Paul's Unveilings
from 1 Cor. 2:9-16
By Jonathan Mitchell
This study is a bit longer, but the content of what Paul teaches in these verses is best studied as a whole. If need be, take it in small bites. This passage is foundational for living in the kingdom.
9. But to the contrary, according as it has been and stands written,"Things which an eye has not seen and an ear does not hear, neither does it ascend (climb up) upon [the] heart of a human, so as to conceive - so many things God prepares and makes ready in, for and by the folks habitually loving (accepting and urging toward reunion with; fully giving themselves to) Him." [cf Isa. 64:3; 52:15]
You see, Israel did not have eyes to see, nor ears to hear Jesus, and this kind of Messiah had not come up into their hearts to conceive that He was the Way, the Truth and the Life (Jn. 14:6).
In the Gospel of Thomas 17 we read:
"Jesus said, 'I will give you what no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, what no hand has touched, what has not arisen in the human heart.'"
(trans. by Stephen J. Patterson in, The Complete Gospels, Robert J. Miller, Ed., Polebridge Press, 1994 p 308)
This does not sound like having a literal King of the Jews sitting on a throne in the literal city of Jerusalem, as the Judeans had envisioned concerning the coming of their Messiah. Conzelmann comments that a saying such as vs. 9 would have resonated with the Gnostics (ibid p 64), as we readily see in the quote of Thomas 17.
The final phrase,
"for and by the folks habitually loving (accepting and urging toward reunion with; fully giving themselves to) Him"
is echoed in Rom. 8:28,
"to those habitually or progressively loving and giving themselves to God - to the folks being called and invited according to [the] purpose - He is constantly working all things together into good and is progressively working all humanity together into that which is advantageous, worthy of admiration, noble and of excellent qualities."
All of this is the work of God alone. This is speaking "wisdom among the mature folks" (vs. 6, above); "God's wisdom within the midst of a secret (mystery)" (vs. 7, above). We are reminded of 1 Jn. 4:19,
"We ourselves are [some MSS add: now] habitually loving (or, as a subjunctive: can and should be constantly loving) BECAUSE He Himself first loved (or: urges to reunion with) us" (cf Jn. 3:16).
This is how we can be "habitually loving Him." The loving - the ability of which is a gift - is simply the channel used by His Spirit to deliver these prepared things to us, and to humanity.
10. Yet [other MSS: For] God unveils [them] in us (reveals [them] to us; uncovers [them] for us; discloses [these] among us) through the spirit (or: the Spirit; the Breath-effect), for you see, the spirit (or: the Spirit; the Breath-effect; the Attitude) constantly and progressively searches, examines and investigates all humanity, and everything (or: all things) - even the depths of, from, which pertain to, and which are, God!
The conjunction "Yet" (MSS reading "de") presents vs. 10 as a contrast to vs. 9. The MSS reading "For" ("gar") presents vs. 10 as an explanation of vs. 9, i.e., a further development. Both readings have good MS witnesses.
Notice the verb of the first clause, apokaluptó: "unveils; reveals; uncovers; discloses." This describes a revelation, an apocalypse that is given to US! It comes through, "a spirit (or: breath-effect; attitude) of wisdom and revelation (unveiling; uncovering; disclosure) within the midst of a full and accurate experiential and intimate knowledge of Himself" (Eph. 1:17b). Behind this verse in Eph. is the LXX,
"It follows that Wisdom [is] a human-loving Spirit (or: humanly friendly and affectionate Breath-effect, and a hospitable attitude)" (Wis. of Sol. 1:6a; JM).
"I called upon [Yahweh], and then a Spirit of Wisdom (or: a Breath-effect from wisdom) came to me" (Wis. of Sol. 7:7b; JM).
"But who intimately knows (or: became acquainted with or gained insight into) Your determined purpose (will; design; counsel), except You, Yourself, give Wisdom, and send Your Holy Breath-effect (set-apart Spirit; sacred Attitude), from Highest [realms; spheres]?" (Wis. of Sol. 9:17; JM).
