The Mysterious Mind of God

Yet we do speak wisdom among those who are mature; a wisdom, however, not of this age nor of the rulers of this age, who are passing away; but we speak God's wisdom in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God predestined before the ages to our glory; the wisdom which none of the rulers of this age has understood; for if they had understood it they would not have crucified the Lord of glory; (1 Corinthians 2:6-8 NASB)

I think this chapter of 1 Corinthians sort of falls into two halves, perhaps not evenly, but somewhat topically.  I see the two pieces form around the concepts of 'mysterious wisdom' and 'spiritual depths'.  These pieces have a role in the rest of the letter, but here Paul says some pretty amazing things for believers to hold on to.  When truly processed and internalized, these elements can be tremendously empowering.

The first piece, 'mysterious wisdom' is in contrast to Paul's claim that he did not bring the good news of Jesus to the Corinthians with 'persuasive words of wisdom', but rather with 'fear and much trembling' which somehow relates into 'demonstration of the Spirit and of power'.  Yet Paul claims that he did speak wisdom, just not to everyone.  Such a claim would really irritate those to whom Paul writes.

So the content of this mysterious wisdom is a crucified Jesus Christ.  This mysterious wisdom was so well hidden that the 'rulers of this age' didn't even know it.  Had they known it, they would never have crucified the Lord of Glory.  Think about that for a moment.  Let it roll around in your head.  Let it connect to other stuff you have read in Scripture where it can. 

Essentially, Satan was duped, tricked, snookered, check-mated, out foxed, and hoodwinked.  Or, you could say he was too dumb to see what his Maker was doing right in front of him, and dumb enough to actually participate in his own destruction.  We don't normally think of the enemy that way.  Perhaps we give him too much credit, and God not nearly enough.  Sure, the devil is smarter than us and tricks and deceives us, yet he's no match for God.  So, why fear him?  Just step over him and move on.  Easier said than done, because to do so, we need the second piece.

The second piece is where Paul discusses the 'role' of the Holy Spirit, using the 'role' of the spirit of people.  So, if the spirit of a man knows the depths of his mind, it stands to reason that the Spirit of God knows the depths of the mind of God.  If/since we have been given the Spirit of God as a 'seal' of redemption, it therefore stands to reason that the One knowing the very Mind of God lives within us.  So, therefore, we have the mind of God.  Let that roll around in your head for  awhile.

So, all the stuff we can't figure out, the problems we think are so overwhelming, and dangers we face we face with the mind of God.  It sounds pretty cool really, but how many of us really think we have the Mind of God?  So why can't we figure out the universe?  Why all the debate over scientific detail when we have the mind of God?  Shouldn't we just know the answers?  Shouldn't we just know why people die as/when they do?  Why the rampant evil in the world if God is so loving?  If we have the 'mind of God' shouldn't these problems be solved already?

Yet, how many of us really spend time with the Holy Spirit?  He lives within, yet we ignore Him.  He's there 24/7, yet we don't spend two minutes with Him.  He scares us, yet He's the comforter.  He is mysterious, yet He is One revealing the depths of the heart of God.  He is unknown, yet within us.  He seems so far away, yet lives so close.  We have the mind of God, yet we attempt to think for ourselves, abhorred at the suggestion we let someone else think for us; even when that 'Someone else' is the One who formed us, and the rest of the universe.

The enemy, Satan, would love to have us let him think for us, but he's also just fine with us thinking for ourselves.  He can fool us, hoodwink us, trick, deceive, check-mate, and out fox us at every turn.  Of course he would love for us to think for ourselves.  But if the One making a fool of Him were to think for us...well, that wouldn't be as convenient for him. 

So, I suppose the question is, 'who do we support with our thoughts?'  I know I'm supposed to support my Master, thinking with His mind revealed through His Spirit.  I also know that I'm naturally inclined to resist such an influence.  So I guess the answer is that I need to 'change my mind'; a phrase now more pregnant with meaning than it ever has been for me.