Lessons #49 and 50
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+ 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. +
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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.
In our last study, we stated that 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 we asserted 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. 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. We also indicated that since the word “elect” does not appear in our passage that its usage in the second sub assertion needs justifying. We stated there are three ways to demonstrate that our use of the word “elect” is correct. The first involves the context. The second concerns the word “secret” used in our verse. The third consists of the further descriptions of wisdom that apostle gives. These further descriptions are the third and fourth sub assertions of the second major assertion regarding the wisdom associated with the apostle’s preaching/teaching.
A third sub assertion of the apostle regarding wisdom with which he preaches/teaches is that in contrast to human wisdom, it is hidden and destined for our glory which here refers to our salvation that will be ultimately realized in eternal state as we will note later. It is this sub assertion that is given in the last compound clause of 1 Corinthians 2:7 a wisdom that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began.
The clause a wisdom that has been hidden serves at least three purposes. It enables us to be certain that the Greek word (mystērion) that may mean “mystery” is to be understood as “secret” in 1 Corinthians 2:7. Another purpose is to convey that the wisdom associated with the preaching/teaching of the apostle was certainly unknown in the time he wrote and is certainly true even today. We state this because the apostle used a perfect tense in the Greek to emphasize the state of this wisdom at the time he wrote. Its state is that it was unknown to those who are not of the elect because God hid that from them. Again, as we stated previously, this wisdom is still hidden to unbelievers of the world today. They walk around without knowledge of this secret wisdom from God, that is, they are unbelievers since they have not received salvation made available through the secret wisdom displayed in preaching of the gospel. Another purpose of the clause is to convey that what is hidden does not apply to the elect. We say this because of the Greek word the apostle used is one that predominantly is concerned with hiding truth or God’s plan from unbelievers that is revealed to the elect as we may deduce by considering it.
The word “hidden” is translated from a Greek verb (apokryptō) that means “to hide, conceal, keep secret.” It is the word that is used in Jesus’ praise or thanksgiving to the Father for revealing things to the disciples but hidden to the educated unbelievers, as recorded in Luke 10:21:
At that time Jesus, full of joy through the Holy Spirit, said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this was your good pleasure.
The phrase little children is a reference to the disciples because they were at that time spiritually immature. Nonetheless, they were God’s elect so that they were the recipients of things previously hidden to everyone. In the context of Luke 10:21, there are at least three things that have been revealed to the disciples. They have been revealed that the kingdom of God has come along with the message concerning that kingdom. The Father has also revealed to them the authority and or the importance of the name of Jesus. Furthermore, with Jesus’ correction of the nature of the disciples’ rejoicing, the Father has revealed to them that they are saved, implying they were of the elect.
Apostle Paul used the Greek word to describe his activity of making clear the plan of God in Christ that has been kept secret but revealed to him to convey to the elect, as we read in Ephesians 3:9:
and to make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things.
In Ephesians 3:9, the word “mystery” is used in the sense of God’s secret purpose about Jews and Gentiles becoming His people on equal basis, through faith in Jesus Christ. This secret is only known by those who are believers or the elect. It is hidden to unbelievers and sadly to many believers who have not been taught of the equal standing of all believers before God, as evident in the discriminatory attitudes of many Christians towards their fellow believers, especially in this country.
The apostle used the word to describe the mystery that was kept hidden but eventually revealed to believers, as recorded in Colossians 1:26:
the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the saints.
The mystery or secret teaching that has been hidden for long time but now revealed is simply that Christ is going to indwell the believer as an individual and the church as a corporate entity. Until the time of the apostles, no prophet understood or taught that Christ or God would indwell an individual or a group of believers. This truth is disclosed to believers described as “saints.” That those described as saints are the elect of God is implied in Colossians 1:27:
To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
Those God had chosen are better known as the elect. In any event, we note that our Greek verb (apokryptō) that means “to hide, conceal, keep secret” is used predominantly in passages that indicate God’s secret is disclosed to the elect. Therefore, our use of the word “elect” in stating the second sub assertion of the apostle regarding wisdom with which he preaches/teaches is in form of a secret revealed only to the elect is implied in the clause of 1 Corinthians 2:7 a wisdom that has been hidden.
