Wisdom for All Who Hear
Saints Sinners Soldiers
February 3, 2019
Rev. Gabe Sylvia
Paul teaches that the true wisdom of God—centered on Christ crucified—is a hidden, Spirit-revealed truth that worldly thought cannot grasp and that is understood only by those who grow into spiritual maturity.
Summary
The sermon contrasts secular notions of wisdom (illustrated by Jordan Peterson) with the apostolic claim in 1 Corinthians 2 that God's wisdom is fundamentally different from the wisdom of this age: it was hidden until revealed in Christ, cannot be apprehended by natural or worldly thinking, and is made known only by the Spirit to the spiritually mature; therefore the church must cultivate godly maturity, resist accommodating worldliness, and rely on the Spirit to understand and live out the mystery of the cross.
Key Points
- Opening prayer and context: studying 1 Corinthians 2, asking for unity and peace
- Contrast with secular wisdom (Jordan Peterson): useful, but not the same as Christian wisdom
- Paul's point: God's wisdom is not of this age and was hidden until revealed in Christ crucified
- This wisdom is unprecedented—no eye, ear, or human heart could have imagined it
- Audience is the mature: spiritual maturity (practice of godliness over time) enables understanding
- True wisdom is revealed and taught only by the Spirit of God
- Worldly learning and the Spirit’s revelation are incompatible and often confused when mixed
- The natural person cannot receive the things of the Spirit; only those with the mind of Christ see truly
- The church should not accommodate worldliness but should be the context for growing into maturity
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