In Rom. 11:33, Paul exclaimed,
"O, the depth of [the] riches and wisdom and intimate, experiential knowledge and insight of God (or: from God; which are God)! How unsearchable the effects of His decisions (results of the distinctive separations, judicial awards, judgments and evaluations from Him), and untrackable His ways (paths; roads)." But in Eph. 3 he prays:
16. to the end that He would give to you folks, in accord with the riches of His glory, to be strengthened in power and with ability - through His Breath-effect - for the interior person
17. to inhabit the Christ through the faith and by means of the trust within your hearts, being folks having been rooted and now established and placed on a foundation within the midst of and in union with Love.
18. To this end, may you folks be fully powerful and thus act out of strength to grasp, together with all the set-apart folks, what [is] the width and length and height and depth,
19. and thus to know - and gain insight by intimate experience - the love of, from, and which is, the Christ [that is] continuously transcending personal experiential knowledge and insight, so that you folks would be filled unto all the effect of the fullness of God and the result of the filling from God.
For a person not yet raised to Life in Christ, the natural eye does not see, and the "first Adam" ear does not hear. Christ came to give sight to the blind (Lu. 4:18). Those who became born from above (Jn. 3:3) were given "ears to hear" (cf Rev. 2:7, et al). These things embody the wisdom of God. These very things
"God prepares and makes ready in, for and by the folks habitually loving (accepting and urging toward reunion with; fully giving themselves to) Him."
Does this sound a little like "the kingdom of God is within us"? We suggest that these things are symbolically seen as a city descending out of the atmosphere, from God (Rev. 21:10b). You see, "God unveils [them] in us." He also reveals [them] to us, uncovers [them] for us, and discloses [these] among us. This all happens,
"through the spirit (or: the Breath-effect; the Spirit [of God])."
The Spirit is the power to reveal and disclose; our joined and unified Spirit/spirit (6:17, below) is the power to receive and understand. Now it follows that this spirit - the Spirit; the Breath-effect; the Attitude [of God] -
"constantly and progressively searches, examines and investigates all humanity, and everything."
What a cosmological, existential, theological statement! The word "all" in this clause is in a form that serves both as a masculine singular (all humanity) and as a neuter plural (all things). Really, there is nothing that the Spirit of God, or the spirit in the human, or the spirit in the universe of matter, does not continuously search, examine and investigate. What does this tell us about the character of God, and of we who are being formed in His/Her image? Contemplate the ramifications of this statement. Paul made a similar statement in Rom. 8:27,
"But the One continuously searching (tracing; exploring; trying to find out [concerning]) the hearts has seen, and thus knows and is aware of, what [is] the effect of the mind-set and way of thinking of the Breath-effect (or: This Spirit's opinion and thinking; or: the frame of mind and thought of the [person's] spirit and attitude), because (or: that) down from God (or: in accord with God; on the level of and commensurate with God) He (or: It; it) continually hits on target within (encounters and falls in union; obtains within while interceding), over [the situation of] and for the sake of [the] set-apart folks (saints; holy ones; sacredly different people)."
But wait, there is more:
"even the depths of, from, which pertain to, and which are God!"
Now I did not want to seem pantheistic here, so I left the conjunction that joins this last phrase to the main clause as simply "even." But its use could be rendered, "that is to say..." Conflated in this rendering are four functions of the genitive/ablative form of the term "God." Paul is speaking of "the depths of God," or said another way, "the depths which are God." He is also referring to "the depths which come from God," and "which pertain to God." When we endeavor to plumb the depths of a person that we admire, we are trying to fully understand and appreciate that person. So it is, when our heart and spirit endeavor to search out and investigate God's depths. He is the One that put this desire within us. We are attracted to Him/Her, so we want to intimately, experientially and fully know Him/Her. And God has the same desire toward us. We love, because He loves us. This is all really beyond words. So just listen, and let His Spirit speak to you. Perhaps what Paul says in 6:17, below, will bring insight to what he has just given, here:
"Now the person continually joining himself (or: being habitually glued in intimate union; in himself being continuously welded) to (or: in; with) the Lord exists being one spirit (or: one Breath-effect; one Attitude; one Spirit)."
All of this is a development of "the message of the cross," presenting what follows as a result of the historical Events. But Paul continues...