The fact the apostle had the elect in his mind as he wrote verses 6 and 7 of 1 Corinthians 2 is implied in the last clause of 1 Corinthians 2:7 that God destined for our glory before time began. The clause indicates that the wisdom associated with Apostle Paul’s preaching/teaching is one that has been in God’s mind for our blessing since eternity.
It is our declaration that this wisdom has been in God’s mind because of the word “destined” of the NIV. The word “destined” is translated from a Greek verb (proorizō) that means “to decide before hand, to predestine or predetermine.” The word is used six times in the Greek NT, five of these by Apostle Paul, and in each case the aorist tense is used in the Greek and in each case, it relates to God. In each of its usages, there is a sense that the word relates to something that took place in the past. For example, when the early church prayed, they indicated that what happened to Jesus was due to God’s prior decision, as we read in Acts 4:28:
They did what your power and will had decided beforehand should happen.
Apostle Paul used it to indicate that it is the elect that God decided before hand to conform to the image of His Son, Jesus Christ, in Romans 8:29:
For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.
It may not be clear that it is the elect that are predestined to be conformed to the likeness of Jesus Christ because of the word “foreknew” of the NIV. It is true, the Greek word (proginōskō) the apostle used that appears only five times in the Greek NT may mean “to foreknow, know before hand or in advance” but such a meaning seems applicable to humans in two passages in the NT. Luke used it to narrate what Apostle Paul said in his defense before Agrippa of the Jews’ knowledge of him in the past in Acts 26:5:
They have known me for a long time and can testify, if they are willing, that according to the strictest sect of our religion, I lived as a Pharisee.
Apostle Peter used it to describe the knowledge already possessed by believers to whom he wrote in 2 Peter 3:17:
Therefore, dear friends, since you already know this, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of lawless men and fall from your secure position.
In the other three usages, the meaning of our Greek word is “to choose beforehand.” Thus, it is that meaning that Apostle Paul probably meant in Romans 8:29 in the sentence of the NIV God foreknew as reflected in the TEV that translated the Greek as God had already chosen. Thus, the Greek word (proorizō) we are considering rendered “destined” in the NIV of 1 Corinthians 2:7 is associated with election. That the word is associated with election is also conveyed in the use of our Greek word in relation to the subject of election in Ephesians 1:11:
In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will,
Thus, our Greek word is associated with election. That aside, the word indicates that God decided before hand or that it was in His mind, so to say, that the wisdom associated with Apostle Paul’s preaching/teaching was for a purpose that is beneficial to the elect.
God’s purpose for this wisdom is given in the phrase for our glory. But what does the apostle mean when he wrote this phrase? To answer the question, we need to examine the word “glory.”
The word “glory” is translated from a Greek word (doxa) that may mean “brightness, splendor, radiance”, that is, the condition of being bright or shining and so it is used to describe the physical phenomenon associated with the light that blinded Paul prior to his conversion while on his way do Damascus to persecute Christians, as stated in Acts 22:11:
My companions led me by the hand into Damascus, because the brilliance of the light had blinded me.
The phrase the brilliance of the light is more literally the brightness of the light. It is in this sense of “brightness” that the word is used to describe Moses’ face after he came down from Mount Sinai as Apostle Paul referenced in 2 Corinthians 3:7:
Now if the ministry that brought death, which was engraved in letters on stone, came with glory, so that the Israelites could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of its glory, fading though it was,
The phrase because of its glory refers to the brightness or shining brilliance of Moses’ face. It is in this sense of “brightness” that it is used to describe the appearance of an angel with authority described in Revelation 18:1:
After this I saw another angel coming down from heaven. He had great authority, and the earth was illuminated by his splendor.
The word may mean “majesty, power, might” as it is used to describe an effect of Jesus’ miracle of turning water into wine that the Holy Spirit through Apostle John indicates reveals an element of Jesus’ true nature in John 2:11:
This, the first of his miraculous signs, Jesus performed at Cana in Galilee. He thus revealed his glory, and his disciples put their faith in him.
