What God has prepared....

Corinthians 2:9 - "But, as it is written, “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him”

We know that this is one of the famous go-to verses by charismatic preachers and especially prophets. Mostly it is interpreted as something that hints at material blessings which God has prepared for us that no one else knows about(secret)😊. As humans, it may give us goosebumps when we hear about a big surprise that awaits us in the form of an earthly blessing. But when Paul wrote this verse under the inspiration of Holy Spirit, was there any sign of an earthly blessing in his words? To know more about it, let us take a deeper look at the verse.

We can see that Paul was referring to Isaiah 64:4 when he wrote 1 Cor 2:9. In the history of the nation of Israel, there was a time where they had renounced God and drifted away from him. They engaged themselves in pagan rituals and worshipped idols. But there was still a remnant who looked unto God and remained faithful to him. So Prophet Isaiah encourages them as he talks about the coming Messiah who will wipe away their sins and bestow the messianic blessings that are in store for them.

Now let us come to the context of 1 Corinthians 2. So the people in Corinth were depending upon human wisdom to resolve the issues in church. We can see Apostle Paul compares human wisdom with divine wisdom starting from verse 1. Human wisdom is completely based upon logic and reasoning. In Jewish setting where Paul wrote this epistle, human wisdom was highly valued among the intellectuals. Even the Scripture acclaims human wisdom (Proverbs 1:5) but it is never a substitute for Godly wisdom. Paul says his preaching never came out of his human wisdom but rather with the affirmation of the power of the Holy Spirit. The faith of the Corinth believers in Corinth should not rely on human wisdom but rather on Gods power. That was the sole reason for Paul’s statement in v4.

God is beyond time and space. And human wisdom has limits and cannot access the wisdom of God. Isaiah 55:8-9 says,

8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. 9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.

Unless Godly wisdom is revealed, it remains secret and hidden. Divine wisdom is way above the par of human intelligence or wisdom and beyond our grasp. But in his mercy, God disclosed his wisdom by sending his only begotten Son to this world to die for our sins. The mystery of the gospel is the Godly wisdom which Paul talks about here. Human minds cannot comprehend divine wisdom unless enlightened by God. When the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son to redeem those were under the law so that we might receive adoption as sons (Galatians 4:4-5). The mystery of the gospel cannot be discerned by human wisdom as it can be perceived only through a special revelation from the Holy Spirit. For his Spirit searches out everything and shows us God’s deep secrets.(1 Cor 2:10).

Having been reconciled to God through the atonement of Jesus Christ, we have peace with the Father now. Paul applied the words of Isaiah in this context to state that only the spiritually mature ones could grasp the mysteries of God. When the reprobate minds suppress the truth by their wickedness, God chose us and redeemed us. The unregenerate does not understand the true beauty and worth of the gospel message. 1 Corinthians 1:18 says - For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

Now we are waiting for our glorification where we would inherit the promise of eternity. 1 Corinthians 13:12 states - “For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.” What we have known is just in part, as we are yet to enjoy the beauty of eternity in perfection. So remember the fact that Paul never had material/earthly blessings in the context of 1 Corinthians 2:9 while he was speaking to the Church at Corinth. He was talking about mystery of the gospel which was revealed through the Spirit of God. So rather than being deceived in the prosperity of this world, let us rely on the power of the gospel that transforms us and trust in God as we wait for the coming of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.