Lessons #47 and 48
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+ 1. It is best to use this note after you have listened to the lessons because there are +
+ comments given in the actual exposition not in the note. +
+ 2. The Bible abbreviations are as follows: CEV =Contemporary English version, +
+ CEB = Common English Bible, ESV= English Standard Version, +
+ GWT = God’s Word Translation, ISV = International Standard Version, +
+ NAB=New English Bible, NASB= New American Standard Bible, +
+ NEB= New English Bible, NET = New English Translation, +
+ NLT = New Living Translations NJB = New Jerusalem Bible, +
+ NJV = New Jewish Bible, TEV = Today’s English Version. +
+AMP = Amplified Bible, UBS = United Bible Society +
+ 3. Notes have not been edited for grammatical errors. +
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Paul’s preaching involved revealed secret wisdom (1 Cor 2:6-12)
6 We do, however, speak a message of wisdom among the mature, but not the wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. 7 No, we speak of God’s secret wisdom, a wisdom that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began. 8 None of the rulers of this age understood it, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. 9 However, as it is written: “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him”— 10 but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. 11 For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the man’s spirit within him? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. 12 We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us.
This passage is still concerned with Apostle Paul’s preaching in Corinth. In the preceding section, he described the manner of his preaching as not involving persuasive speech or human wisdom but demonstration of the power of the Holy Spirit. He gave the reason for his reliance on the Holy Spirit which is that he did not want the recipients to trust human wisdom acquired through education or learning. The reason he provided may trigger a question by the recipients who may wonder how to assess the apostle’s preaching/teaching since he is a human being. Their concern would be how then they should evaluate the apostle’s preaching since he has warned about trusting human wisdom. How could they then trust his own preaching that probably in the minds involves wisdom obtained through learning. The Holy Spirit, who knows how people respond to declarations they hear, directed the apostle to provide an explanation regarding the wisdom associated with his preaching/teaching.
The apostle indeed provided an explanation of the wisdom associated with his preaching although there is a sense that his explanation contains a contrast between the wisdom he explained and that of the human wisdom. This interpretation is primarily because of the Greek particle (de) that begins this section. The particle may be taken either as a marker of contrast as reflected in the word “however” of the NIV or it may be taken as a marker linking narrative segments with the meaning “now” as reflected in the NET although it is not clear how to understand the word “now” since it could mean “under the present circumstances” or a marker to draw attention to what is stated. That aside, it is probably as a marker of explanation with implication of contrast between what is stated previously and what is about to be stated that the apostle used it. This is because it was necessary for him to explain his assertion that believers’ faith should not rest on human wisdom. Regarding translation, a word that indicates contrast or “now” may be used. However, it is probably that the apostle intended the Greek particle to be understood as a marker of explanation of the type of wisdom associated with his preaching/teaching that is contrary to human wisdom. In any event, the apostle was eager to describe the wisdom associated with his preaching. To do this, the apostle makes three major assertions, two of which involve lengthy descriptions, as we will note at the appropriate time.
A first major assertion of the apostle is that the wisdom associated with his teaching is usually directed to those who are spiritually matured. It is this assertion that is conveyed in the sentence We do, however, speak a message of wisdom among the mature. By the way, the word among could also be translated “to” since the Greek preposition has that meaning. In fact, it is the meaning reflected in three English versions, the NEB, the NJB, and the TEV. For example, instead of the phrase of a message of wisdom among the mature of the NIV, the TEV reads a message of wisdom to those who are spiritually mature.
Be that as it may, the word “message” is not in the Greek, but it is implied since the verbal phrase speak a message of wisdom among the mature is literally speak wisdom among the matured. When we say that the word “message” is implied, it is because of the possible meanings of the Greek verb used in the sentence. You see, the word “speak” is translated from a Greek verb (laleō) that may mean “to make a sound” by inanimate objects, as it is used for the blood of Jesus Christ that speaks more effectively than that of Abel in Hebrews 12:24:
to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.
Literal blood does not speak so that the sense here is that blood communicates or makes a sound. Of course, the author indicates that the death of Christ communicates truth that is more effective than the death of Abel. The word may mean “to speak” with various nuances. To speak may mean “to express oneself” as that is the sense of the word in the instruction of 1 Corinthians 14:29:
Two or three prophets should speak, and the others should weigh carefully what is said.
The standard Greek English lexicon of BDAG suggests that the sentence Two or three prophets should speak may be translated two or three prophets are to express themselves.