The sentence He thus revealed his glory, according the UBS Translators’ Handbook, may be translated “there he showed how wonderful he was.” Of course, what Jesus revealed was His power or might in the miracle so that “glory” here refers to His power or might. The Greek word may refer to the state of being in the next life and so it is described as participation in the radiance or the glory. In this usage, it may mean heaven as Apostle Paul used it in 1 Timothy 3:16:
Beyond all question, the mystery of godliness is great: He appeared in a body, was vindicated by the Spirit, was seen by angels, was preached among the nations, was believed on in the world, was taken up in glory.
In this passage, “glory” has the sense of heaven since that is where Jesus Christ ascended. As referring to the state of being in the next life, the word is used to indicate believers will share in that which belongs to the Lord Jesus in 2 Thessalonians 2:14:
He called you to this through our gospel, that you might share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
The Greek word may mean “greatness, splendor”, that is, a state of being magnificent as the word is used in 1 Peter 1:24:
For, “All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall,
Here “glory” refers to “greatness” or “whatever is beautiful” about people. The word may mean “praise” as the word is used to describe what Apostle Paul said he and his team were not seeking from humans in 1 Thessalonians 2:6:
We were not looking for praise from men, not from you or anyone else. As apostles of Christ we could have been a burden to you,
The word may mean “prestige” as in oxymoron the apostle stated in Philippians 3:19:
Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is on earthly things.
The sentence their glory is in their shame may be translated whose prestige is in their disgrace according to the standard Greek English lexicon of BDAG. The word may mean “honor” as it used in Jesus’ declaration that He spoke for the honor of the One who sent Him in John 7:18:
He who speaks on his own does so to gain honor for himself, but he who works for the honor of the one who sent him is a man of truth; there is nothing false about him.
We have considered the range of meanings of the Greek word translated “glory” in our passage of 1 Corinthians 2:7. The question is to determine in what sense it is used in our passage. The most fitting meaning is glory in the sense of “the state of being in next life” so we can share in the blessings of the Lord Jesus Christ. Thus, “glory” is used here as a synonym for salvation that begins now but fully realized in the eternal state. This means that the wisdom of God has the purpose of our salvation. This interpretation of glory referring to salvation is not unique to our passage since that is how “glory” is to be understood in Hebrews 2:10:
In bringing many sons to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the author of their salvation perfect through suffering.
The verbal phrase bringing many sons to glory means that God will bring about the final salvation of many individuals, and so, they will participate in the world to come that the author mentioned in Hebrews 2:5. Furthermore, it is our salvation that is also implied in the fact that we are sons of God as Apostle Paul indicated in Ephesians 1:5:
he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will—
In any event, it is the blessing of eternal salvation that was in the mind of God that is indicated in the clause that God destined for our glory before time began.
It is our assertion that this blessing of eternal salvation has been in the mind of God since eternity. We say this because of the phrase before time began. Literally the Greek reads before the ages. The word “ages” is translated from a Greek word (aiōn) we consider in 1 Corinthians 2:6 as having a range of meanings. Here in 1 Corinthians 2:7, it refers to a long period of time, without reference to beginning or end so it may mean “the past, earliest times, eternity.” The meaning “eternity” is most fitting because of God’s eternal existence. Of course, we many times speak of “eternity past” which is not a good description since eternity is not concerned with time but probably, we use it for lack of better expression. We think in terms of time, but God thinks more in terms of events in His mind since time does not apply to Him. That aside, the Greek word used in our passage refers to eternity, so we are correct to say that our eternal blessing of salvation was in the mind of God in eternity. In any event, a third sub assertion of the apostle regarding wisdom with which he preaches/teaches is that in contrast to human wisdom, it is hidden and destined for our glory which here refers to our salvation that will be ultimately realized in eternal state as we will note later.
A fourth sub assertion of the apostle regarding wisdom with which he preaches/teaches is that it is not understood by rulers of this world. It is this assertion that is given in the first sentence of 1 Corinthians 2:8 None of the rulers of this age understood it. The rulers of this age, as we interpreted in 1 Corinthians 2:6 refers to the rulers of this world that in this verse consist of religious and political leaders, as we will demonstrate later. So, they are the ones who are said to be ignorant or do not grasp the significance of the wisdom by which the apostle preached the message of the cross.
