It’s All in Your Mind

@JuipJn 11 ~ (JlJlJJllNL du JI/ind ol @Juul "<for- w1u,. ltalJ,_ k,u,u,n, tlu. mind o/. flu .J!tml., IJuJi lu lfUll). uuh<at!L him? (}Jut au, lttuu. iJu nwtd o/, (zluld.." 1 Corinthians 2:16 Our reference Bible tells us that the first phrase of this verse possibly should read, "Who hath known the spirit of the Lord?" The word mind, however, is used twice in this passage as well as a number of times in the New Testament. It would seem by definition it means, "to designate knowledge, to understand or to have an intellectual plan."' With these possible definitions, the phrase would read, "Who hath known the designated plan, the inte11ect, the mind of the Lord?" The answer would be, no one. Can we instruct the Lord? The answer is no. Many of us try to do this in our praying. We tell God our plans and then ask Him to give His approval. The ne,ct time you start praying like this, ask yourself, ~o do I think I am that I can instruct God?"' The last phrase of the verse says, urJJul me luun IJu mind o/. @Juul." This statement is made as a certainty. This phrase concludes a long paragraph of teaching to the Corinthians. In fact. we again find a paragraph that is out of place with the character of the Corinthian believers. Paul, at the beginning of chapter two speaks about how he came to the Corinthians. The key phrase is, "buJ. in ~ o/. IJu ~ aml d-,1 ,wa,.u." (1 Corinthians 2:4). Verse six says, "lu,m./,m tM. 1./Ufl,k. wi.J.dMn fLIIUUtlJ Oum dud. au ,p,u/ttf,." The word perfect is the word complete. The wisdom he spoke was not the wisdom of the world, nor that of the leaders of the world. Paul reminds us that the educated man of the world can't even scratch the surface of the Spirit-filled Christian when it comes to the Word of God. Paul knew philosophy and methods and he could have swayed an audience by his elegance and oratory. But he did not operate that way. Paul says that the wisdom of the world will come to nothing. Verse seven tells us, "<;JJu. wu.d.tJm, 6/, .{J.t,d. l.,t, a nuµknj, tDttl IJu lti.ddnt wiuli,m,, wJ,;J,, .(j,J,d. turd.auw.L lu/-t,a flu. UJ.Nl.d unh,. tuu- g,/J,RJ..." Paul says to the Corinthian believers, "There has been something hidden, something obscured, which was not to be revealed until this very time." The word ordained in the Bible is the word predestinated. Until this time no one had kno~ of this predetermined mystery. Paul often was privileged to reveal mysteries. In 1 Corinthians 15 he revealed a mystery of the resurrection. "(}Jdu,ld, -;J. Ju,.w. ,p,a a m. ,pf.ug .; '10L .Judi llDt a/1 J.up ,, 6uL UJ.L Jta/1 '"- Juuuµd..,, In Colossians it was the mystery of "Christ in you the hope of glory."' Here he says, in verse eight, that if the leaders had known this mystery they never would have crucified Christ. 49 ,, 1,