To speak may mean “to preach” as the word is used by Apostle Paul in describing the effort of the Jews to keep him and others from preaching the gospel to the Gentiles as he stated in 1 Thessalonians 2:16:
in their effort to keep us from speaking to the Gentiles so that they may be saved. In this way they always heap up their sins to the limit. The wrath of God has come upon them at last.
Speaking to the Gentiles is not merely chattering with them but presenting the gospel to them so it may mean “to preach.” It is also in the sense of preaching or proclaiming that Apostle Paul used it in his prayer request to the Colossians in Colossians 4:3:
And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains.
The sentence we may proclaim the mystery of Christ is more literally to speak the mystery of Christ. The meaning “to preach” or “to proclaim” associated with our Greek word is reflected in its use for Jesus’ activity in Mark 2:2:
So many gathered that there was no room left, not even outside the door, and he preached the word to them.
The sentence he preached the word to them is more literally he was speaking to them the word. When our Greek word is used with the ears, it may mean “to whisper” as in Luke 12:3:
What you have said in the dark will be heard in the daylight, and what you have whispered in the ear in the inner rooms will be proclaimed from the roofs.
The sentence you have whispered in the ear is literally you have spoken to the ear. Thus, our Greek word is used for communication of God’s word. It is probably in the sense of “teaching” that the word is used in 1 Corinthians 2:6 although the meaning “preaching” is possible if one does not distinguish between teaching and preaching when believers are the recipients. However, since teaching is the appropriate activity of the communication of God’s word regarding believers, we contend that the apostle had the meaning “to teach” in his mind when he used our Greek word. Consequently, this meaning implies a message is conveyed regardless of how one interprets the apostle’s audience.
The apostle’s audience consists of believers who are spiritually matured or simply believers in Christ. This is because of the word “mature” in the phrase among the mature. The word “mature” of the NIV is translated from a Greek adjective (teleios) that may mean “perfect” as it pertains to meeting the highest standard of things, as it is used by James to describe gift that comes from God in James 1:17:
Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.
It may mean “perfect” as it pertains to being fully developed in a moral sense as the word is used in James 3:2:
We all stumble in many ways. If anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to keep his whole body in check.
The word may mean “mature” as in Hebrews 5:14:
But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.
In Greek literature, our word is used as a technical term for a person initiated into a mystery religion hence the standard Greek English lexicon gives one of its meaning as “initiated.” It is probably that the apostle adopted this meaning in 1 Corinthians 2:6 as a reference to all believers as those who are initiated into the Christian faith with focus on the matured. We say that his focus was on the matured because they are the ones that have better insight to the preaching of the gospel as a display of God’s wisdom. In effect, we are saying that the Greek word translated “mature” in our verse refers to all believers with emphasis on the maturing ones. This is because the teaching of the apostle in Corinth is directed to all believers as the context of this verse is concerned with the preaching of the apostle in Corinth. It is, of course, possible that the mature could refer to those who are already spiritually matured as the recipients of the apostle’s teaching because the apostle mentioned immature believers later in verse 1 of the third chapter of this epistle. However, this interpretation seems to indicate the apostle had a segregated audience of only matured believers. This is unlikely because the apostle preached to all who came to hear him without distinction. Furthermore, what the apostle communicated in terms of “mystery” involves not only the gospel message but other secret truths about believers’ relationship with Christ. Thus, it is probably that the apostle meant he taught those who are believers as those initiated into the Christian faith but some of them were spiritual matured. Anyway, the apostle’s first assertion is that the insight received from God that is associated with his preaching or the teaching of the word of God is usually directed to those who are believers regardless of their spiritual maturity level.
Our use of the word “insight” instead of “wisdom” is because of a meaning of the Greek word used. The word “wisdom” is translated from a Greek noun (sophia) that we have considered previously but we need to review what we said about it to help us understand its usage in the sentence we are considering. The word may mean the capacity to understand and, as a result, to act wisely. There are two kinds of wisdom conveyed with the Greek word. There is the natural wisdom or insight obtained, for example, through education that is referred by Apostle Paul as “worldly wisdom” in 2 Corinthians 1:12:
Now this is our boast: Our conscience testifies that we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially in our relations with you, in the holiness and sincerity that are from God. We have done so not according to worldly wisdom but according to God’s grace.
