Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible
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1 Corinthians
Book: 1 Corinthians
Chapter: 2
Overview:
The
Plain manner in which the
Apostle preached
Christ
crucified.
(1-5) The
Wisdom contained in this doctrine.
(6-9) It
cannot be duly known but
By the Holy
Spirit.
(10-16)
1-5 Christ, in his person, and offices, and sufferings, is the
sum and substance of the
Gospel, and ought to be the great
subject of a
Gospel Minister's preaching, but not
So as to leave
out other parts of
God's revealed
Truth and will.
Paul preached
the whole counsel of
God. Few know the fear and trembling of
Faithful ministers, from a
Deep sense of their own weakness They
know how insufficient they are, and are fearful for themselves.
When nothing but
Christ crucified is plainly preached, the
success must be entirely from Divine power accompanying the
Word, and thus men are brought to believe, to the
Salvation of
their souls.
6-9 Those who receive the doctrine of
Christ as Divine, and,
having been enlightened
By the Holy
Spirit, have looked
Well
into it, see not only the
Plain history of
Christ, and him
crucified, but the
Deep and admirable designs of Divine
Wisdom
therein. It is the
Mystery made manifest to the saints, Col
1:26, though formerly hid from the
Heathen world; it was only
shown in dark types and distant prophecies, but now is revealed
and made known
By the
Spirit of
God.
Jesus Christ is the
Lord of
Glory; a title much too great for any
Creature. There are many
things which people would not do, if they knew the
Wisdom of
God
in the great work of
Redemption. There are things
God hath
prepared for those that
Love him, and wait for him, which sense
cannot discover,
No teaching can convey to our ears, nor can it
yet enter our hearts. We must take them as they stand in the
Scriptures, as
God hath been pleased to reveal them to us.
10-16 God has revealed true
Wisdom to us
By his
Spirit. Here is
a proof of the Divine authority of the Holy Scriptures, 2Pe
1:21. In proof of the Divinity of the
Holy Ghost, observe, that
he knows all things, and he searches all things, even the
Deep
things of
God.
No one can know the things of
God, but his Holy
Spirit, who is one with the
Father and the Son, and who makes
known Divine mysteries to his
Church. This is most clear
Testimony, both to the real
Godhead and the distinct person of
the Holy
Spirit. The apostles were not guided
By worldly
principles. They had the
Revelation of these things from the
Spirit of
God, and the saving impression of them from the same
Spirit. These things they declared in
Plain, simple language,
taught
By the Holy
Spirit, totally different from the affected
oratory or enticing words of
Man's
Wisdom. The natural
Man, the
Wise Man of the world, receives not the things of the
Spirit of
God. The pride of
Carnal reasoning is really as much opposed to
spirituality, as the basest sensuality. The sanctified mind
discerns the real beauties of
Holiness, but the power of
discerning and judging about common and natural things is not
lost. But the
Carnal Man is a
Stranger to the principles, and
pleasures, and actings of the Divine
Life. The spiritual
Man
only, is the person to whom
God gives the knowledge of his will.
How little have any known of the mind of
God By natural power!
And the apostles were enabled
By his
Spirit to make known his
mind. In the Holy Scriptures, the mind of
Christ, and the mind
of
God in
Christ, are fully made known to us. It is the great
privilege of Christians, that they have the mind of
Christ
revealed to them
By his
Spirit. They experience his sanctifying
power in their hearts, and bring forth good fruits in their
lives.