First Corinthians 2:10 says, “But to us God has revealed them through the Spirit, for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God.” God in His wisdom (that is, in Christ) has ordained and prepared for us many deep and hidden things, such as justification, sanctification, and glorification. All these the human eye has never seen, the human ear has never heard, and the human heart has never realized (v. 9). But they are revealed to us in our spirit by God’s Spirit. In this verse the Greek word rendered searches is used in reference to active research, implying accurate knowledge gained not by discovering but by exploring. The Spirit of God explores the depths of God concerning Christ and shows them to us in our spirit for our realization and participation.
Therefore, to realize the deep and hidden things God has prepared for us, our spirit is more necessary than our mind. When our entire being becomes one with God through loving Him in intimate fellowship, He shows us, in our spirit through His Spirit, all the secrets of Christ as our portion. This is to reveal the deep things planned by God’s wisdom concerning Christ, things which have never come up in man’s heart.
First Corinthians 2:13 says, “Which things also we speak, not in words taught by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual things with spiritual words.” The thought here is to speak spiritual things with spiritual words. The stress is not on the person to whom the speaking is done but on the means by which the spiritual things are spoken. The apostle spoke the spiritual things, which are the deep things of God concerning Christ, with spiritual words, which are the spiritual words taught by the Spirit. He did not speak the spiritual things in words taught by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit. He did not speak in words of Greek philosophy or wisdom. Rather, he interpreted spiritual things with spiritual words.
In this verse, the same Greek word is used for spiritual things and spiritual words. Paul uses the same term with two meanings. On the one hand, it refers to the spiritual things themselves; on the other hand, it refers to spiritual words. Therefore, we may say that spiritual things are designated and interpreted with spiritual words. These spiritual words are spiritual things used to designate spiritual things. The speaking that is according to man’s wisdom is not spiritual. But the words taught by the Spirit of God are truly spiritual things. Thus, spiritual things are both the things given to us by God concerning Christ as our portion and also the words taught by the Spirit of God. Paul spoke such spiritual things by spiritual things. When we live in the fellowship of the Triune God, the Spirit will also teach us spiritual words for the interpretation of spiritual things.
The matter of the Spirit’s speaking with the believers is clearly seen in 1 Corinthians 7. Paul’s teaching in this chapter is very different from that of the prophets in the Old Testament. When the prophets spoke for God in Old Testament times, the word of Jehovah came to them and then was spoken forth through them. Often the prophets would say, “Thus saith Jehovah.” But it is not so in the New Testament time. In 1 Corinthians 7 Paul’s teaching is based on the principle of incarnation, that God speaks in man’s speaking. Although certain things Paul said here are not the Lord’s commandment (v. 25), they have nonetheless become part of the divine revelation in the New Testament. This is because Paul was a person absolutely one with God, so when he spoke, the Lord spoke with him.
In 1 Corinthians 7:40 Paul said, “She is more blessed if she so remains, according to my opinion; but I think that I also have the Spirit of God.” In verse 10 he said, “I charge, not I but the Lord.” In verse 12 he said, “I say, I, not the Lord.” In verse 25 he said, “I have no commandment of the Lord, but I give my opinion.” In verse 40 he summarized by saying, “I think that I also have the Spirit of God.” This clearly indicates that all the words spoken by Paul in this chapter are the speaking of the Spirit with Paul. Paul did not speak by himself; he spoke together with the Spirit. The Spirit’s word became his word. Hence, his charge was the Lord’s charge (v. 10). He was one with the Lord, who is the Spirit, to such a degree that even when he gave his own opinion, not the commandment of the Lord, he thought that he also had the Spirit of God. He did not claim definitely to have the Spirit of God, but he thought that he also had the Spirit of God. This is the highest spirituality. The Spirit’s work in us is also to bring us to the realm of such a height that we may be absolutely one with Him and that He may speak with us in our speaking.
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