The phrase worldly wisdom is more literally “fleshly wisdom” or “human wisdom.” There is also that wisdom that is given by God to those who are in close relationship with Him that Jesus promised His disciplines in Luke 21:15:
For I will give you words and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict.
The Greek word may have the sense of “good judgment” in practical matters, as the word is used to give the qualifications of those the early church chose to administer their affairs, as recorded in Acts 6:3:
Brothers, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them
Wisdom here in Acts 6 has the sense of good judgment or knowledge that allows one to do things properly. The Greek word may refer to personified wisdom, that is, “Wisdom”, as it is used in Matthew 11:19:
The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and “sinners.”’ But wisdom is proved right by her actions.”
Wisdom here is personified, which agrees with the concept of personification of wisdom in the OT Scripture, as for example, wisdom personified called out, but people did not respond adequately hence the declaration of Proverbs 1:23:
If you had responded to my rebuke, I would have poured out my heart to you and made my thoughts known to you.
Of the various meanings we have considered, it is the meaning “insight” or even understanding given by God that is appropriate in our passage of 1 Corinthians 2:6. Hence, we insist that the apostle’s first assertion is that the insight received from God that is associated with his preaching or the teaching of the word of God is usually directed to those who are believers that are maturing spiritually.
If the apostle’s communication involved both preaching and teaching to believers in Corinth, then his assertion has the implication that those who teach the word of God should not waste their time trying to explain doctrinal truth to unbelievers because such insight that is displayed in communicating truth is for believers in Christ. There is a sense that the application of the apostle’s assertion is similar to the instruction of the Lord in His Sermon on the Mount as stated in Matthew 7:6:
“Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and then turn and tear you to pieces.
The two commands Do not give dogs what is sacred and do not throw your pearls to pigs say essentially the same thing, which is, doctrinal principles from the word of God are not for unbelievers. We should be clear what this means. It does not mean we should not give any part of God’s word to unbelievers since without hearing the word of God no one can be saved. Instead, our Lord’s instruction is that we should not spend time expounding doctrinal principles to unbelievers since they are incapable of understanding them. The only thing we can give to unbelievers is the gospel message. Thus, when Apostle Paul wrote We do, however, speak a message of wisdom among the mature, he meant he and others teach doctrinal truths to those who are maturing believers but does not exclude preaching the gospel to unbelievers. In any event, the first major assertion of the apostle is that the wisdom associated with his preaching/teaching is usually directed to those who are believers that include spiritually matured.
A second major assertion of the apostle regarding wisdom associated with his preaching/teaching the word of God is that its nature should be understood. This major assertion involves four sub assertions. A first sub assertion is that the wisdom associated with the apostle’s preaching/teaching is not that associated with our present world, that is, a wisdom that characterizes the world of humanity. It is this assertion that is given in the second clause of 1 Corinthians 2:6 but not the wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. It may be difficult for some to accept that the wisdom in this passage is that of this world because the word “world” is not used but it is the wisdom of the world that is meant as we may gather by examining the word “age” used twice in the clause.
(as he said through his holy prophets of long ago).
The word may mean “eternity, forever, without end” as it is used in describing the life Jesus gives in John 4:14:
but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”
The verbal phrase will never thirst of the NIV is literally from the Greek will never be thirsty for eternity. The word may mean “age”, that is, a segment of time as a particular unit of history, as the word is used to describe Satan in 2 Corinthians 4:4:
The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.
In some context, the Greek word means “world” as in the description of Demas by Apostle Paul in 2 Timothy 4:10:
for Demas, because he loved this world, has deserted me and has gone to Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to Galatia, and Titus to Dalmatia.
The phrase this world is literally this age but the sense is that of this world since the concept of “love” as that which is not acceptable on the part of the believer is only associated with this world. This we can see in the use the Greek word (kosmos) that means “world” in the prohibition of the Holy Spirit through Apostle John regarding wrong love in 1 John 2:15:
Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
Thus, the Greek word that means “age” may in some contexts mean “world.” This meaning is also appropriate in the instruction to the wealthy given in 1 Timothy 6:17:
Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.
The phrase present world is literally present age but what is meant is the present world in which we live. The Greek word may mean “universe” as it is used in describing Jesus Christ as involved in the creation of the universe in Hebrews 1:2:
but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe.
In our passage of 1 Corinthians 2:6, the sense of the word in its two occurrences in our verse is “world” or “world order.” Thus, we are correct in stating that the wisdom the apostle spoke in the passage we are concerned is the wisdom of the world or of those who live in the world either in the time of the apostle or at the present time.
