Father,

Help us to know your mind, and grant that our ways may become your ways. May we ever be mindful of just exactly how you would have us to act in all situations. May we see that in all you did while in a physical form here on earth, was to please the Father of glory, and please help us copy that lifestyle and ministry. Amen

Key Word: revealed

Paul explains why this is no longer hidden, "for God revealed unto us" the wonders of grace pictured in 1 Cor 2:9. We do not have to wait for heaven to see them. Hence, we can utter those things hidden from the eye, the ear, and the heart of man. This revelation took place, at "the entry of the Gospel into the world".

The Holy Spirit is the agent of this definite revelation of grace, a revelation with a definite beginning, and an unveiling by the Holy Spirit where "human ability and research would not have been sufficient" Apparently, searcheth comes from the NT Greek word for investigate (through the idea of inquiry).

As man is the only one who knows what is deep within his heart, so to the Spirit of God is the only one who knows the deep things or mysteries of God. The knowledge of man is also known, however, by the Spirit of God. Paul's point is simply that the Holy Spirit fully comprehends the depth of God's nature and His plans of grace and so He is fully competent to make any revelation to the deeper things of God.

Another argument is drawn from these words to prove the divinity of the Holy Ghost:

1. Omniscience is attributed to the Holy Spirit. He searches all things, even the deep things of God. He has exact knowledge of all things, and enters into the very depths of God, penetrates into his most secret mysteries. Now who can have such a thorough knowledge of God but God the Holy Spirit?

2. This allusion seems to imply that the Holy Spirit is as much in God as a man's mind is in himself. Now the mind of the man is plainly essential to him. He cannot be without his mind. Now can God be without his Spirit? He is as much and as intimately one with God as the man's mind is with the man. The man knows his own mind because his mind is one with himself. The Spirit of God knows the things of God because he is one with God.

12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.

We have received the Spirit which is of God, or proceeds from God. We have what we know by inspiration from him; and it is by his gracious revelation and influence that we know the things freely given to us of God about salvation. The great privileges of the gospel, which are man’s free gifts from God, are distributions of rich grace, which are ours eternally.

We see here in what manner this wisdom was taught or communicated: Those things we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teaches, but those words which the Holy Ghost teaches. The apostles received the wisdom they taught, not from the wise men of the world, but from the Spirit of God. They put no human embellishments on it, but plainly declared the doctrine of Christ, in terms also taught them by the Holy Spirit.

The Spirit of God knows much better how to speak of the things of God than the best critics, orators, or philosophers. Comparing spiritual things with spiritual, the revelation of the gospel with that of the Jews Law, the discoveries of the New Testament with the types and prophecies of the Old Testament, this is proper interpretation of divine principles.

The comparing of spiritual revelation with matters of science, things supernatural with things natural and common, is exegesis by a wrong criteria. Spiritual things, when brought together, will help to illustrate one another; but, if the principles of human art and science are to be made a test of revelation, we judge improperly.

14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

The natural man, that is, the wise man of the world (1 Corinthians 1:19-20), receives nothing by faith, nor has any need of supernatural guidance. This was very much the character of philosophers and the Grecian learning principles in that day.

Such a man receives not the things of the Spirit of God.

Revelation is not with him a principle of science; he looks upon it as the extravagant thought of some deluded dreamer. It is not the way to wisdom among the famous thinkers of the world; and for that reason the natural man has no knowledge of things revealed, because they are only spiritually discerned, or made known by the revelation of the Spirit,

15 but he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man.

He that is spiritual (who has had divine revelations made to him, receives them as such, and builds his faith and behavior upon these principles) can judge common things and things uncommon; he can discern what is, and what is not, the doctrine of the gospel of salvation, and whether a man preaches the truths of God or not.

He does not lose the power of reasoning, nor renounce the principles of it, by founding his faith and religion on revelation. In short, he who founds all his knowledge upon principles of science, and the mere light of reason, can never be a judge of the truth or falsehood of what is received by revelation.

Who can enter so far into the mind of God as to instruct him? God is the person who communicates the knowledge of His will. Very few have known any thing of the mind of God by a natural power, but, adds the apostle, we have the mind of Christ; and the mind of Christ is the mind of God. Jesus is God, and the principal messenger and prophet of God. The apostles were empowered by his Spirit to make known His mind to us. In the Holy Scriptures the mind of Christ, and the mind of God in Christ, are fully revealed to us. It is the great privilege of Christians to have the mind of Christ revealed to them by his Holy Spirit… what a system!