Bible Commentaries
1 Corinthians 2

Verses 1-5

How Paul Preached the Gospel (2:1-5)

We can now afford to run more rapidly through some other parts of this letter. In 2:1-5 Paul writes as if he never preached anything at all except the crucifixion of Christ. As a matter of fact, if his letters are any sample, what he means is that the Cross is a central point. In its light, problems are solved; by its light life’s true direction is found. One point to note is that Paul does not present Christianity as a set of dogmas or as a manual of ad­vice. It is a story, something that happened, something God has done.

Three Kinds of Men (2:6-3:4)

Some people in Corinth saw no point in Paul’s preaching and teaching. They did not get his meaning. Others did; and of these, some were greatly changed by it and others were changed but little. Paul has words (Greek, of course) for each of these kinds of men. There are no three words in English to match exactly these three Greek words. At the lowest level is the "unspiritual" man (2:14), or "natural" man (see margin), who is deaf to the gospel story and blind to Christ—and quite content to be so. The other two levels are those whose hearts have been touched by the Holy Spirit. But the middle level is of those who are un­developed Christians, "babes in Christ" (3:1), Paul calls them. They are "in Christ"; they are on his side. But they have never lived up to their faith, nor appreciated it. At the top level are mature Christians. It was said of a certain Christian that he lived in a different "climate of the spirit" from other men. His whole attitude to life was "out of this world." He was a very practical man too, but he marched to the drums of heaven. The first-level men are like dead seed. The second-level men are like living plants, but stunted ones. The third level are the fruit-bearers. Show a light to a stone, and the stone does not change. Show a light to a baby and he will blink his eyes, but it does him little good. Show a light to a grown person and he will find his way by it.