How to Have Spiritual Wisdom

I Corinthians 2:6–9
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“A wise old owl sat in an oak; The more he saw the less he spoke; The less he spoke the more he heard; Let’s try to imitate that bird. … More

Wisdom

Wisdom is the reward you get for a lifetime of listening when you would have preferred to talk. You don’t have to be listed in “Who’s Who” to know what’s what. Wisdom is being spiritually opportunistic (Eph. 5:16–17). A wise man learns by the experience of others. An ordinary man learns by his own experience. A fool learns by nobody’s experience.

In this passage we find the following characteristics of wisdom:

1. Wisdom comes from God, not man (v. 7).

2. Wisdom involves God’s plan, not our plan (v. 7).

3. Wisdom results in God being glorified, not us exemplified (v. 7).

4. Wisdom is hidden from the unsaved world, but seen by the saved (v. 8).

5. Wisdom applies to the believer’s life, but not to the unsaved (v. 9).

It appears that the believers in Corinth had forgotten the cost of their salvation. They had taken their eyes off the cross. They had been taken up with minor matters because they had lost the wonder of the greatness of God’s plan for them. They needed to return to the ministry of the Holy Spirit which is covered in the next passage.

The Gospel is foolishness to men and can only be learned through the Holy Spirit. The rulers of this world depend on human wisdom. They have no conception of God’s plan which was conceived in the eternal mind of God “before the ages” and carried out by His sovereign will. Originally unknown to humanity, this plan became crystal clear when Jesus rose from the dead. God’s plan is still hidden to unbelievers because they refuse to accept it, choose to ignore it, or haven’t heard about it.

Application

It seems that the Corinthians were trying to measure “truth and success” by how powerful, influential, and articulate someone was. I must examine myself, to see if I am doing the same thing.

I Corinthians 2:6-9 (English Standard Version)

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