11. For who, of humans (from people), has seen so as to know the things of the human (or: the [matters] pertaining to the person), except the spirit of the human (or: the person's spirit) - the one within the midst of him? So, too, no one (or: not one) experientially or intimately knows (or: came to know or have insight and exercise "gnosis" regarding) the things of God (God's matters), except the Spirit of God (or: God's spirit; the Breath-effect which is God).
His rhetorical question speaks of the human condition, in general. Paul may be alluding to Zech. 12:1b which speaks of Yahweh
"progressively forming (repeatedly fashioning; constantly molding) a spirit (Breath-effect) of a human, within the midst of him (or: centered in her; or: in union with Him)" (LXX; JM).
He is speaking about an aspect of our inner being - what elsewhere may be referred to as our mind or our heart (vs. 9, above), or even "our gut knowing." But the important thing is that this question is building on what he had just said about our "spirit" in the previous verse. So here we should conclude that knowing God, as well as knowledge of the depths of God, must be in the realm of the spirit (as contrasted to what Paul call "the flesh"), as Paul asserts in Rom. 8:4b-6,
"... those habitually walking about (or: = for the folks ordering their behavior/living their lives) not in accord with flesh (or: = not corresponding to the human condition; or: = on the level of Torah-keeping boundary-markers), but rather in accord with spirit (or: down from [the] Spirit; corresponding to [His] Attitude; on the level of and in the sphere of Breath-effect). [cf 2 Cor. 3:3; 5:16] You see, those continuously existing in accord with flesh (or: = in correspondence to Torah-keeping and cultural boundaries; or: = the human condition) habitually think about, have an understanding and outlook based upon, are inclined to, set their mind on and are disposed to the things of the flesh (= the human condition with its cultural traditions, religious cultus and national boundary markers), yet those in accord with spirit (or: down from [the] Spirit; on the level of Breath-effect; in line with [His] Attitude) [think about; have an outlook from] the things and matters of the spirit (or: the Spirit; Breath-effect; the Attitude). For the result of the thinking (mind-set; effect of the way of thinking; disposition; result of understanding and inclination; the minding; the opinion; the thought; the outlook) of the flesh (= from the human condition or the System of culture and cultus; or: = Torah keeping) [is; brings] death, yet the result of the thinking (mind-set; disposition; thought and way of thinking; outlook) of the spirit (or: from the Spirit; which is the Breath-effect) [is; brings] Life and Peace (Joining)."
We must be joined to, and abide in, the Vine (Jn. 15:1ff), for only
"the Spirit of God (or: God's spirit; the Breath-effect which is God)" - which He imparts to us, in Christ - "experientially and intimately knows (or: has insight and exercise "gnosis" regarding) the things of God (God's matters)."
Not only that, Jesus told His disciples,
"apart from (or: separated from) Me you folks continue having ability and power to do (make; construct; create; form; perform; produce) nothing!" (Jn. 15:5b).
Apart from the Spirit of God, there is no True Gnosis (Knowledge of God), even though our spirits may
"be continuously seeking God, since really, in fact, they could feel about and grope, and then at some point might (or: possibly) find Him!" (Acts 17:27a).
Jesus observed this fact in His prayer that is recorded in Mat. 11:25-26,
"I continue outwardly acclaiming My concurrence with You, publicly saying the same thing as You, O Father - Owner, Lord and Master of the heaven and of the earth (or: of the sky and atmosphere, as well as of the land) - that You hide (or: because You hid) these things from 'wise folks' (or: 'clever people') and 'understanding, intelligent, intellectuals,' and You unveil (or: revealed; disclosed) them to infants (babes who are not yet able to speak; = untutored, untaught, ordinary folks). Yes Father, because in this way goodwill is birthed in front of You (or: because thus does Your thought, imagination and presuming of ease and wellness come into existence in Your presence)!"
Observe that in Rom. 8:6b, above, "thinking" is described as a function "of the spirit." Conzelmann instructs us that "through the whole of ancient philosophy" there was "the old principle 'like [explained] by like'" (ibid p 66; brackets mine). Spirit is often explained as Mind, and vice versa. They are alike, when we try to compare them. Having the Mind of Christ (vs. 16, below) is the same as having the Spirit of Christ.
