The Sixth Sunday after Epiphany
February 12, 2017
I Corinthians 2:6-13
We do, however, speak a message of wisdom among the mature, but not the wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. No, we speak of God’s secret wisdom, a wisdom that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began. None of the rulers of this age understood it, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. However, as it is written: “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him”—but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the man’s spirit within him? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us. This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words. (NIV1984)
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
If you have ever been in my study here at church you may have noticed that I have just a couple of books in my own personal library. The vast majority of those books can be found in the personal library of most WELS/ELS pastors. They are books which help me in my work as a pastor. There is a small handful of books, however, that are very special to me on a personal level. For example, this is a book that was handed out in 1927 by a company called C.J. Smith & Company of St. Paul, MN. It includes a 1928 calendar, postal rates, population figures for major U.S. cities and pages where you can keep track of addresses, telephone numbers and business expenses. What makes this book so special to me? It’s special to me because it was originally given to my Grandpa— probably in 1927. This book is simply titled “Church Hymnal.” It was copywrited in 1913 by Northwestern Publishing House and may be one of the first English hymnals used by the Wisconsin Synod. Why is this book so special to me? It’s special to me because inside the back cover my Grandma wrote her name and the place where she was born and raised— Theresa Albrecht, Spring Valley, WI. This book was produced by the United States government. It is titled “Song and Service book for Ship and Field.” It contains worship services, hymns and prayers for soldiers and sailors. Why is this book special to me? It’s special to me because it belonged to my Dad.
While I am thankful for all the books I have in my library and while I consider this small handful of books to be among the most special books I have, there is one book that far surpasses all other books on the face of this earth. It is, of course, the Book— the Bible. As we continue our sermon series on a study of God’s will this morning, let’s see how this portion of Paul’s letter to the Corinthians reveals: God’s Will for His Word— Treasure It! There are two truths we want to focus on this morning. First, let’s see that we are to treasure God’s Word because it is the only source of true lasting wisdom. Then let’s see that we are to treasure God’s Word— because it is God’s Word.
God’s will for His Word is that we treasure it because it is the only source of true lasting wisdom. Wisdom. Wisdom is a subject that the Holy Spirit led Paul write about a number of times in his letter to God’s people living in the city of Corinth. In fact, just two Sundays ago we heard God remind His pastors— including me— that the goal of what we preach and teach is to make sure that your faith does not rest on “men’s wisdom, but on God’s power.”
While the faith of God’s people does not and cannot rest on “men’s wisdom” look at what Paul says to us in the opening words of our text. He writes, “We do, however, speak a message of wisdom among the mature.” The Greek word which is translated here as “mature” centers on the picture of someone who has “reached their goal.” In this context I understand this word to refer to someone whose faith does indeed rest on “God’s power.” When we know that our faith is the result of “God’s power” working in our hearts through His holy Word and Sacraments, when we know that our faith is strengthened and nourished and protected through “God’s power” working in His Word and Sacrament then we are “mature” enough to recognize and to understand the distinction that Paul draws between “men’s wisdom” and “God’s wisdom.”
Let’s look at how clearly that distinction is described here in our text. We’ll begin with Paul’s description of “men’s wisdom.” He writes, “We do, however speak a message of wisdom among the mature, but not the wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. No, we speak of God’s secret wisdom, a wisdom that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began. None of the rulers of this age understood it, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.”
When I look at this description of “men’s wisdom” I think of three words: Incomplete, Inconsistent and Inexcusable! Since “men’s wisdom” is the “wisdom of this age” it is automatically incomplete. Why is it incomplete? It is incomplete because the “wisdom of this age” must of necessity be based upon what we can see with our eyes, touch with our hands and comprehend with our limited, finite, sinful minds. One glance up into the heavens reveals just how incomplete “men’s wisdom” is!
Since the source of “men’s wisdom” is “the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing,” “men’s wisdom” is also inconsistent. The way in which the world defined “wisdom” in the year 1017 is vastly different from the way in which the world defines “wisdom” in the year 2017. And if the good Lord allows this world to continue another 1,000 years people living in the year 3017 will shake their heads at how the world defined “wisdom” in our day and age. Yes, my friends, “men’s wisdom” is always going to be inconsistent because it is always going to change from one age to another, perhaps even from one generation to another.
And finally, “men’s wisdom” is inexcusable— especially from God’s perspective. An example of this is brought out here in our text when Paul says, “They… crucified the Lord of glory.” From a purely human perspective why was Jesus of Nazareth nailed to a cross? You may recall that after Jesus had raised Lazarus from the dead the religious leaders of God’s people became afraid that Jesus would lead the people in a rebellion against Rome which would most certainly result in a crushing response by the mighty Roman legions. Caiaphas, the high priest, then stood up and said to the religious leaders, “You know nothing at all! You do not realize that it is better for you that one man die for the people than that the whole nation perish” (John 11:49, 50). The other religious leaders accepted the “wisdom” of Caiaphas’ words and immediately started devising a plot to take Jesus’ life. When Pontius Pilate could not convince the angry crowd in Jerusalem that Jesus had done nothing to deserve death, his “wisdom” led him to conclude that it was better to crucify one innocent Rabbi than risk a revolt by the people. Modern-day examples of the fact that “men’s wisdom” is inexcusable from God’s perspective can be seen in how so many people have swallowed the philosophy of evolution hook, line and sinker; how so many people have made possessions and pleasure their own personal idols; and how the prevailing “wisdom” of our society today is that instead of “judging” anyone for anything we need to be “tolerant” enough so that everyone is free to live their life however they so choose to live it— except if you want to live your life according to what God says in His Word. That the world will not tolerate. Yes, my friends, from God’s perspective “men’s wisdom” is indeed inexcusable.
