January 2, 2020

There is no better subject for a New Year’s Nugget than this, our eighth installment I Have The Mind Of Christ 1 Cor. 2:12-16. That thought seems to be somewhat scary to Believers in this day and time. It raises the question, “do we really believe we have Christ’s mind?” If today’s Church really believed that we posses the mind or understanding that Christ has given to us through the indwelling Holy Spirit, we would be a different acting Church. If we really believed, we would seek to see the world through the eyes of Christ. What a difference in the Church that would make. (I understand that this is just my personal opinion, however, I find that this is a Biblical principal non-the-less). As Believers we do have Christ mind or understanding because His Holy Spirit dwells in us and the Spirit is the mind of Christ in us.

     1 Corinthians 2:12-16, “Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God. 13 These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. 14 But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. 15 But he who is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is rightly judged by no one. 16 For “who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct Him?” But we (true born-again believers) have the mind (or understanding) of Christ.”

     In 2:12, the phrase “we have received” refer to the apostles and other writers of the Word of God at the time of this writing. The means was inspiration, by which God freely gave the gift of His Word. It was this process of inspiration that turned the spiritual thoughts into spiritual words (v. 13) to give life (Matt. 4:4). This same gift of inspiration and discernment is given to the Church today by the same Holy Spirit.

     In 2:14, The “natural man” refers to the unconverted (non-believer in Christ), who lack supernatural life and wisdom. Spiritual discernment is through the illumination of the Word, the Holy Spirit provides His saints the capacity to discern divine truth (Ps. 119:18), which the spiritually dead are unable to comprehend (John 5:37–39; 1 John 2:20, 27). The doctrine of illumination does not mean we know everything (Deut. 29:29), that we do not need teachers (Eph. 4:11, 12), or that understanding does not require hard work (2 Tim. 2:15). The apostle Paul told young Timothy to study to show himself approved by God.

     In 2:15, “judged by no one” refers to unbelievers and their ability to recognize Christians’ faults and shortcomings; but they are not able to evaluate their true nature as spiritual people who have been transformed into children of God (1 John 3:2).

     The bottom line is found in 2:16. “The mind of Christ” is quoted from Isaiah 40:13. The same OT Hebrew word is translated from the NT Greek as “understanding” in 1 Corinthians 14:14, 15, 19. Believers are allowed, by the Word and the Spirit, to know the thoughts and intents of their Lord Jesus Christ (Luke 24:45).