1 Corinthians 2:1-7

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1Corinthians 2:1
And            I,

when          I        came                                             to you,

brothers,

Cf. 1John 5:8-9

did not come       proclaiming         to you

the testimony of God

with           lofty speech

or               wisdom.

The “testimony of God” is a strange phrase used also by the Apostle John.  The Apostle Paul came presenting himself as a witness to the truth of the gospel.  He may not have seen the crucifixion but he certainly was a witness to the risen and glorified Christ.  Jesus was not dead and in some tomb somewhere. He is alive and he met Paul on the road to Damascus and convinced him of that truth. So convincing was the encounter that Paul from that moment presented himself as a witness to the reality and truth of the gospel and endured great hardship and eventually death for his testimony.  The Messiah was alive and offering salvation to all who would receive it.

1Corinthians 2:2
For             I        decided      to      know nothing

among you

except        Jesus Christ

and                                                                              him crucified.

1Corinthians  2:3
And            I        was            with you

                                                      in weakness

and                                                In fear

and                                                much trembling,

Paul’s approach was unique because our God is unique.  He came to the people declaring a God who had been crucified at the hands of evil men.  Of course, he finishes his presentation with the fact that Jesus was proven to be the son of God by his resurrection.

All the gods of this world require something from us which we must give in the hope of getting a response to our prayers or earning our salvation.  God, the true God, turns that approach upside down.  We give nothing.  He gave all.  All we do is receive it as a pure gift.

All the gods of the world require us to come to them and plead for their help and mercy.  God, the true God, came to us and even now lives among us through his Holy Spirit hearing our prayers and responding to our needs.

1Corinthians 2:4
and            my    speech

    and            my    message              were not     in plausible words

of wisdom,

but                                                                     in demonstration

of the Spirit

and                                           of power,

1Corinthians 2:5
so that       your           faith

might not rest             

in the wisdom of men

but                                                                  in the power of God.

The Apostle Paul knew that proclaiming a God who sacrifices his life for his creation is not a plausible argument for most people.  The world’s gods are superheroes, Jesus is a servant.  The world’s gods are mighty, Jesus is humble and gentle.  The world’s gods threaten and intimidate.  Jesus beckons and encourages.

Presented in such a manner, God seems very strange indeed and his methods unbelievable even in today’s modern world.  God’s power is miraculous.  It overcomes our sensibilities and shows us a new way of seeing things, a new way of viewing the world and those around us.

 1Corinthians 2:6

Yet    among the mature        we     do impart   wisdom,

although                                        it is not a    wisdom      of this age

or                                                                                      of the rulers

of this age,

who are doomed to pass away.

1Corinthians 2:7
But                                       we     impart        a secret

and                                                                 hidden        wisdom of God,

Glory = δόξα = doxa = glory (as very apparent), in a wide application (literally or figuratively, objectively or subjectively): - dignity, glory (-ious), honour, praise, worship.

which         God            decreed               before the ages

 for our glory

Those who should be “in the know” are ignorant of God’s work in Jesus.  Instead it is given to only those who are mature spiritually.  We are crowned with knowledge that surpasses the world’s wisdom because the world does not comprehend it because it appears as foolishness to them. 

Proverbs 14:18 ESV
The simple inherit folly, but the prudent are crowned with knowledge.

God’s plan was made even before creation.  His love for us was so deep and enduring that he planned to give of himself in order to save his creation. Since man rejects him as creator it is not possible to a so-called “wiseman” to conceive of or believe in such a plan for the salvation of mankind.