Bible Doctrine Steers the Spiritual Ship

I Corinthians 2:10–16
» View this passage in NIV (Bible Gateway)

A shoe manufacturer decided to open a market in the Congo and sent two salesmen to the undeveloped territory. One salesman cabled back: “Prospect here nil. No one wears shoes.” The other salesman reported enthusiastically, “Market potential terrific! Everyone i … More

Holy Spirit

Have you ever heard someone say, “Don’t preach doctrine to me, just give me heartwarming sermons that will encourage me!” The truth is that it is Bible doctrine that steers the spiritual ships. Unless we learn Bible doctrine we cannot know the mind of Christ. In this passage Paul deals with three vital doctrines.

The Doctrine of Revelation (v. 10). God has revealed Himself to us through His Wordand not man’s words. We can only know the mind of Christ as we search the Word of God through the Holy Spirit.
The Doctrine of Illumination (v. 11). Since the truth of God comes only from God it requires the Spirit of God for us to properly understand it. It is only as He shines His light on His truth that we can see and understand His truths.
The Doctrine of Inspiration (v. 12). The truth about God is found in the Word of God. It is important to know that in the Bible we have inspired words (John 17:8). That is why we say we believe in both the verbal and plenary inspiration of Scripture.

We can see the contrast between the natural and the spiritual man (vv. 13-16. The unsaved man cannot understand the things of God because he does not have the Spirit of God living within. The saved person can understand because the Holy Spirit lives within and teaches him. The Holy Spirit helps us see things as they really are. It does not make sense to an unsaved person when you make a decision to follow Christ. Just as a tone deaf person can not understand good music, the person who rejects God cannot understand God’s message. Through the guidance of the Holy Spirit believers can begin to have the mind of Christ and begin to know Him. An intimate relationship with Christ comes only from spending time with Him and in His Word.

Application

Am I spending enough time with Christ to know what He wants in my life? I can only know this as I spend time consistently in His presence and in His Word as I allow the Holy Spirit to teach me.

I Corinthians 2:10-16 (English Standard Version)

These things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. For who knows a person's thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God. And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual. The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. The spiritual person judges all things, but is himself to be judged by no one. "For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?" But we have the mind of Christ.

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More I Corinthians commentaries

Bible Doctrine Steers the Spiritual Ship

I Corinthians 2:10–16» View this passage in NIV (Bible Gateway)

Application

I Corinthians 2:10-16 (English Standard Version)

I Corinthians 2:10–16
» View this passage in NIV (Bible Gateway)