12. Now we did not receive (or: do not accept or take to ourselves; do not take control of or grasp hold of) the spirit of the System (the world's spirit and atmosphere; the attitude of or from the domination system of government, economy or religion), but to the contrary, that spirit (or: the Spirit, Breath-effect or Attitude) [which is] from out of the midst of God - to the end that we can see and know the things being freely and joyously given to and for us in grace (or: being graciously bestowed, and favorably given in us) by God,
We suggest that "the spirit of the System (etc.)" is simply a collective, or corporate, mind-set of the various domination systems of human cultures. Every corporate entity has a dominant "spirit" and "attitude," or, "mind-set." If the members of these corporate entities are not joined to the Lord, then that entity will have "the result of the thinking of the flesh," and will produce "death" (Rom. 8:6, above). This is why Paul referred to humanity's pre-Christ existence as being
"dead ones by (or: to; with; in) the results and effects of your stumblings aside (offenses; wrong steps) and failures to hit the mark (or: mistakes; errors; times of falling short; sins; deviations)" (Eph. 2:1).
The spirit (and attitude) of the System engenders death. This is why John said,
"You folks should not be habitually loving (as indicative: are not normally accepting; as imperative: Stop constantly seeking reunion with) the world (secular realm and the controlling ordered System of culture, religion, economy and government), neither the things within the world (ordered system of domination). If anyone is in the habit of (or: keeps on) loving the world (the domination System and ordered arrangement of religion, or of secular society), the Father's [other MSS: God's] Love (or: the love which the Father has; the Love which is the Father) does not exist within him, because everything within the world (ordered but dominating System of the secular and the religious) - the flesh's over-desire and the eyes' over-desire, and the arrogant ostentation (haughty, presumptuous or pretentious egoism) pertaining to living (= the biological and sociological life we live), is not out of the Father..." (1 Jn. 2:15-16).
Then, in 1 Jn. 3:14 we are instructed:
"We ourselves have seen, and thus know (or: are aware), that we have walked together (or: proceeded to change, passing from) out of the Death into the Life, because we are habitually loving the brothers. The person not habitually loving continues remaining (dwelling; abiding; staying) within the Death."
This gives insight to Paul's statement in Eph. 2:1, above. Death and "missing the target" equates to "not habitually loving" others. But we can only love because of God's love of us, and so we again quote 1 Jn. 4:19,
"We ourselves are habitually loving (or, as a subjunctive: can and should be constantly loving) because He Himself first loved (or: urges to reunion with) us."
But Paul assures his listeners, in the second half of vs. 12: We received
"that spirit (or: the Spirit, Breath-effect or Attitude) [which is] from out of the midst of God."
This gift has a wonderful result and effect:
"that we can see and know the things being freely and joyously given to and for us in grace (or: being graciously bestowed, and favorably given in us) by God."
This means that we can know the things of the Spirit of God, and search out the "depths of God" (2:10, above). Observe that all of this is a GIFT; it comes by His GRACE, which ITSELF equates to being His Spirit! Paul put it this way, in Rom. 8:15,
"For you folks did (or: do) not receive again a spirit of slavery to fear (or: get slavery's spirit or breath-effect again, unto fear; or: take an attitude which personifies being a slave [as in Egypt or under the Law, leading] into fear again), but rather you received a spirit of being placed as a son (or: a Breath-effect which set you in the position of a son; or: you receive an attitude of one having been adopted [in accord with Greek or Roman law]), within which (or: in union with Whom) we are habitually crying out, 'Abba (Dad), O Father'!"
He made the same contrast between "the spirit of the System" and "that spirit [which is] from out of the midst of God" in Gal. 3, where in vs. 2-3 he contrasted
"works of Law" and "flesh" with "receiving the Spirit... from out of a hearing of a report about faithfulness..." along with "making a beginning inwardly by spirit (or: in breath-effect; by [the] Spirit; with [the] result of [the] Breath)."