The apostle wanted the Corinthians, and so every believer, to understand that his preaching/teaching is not associated with the wisdom of this world. In effect, he stated that the wisdom involved in his preaching/teaching was not natural or human wisdom. The human wisdom associated with this world is the capacity of being able to plan and be successful in a desired goal. It is the natural insight to daily activities of this life in such a way that it is used to one’s advantage. This kind of wisdom is usually acquired through education and so it is that type Moses acquired by receiving royal education in Egypt, as referenced in Acts 7:22:
Moses was educated in all the wisdom of the Egyptians and was powerful in speech and action.
This wisdom of the world is one that is concerned with success at any cost. Thus, it is the wisdom that is displayed by the dishonest manager in Jesus’ parable of the Shrewd Manager. He was specifically described as acting wisely in Luke 16:8:
“The master commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly. For the people of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own kind than are the people of the light.
The phrase more shrewd is translated from a Greek adverb (phronimōs) that means “wisely, shrewdly.” The dishonest manager had the insight of how to take care of himself when he loses his job that involves cheating his master. Hence, the wisdom of this world is not concerned with righteousness per say, since the true wisdom from God involves shunning unrighteousness, as implied in Job 28:28:
And he said to man, ‘The fear of the LORD—that is wisdom, and to shun evil is understanding.’”
The Holy Spirit conveys the nature of the wisdom of the world as that concerned with selfish ambition and sinfulness, according to James 3:14–15:
14 But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. 15 Such “wisdom” does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, of the devil.
The wisdom of the world is used by ordinary people of this world to achieve success, but the apostle extends this wisdom to that used by politicians to their own advantage. Thus, a politician may read the mood of most of the people in a nation and so based on his/her insight or wisdom runs a campaign on it so that the person is elected. Of course, such a person is put in the office not by the people but by God to expose the mood or thinking of majority of the people in that nation. It is this kind of wisdom of the world the apostle probably had in mind in the phrase of 1 Corinthians 2:6 of the rulers of this age.
Who are rulers of this age the apostle had in mind in the phrase we are considering? To answer this question, we should consider the word “rulers.” It is translated from a Greek word (archōn) that firstly may mean “ruler, lord, prince” as a reference to one who has eminence in a ruling capacity. In this meaning, it is used for those who exercise authority over Gentiles in Matthew 20:25:
Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them.
It is used with the meaning “prince” to describe Satan as one who has eminence among the evil spirits or demons as in Matthew 12:24:
But when the Pharisees heard this, they said, “It is only by Beelzebub, the prince of demons, that this fellow drives out demons.”
It is this prince as Satan whose power has been broken that is referenced in John 12:31:
Now is the time for judgment on this world; now the prince of this world will be driven out.
It is in the same sense of “prince” that the word is used to describe Satan as the ruler of this world in Ephesians 2:2:
in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient.
The phrase the ruler of the kingdom of the air may alternatively be translated the prince of the power of the air. The phrase refers to Satan although some take the view it refers to all satanic forces. The Greek word secondly may mean “leader, official” in a general sense of one who has administrative authority. It is in this sense that the word is used to describe governmental rulers in Romans 13:3:
For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and he will commend you.
The word is used to describe Jewish leaders, especially those in charge of the synagogues, as in Luke 8:41:
Then a man named Jairus, a ruler of the synagogue, came and fell at Jesus’ feet, pleading with him to come to his house.
We have seen that the Greek word translated “rulers” has two related meanings. This then leads to the answer of our question of what the apostle meant in the phrase of the rulers of this age. This refers either to supernatural rulers or to human rulers. Those who take the interpretation that the rulers in the phrase is a reference to supernatural rulers do so firstly because satanic forces are to be destroyed as per the statement in 1 Corinthians 15:24:
Then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power.
Secondly, because Satan is described as the “god of this age” in the scriptural passage we cited previously, that is, in 2 Corinthians 4:4:
The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.
The argument being that if Satan is the god of this age and the apostle wrote of rulers of this age in our passage then he must be referring to supernatural beings. However, because the apostle indicated in 1 Corinthians 2:8 that these rulers were responsible for crucifying the Lord Jesus demands we take the rulers in view as human rulers. Of course, there are those who argue that verse 8 does not make it certain that those who crucified the Lord are human rulers. Nonetheless, it is our interpretation that the phrase of the rulers of this age refers to human rulers. These human rulers have natural wisdom in which they use to manipulate people as we have indicated. They have the insight as to what people want regardless of its correctness and so they give it to them in order to maintain their power. But the apostle indicates that the wisdom associated with his preaching/teaching is not like theirs. Hence, the apostle intends to convey that his preaching/teaching was not based on giving people what they want to hear or to please them.
