A Wisdom “secret and hidden” 

In 1 Corinthians, Chapter 2:6-8 , Paul shared with the Corinthians (and with us by extension) what he described as a wisdom from God – a wisdom “secret and hidden.”  It was a wisdom that Paul declared was “not a wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are doomed to perish.” Again, Paul emphasized that it was a wisdom “secret and hidden, which God decreed before the ages for our glory.”  Yes, rather interesting, isn’t it? God bestows upon those of His choosing a wisdom that cannot be understood by the rulers of this age (this age being the current, soon to end, 2000 years-long Age of Grace.) Paul insists this “wisdom from God” is secret and hidden and refers to Isaiah 64:4 (paraphrases actually) when he said to the Corinthians ““What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the human heart conceived, what God has prepared for those who love him” (1 Corinthians 2:9)

Yes, it would appear the world and the ones who are immersed in it, simply find God’s wisdom to be foolishness, of no value, irrational, and more often than not, even self-destructive. And so, God’s wisdom, being quite contrary to human reason, can only be found reasonable or logical if God gives one the “eyes to see and the ears to hear” it as such. And thus, Jesus promised to send us (his disciples) a Teacher to teach us all things about God’s wisdom and rationale. And that Teacher of course, is the Holy Spirit.

I think it would be a bit unreasonable to expect all of God’s disciples to know and understand all that God has planned and has been bringing about for the past 6000 years (and is still doing.) Even Paul only saw dimly, so to speak, much of God’s plans for His creation and His chosen people. Like nearly all the prophets and Apostles, Paul, and although much was revealed to him, only what he needed to know to accomplish his mission in his day was fully revealed to him. The rest was a bit of a blur. What Paul in the 1st century did not fully know about the Last Days, we last-day-disciples may well be in position to know – or at least see a bit more clearly.

When the prophet Daniel received a vision of the Last Days events, he did not understand the vision in the least, and he declared to the angel showing Daniel the vision that he didn’t understand it. The angel told Daniel it was not for him to understand it, but to write it down only and then “seal the vision. (Daniel 12:4) It was for the people of the End Time to understand. And when John on the island of Patmos received his version (The Book of Revelation) of the same vision Daniel received, John was told “Do not seal the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is at hand.” — our time, the time of this Age. (Revelation 22:10)

Yes, it would appear we don’t all need, or get to fully understand God’s ways and wisdom in their every detail, but as Jesus promised, he has sent the Holy Spirit to teach us all things. All get to know what they need to know to fulfill their unique missions and not necessarily that we all, individually, get to understand ALL things exclusively, but as Christ’s Church and Bride we will collectively come to know God’s wisdom and what He is bringing about in these last days. (BTW, the term “last days” is not speaking of 24 hour days as so many are inclined to think. But speaks of something much broader in scope. And such is a much needed topic for discussion to take place very, very soon.)

Bottom line here is that to know God’s mind one must possess God’s spirit, for as Paul said:

“…these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. For what human being knows what is truly human except the human spirit that is within? So also no one comprehends what is truly God’s except the Spirit of God. Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit that is from God, so that we may understand the gifts bestowed on us by God.” (1 Corinthians 2:10-12 NRSVUE)

The last quote pretty much says it all. So, pray that the Holy Spirit grows within you; pray that it grows within all of Jesus’ last-day-disciples. Our Lord and God, Jesus, is not far off. Time is indeed running short. Let us all pray for God’s wisdom and understanding in anticipation and readiness for that great Day.

And with that being said… 

We are waiting, Lord. Come soon!

Mark Johnson UMC Lay Servant/February 10, 2023