13. which things we are also habitually speaking - not in words (logoi) taught from human wisdom (or: not centered in learned thoughts, ideas or messages instructed which pertain to human wisdom; or: not among those taught in, by or with words, patterns of information, or reasons which are human wisdom), but rather in those [words] taught from spirit (or: in union with and among those folks taught of [the] Spirit - from the effect of a Breath and an Attitude), habitually evaluating, while combining or contrasting and comparing, and then deciding spiritual [matters] together by spiritual [means] and with qualities inherent in the Breath-effect (or: constantly matching or comparing/contrasting things pertaining to attitude with things in spirit, or by [the] Spirit; or: progressively making collective assessments of pneumatic [concepts] to and for pneumatic people; or: normally interpreting spiritual things in spiritual [terms]).
Here Paul affirms what he and his associated "habitually speak," picking up his train of thought from vss. 1, 4 and 6. First he gives the negative:
"not in words (logoi) taught from human wisdom."
Take note that he again weaves in his thought about human wisdom. This is an important point, for he keeps returning to it. Let us consider the options for rendering this compound phrase, on offer in the parenthetical expansion:
a) "not centered in learned thoughts, ideas or messages instructed, which pertain to human wisdom" - this could refer to Jewish wisdom literature, of that time, or to the Greek schools of philosophy;
b) "not AMONG those taught in, by or with words, patterns of information, or reasons which are human" - this could refer to a "soulish person," i.e., one who was termed psychical; non-pneumatic," as he discusses in the next verse. It could also apply to those who had sat under the "patterned of information" and "reasons" concerning the OT or intertestamental writings, in the Second Temple Judaism schools.
There are other forms of logos (logoi is the plural). They are false words, ideas and concepts. Human wisdom and religions are full of these. This is why Truth and Reality needed to be manifested and revealed - in the Christ.
Next Paul gives the positive:
"but rather in those [words] taught from spirit (or: in union with and among those folks taught of [the] Spirit - from the effect of a Breath and an Attitude), habitually evaluating, deciding, combining or contrasting spiritual [matters] together by spiritual [means] and with qualities inherent in the Breath-effect."
Observe the source of these positive words: "from spirit" (not from flesh). Now since the term "word" is not in the text (notice that I inserted it), I offer an alternate rendering of the entire phrase:
"in union with those folks taught of [the] Spirit (or: from the effect of a Breath and an Attitude)."
This also makes sense, however, the structure of the verse, and especially the final clause, lends evidence toward contrasting parallelism as being Paul's intent. He seems to be contrasting "words" of human wisdom to
"[words]" that have been "taught from [the] Spirit."
There is no definite article before the word "spirit," so Paul may simply be speaking about the "realm" or "level" of spiritual reasoning that comes from the Logos that is within them.
Let us now consider the final clause. The present participle is from the verb "to evaluate and decide (or: judge)" prefixed by sun- (with; together). Paul is speaking of bringing "spiritual [things; matters; ideas; etc.]" together with other "spiritual [things; matters; ideas]." In the process, they are being "habitually evaluated, decided about, combined, compared and/or contrasted." This is just the opposite of reading or interpreting in a "literal" manner. Kugelman notes:
"The basic meaning of this word is, 'to combine, bring together'; but it can also signify 'to compare, explain or interpret.' The LXX uses it of the interpretation of dreams (Gen. 40:8, 16, 22; 41:12, 13, 15; Dan. 5:7)" (ibid p 258).
The next two verses will provide statements that show a stark contrast between the process just outlined in this last clause, above, and those who use the "wisdom of this System" to teach about God and spiritual topics.
Because Paul did not specify an object of the plural adjective "spiritual," and gave no expressed preposition for the plural noun "spiritual" (which is in the dative case), I inserted "[matters]" for the adjective, and inserted "[means]" for the noun. I also conflated two possible functions of the dative, yielding "by spiritual [means]," and "with spiritual qualities." The final phrase is first given as, "inherent in the Breath-effect."
Because of the inherent ambiguities of the text, I also offer three other viable readings for the entire clause:
a) "constantly matching or comparing/contrasting things pertaining to attitude with things in spirit, or by [the] Spirit."
b) "progressively making collective assessments of pneumatic [concepts] to and for pneumatic people."
c) "normally interpreting spiritual things in spiritual [terms]."
