What does 1 Corinthians 2:10 mean?
Before the foundation of the world, God planned to bring believers into a relationship with Himself based on love. That relationship would only be possible, however, by the death of His Son on the cross to pay for our sin.These secrets of God's wisdom could not be worked out by human wisdom, Paul has written. They must be revealed to humans to be understood and believed by us. How could we possibly believe such a thing, though, even if it is true?
Paul now turns to the means God uses to allow us to come to faith in Him. It's not a mechanical process, though. It's a person, whom Paul will describe as the Spirit of God. God reveals the truthfulness of these things to us through His Spirit, making it possible for us to believe something we cannot observe with our own physical senses. Evidence can lead us towards God (Psalm 19:1, Romans 1:18–23), but only faith and the Spirit can lead us to accept God (Matthew 7:7–8; John 4:44).
How does the Spirit Himself know these things? Paul describes the Spirit as being in constant search mode, searching even the depths of God. The Spirit bridges the communication gap between ourselves and God. He searches and understands what is spiritual and makes it possible for us to perceive it.
Of course, the Spirit is God, just as Jesus the Son is God. Though three persons with separate roles, they are one God. We call this the Trinity.
First Corinthians 2:6–16 describes the difference between human wisdom and God's wisdom. Human wisdom is limited to what can be observed and worked out with human reason. Scripture points out the value of reason and knowledge (Colossians 2:8; 2 Timothy 2:15), while demonstrating a difference between what man's mind can achieve and what God's Spirit can reveal. God's wisdom, including His plan to offer salvation through Christ's crucifixion, must be received and believed spiritually through God's Holy Spirit. Without the help of the Spirit, people cannot believe what is spiritual, so they reject all spiritual truth as foolishness. Christians, though, have access to the mind of Christ because of God's Holy Spirit with us.
When Paul first came to Corinth, he did not present the gospel to them with lofty speech and impressive arguments. He presented the truth as simply as he could so their faith would be based on God's power and not human wisdom. Only those with God's Spirit can understand the truths revealed by God, including Christ crucified for human sinfulness. Those without God's Spirit are limited to what can be observed and worked out with human reason. God's Spirit makes it possible for us to understand and believe spiritual things.
