing.
7 Rather, we speak God’s wisdom in a mystery—a wisdom that has been hidden, which God destined for our glory before the ages.
In verse 6, Paul says he speaks wisdom to the mature, but not the wisdom of this age or the age to come. So it’s not maturity as we understand it, but those who are mature in Christ; in the anointing. And verse 7 says that he speaks this wisdom in a mystery. If you don’t get the mystery, you don’t get the wisdom of God. And it was the Apostle Paul who said it.
Now, what Paul is really saying here is that the wisdom of God is the wisdom of the symbols, the mysteries. And you’ve got to have a mature attitude towards it if you want to understand it. Why? Because it isn’t plain language. Now notice, you don’t have to be wise or educated, just mature. The symbolism's of God are not hard to see or hard to understand; but they are hidden and need to be searched for. To be honest most people don’t see them because they can’t see the forest for the trees. They are so busy being convinced that there aren’t any mysteries that they wont see them even when they are speaking them.
Also notice, that verse 7 says the mysteries have been ordained from the beginning of time for our glory. What is going to bring us into glory? The mysteries. The only way into glory is by seeing the revelation of the mysteries. Either that or Paul tells lies. You see, God isn’t just going to give us the keys to the car. You have to be mature to handle its power.
8 None of the rulers of this age understood it—for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.
9 But as it is written,
“Things no eye has seen and no ear has heard, that have not entered the heart of mankind—these things God has prepared for those who love Him.”
10 But God revealed these things to us through the Ruach. For the Ruach searches all things—even the depths of God.
Verse 9 tells us that we can’t even begin to see what God has prepared for us. Why? Because it’s a mystery. But verse 10 says that the Spirit of God will reveal them because He searches the deep things of God. All of Scripture lays out the truth of mystery and revelation. And that is a mystery in itself.
Are you getting the revelation?