Interestingly, the second offering, b), would be how Gnostic interpreters of Paul's day, and later, might have rendered this clause. Also notice how this comports with the parenthetical alternative rendering of the first part of this "positive" clause (i.e., "in union with and among those folks taught of [the] Spirit"). This interpretation finds currency in the subjects of the next two verses.
14. But a soulish person (one dominated by, or living focused on, his breath [= the present transient life], or by those things which characterize the soul [emotions; will; intellect; physical life; internal welfare; the self; the ego] or psyche; = an unspiritual, nonpneumatic person) does not normally accept (or: habitually get or welcomingly receive the offer of) the things of God's Breath-effect (or: which have the character and quality of the Spirit of God; pertaining to God's spirit and attitude), for they are stupidity to him (foolishness for him; nonsense in him), and he continues unable and habitually has no power to intimately and experientially know [them] or get insight, because they continue being sifted and held up for close spiritual examination (are normally evaluated spiritually above; are constantly brought back for spiritual separation and attitudinal discernment; are progressively re-evaluated through means of the Breath-effect and comparison to the Attitude; or: are pneumatically discerned and interpreted).
15. Yet the spiritual person (one dominated by and focused on spirit or the realm of the Spirit, and characterized by the qualities of spirit: the Wind which continuously moves across the land; or: the pneumatic person) is, on the one hand, continuously sifting and re-evaluating (habitually separating and deciding from above on; progressively holding things up for close examination of) everything and all humanity, yet, on the other hand, he is being sifted and held up for close examination or decision by no one.
Paul now develops his argument and contrasts of the two kinds of wisdom into a contrast of two ways of living, or two world views, or two manners of Scriptural interpretation. These are not existential or ontological contrasts of different species of people, but rather of different mind-sets, realms of thought, world views, understanding of spiritual matters, and of ways of reading Scripture. These two categories, that Paul describes here, have continued on into our present day. But there remains the question of who Paul would put into which group! Each group views the other group as being in error, or just wrong. So let us dissect what Paul wrote in these verses, to those in Corinth, and take into consideration their context. His previous contrasts of the two kinds of wisdom should enlighten our investigation.
We suggest that the best understanding of the literal phrase,
"a soulish person," would be"a human which is dominated by, or living focused on, his breath [= the present transient life]."
Now the next expanded offering may also add light:
"by those things which characterize the soul [emotions; will; intellect; physical life; internal welfare; the self; the ego] or psyche."
Probably taking both of these together would be a well-rounded way to approach this verse. We suggest that Paul is using the term "soulish" in the same way that he used
"the result of the thinking (disposition; thought processes; mind-set, outlook) of the flesh," in Rom. 8:7.
If we see these two characterizations of a person's life as being parallel expressions, then I think we will properly understand Paul, here, as well as the later Gnostic Christians that took Paul as their "apostle" (cf The Gnostic Paul, Gnostic Exegesis of the Pauline Letters, by Elaine Pagels, Trinity Press Int'l., 1992). Continuing with Paul's argument in Rom. 8:8 we see that,
"Now the folks continuously existing in the midst of (or: So people being in union with, or centered in,) flesh (= the alienated human condition; or: = the religious system involving flesh sacrifices, Torah boundary-markers/customs) have no power and are not able at any point to please God (or: to fit or adapt to God; or: to be content with God; or: to be acceptable in God)."
He expands this reasoning in Rom. 8:9b,
"Yet if anyone is not continuously having, or not habitually and progressively holding, Christ's Spirit and [the Messiah's] Attitude (or: So if a certain person is not regularly possessing a Breath-effect which is Anointed), this one is not habitually existing from Him as his Source (or: is not now having His character or qualities; or: presently is not His)."
Let us note that in vs. 14, above, he says that the soulish person,
"does not normally accept the things of God's Breath-effect."
The verb can also be rendered,
"habitually get or welcomingly receive the offer."
This could be for a variety of reasons, but Jesus might have said of such a person that he or she was not blessed to have ears to hear things
"which have the character and quality of the Spirit of God."
