1 Corinthians 2:12-15

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - 1 Corinthians 2:12

Verse 12 12.Now we have received, not the spirit of the world He heightens by contrast the certainty of which he had made mention. “The Spirit of revelation,” says he, “which we have received, is not of the world, so as to be merely creeping upon the ground, so as to be subject to vanity, or be in suspense, or vary or fluctuate, or hold us in doubt and perplexity. On the contrary, it is from God, and hence it is above all heavens, of solid and unvarying truth, and placed above all risk of... read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - 1 Corinthians 2:13

Verse 13 13.Which things also we speak, not in the learned words, etc. He speaks of himself, for he is still employed in commending his ministry. Now it is a high commendation that he pronounces upon his preaching, when he says of it that it contains a secret revelation of the most important matters — the doctrine of the Holy Spirit, the sum of our salvation, and the inestimable treasures of Christ, that the Corinthians may know how highly it ought to be prized. In the meantime he returns to... read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - 1 Corinthians 2:14

Verse 14 14.But the animal man. (125) By the animal man he does not mean (as is commonly thought) the man that is given up to gross lusts, or, as they say, to his own sensuality, but any man that is endowed with nothing more than the faculties (126) of nature. (127) This appears from the corresponding term, for he draws a comparison between the animal man and the spiritual As the latter denotes the man whose understanding is regulated by the illumination of the Spirit of God, there can be no... read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - 1 Corinthians 2:15

Verse 15 15.But the spiritual man judgeth all things. Having stripped of all authority man’s carnal judgment, he now teaches, that the spiritual alone are fit judges as to this matter, inasmuch as God is known only by his Spirit, and it is his peculiar province to distinguish between his own things and those of others, to approve of what is his own, and to make void all things else. The meaning, then, is this: “Away with all the discernment of the flesh as to this matter! It is the spiritual... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - 1 Corinthians 2:6-13

Contents of the revelation. But the apostle claims "wisdom" for the gospel. The counterfeit has been exposed, and the genuine coin is now presented. And how does he proceed to verify his right to use a term that, in the estimation of all thinkers, commanded respect and admiration? He will honour the Word; he will restore its meaning and clear it of obscurity, nay, expand its significance and invest it with a charm not known before. Solomon had used his splendid intellect to give the word... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - 1 Corinthians 2:6-16

The apparent foolishness is the only wisdom. read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - 1 Corinthians 2:6-16

True wisdom. I. IS FOUND IN CHRISTIANITY . Paul has been speaking slightingly of" wisdom." Might lead some to suppose that Christianity was unwise, or at all events a one-sided system; that it was a religion for the heart only, and unfriendly to the intellect. The apostle guards against this damaging supposition by claiming true wisdom for Christianity. What he has been decrying is the ineffective wisdom of the world. Christianity is for the whole man. When a man is in a right... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - 1 Corinthians 2:9-14

The revelation of the things of God. It may be that we have here a free quotation of Isaiah 64:4 . But whether a quotation or not, it expresses a principle true in every age. The great "things of God" have ever been beyond the reach of the unaided powers of man. What are these "things which God hath prepared for them that love him"? To apply this expression, as is sometimes done, merely to the glories and joys of the heaven of the future, is to narrow its meaning. Those heavenly things,... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - 1 Corinthians 2:10-16

The gospel school. "But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit," etc. Because man naturally craves for knowledge and deeply needs it, schools abound everywhere throughout the civilized world, especially here in England—schools of science, schools of philosophy, schools of art, etc.. But there is one school that transcends all—the gospel school. Three facts are suggested concerning this school. I. That here the student is INSTRUCTED IN THE SUBLIMEST REALITIES . "Deep... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - 1 Corinthians 2:10-16

The Holy Spirit as the Revealer. In this section the apostle develops more fully the subject of revelation through the Spirit of God. The things prepared by God for them that love him have not been discovered by human wisdom, nor can they be apprehended by natural reason. As they come from God, they are made known to us by God through the operation of the revealing Spirit. I. THE COMPETENCE OF THE REVEALING SPIRIT . "For the Spirit searcheth all things," etc. He is... read more

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