The Thoughts of God
ometimes, verses of Scripture take on a whole new meaning when read in context. It’s amazing to me how we can read (or hear) a verse for years and gain some meaning from it, but then a fresh reading will show something completely different.
Take for example, 1 Corinthians 2:9. Paul, in quoting from Isaiah 64:4 writes:
Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him. (NKJV)
I have heard this verse many, many times before in my life. The interpretation I have heard most often is that we are incapable of comprehending the things that God has prepared — for the future. While this concept certainly fits with some of Paul’s other statements, I was amazed today to read this verse in context. Bear with me while I quote a larger portion of the context:
[We] speak wisdom among those who are mature; a wisdom, however, not of this age nor of the rulers of this age, who are passing away; but we speak God’s wisdom in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God predestined before the ages to our glory; the wisdom which none of the rulers of this age has understood; for if they had understood it they would not have crucified the Lord of glory; but just as it is written, “THINGS WHICH EYE HAS NOT SEEN AND EAR HAS NOT HEARD, AND which HAVE NOT ENTERED THE HEART OF MAN, ALL THAT GOD HAS PREPARED FOR THOSE WHO LOVE HIM.” For to us God revealed them through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God. For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so the thoughts of God no one knows except the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things freely given to us by God, which things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words. (1 Cor 2:6-13, emphases mine)
There are a couple of phrases that I have highlighted in bold because I want to draw attention to them in this context. In Paul’s use of the quote from Isaiah, to whom is he referring? He says, “If they had understood it”, referring to the ones who crucified Jesus. Understood what? The “hidden wisdom.”
But notice very carefully how, immediately following the Isaiah quote, Paul shifts from talking about “them” and says, “For to us God revealed them.” In other words, this “hidden wisdom”, things that were not known to the religious leaders of Jesus’ time, have been revealed.
This reference to Isaiah is not a statement about believers. It is not a statement about our future blessings or God’s plans for us in the future. In context, we see that when Paul talks about eyes not seeing and ears not hearing and hearts not conceiving of these things, he is talking about the eyes/ears/heart of natural man apart from God.
He goes on to say that “now we have received…so that we may know….” Received what? The Spirit of God. So that we may know what? The thoughts of God!
Look at how he spells it out. No one can know the thoughts of a person, except the one who is having those thoughts. I can’t know the thoughts that are in my wife’s heart, nor can she know the thoughts that are in my heart. And Paul says the same is true of God. We can’t know the thoughts of God. The only One Who can is the Spirit of God.
But — and this is where it gets really exciting — he then tells us that we have received the Spirit of God with the specific result that God then is able to reveal those thoughts to us! Is this amazing, or what?!
We can’t underestimate the power of this concept. We cannot afford to downplay it. At the end of the chapter, Paul again quotes from Isaiah (Isaiah 40:13) by saying, “For who has known the mind of the Lord, that he will instruct him?” And then counters, “But we have the mind of Christ.”
God has let us in on his thoughts! He has revealed things to us. Things that are foolish to the unsaved. Things that don’t make sense to the natural man. But things that, in spiritual maturity, we can grasp because of the Spirit within us.
So the next time someone tells you that you can’t possibly know what God is thinking because “eye has not seen…”, remind them of the tremendous gift we have in the Spirit of God within us. Yes, we can know the thoughts of God! What an amazing God we have!!
Until next time,
steve 
February 23rd, 2007 06:49
Great post, Steve. It is simple and you have nailed it. God intends the light of His mind and heart would light us up from the inside. This is hard to articulate and certainly isn’t measurable. Yet, it is noticeable. When somebody walks in that light, others know it. We can see the fruit.
Walk for a while among those who proclaim to know this light and you realize, many attempt to codify how that fruit is to be accomplished and carried out. It is as if we believed it does not require faith but discipline to get there. Behave properly, and we will all agree you have the light. I am not saying discipline is not part of our life, but discipline is not the goal. Him in us and us in Him is the wonder we desire and can know now!