For I wrote you out of great distress and anguish of heart and with many tears, not to grieve you but to let you know the depth of my love for you.
It may mean to know a person not merely as having heard of the individual but of a personal relationship, as it is used to describe believer’s knowing God in Galatians 4:9:
But now that you know God—or rather are known by God—how is it that you are turning back to those weak and miserable principles? Do you wish to be enslaved by them all over again?
The word may mean “to learn (of), ascertain, find out,” that is, to acquire information through some means. Hence, it is in the sense of “to find out” or “to learn” something about individuals that Apostle Paul used it to describe his reason for sending Timothy to the Thessalonians in 1 Thessalonians 3:5:
For this reason, when I could stand it no longer, I sent to find out about your faith. I was afraid that in some way the tempter might have tempted you and our efforts might have been useless.
The Greek word may mean to grasp the significance or meaning of something, hence “to, understand, comprehend” as it is used in Apostle Paul’s prayer for the Ephesians to comprehend the significance of Christ’s love in Ephesians 3:19:
and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
To know God’s love is not merely to have information regarding its existence but to grasp or to comprehend its significance. The Greek word may mean to have come to the knowledge of something or someone hence means “to have come to know, know.” Apostle Paul used it in the sense of to have come to know something about the grace of God by the Corinthians in 2 Corinthians 8:9:
For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.
It is used by Luke to describe that an evil spirit spoke to the seven sons of Sceva of having come to know Paul but not them in Acts 19:15:
One day the evil spirit answered them, “Jesus I know, and I know about Paul, but who are you?”
The Greek word may mean “to perceive, notice, realize” as it is used to describe Jesus’ perception of evil thought of the Pharisees, who wanted to entrap Him, as recorded in Matthew 22:18:
But Jesus, knowing their evil intent, said, “You hypocrites, why are you trying to trap me?
“Knowing” here has the sense of being aware of something. Thus, Jesus could perceive the thoughts of the people because of His nature. The word may mean “to recognize, acknowledge” as it is used in John 1:10:
He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him.
In our passage of 1 Corinthians 2:8, it is used in the sense of not grasping the significance or meaning of the wisdom with which the apostle preached the cross, probably because the rulers of the world do not even possess any knowledge of it let alone grasping its meaning.
We often make assertions but do not have facts to back them up. This sort of thing is common even among those who are described as preachers. They make several statements that when corned to explain or give facts that support their assertions from the Scripture, they are unable. The Holy Spirit indirectly through Apostle Paul tells us we should not be individuals who make assertions no matter how intriguing they may sound without facts to back them up. We say this because the apostle did not stop with the assertion regarding the lack of understanding among the rulers of this world, he provided facts for his assertion. We know that the apostle provided justification or facts in support of his assertion because the last clause of 1 Corinthians 2:8 begins with the conjunction for. The conjunction “for” is translated from a Greek word (gar) that is used in three major ways in the Greek with several other nuances associated with the major usages. It is used as a marker for showing the reason or cause of something and so may be translated “for, because.” Another usage is as a marker of clarification of something stated in which case it may be translated “you see, for” although when it is used as marker of explanation it is translated “that is.” Another usage of the Greek conjunction is as a marker of making an inference or conclusion from what preceded, sometimes in an emphatic manner hence it may be translated “so, then, certainly.” In our verse, the apostle used it primarily as a marker of reason for his assertion regarding the failure of the rulers of this world to grasp the significance or the meaning of the wisdom displayed in the apostle’s preaching of the cross. Thus, the apostle in using the Greek conjunction translated “for” intended to say that what follow are his reasons or justification for such a bold statement regarding the rulers of the world.
Be that as it may, the apostle gives two facts or justification for his assertion that the rulers of this world do not understand the wisdom with which he preaches/teaches. The first fact or evidence of his assertion is that the rulers of this world were those who crucified Jesus Christ. It is this evidence or fact that is given in the conditional clause of 1 Corinthians 2:8 if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.
