1st Corinthians 2:1-16
There are a lot of things that we can look at as someone who could be considered in good health; clear skin, high energy levels, positive outlook, good sleep patterns, to name a few. Point is, there are certain markers that we can point to that manifest out of a place of good health. In the same way, Paul, throughout the book of 1st Corinthians, lays out certain markers that we can point to and determine the health of a church. This morning we see 3 of those laid out as he continues to encourage the young believers with the gospel.
Big Idea: The Holy Spirit empowers the believer to understand and preach the gospel.
3 Marks of a Healthy Church
Read 1st Corinthians 2:1-2
1. Preach Christ (1-2)
We talked a little bit about this last week so we won’t get quite to the same depth, but Paul is reiterating that lofty speech and eloquence can distract from the message being proclaimed. Preaching that brings attention to the preacher, Paul said in chapter 1, empties the cross of its power. The power of the cross is proven in the weak being made strong, not in the strong using their own power. Continuing on from the end of chapter 1, where Paul talked about the power of the gospel through Christ, and how we should find our boasting in nothing else but Christ, he now tells the church that the only thing they should preach is Christ.
This is what Paul claims of himself. The only thing I decided to “know” among you was Christ and him crucified. Now this doesn’t mean that Paul just forgot everything he had been taught, everything he knew to be true about the world, he didn’t just leave it all at the door. What Paul is saying is that he determined to only spend his time preaching the gospel. He didn’t get caught up in lofty debate, in reasoning with the intellectuals, or anything else. In fact he says, “nothing.” This verse, in the original Greek actually begins with this word. A bit of digging and you’ll find that this Greek word is the “strongest Greek negative,” and this sentence carries with it the idea of a Spirit-driven man who is laser focused on one thing and NOTHING else, preaching Christ.
This is what we aim to do here at Family Church. We aren’t perfect, and sometimes it’s a little more difficult to preach the gospel out of some texts than others, but we always want to point people to Jesus. We want to proclaim the goodness of the gospel. This is why we made an intentional decision at the very beginning to be “Gospel-Centered.” In everything we do and say here we want people to see Jesus. We want our speech to be covered in the love of Jesus. We want our preaching to point people to the beauty of the gospel. This is what Paul is saying. Nothing else mattered to him! He just wanted people to see the wonder of the cross. He wanted people to be enamored by the beauty of the gospel. He wanted people to fall desperately in love with Jesus.
Paul understands, however, that the only way that he is able to proclaim Christ is by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Read 1st Corinthians 2:3-15
2. Rely on the Holy Spirit (3-15)
How was Paul weak, and fearful, and trembling? This doesn’t speak to his physical state, but to his mental state of humility and lack of self-confidence. He felt inadequate, and many believe he was fearful of not presenting the gospel in a simple and clear way. He understood his frailty, he understood the temptation to impress, and he removed himself out of the picture and gave all the credit to the power of the Holy Spirit.
A. The Holy Spirit Empowers Proclamation (4-5)
“My words were in demonstration of the power of the Spirit and of power.” “Demonstration,” the Greek word “apodeixis” which means “legal proof demonstrated in court.” The fact that Paul was able to preach with boldness and clarity, and stay fixated on the cross, was irrefutable evidence that the Holy Spirit was empowering him. The Holy Spirit’s power demonstrated through his preaching. Why? So that people wouldn’t see Paul but would see the power of God!
B. The Holy Spirit Imparts Wisdom (6-8)
There are different interpretations of what Paul means by the “mature” in verse 6, but most would agree that he is speaking of the believer in general. Another word for mature being “complete.” It isn’t wisdom from a human perspective, but a wisdom that only comes from the Holy Spirit. It is a “secret” and “hidden” wisdom, only revealed to the believer. And we have a lot of Greek words this morning, but here’s another one with a great meaning. One commentator reveals that “hidden always means something that people must be initiated into – something undiscoverable by human wisdom.” We can’t attain it. It’s only because of a predetermined plan, one that we would call predestination, but don’t have time to get into all the nuances of this morning.
What we do see to be true in our passage this morning, however, is that God decreed this revealing and access “before the ages.” Before creation, God the Father and Christ the Son made a covenant, this we call the Covenant of Redemption. We see mention of this in multiple places in Scripture, and while we don’t know the intricacies of the full covenant, we know it happened, and part of the agreement was that those who were redeemed by the blood of Jesus would have spiritual wisdom revealed to them. And Paul says that it was also for our glory, but not in some prideful or self-centered way. It was for our glorification in the last days. The moment we enter eternity and are given our glorified bodies, joining God in glory.
