IN this chapter Paul speaks of where true wisdom is found. Paul is not speaking about wisdom in a general earthly sense, but concerning spiritual wisdom, the wisdom that gives knowledge of God and the gift of eternal life.

VERSES 1-5.

In these verses Paul tells us how he approached his ministry in Corinth and how he continued to do so. He renounced all dependence on human eloquence and human wisdom. He came in weakness and fear. The weakness was because he knew that with all his intellectual ability and his training in Jewish theology in the Old Testament he could not know the wisdom of God, the true wisdom. He came in fear because he knew how easy it was for him to allow his training and intellect to encroach on the true wisdom and spoil it, and take from it all its power to save.

So Paul tells us he determined to know nothing except the cross of Christ., knowing that the wisdom of God was in Christ and him crucified. He goes on to emphasise his approach to ministry. He did not depend on, but rather distrusted, human ability, and made it his supreme object to come to the cross of Christ totally dependent on the Holy Spirit for his understanding and his ability to communicate that understanding. By this his ministry was founded on the Spirit's power. This meant that the faith of all who believed rested on what the Spirit taught and on the Spirit's power. This was a faith based on true wisdom from God, and not false weak and inadequate wisdom of mankind.

By all this Paul shows how we must all approach the acquiring of spiritual wisdom. We use our minds, not to make up truth, but to understand the truth of the Bible and of Christ and him crucified. Because it is so easy to allow human understanding to pollute the truth, we come distrusting our own wisdom, and depending on the illumination and understanding that the Holy Spirit gives.

VERSES 6-16.

In the rest of the chapter Paul describes what this spiritual wisdom is. Paul tells us in verse 6 that this spiritual wisdom is not understood by the world whose wisdom is coming to nothing, but is understood by the mature. By mature we understand those who have been taught by the Spirit made possible through the new life he gives.

The Paul speaks about this wisdom from God which through the Spirit he proclaimed. It is God's secret wisdom. This means wisdom that only God can reveal and make known, and can't be gained by human reason on its own. Paul goes on to tell us that this wisdom had been hidden, and by implication it was now opened because Christ had come.

Then Paul makes a mind-blowing statement. God had destined this wisdom for those who love God, and God destined this for our glory, and it was destined before time - that is before the creation of the world.(v.7).

Then in verse 8 and 9 Paul tells us that the world and all its rulers – the men of ability and intellect and knowledge did not and do not understand God's wisdom, even if they are religious and teachers in the church. The quotation in verse 9 gives the reason, which is that God has reserved such precious understanding for those who love him – surrender to him in total submission and dependence on him.

Verse 10 tells us how this wisdom of God is made known to those who love God – it is made known by the Holy Spirit. By this we can see that this wisdom can be known truly by even the most weak in intellectual power. The Spirit can make this truth known to the uneducated as well and the educated.

Paul follows this with further explanation. God's spiritual truth can only be made known by the Holy Spirit, because he is the only one who can make known his own mind, the mind of God. This is obvious when we think about it because the thoughts of humans are only understood by humans, and in the same way the thoughts of God can only be understood by God, and by those to whom God reveals his thoughts.

So in verse 12 Paul tells us of the privilege the people of faith have – we have received the Spirit of God and so God's understanding. What we understand is what God has freely given us – that is salvation in Jesus Christ.