The phrase the Lord of glory refers to the Lord Jesus because of the word “crucified.” However, the phrase Lord of glory because of the Greek syntax used may be interpreted in at least three ways. It can be understood in the sense that glory is an adjective that describes the Lord as in the rendering of the NLT that reads our glorious Lord and similar translation is given in the CEV. Another interpretation is to take the Lord as the possessor of glory. Still another interpretation is to take the Lord as the source of glory that may be communicated to people. The interpretation of the Lord as the source of glory is unlikely because the Father is the member of the Godhead associated with giving glory to the Son as reflected in the priestly prayer of the Lord Jesus in John 17:24:
“Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world.
This leaves the first two interpretations that essentially say the same thing. Thus, the phrase Lord of glory is one that describes the Lord. The apostle probably used the word “glory” in the sense of “majesty” that describes the Lord Jesus to reflect His divine nature. He probably used the word “glory” in this sense to convey how the wisdom of God confounds the rulers of this world or the wise of this world. This is because it is difficult to conceive of how the One that is majestic or powerful as God would then be crucified by rulers of the world. But such was the display of God’s wisdom that unbelievers do not understand. Anyway, the phrase Lord of glory is to be understood as that which describes the greatness of the Lord Jesus Christ so that it confounds the wise of this world because it is difficult to comprehend how the rulers of the world would have crucified the majestic Lord. Of course, this happened because the wisdom associated with the preaching of the cross by the apostle is unknown or not grasped by these rulers of the word.
Who are the rulers of this world as in the sentence they would not have crucified the Lord of glory? The pronoun “they” refers to the rulers of this world or the rulers of this age in the words of the NIV. In 1 Corinthians 2:8, the rulers of this world are the Jewish religious leaders and the Roman ruling authorities. This is because both are described as carrying out the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus. The gospel records indicate the Jewish leaders were responsible for crucifying Jesus Christ because they indeed handed Him over to Pilate, as for example, in Matthew 27:20–23:
20 But the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas and to have Jesus executed. 21 “Which of the two do you want me to release to you?” asked the governor. “Barabbas,” they answered. 22 “What shall I do, then, with Jesus who is called Christ?” Pilate asked. They all answered, “Crucify him!” 23 “Why? What crime has he committed?” asked Pilate. But they shouted all the louder, “Crucify him!”
Apostle Peter directly charged the Jewish leaders and the people with crucifying the Lord Jesus in Acts 4:8–10:
8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them: “Rulers and elders of the people! 9 If we are being called to account today for an act of kindness shown to a cripple and are asked how he was healed, 10 then know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed.
Apostle Paul also made the same charge in 1 Thessalonians 2:14–15:
14 For you, brothers, became imitators of God’s churches in Judea, which are in Christ Jesus: You suffered from your own countrymen the same things those churches suffered from the Jews, 15 who killed the Lord Jesus and the prophets and also drove us out. They displease God and are hostile to all men
The involvement of the Roman ruling authorities in the crucifixion of Jesus is referenced through Pilate and the soldiers he instructed to carry it out, as we read in John 19:16:
Finally Pilate handed him over to them to be crucified. So the soldiers took charge of Jesus.
Thus, we are correct in asserting that the rulers of this world that crucified the Lord Jesus consist of Jewish rulers and Roman authorities. Anyway, the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus by the rulers of the world is the apostle’s first fact to support his assertion that the rulers of the world did not grasp the significance or meaning of the wisdom associated with his preaching of the gospel message.
The second fact the apostle gave to support his assertion that the rulers of this world did not grasp the significance or meaning of the wisdom with which the apostle preached the cross is the declaration of the Scripture. In other words, the apostle said that their failure to understand is already stated in the Scripture since such understanding is reserved for the elect. It is reason that is given in the apostle’s quotation of the Scripture as recorded in 1 Corinthians 2:9: 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”—.