February 23rd, 2007 11:43
Steve,
Thank you for this post. Like David said, it was simple and you nailed it. I particularly liked this: “remind them of the tremendous gift we have in the Spirit of God within us.” I am still learning what it means to have the Spirit dwelling within me. Jesus said it would be better for his followers when the Spirit came. Better than having Jesus physically with them? The church in the NT was able to proclaim the truth of God without having the NT Scriptures. They were able to proclaim the gospel without the Gospels. They were able to exhort, rebuke, comfort, and equip without the writings of Paul or Peter or James. How? The Spirit of God dwelled within them. Now that we have the Spirit AND Scripture, we should know the “revealed things” even better. Do we? Do we live according to them?
I’m sorry if this got off topic.
-Alan
February 23rd, 2007 15:19
David, thanks for your comment. The attempt to define discipline in such a way as to make it the goal is a very real temptation. Thanks for pointing out that distinction.
Alan, the indwelling Spirit is something that I think we rarely even try to understand! It’s so much easier to just look at the written revelation or pragmatic theology, and not really attempt to see the depth of what we have been given.
It reminds me of Paul’s prayer in Ephesians 1:17-19
Unfortunately, many seem to think that because we have the written revelation, we don’t need the Spirit to actually reveal anything to us. The idea of the Spirit only revealing (illuminating) what has already been written is a mistake, I believe.
February 23rd, 2007 22:45
Good word Steve! Sometimes I think that we get so enamored with reading, memorizing and preaching the “instruction book” that we never actually get to the point of what it is there for…to lead us to an encounter with the living God! How many of us would become transfixed with a DVD player manual? Isn’t the point of the written instructions to get to the place where we actually use the player? Isn’t the point of the Scriptures to point us to Jesus? Jesus told the religious leaders of His day “you search the Scriptures for you think that in them you have eternal life, and they are the very thing that point to Me, but you won’t come to Me that you may have life!” The written revelation is simply to point us to the Living Revelation…Jesus! This does not belittle the Scriptures but rather enhances our use of it.
February 24th, 2007 09:10
Steve , 1st Corinthians 2:9 was the scripture I read a couple of weeks ago! It made me ponder the same things that Bro. Gordon commented on and the comment that Rabon made about scriptures point us to Jesus but Its our decision whether to accept Jesus’s invitation! Blessings . Ron.
February 24th, 2007 18:03
Steve -
I’m glad you’re “back” … I’ve missed reading your blog! This is a good post, as usual
Alan -
What a great point that you made: “The church in the NT was able to proclaim the truth of God without having the NT Scriptures. They were able to proclaim the gospel without the Gospels. They were able to exhort, rebuke, comfort, and equip without the writings of Paul or Peter or James. How? The Spirit of God dwelled within them. Now that we have the Spirit AND Scripture, we should know the “revealed things” even better. Do we? Do we live according to them?” … now I have something else to ponder!
Blessings!
~Heather
February 25th, 2007 00:05
Great post, Steve. Reading Scripture in its context surely makes a world of difference doesn’t it?
This is two points of agreement between us in the same night. What in the world is going on?
February 25th, 2007 18:49
Thank you all for the comments. I haven’t been on here much this weekend to respond to comments, but thank you!
February 26th, 2007 20:46
Like Gordon said, what a difference context makes in scripture! Imagine that!
This is another great post and you did indeed nail it.
How much of what we’ve always read and believed in scripture is taken out of context??? Interesting question.
Thanks again!
Be blessed…
Brandon
March 2nd, 2007 15:14
Brings to mind this verse…
1Jo 2:27 But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him.
His Spirit in His people…we can KNOW HIM…AMEN! Sounds like an awesome meeting you guys had…a little getting in on whats going on inside the Godhead?
March 9th, 2007 17:23
FYI. The “hidden wisdom” of why Jesus was crucified is easy to understand from one term “offense of the cross.” The crucifixion of Jesus is the sin of murder caused by bloodshed. The one sin of Jesus’ murder is the only sin that can be repented of to obey the Acts 2:38 command and comply with God’s demand of accounting for the action of taking Jesus life by bloodshed. Gen. 9:5b NIV. This is the small narrow gate into the kingdom of God do you have the faith to use it?