The human wisdom by which these human rulers operate is of no value in preaching/teaching the word of God since these human rulers will perish. It is their fate that is given in the last clause of 1 Corinthians 2:6 who are coming to nothing. An alternative translation suggested in the standard Greek English lexicon of BDAG is the ones doomed to perish.
The expression “coming to nothing” of the NIV is translated from a Greek word (katargeō) with a range of meanings. It may mean “to use up, exhaust, waste” as it is used in the Lord Jesus’ parable concerning an unproductive fig tree in a vineyard that should be cut to avoid it using up the soil that could be used by a productive fig tree, as we read in Luke 13:7:
So he said to the man who took care of the vineyard, ‘For three years now I’ve been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree and haven’t found any. Cut it down! Why should it use up the soil?’
The word may mean “to invalidate, make powerless,” that is, to cause something to lose its power or effectiveness as Apostle Paul used it to argue that the law could not invalidate God’s promise to Abraham, as we read in Galatians 3:17:
What I mean is this: The law, introduced 430 years later, does not set aside the covenant previously established by God and thus do away with the promise.
The word may mean “to be discharged, be released”, especially from an obligation so that one discharged has nothing to do with it, as it is used in Galatians 5:4:
You who are trying to be justified by law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace.
The verbal phrase have been alienated from Christ may alternatively translated have been estranged from Christ. This means that some of the Galatians were in the sphere in which the benefits of Christ do not apply or that they have been placed in a state in which it is impossible for Christ to deal with them. Or, they have placed themselves in a state where they do not need Christ. By the way, the sentence you have fallen away from grace does not mean loss of salvation. Instead, the apostle is asserting that the subjects have forsaken grace or are operating in a sphere where grace does not apply. The word may mean “to abolish, wipe out, set aside,” that is, to cause something to come to an end or to be no longer in existence. Hence, it is used by the apostle to describe the breaking of the power of death by Jesus’ coming into the world in 2 Timothy 1:10:
but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.
The clause who has destroyed death is literally who has abolished death although it may be better translated who has broken the power of death as reflected in the NET. In our passage of 1 Corinthians 2:6, the word means “to put an end to” or “to perish”. Because the apostle used the present tense in our passage, he intends to convey that the perishing of the human rulers is already taking place so that in the end they will perish. It is for this reason that the wisdom that they have is of no value and so it is not the type that the apostle used to proclaim God’s word. In any event, a first sub assertion of the apostle regarding wisdom is that the wisdom with which he preaches or teaches is not that associated with our present world, that is, a wisdom that characterizes the world of humanity.
A second sub assertion of the apostle regarding wisdom with which he preaches/teaches is that in contrast to human wisdom, it is in form of a secret revealed only to the elect. It is this assertion that is given in 1 Corinthians 2:7: No, we speak of God’s secret wisdom, a wisdom that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began.
On reading this verse, you may protest by saying that you do not see something that suggests a contrast and more importantly that there is no mention of the word “elect” so you may charge me of introducing a concept that is not given in the passage. Well, let me show you that everything I said in the second sub assertion of the apostle concerning the wisdom associated with his preaching/teaching is indeed correct. We begin with the easier problem of not seeing any indication of contrast.
The contrast is conveyed with the word no that begins verse 7. A careful reader who understands the English language will recognize that the word no is used as what the Concise Oxford English Dictionary terms “a determiner” with the meaning of “quite the opposite of.” Thus, it is the way the translators of the NIV chose to translate a Greek conjunction (alla) that has several usages. For example, it may be used as a marker of contrastive emphasis so that it can be translated “certainly.” However, in verse 7 of 1 Corinthians 2, it is used as a marker of contrast with the meaning “on the contrary, rather, but”, especially since verse 6 contained a negative assertion regarding wisdom. So, the apostle indicates that in contrast to what he said about the wisdom of the world that characterizes people of this world and their rulers that what he was about to state in verse 7 is quite the opposite of his declaration in verse 6. Thus, the Greek conjunction used to begin verse 7 indicates that what the verse states about wisdom is contrary to that stated in the preceding verse.