It may not appear that what the apostle stated in verse 9 is another justification for his assertion concerning the failure of the rulers of the world to grasp the significance or meaning of the wisdom with which he preached the cross. This is because verse 9 begins with the word “however” used to introduce a statement contrasting with a previous one. Nonetheless, the quotation of the apostle is an additional justification. This is because the word “however” is translated from a Greek particle (alla) that no doubt is used to express contrast between the immediate clause and the one preceding it hence means “but, on the contrary.” However, the particle has other usages as described in the standard Greek English lexicon of BDAG. It may be used to indicate a transition to something different or contrasted and so may mean “the other side of a matter or issue.” Another usage is to indicate that the preceding is to be regarded as a settled matter, thus forming a transition to something new meaning “other matter for additional consideration.” It is probably in the later sense that the apostle used it in our passage. This means that the apostle’s quotation is considered an additional justification for consideration in support of his assertion.
Be that as it may, the apostle’s quotation does not match any specific text in the OT Scripture which has led to speculations of the source of his quotation. It seems that the apostle combined lines from several passages that do not necessarily match what we have either in the Hebrew text or the Septuagint. It seems the apostle used words in Isaiah 64:4:
Since ancient times no one has heard, no ear has perceived, no eye has seen any God besides you, who acts on behalf of those who wait for him.
A translation of this passage in the Septuagint is From of old we have not heard, neither have our eyes seen a God beside you, and your works which you will perform to them that wait for mercy. This does not match the apostle’s quotation. It seems also that he took words from Isaiah 65:17:
“Behold, I will create new heavens and a new earth. The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind.
Thus, it is probably that the apostle quoted the concept found in Isaiah using different words or he had a version of the Septuagint that is not available to us. Truly, we do not know of the source of the apostle’s quotation, but it is certain that he quoted from the OT Scripture or a source that he believed contained God’s truth in some fashion such as the Book of Enoch. That aside, the apostle is concerned to convey that what God has prepared for the elect is something that no human mind unaided by the Holy Spirit could have imagined or have seen physically.
The fact the apostle meant no person had understood of what God has prepared for the elect is conveyed using human organs of sight, hearing, and the mind. The word “eye” in the sentence No eye has seen is translated from a Greek word (ophthalmos) that literally refers to organ of sight, that is, “eye” but it can also represent the entire person, as that is the sense of “eyes” in Luke 10:23:
Then he turned to his disciples and said privately, “Blessed are the eyes that see what you see.
The Lord pronounced blessing not on the eyes but on the person. Thus “eyes” can stand for a person. It is in this sense that Apostle Paul used it in his quotation No eye has seen to convey that no one has seen what God prepared for the elect. The concept of person is also conveyed in the sentence no ear has heard. The word “ear” is translated from a Greek word (ōtos) that literally refers to the organ of hearing but in our passage the sense is that of a person. The point being that no person has ever, unaided by the Holy Spirit, heard, so to understand what God prepared for the elect. To convey this truth that no person unaided has understood what God planned for the elect, the apostle added the sentence no mind has conceived. This sentence indicates that a human being unaided by the Holy Spirit could not possibly have thought of the plan of God revealed in the preaching of the cross of Christ. The reality is that no human being in the past understood properly what God has planned for the elect. This is clear from the assertion of the Holy Spirit concerning the information revealed to the prophets who did not comprehend what the Spirit revealed to them, as Apostle Peter stated in 1 Peter 1:12:
It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you, when they spoke of the things that have now been told you by those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Even angels long to look into these things.
In any case, Apostle Paul described what no person has ever understood unaided by the Holy Spirit in the sentence what God has prepared for those who love him. The apostle did not describe what it is that God prepared here but he, no doubt, refers to everything in the plan of God for the elect that begins with salvation on this planet and continues with the eternal blessing of God in the eternal state.
We have been using the word “elect” when the word does not appear in our passage. The concept of the elect is given in the clause those who love him. Those who love God are the elect as implied in the statement recorded in Romans 8:28:
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
Thus, what God has prepared is for the elect. In any event, the second fact the apostle gave to support his assertion that the rulers of this world did not grasp the significance or meaning of the wisdom with which the apostle preached the cross is the declaration of the Scripture. The apostle’s example is a reminder that the Scripture is our only authority to justify spiritual assertions we make.
06/15/18