But Paul gives us an explanation:
"for they are stupidity to him (foolishness for him; nonsense in him), and he continues unable and habitually has no power to intimately and experientially know [them] or get insight, because they continue being sifted and held up for close spiritual examination."
This would be like Jesus saying,
"Certainly that is so. I am now saying to you, unless anyone may be born forth from out of water and spirit (or: - as well as Breath-effect and attitude -) he continues being unable (he remains having no power) to enter into God's realm (or: reign; kingdom). The thing being birthed, having been born forth from out of the flesh, is flesh (or: from the estranged human nature, continues being the estranged human nature; or: = from out of a flesh system is a flesh system), and the thing being birthed, having been born forth from out of the Spirit, is spirit (or: what is birthed out of the Breath-effect continues being Breath-effect; or: what is born from the Attitude is an attitude). You should not be amazed (or: begin to marvel; at some point be filled with wonder; suddenly be astonished; or: Don't be surprised) that I said to you, 'It is necessary and binding for you folks to be born back up again to a higher place (or: for you people to be given birth from above)" (Jn. 3:5-7).
We are back to the Vine and the branch metaphor, as well.
The soulish person needs the Spirit, the Breath-effect, so that he or she can become a "spiritual person" (vs. 15), "because they [i.e., spiritual matters] continue being sifted and held up for close SPIRITUAL examination (or: are normally evaluated spiritually above; are constantly brought back for spiritual separation and attitudinal discernment; are progressively re-evaluated through means of the Breath-effect and comparison to the Attitude; or: are pneumatically discerned)."
Now in contrast, "Yet the spiritual person (one dominated by and focused on spirit or the realm of the Spirit, and characterized by the qualities of spirit: the Wind which continuously moves across the land; or: the pneumatic person) is, on the one hand, continuously sifting and re-evaluating (habitually separating and deciding from above on; progressively holding things up for close examination of) everything and all humanity." In Eph. 4, Paul describes such folks this way:
21. since, in fact, at one point you heard and so listen to Him, and within Him as well as in union with Him and centered in Him you were and are taught - just as Truth and Reality continuously exist within Jesus (or: in union with the One, Jesus) -
22. to put off from yourselves [as clothing or habits] what accords to the former entangled manner of living (or: twisted up behavior): the old humanity (or: the past, worn-out person) - the one continuously in process of being corrupted (spoiled; ruined) down from and in accord with the passionate desires (the full-covering, swelling emotions) of the deceptions (or: seductive desires) -
23. and then to be continuously renewed (or: from time to time, or, progressively made young again) by (or: in; with) the spirit (or: attitude; breath-effect) of your mind (or: from the mind which is you folks; or: by the Spirit which is your [collective] mind),
24. and to enter within (or: clothe yourselves with) the new humanity (or: the Person that is different and innovative in kind and quality) - the one in accord with and corresponding to God (or: the person at the Divine level) - being formed (framed, built, founded and settled from a state of disorder and wildness; created) within the Way pointed out (or: in union with fair and equitable dealings with rightwised relationships, justice, righteousness and covenant participation; centered in [His] eschatological deliverance) and reverent dedication (or: benign relationship with nature) pertaining to the Truth (or: in intrinsic alignment with reality, which is the Truth).
Eph. 4:22 uses the term
"the old humanity (or: the past, worn-out person)" and this corresponds to "the soulish person."
But the
"continuously renewed by, in and with the spirit of [one's] MIND" person (Eph. 4:23) corresponds to the "spiritual person"
of vs. 15, here in 1 Cor. 2. We see that Eph. 4:24 calls this "the new humanity - the one in accord with and corresponding to God," which equates to "the second humanity" of 15:47, below. So there you have it. The same thing, just said in different ways. Verse 15 goes on to explain that these folks are, "continuously sifting and re-evaluating (habitually separating and deciding from above on; progressively holding things up for close examination of) everything and all humanity."
