WE GET IT — THEY DON’T

1 Corinthians 2:13-16

¹³ …truths which we can also communicate, just not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual realities using spiritual words. ¹⁴ But a soulish person cannot receive the truths communicated by the Spirit of God; because they are stupidity to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are only subject to spiritual investigation. ¹⁵ But someone who is spiritual does investigate all these truths, yet he himself is investigated by no one. ¹⁶ Because who has known the mind of the Lord, so that he is able to advise Him? But we have the mind of Christ.

spiritual stupidity

Paul has been unfolding for the Corinthian church a reality that cannot be grasped by ordinary human perception. The message of Christ crucified is not simply information to be analyzed or a philosophy to be compared with others. It is God’s own hidden wisdom, once concealed and now revealed in the gospel. This wisdom is not discovered through brilliance, moral striving, or religious pedigree. It is disclosed by the Holy Spirit, who alone can make the significance of Christ’s death and resurrection intelligible to the human heart.

Paul draws a sharp contrast between those who are animated only by natural, soulish life and those who have been awakened by the Spirit. The natural person may be educated, sincere, or spiritually curious, yet remains disconnected from the life of God. Without the Spirit’s illumination, the gospel appears absurd. A crucified Messiah seems like weakness, not power; like failure, not victory. The world’s rulers dismissed Jesus for this very reason, and the same instinct persists wherever the Spirit has not opened eyes to see the glory hidden in the cross.

But among those who belong to Christ, something astonishing has taken place. The Spirit who searches the deep things of God has been given to them. The very thoughts and intentions of God—once inaccessible—are now made known through the Spirit’s teaching. This does not mean believers possess omniscience or divine authority. It means the Spirit enables them to perceive the true meaning of God’s saving work in Christ. What once seemed foolish now shines with divine wisdom. What once appeared weak now reveals the power of God for salvation.

Paul expresses this privilege with a breathtaking phrase: believers “have the mind of Christ.” This is not a boast but a confession of grace. The mind of Christ is the capacity, granted by the Spirit, to see the cross as God sees it—to understand its necessity, its beauty, its triumph, and its implications for life. It is the ability to discern spiritual realities that remain hidden from those who rely only on natural insight.

In Corinth, where factions and rivalries were fueled by human pride, Paul reminds the church that true understanding is a gift, not an achievement. The gospel’s wisdom is not earned; it is revealed. And those who receive it are invited to live with humility, gratitude, and a growing sensitivity to the Spirit who makes Christ known.

LORD, thank you for the amazing wisdom that is ours – the truth about Christ crucified for us.