Human vs Spiritual Wisdom

Wisdom from the Spirit

Scripture

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. 7 But we impart a secret and hidden wisdom of God, which God decreed before the ages for our glory. 8 None of the rulers of this age understood this, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. 9 But, as it is written,

“What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him”—

10 these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. 11 For who knows a person's thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. 12 Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God. 13 And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual.

14 The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. 15 The spiritual person judges all things, but is himself to be judged by no one. 16 “For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ. ~1 Corinthians 2:6-16~

Observation

Paul emphasizes that these two types of wisdom are fundamentally incompatible ways of understanding reality. Human wisdom, no matter how sophisticated, cannot access spiritual truth. Only through God's Spirit can someone move from natural understanding to spiritual discernment, seeing the world and God's purposes as they truly are.

1. Source of Origin

Human wisdom comes from worldly rulers, philosophers, and human intellect. Spiritual wisdom comes directly from God through the Holy Spirit, who searches and knows the deep things of God.

2. Temporal vs. Eternal

Human wisdom belongs to "this age" and is passing away along with the rulers of this age. Spiritual wisdom is eternal, existing before the ages and destined for our glory.

3. Visibility and Recognition

Human wisdom is evident and celebrated by the world's standards. Spiritual wisdom was hidden as a mystery, not recognized even by the rulers who crucified Jesus—if they had understood it, they wouldn't have crucified the Lord of glory.

4. Method of Transmission

Human wisdom is taught through persuasive words and human reasoning. Spiritual wisdom is revealed by the Holy Spirit and taught in words given by the Spirit, combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words.

5. Capacity to Understand

Human wisdom can be grasped by anyone with natural intelligence and learning. Spiritual wisdom cannot be understood by the "natural person"—it requires the Spirit of God dwelling within someone to comprehend spiritual truths.

6. Judgment and Discernment

Those operating in human wisdom judge spiritual matters as foolishness because they lack the capacity to understand them. Those with spiritual wisdom can discern and judge all things, yet they themselves are not fully understood by those without the Spirit.

7. Knowledge of God

Human wisdom cannot fully know the thoughts of God, just as no one knows a person's thoughts except their own spirit within them. Spiritual wisdom allows believers to know God's thoughts because they have received "the Spirit who is from God."

8. Purpose and Outcome

Human wisdom leads to pride in human achievement and often to worldly success or recognition. Spiritual wisdom reveals "what God has prepared for those who love him"—things no eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no human mind has conceived.

9. The Mind of Christ

Human wisdom relies on our own understanding and mental frameworks. Spiritual wisdom means having "the mind of Christ"—thinking and perceiving reality from God's perspective rather than a purely human one.

10. Reception and Response

Human wisdom is readily accepted by the world and its systems. Spiritual wisdom is received as a gift—"we have received...the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us"—and requires spiritual receptivity rather than intellectual merit.

10 points above were written by claude a.i., testing how well it works

Application

seeking God/Jesus - be more like Christ in all that i do
asking The Holy Spirit - for wisdom and guiding my footsteps, renewing my mind, removing/adding whatever helps reflect what Jesus taught us

starting my day as i do: in prayer, in The Word, worship
ending my day: video or audio lesson, in The Word, worship, prayer (always last, the other not always in the same order)

Prayer

dear Heavenly Father, thank you for helping see things that had blinded me for so long; speaking softly and at times loudly into my life when i had clearly had been hard of hearing; touching my life and of my family’s when i was already desensitized from heartache and pain - grateful for taking away the bad and replacing it with good, even when i don’t always notice it. please continue to be The Lord of our lives, in Jesus’ name i pray, amen!