Now what does he mean by the final, contrasting clause, "yet, on the other hand, he is being sifted and held up for close examination or decision by no one"? Does Paul simply mean that people who still live in the realm of the old humanity (or, the old covenant) simply do not have "eyes to see"? Is it that the spiritual folks are now living in the spiritual realm (Eph. 2:6) where the soulish person has no vision to see (as, e.g., with those of 2 Cor. 3:15, who have a veil lying upon their hearts)? The Greek verb means that others cannot make a decision about (or, judge) the spiritual person. This may be because of what Paul wrote in Rom. 8:
1. Nothing, consequently, [is] now a result of condemnation in (or: a commensurate effect of a decision for; a corresponding result of a negative evaluation which falls in line with a decision or follows the pattern which divides [folks] down, with) those within Christ Jesus
2. For the principle and law of, from and which is the spirit and attitude of 'The Life within Christ Jesus' (or: For you see, the Law of Life's spirit, joined with [the] Anointing of Jesus; or: For the Spirit's law of life within Christ Jesus; or: the Law [= Torah] from the Breath-effect, which is Life in union with [the] Anointed Jesus) frees you away from the Law of the Sin and of the Death (or: immediately set you [other MSS: me] at liberty from the principle of the failure, or of the missing of the target, and from the death; exempts you from this code involved with error and deviation from the goal, as well as from the death; emancipated you from this law from the mistake, and which is the Death).
16. For, "Who intimately knows (or: experientially knew) [the] Lord's [= Yahweh's] mind? Who will proceed to co-habit with (or: so that he will mount, as male with female, or come together so as to unite with and be knit with) Him?" [Isa. 40:13, LXX; note: for mind the Heb. text has Spirit] Yet we, ourselves, are continuously holding (or: progressively having) Christ's mind (a mind which is Anointed, and which is Christ [other MSS: {the} Lord])!
Paul also quoted Isa. 40:13, in Rom. 11:34, but there he uses a different verb (perhaps from reading a different MS, at the time) in the second question. There it asks, "Or, who becomes (or: came to be) His planning adviser (His design counselor; the one who makes determinations with Him)?"
This verse reaches back to vss. 10b-13, above, using the quote of Isa. 40:13 as the grounds and basis for his argument, answering Isaiah's question with a statement of the new Reality/Creation, in Christ: We
"are continuously holding (or: progressively having) Christ's mind."
Paul is affirming that he, and the covenant community in Corinth DO actually have the Spirit (vs. 12, above) - they are pneumatics, not "people of the flesh (3:1, below)," or the psychical folks. This echoes 1:10b, above, where the same word, "mind," is used. An application of having Christ's mind can be seen in Phil. 2:2, 5-6 (although a different word is used in that passage) which echoes what Paul will address in 3:3ff, below. No wonder we can search the depths of God (vs. 10b, above). This gift, through being joined to Him, is beyond calculation.
Note the progressive reading of the present tense of the verb "have; hold." The parenthetical expansion is both practical, "a mind which is Anointed [by the Spirit of God]," and paradoxically mystical, "which is Christ" (which is an appositional rendering of the genitive case; other MS witnesses read "Lord"). But it all makes sense - to the spiritual person. God indwells us; we are one Spirit - from being joined to Him. These are aspects of the Good News, in Jesus Christ, which only the Spirit of God can unveil to us. The wisdom of the world is of no value here. Recall Jn. 3:8,
"The Spirit (or: Breath-effect, or, exhaled Breath; Attitude) habitually breathes and blows where It (or: He) is presently intending (willing; purposing), and you continually hear Its (or: His) voice, but yet you have not seen, and thus do not know, from what source It continuously comes, and where It progressively goes and habitually brings [things and folks] under [Its] control.
(or: The wind constantly blows where it presently sets its will, and you constantly hear it's sound, but yet you have not seen and do not know from where it is coming, nor where it is going; or: = The wind continuously blows and the Spirit normally breathes - in the place that each has purpose. And so you are often hearing the sound that either makes, although you have not perceived from what place it is presently coming, as well as to what place it is presently leading, under [its influence or control].) Thus is everyone (or: does everyone constantly exist being) - the person (or: the [corporate] Person [= the Second Humanity]) being birthed, having been born forth from out of the midst of the Spirit (or: In this manner exists all mankind, which is in the state of being born from the Breath-effect)."
Jonathan
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