“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” (1 Cor 2:11-13 ESV)

We will be looking at scripture written by the apostle Paul. I had the privilege of tracking his journey in Greece. I spent two days in Corinth photographing the old ruins of the ancient city. I met other Christians on a similar journey at the inn where I was staying. One thing all Christians have in common is the ability to perceive that Jesus Christ is Lord of heaven and earth. They also understand that they have come into a universal family of God that joins them via His Spirit and the Bible.

The gospel—God’s wisdom—is foolishness to those that do not have the Holy Spirit. “Where is the one who is wise?” and further  “Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?” (1 Cor 1: 20 ESV)

Here the apostle Paul is simply saying that without the Holy Spirit a man cannot perceive wisdom or guidance for the scriptures:

“For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe…but we preach Christ crucified…to those who are called…Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men”. (1 Cor 1: 21-25 ESV)

The gospel message, by its very simplicity, appears foolish to those who think themselves wise by human standards. Paul was a brilliant scholar. He could have overwhelmed his audiences with arguments, statistics, and brilliant ideas. Though he may have risen in intellectual assent on the stage, he would not be motivating saving faith.

Faith that depends on clever arguments and debate will eventually be undermined if another logical argument or more influential teacher comes along. Faith grounded in the power of the Holy Spirit, however, cannot be undermined. The simple message of Jesus Christ, who had been crucified for the world’s sins is a simple, direct message that moves men’s hearts by the power of the Holy Spirit (2:4).

Preachers and teachers of the Word of God do not depend on using wise and persuasive writing or preaching to change people’s hearts. That happens only by the work of the Holy Spirit. The power of a person’s conversion occurs not because of any teacher or the preacher but through the Holy Spirit when the hearer allows Christ into His mind via the Holy Spirit by opening up ones’ heart to God’s transforming power.

A simple message dependent upon the Holy Spirit’s power for its effectiveness is what helps people see their own sinfulness, rebellion and stubbornness when standing against or ignoring the guidance of God via the Holy Spirit about His Son’s death on the cross to engage a process of reconciliation.

There are many brands of human wisdom in the world which distract from the core message to simply trust the power of God for our salvation. The Gospel message of Christ is not like teaching philosophy, not dependent on models of behaviour or demographic scores of what nationality or US state is the happiest, social media algorithms, marketing metrics, scientific theory or debating speculative notions, for these never saved anyone. The kind of wisdom that belongs to this world offers nothing. It only offers  “a regression to an idolatrous concept of God, and a transformation of the love of God into a relationship fitting an alienated character structure”. Thus, the teacher of God’s wisdom, unlike worldly wisdom is not taught in order to impress anyone.

Because of the Holy Spirit’s guidance, believers can grasp this secret wisdom of God, referring to God’s offer of salvation to all people made available through Jesus’ death on the cross. This plan was “secret” because only through God’s wisdom and the insight given by his Spirit can people begin to comprehend it. Attempting to understand this plan with human wisdom and through philosophical discussions will take people nowhere. Only God, through the Holy Spirit, can reveal it (2:10).

“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” (1 Cor 2:13-14)

You may ask who is the Holy Spirit? God is three persons in one—the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. God became a man in Jesus so that Jesus could die for our sins. Jesus rose from the dead to offer salvation to all people through spiritual renewal and rebirth. When Jesus ascended into heaven, his physical presence left the earth, but he promised to send the Holy Spirit so that his spiritual presence would still be among mankind (see Luke 24:49). The Holy Spirit first became available to the disciples after the Resurrection on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2).

Only the Spirit can reveal to believers God’s profound nature and wonderful plan, especially that formerly hidden mystery that is now revealed—salvation through Jesus’ death and resurrection. Just as a person cannot penetrate another person’s thought processes, so “no one can know God’s thoughts except God’s own Spirit” (2 Cor 2:11) The only way to know God is to know his Holy Spirit, to have him in one’s life. The only way to obtain the Holy Spirit is to accept, by faith, the sacrifice of Christ on the cross. The Holy Spirit is a distinct person, yet one in essence and function with God the Father.