While “men’s wisdom” is Incomplete, Inconsistent and Inexcusable, “God’s wisdom” is Remarkable, Reliable and Revealed! I see this reality proclaimed here in our text when Paul says, “…for if they had they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. However, as it is written: ‘No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him’ — but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit.”
While the crucifixion of Jesus Christ reveals to us that “men’s wisdom” is indeed inexcusable, at the very same time the crucifixion of Jesus Christ proclaims to us that “God’s wisdom” is remarkable! Think about it, my friends. The “Lord of glory” was willing to be nailed to a cross— for sinners like us! Since we are completely helpless to save ourselves “God’s wisdom” led Him to secure our salvation for us in the only way that would work, the only way that was acceptable to Him: He graciously sent His own Son to die in our place so that He could pay the debt of sin that we owe to Him! (Pointing to the cross) If that is not remarkable, my friends, I don’t know what is!
Since “God’s wisdom” is indeed “God’s wisdom” it is absolutely and automatically reliable. As Paul brings out here in our text, we can’t even begin to imagine what “God has prepared for those who love him.” Whether it is the home that Jesus is preparing for us in heaven or the inheritance that our heavenly Father has waiting for us or the perfection that will one day be ours, we can be confident that since all of this is the result of “God’s wisdom” it is just as reliable as the Lord God Himself!
And finally, since “God’s wisdom” is a “secret wisdom,” since “God’s wisdom” is a “wisdom” that goes back to “before time began,” God’s “wisdom” is a “wisdom” that had to be revealed to us. Praise God that He graciously chose to reveal His “wisdom” to us right here— on the pages of Holy Scripture. If God had not revealed His “wisdom” to us, we would never have been able to discover it on our own. If God had not revealed His “wisdom” to us the message of the cross would have remained “foolishness” to us and the Truth of the Bible would have remained a “mystery” to us.
That thought leads us into the second major truth that we need to emphasize from this text. God’s will for His Word is that we treasure it— because it is God’s Word! I find it profoundly sad that so many Christians today and so many churches today “pick and choose” what parts of the Bible they are willing to believe and what parts of the Bible they choose to either dismiss as being unimportant or deny as being true. Why do I find this profoundly sad? Because God himself tells us that the Holy Scriptures “…are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus” and He says, “All Scripture is God-breathed” (2 Timothy 3:15, 16). Jesus Himself prays to His heavenly Father concerning us, “Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth” (John 17:17). Here in our text Paul very clearly reveals to us that the Holy Spirit did not simply give the human writers of the Bible a “general idea” or a “broad outline” of what to write and then send them off to “fill in the details” all on their own. Nor did He allow them to record their own “opinions” and pass it off as God’s Word. Look at verse thirteen of our text. Paul writes, “This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words.”
This is what is called Verbal Inspiration. Verbal Inspiration teaches us that every single word of the Bible was given to the human writers by God the Holy Spirit so that what we find in the Bible is exactly what God wants us to have. Verbal Inspiration is what enables us to proclaim what God’s Word says and prevents us from interpreting what we want God’s Word to say. Verbal Inspiration is the basis for God’s command, “Do not add to what I have given to you and do not subtract from it!” (Deuteronomy 4:2; 12:32; Revelation 22:18 & 19) When we treasure God’s Word because it is God’s Word then we rejoice in knowing that through the Sacrament of Holy Baptism we were “born again”— even if we were baptized as a tiny little child! God Himself washed us clean of all of our sins and dressed us in a white robe of perfect righteousness. God Himself created the gift of saving faith in our heart and adopted us to be His own dearly beloved son. When we treasure God’s Word because it is God’s Word then we rejoice in knowing that in the Sacrament of Holy Communion we receive the true body and the true blood of our Lord and Savior in, with and under the bread and the wine as God’s visible tangible guarantee to us that all of our sins are completely forgiven. When we treasure God’s Word because it is God’s Word then we rejoice in knowing that Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. Then we rejoice in knowing why the day that the Son of God died on a cross is called “Good” Friday. Then we rejoice in knowing that Jesus physically rose from the dead on Easter Sunday just as He promised He would. Then we rejoice in knowing that through faith in what Jesus has done for us we are indeed strangers here on this earth and that heaven is our Home! Praise God, my friends that because of His power and because of His grace we have that simple, humble, child-like faith that enables us to treasure God’s Word because it is God’s Word!
While I am indeed thankful for all of the books I have in my library and while I do consider this small handful of books to be among the most special books I have, there is one book that will always far surpass all other books on the face of this earth. It is, of course, the Book— the Bible. My prayer this morning is that all of us will remember that God’s will for His Word is that we do indeed treasure it. Treasure God’s Word because it is the only source of true lasting wisdom. Treasure God’s Word because it is God’s Word!
To God be the glory!
Amen
