Misunderstanding of the Gospel

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Paul's Manner of Preaching
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These verses repeat what is recorded in the last verses in the preceding chapter. You have probably noticed by now that Paul repeats a lot but most of the time they are things that he considers important and worth repeating.
Paul speaks of two things in these verses:

The nature of his preaching when he was with them. He preached only about the crucified Christ. His preaching was described as "single minded", single subjected, simple, uncluttered and done with fear and trembling.
The subject of his preaching was the Person of Christ, the office of Christ, the necessity and the result of the cross and the power of the resurrection. This was the sum and substance of the Gospel.

Notice how Paul perceived his preaching. To him it lacked lofty words of wisdom, but never the less, words that demonstrated the Power of the Spirit and he had a reason why he preached this way, it was so that their faith might not be founded on the wisdom or eloquence of men. Nothing must take from the power of God. Nothing must appear to overshadow His work in salvation. Nothing must appear to supercede His power and prerogative. All credit must be given to God for the winning of souls. Well planned and preached meetings do not make a revival for God uses the simple, uncluttered message to win those whom He has called.
Paul did not in any way want to deviate from this plan. He knew that all he could do was plant a seed, and that it had to be God that gave the increase, if there was any increase. This He did through the Power of the Spirit.

True Wisdom

In these verses, Paul describes "true wisdom". True wisdom comes with maturity. Paul says that maturity comes to those who diligently study the scriptures. This he says, imparts wisdom.

Notice Paul acknowledges that he, and others, have attempted to impart wisdom to the mature. This wisdom that they impart, originated with God before the beginning of time and its purpose is to make possible our growth in sanctification (glorification). Paul, I believe, was saying that wisdom is the gift of God, given to those who diligently search the scriptures, that they might grow in Grace (sanctification). This is not a part of salvation but is something we can seek after, by the Grace of God, and achieve. Paul also says that it is not available to everyone. The kings of the world did not know any thing about it. Caesar didn't know any thing about it. The Jewish leaders didn't know any thing about it. Even Isaiah didn't know about it but he did know that it would be revealed to those whom God called thru Christ Jesus.

Two things are required to receive this wisdom. We must love God and wait patiently upon Him. There are two steps in a person's relationship with God, revelation that leads to our salvation and revelation that leads to our maturity, both of these are the work of the Holy Spirit. All of this is revealed in the Gospel which was given by inspiration of God to the writers thru the Holy Spirit. Paul was inspired to write this letter to the church at Corinth. They and we are able to see its wisdom only thru the leadership of the Holy Spirit.

Notice who it is that does not receive this revelation, the "unspiritual" man and the "natural" man. These are people of God's choosing. We may believe that they are people whom God "foreknew" would not receive any thing by faith. People that would never admit to needing any spiritual assistance, people steeped in science and accepting only those things that seem reasonable. This was a perfect description of the Greeks at the time of Paul.

Now, once again, who does receive this wisdom? Earlier Paul said it was the person who loved God and waited upon Him with patience, here, he calls that person a "Spiritual person". A spiritual person is one that have progressed in Sanctification so as to be able to judge all things. Contrary to what the agnostics believe, the spiritual person is able to judge human as well as spiritual matters. They are not "deluded dreamers" as many think.

Wisdom that comes from God cannot be judged by the natural man, for who knows the mind of God? Only Christ knows the mind of God. We have access to Christ through faith and access to wisdom through study and perseverance. This does not make us "infallible", to the contrary, it should make us very humble.

Here Paul expounds on the Doctrine of the Inspiration of Scriptures. This is another great doctrine of the Calvinist faith. This doctrine is being undermined in many churches today, a lot of it through the church literature. So great did Dr. James T. Draper Jr. think this problem was that he wrote a book on it called "Authority".

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