The context demands we recognize that verse 7 is concerned with the elect. This is because the apostle had already indicated that he communicates wisdom among the matured in verse 6. The matured in verse 6 refers to believers in Christ inclusive of spiritually matured believers. However, believers are God’s elect as stated, for example, in 1 Peter 1:1:
Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To God’s elect, strangers in the world, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia,
Since the elect are believers to whom Apostle Paul indicates are the beneficiaries of his preaching/teaching that is associated with wisdom then in verse 7 of 1 Corinthians 2, he must also have had in mind the elect in what he stated.
The second reason for accepting that although the word “elect” is not used in verse 7 of 1 Corinthians 2 but that is implied is because of the word “secret” in the sentence we speak of God’s secret wisdom. Literally, the Greek reads we speak a wisdom of God in mystery or it could be translated we speak in mystery a wisdom of God. It is as we explore the Greek word translated “secret” in the NIV that we get the understanding that the apostle was certainly concerned about the elect in his declaration. But before we do, let us note that the preposition “in” used in our literal translation that was not translated in the NIV is from a Greek preposition (en) that has several usages. For example, it is possible that in its usage in our verse, it could be used as a marker of the substance of something so that it may be translated “consisting of.” However, as indicated in the standard Greek English lexicon, its use in our passage is best understood as a marker denoting kind with the meaning “in the form of.” Thus, the apostle is concerned with the form of the wisdom associated with his preaching/teaching. This form is given in the word “secret” of the NIV.
The word “secret” is translated from a Greek word (mystērion) that is used to describe the secret teachings and rituals of those in mystery cults. The members know what these secret teachings and rituals are but not those who are outside the given mystery cult since members of the given cult are under orders not to reveal what they know. So, the word does not refer to things that no one knows but to things whose knowledge is hidden to those who are not members of the mystery cults. This explanation indicates that the Greek word means “mystery, secret.” In Jewish apocalyptic literature, the word was used to describe the “secret truth” of the way in which God was at work in the world but this truth was known only to God’s faithful people. Hence, the word refers to “a secret truth” that was once hidden but had been revealed by God to His people. It is this meaning that is reflected in the NT. It is used for secret thoughts and plans of God which are hidden from human reason and comprehension. Thus, Jesus used the word to indicate that the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of God is limited to His disciples when they asked for explanation of a parable He gave, as we read in Luke 8:10:
He said, “The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of God has been given to you, but to others I speak in parables, so that, “‘though seeing, they may not see; though hearing, they may not understand.’
Apostle Paul used it in a sense of a special teaching revealed to him so that he may pass it on with regard to the future of believers during the Second Coming of Christ, as he implied in 1 Corinthians 15:51:
Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed—
The apostle used the Greek word in the plural as a reference to Christian preaching by the apostles and teachers in 1 Corinthians 4:1:
So then, men ought to regard us as servants of Christ and as those entrusted with the secret things of God.
The apostle used the word to describe the teaching that Gentiles have been accepted into God’s people in Ephesians 3:6:
This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus.
It is in the sense of the significance of Jesus Christ for Gentiles that the apostle used the word in Colossians 4:3:
And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains.
The phrase the mystery of Christ as some have suggested may be understood as Christ’s relevance to the Colossians. The Greek word can mean that which transcends normal human understanding, hence “ultimate reality, secret” and so the word is use with the meaning of “deep truths” in 1 Timothy 3:9:
They must keep hold of the deep truths of the faith with a clear conscience.
The phrase the deep truths of the faith is literally the mystery of the faith.
Our examination of the Greek word translated “secret” in the NIV has revealed that it is in the sense of “secret truth” or “secret teaching” that Apostle Paul uses it in his epistles. This being the case, the apostle meant the wisdom that is associated with his preaching/teaching is in form of “secret truth” that can only be known by those chosen by God to be its recipients. Those chosen by God are the elect and so we are correct in asserting that the wisdom with which the apostle preaches/teaches is in form of a secret revealed only to the elect. This is also in keeping with what Jesus said in the passage we cited previously, that is, Luke 8:10:
He said, “The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of God has been given to you, but to others I speak in parables, so that, “‘though seeing, they may not see; though hearing, they may not understand.’
We have one more way to justify our assertion that the wisdom with which the apostle preaches/teaches is in form of a secret revealed only to the elect. but we are out of time, so we pick it up in our next study.
06/08/18 [End of Lessons # 47 and 48]