1 Corinthians 2:12, Freely Know the Things of God
1 Corinthians 2:12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.
The Holy Spirit that indwells the believer guides him in understanding the things freely given to us of God. The believer appropriates God’s wisdom through the Holy Spirit that teaches the truth to us.
The natural man cannot receive and know the spiritual significance of Scripture. The baptism of the Spirit is a one-time thing when he receives Jesus Christ as his personal Lord and Saviour (John 3: 5-6, 14:6, 1 Cor. 12:13, Eph. 1:13, Romans 8:9). The Holy Spirit that indwells the believer helps him to interpret the scripture.
Roy Zuck explained well, “Though the unsaved may mentally observe objective data of the Bible, it remains foolishness to them (1 Cor. 1:18)…Though perhaps able to follow the logic of Paul’s reasoning in his epistles, unbelievers do not “take to heart” the truth involved. Only the saved are able to welcome God’s truth. When Paul stated in 1 Cor 2:14 that the man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit, he does not mean that an unsaved person is totally incapable of comprehending any of the grammatical data of the Bible. Rather, Paul meant that a non-Christian does not welcome the truth!…The verse does not mean that an unsaved person, who is devoid of the Holy Spirit, cannot understand mentally what the Bible is saying; instead it means that he does not welcome its message of redemption in his own heart. By contrast, people in Berea “received the message with all readiness of mind (Acts 17:11) and the Thessalonians “received the Word..with the joy of the Holy Ghost”…The illumination of the Holy Spirit’s work is not only to show what the Bible means, but also to persuade Christians of its truth. Illumination is the Holy Spirit’s work, enabling Christians to discern the meaning of the message and to welcome and receive it as from God.”¹
May God’s people pray and seek the Holy Spirit to guide us to appropriate God’s wisdom for daily living. Amen.
¹ Roy B. Zuck, “The Role of the Holy Spirit in Hermeneutics”, Vital Theological Issues-Examining Enduring Issues of Theology, 45-46