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Abstract

First Corinthians chapter two opens with the apostle Paul telling the church that he did not come using lofty words, impressive wisdom, or “clever and persuasive speeches” (verses 1, 4). Instead, he came “timid and trembling,” forgetting “everything except Jesus Christ,” relying “on the power of the Holy Spirit” (verses 2-4). Paul then noted that when among “mature believers,” he spoke “with words of wisdom” though not what belonging to this world (verse 7). To establish the difference in Paul’s teaching between the Corinthians, who were fed “milk” (3:2) and other “mature believers,” an exegesis of Paul’s teaching on wisdom and the Holy Spirit in verses 6-16 was conducted to determine the type of wisdom believers were to avoid and what type they were to nurture.

In Paul’s first letter to Corinth, he is imploring the Corinthians not to seek after the wisdom that is in fashion because it is not the wisdom of God. God’s wisdom was planned in eternity past and is far above knowledge and experience. Christ Jesus is wisdom to those called to salvation (1:24, 30). When the Corinthians became believers in the truth of Jesus, they became recipients of the Spirit of God, and that allowed them the wisdom to interpret and evaluate things according to the ways of God. If the Corinthians did not stay focused on spiritual matters and became distracted by worldly wisdom, God’s truth would sound foolish, and it would be necessary for them to be taught using “milk.”

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