Eternity Daily Bible Study No. 196 True Wisdom - Part 6 (a series in 1 Corinthians chapters 1-4) 1 Corinthians 2:13-16 MKJV (13) These things we also speak, not in words which man's wisdom teaches, but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. (14) But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. (15) But he who is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is judged by no one. (16) For who has known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct Him? But we have the mind of Christ. "But we have the mind of Christ" - what an extraordinary statement! Christ is 'before all things" (Col 1:15-20) and His word upholds the Universe (Hebrews 1:1-3). How can we have a mind like His! The Greek word for mind here is not nous that is "thoughts" but "phronema" or mental framework, outlook, or orientation of the mind. Our Spirit-renewed mind is constructed along the same blue-print as the mind of Christ, with the same framework and orientation as the mind of Christ. This renewed mental orientation enables us to evaluate spiritual truth and to receive the things of God. "(13) These things we also speak, not in words which man's wisdom teaches, but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. (14) But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. (15) But he who is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is judged by no one. " Our phronema, our mental framework is like a child's pegboard - where the truths fit like squares and triangles into the correct shaped gaps in the board. However after the Fall our minds, our framework, our pegboard was twisted and damaged. Now instead of a square hole - there was a rhomboid, and instead of a circle - there was an ellipse. So instead of understanding love we substituted lust - because it fitted in more easily in the damaged framework. Instead of righteousness we substituted childish "fairness" and legalism - and so forth. Now in Christ our framework, our pegboard, is renewed into the image of Christ and the spiritual truths finally start "dropping into place". With the right framework the Scriptures open up, the Bible makes sense, we understand our selves and others far better and life starts to glow with meaning. If the framework becomes damaged or darkened, by say bitterness, suspicion, or greed then the ability to absorb truth rapidly diminishes. Jesus refers to how greed can twist our mental and spiritual framework, destroy our spiritual perception and fill our souls with darkness: Matthew 6:22-23 MKJV The light of the body is the eye. Therefore if your eye is sound, your whole body shall be full of light. (23) But if your eye is evil, your whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness! I is therefore imperative that we ask God to renew our mind, including our mental framework. We must choose to adopt a truly Christian, loving and holy mental framework if we are to think clearly, understand spiritual things, receive the truths God wants to show us, and to live life fully as alive persons. No-one in the grip of lust, anger, revenge, bitterness, greed or malice sees life aright. In fact they see it all wrong and make terrible life choices. The Christ-like mental framework is the only functional mental framework. Now a mental framework is not five minutes work. It is built up over a life-time and reaches into the deepest parts of our being. So in renewing our mind we need to "dig deep" and not just scratch the surface with "how to' books on living. We also need to read theology, philosophy, politics, science and history and try to interpret them in a Christian light. I will read say a book on globalization - and then think about it in the light of the prophets. What des God have to say about economic injustices? (For my answer go to: http://www.aibi.ph/tmk/) The mind of Christ is a deep mind, a mind that was there at Creation as the Wisdom or logos behind all that was made. (See Leon Morris's commentary on John esp. on John's prologue) Jesus is a brilliant scientist and designer capable of designing the wings of birds and the brain of man. Thus the mind of Christ is not some bug-eyed, religiously zealous Pharisaical mindset, rather it is wise, loving, compassionate creative and brilliant. It is also technologically competent (http://www.aibi.ph/missions/sociotech.htm), and able to inspire Bezalel to build the Tabernacle or David to design the Temple. The Christian mind is thus the mind most able to be "at one with the Universe" because it is the mind of the Creator. We don't need Eastern mysticism! As proof of this - the world's greatest scientists have been predominantly Christians or Jews or shared in the Judaeo-Christian framework! Very few exponents of Wicca or Feng-Shui or animism have ever contributed to a correct understanding of nature -even though these religions claim to understand the "forces" at work in the world. This inspiration from God, is not just conceptual, it can also be verbal: "These things we also speak, not in words which man's wisdom teaches, but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual." & "Luke 12:12 MKJV For the Holy Spirit shall teach you in the same hour what you ought to say." The Holy Spirit teaches us "words" and "what to say". His inspiration is to the letter, verbal, accurate and true. You may have been counselling someone and suddenly you said something very helpful and thought "where did those words come from?" The words came from God the Holy Spirit in you. God gives you His words for life's situations - such as before a court or counselling a friend and we must be open to receive them. At the very least "your young men shall prophesy" means that they will receive words from God! Such "words from God" need to be distinguished from "the word of God". We do not add to the canon Scripture! Rather the Spirit gives us God's words for each occasion in our life! Paul did not teach God's concepts in human words, words of orators, rather he taught God's truth in the words the Holy Spirit taught him. Paul's refusal to use human oratory and cunning or to engage in "salesmanship" has a lot to say to churches that adopt the practices of advertising agencies. Slick salesmanship is contrary to the Holy Spirit and all such presentations that I have seen have left me cold - at a spiritual level, though they may have entertained at a human level. Can the Holy Spirit teach us to minister in ways that vastly outstrip human wisdom? Who is remembered now? Paul or the Greek orators? Jesus or Pliny? John the Baptist or Josephus? Elijah or the prophets of Baal? God's words have an impact that makes them memorable. They are spoken in a certain way at a certain moment that renders them powerful. Three words with God (such as "Lazarus come forth") can outweigh many lengthy speeches without God! The word that reaches your soul is the word that you will remember and the Holy Spirit teaches us to speak words that change lives. To sum up - the Holy Spirit creates the mind of Christ in us, that we might receive the truths of God and put those truths into words taught by the Holy Spirit so we can touch people in the deepest parts of their beings. Blessings, John Edmiston Prayer Points for John & Minda Edmiston's ministry: 1. Am developing a new website called Cybermissions.Org which aims to help Christians to use the Internet to facilitate cross-cultural evangelism, church-planting, discipleship, networking and training online. There have been many technical glitches. Pray for successful installation and site construction and the development of a truly effective ministry website. 2. For funding to come in for our initiative in planting missionary-manned icafes among unreached people groups. 3. For the growth of the Asian Internet Bible Institute (www.aibi.ph) which offers free online bible and ministry training. Were you blessed by Eternity Daily Bible Study? To subscribe just send a blank email to: eternity-dbs-subscribe@strategicnetwork.org Read and interesting article on Technology & Spirituality http://www.aibi.ph/missions/sociotech.htm Visit the Eternity Daily Bible Study Archives - http://www.aibi.ph/eternity/ Study at the Asian Internet Bible Institute- Free online non-formal, in-service, bible and ministry training: http://www.aibi.ph