C. The Holy Spirit Reveals the Mysteries of God (9-12)
Paul in verse 9 is most likely loosely quoting Isaiah 64:4, and trying to get the point across that the only possible way to understand the things of God is through the Holy Spirit revealing them. No eye can see the mysteries of God. No ear can hear the mysteries of God. No heart could ever even imagine the mysteries of God. Man could not dream up all the blessings that overflow out of the love of God towards His redeemed.
We have so much pneumatology here, which is the study of the Holy Spirit. There are so many truths just packed in here. In verse 10, we see mention of the Holy Spirit’s inspiration. Look again at verse 10. (Read) Most would agree that the “us” that Paul uses here is referring not to every believer, but to Paul and the apostles who the Holy Spirit inspired to write the Scriptures. The mysteries of God revealed by the Holy Spirit to the minds and pens of the disciples and apostles who wrote them.
D. The Holy Spirit Interprets Spiritual Truths (13-14)
Because of the truth of inspiration, we also have a truth called illumination. The mysteries revealed to the writers of the Scriptures carried through history into our hands, the truths of which are revealed to our hearts and minds as we read. Illumination, the Holy Spirit bringing to light the truths contained in God’s Word.
Re-read vs. 13-14
The Holy Spirit revealing truth to those who are spiritual, those who are believers. Impossible for the natural person, who only thinks in terms of worldly wisdom and logic. Only possible for the spiritual person, indwelt by the Holy Spirit, working to reveal these truths through the Scriptures. The mysteries are spiritually discerned, and there is no other way.
The point is, these things would not have been revealed, let alone interpreted throughout history, without the Holy Spirit making it so. Paul understood this. Paul is reminding the young church in Corinth of this. The only way that truth is proclaimed, and those words penetrate the hearts of people, is by the Holy Spirit. That’s it. We should and must trust in the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives, to proclaim the goodness of the gospel, to understand the things of God, and as a church we must trust the Holy Spirit’s leading, relying on His power alone in our worship, in our preaching, in our prayers, and in every other aspect of ministry. But Paul doesn’t end there. There is one more unifying principle that will create good health in their church.
Read 1st Corinthians 2:16
3. Have the Mind of Christ (16)
Perhaps when you hear this your mind goes to Philippians 2. This is what Paul is trying to get these believers to understand. How do we approach one another? How do we handle disagreements and avoid conflict and division?
Philippians 2:5-8 - “Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”
The mind of Christ is impossible to fully and completely understand, but, we do see the truth of Paul’s claim backed up in the life of Jesus. The mind of Christ was one of humility, of self-sacrifice, of elevating other’s needs above His. The mind of Christ was one of love, of serving, of compassion. The mind of Christ was one of forgiveness, and empathy, and the willingness to step into the mess of humanity.
This is the mind that we all have been given. This is a result of our relationship with Him. By the power of the Holy Spirit, we have the ability to live like Jesus. So Paul says, “guys, you have all been given the mind of Christ. Take a step back, think about what that really means, then look at how you are behaving towards one another!”
It is this mind that we are called to have as believers, and I believe that translates into how we operate as a church body as well. Not exhaustive by any stretch, but 3 marks that we see that will ensure health in a gospel-shaped church:
Preach Christ
Rely on the Power of the Holy Spirit
Have the Mind of Christ
Application
This of course has personal application, but first let’s look at a healthy church.
The story of the gospel is like a thread that runs throughout the entirety of Scripture. One of the exercises I do with my students is, after we finish a specific passage, to ask them how the story points to Jesus. From the very beginning in creation, to the prophesy in the covenant, to the blood stained doorposts in Egypt. From Boaz, the kinsman redeemer in Ruth, to Isaiah’s crystal clear prophecy about the Messiah, the gospel is found in every page of the Scriptures. If this is true, how could we help but preach Christ?!
Not only that, but we, as a body of believers, MUST call on the Holy Spirit to grant us wisdom, to open our hearts and our minds to the truth of the Scriptures, to lead us in the direction that He desires us to go. I think we are guilty often of becoming believers, and then just forgetting about the Holy Spirit. We go about our lives making decisions and trying to accomplish things without asking for His guidance. Calling on the Holy Spirit needs to be a daily discipline. We rely on Him for wisdom, for boldness, for clarity, for understanding. The same power that raised Jesus from the dead lives inside us (Romans 8:11). And that power is what unifies us. We, as followers of Jesus, have all been given the mind of Christ. We are fused together with Him, through the Holy Spirit.
The way in which we remain a healthy church, is by viewing one another through the lense of Jesus; with humility, service, love, self-sacrifice, compassion, forgiveness, empathy. Thinking like Jesus will completely transform the way we interact with one another. And while we are talking about the marks of a healthy church, we can carry this over into our personal lives as well. We preach Christ, we rely on the power of the Holy Spirit, and we align our minds to HIs. And just watch what God will use you to do.
