Excerpt From God’s Gift of Perfection Series
Chapter 12 – Part 1
"Howbeit we speak wisdom among the perfect." 1 Corinthians: 2:6.
"And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual, but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ. For whereas there is among you jealousy and strife, are you not yet carnal?" 1 Corinthians. 3:1, 3.
There were mighty and abundant operations of the Holy Spirit among the Corinthians. Paul could say to them,
"In everything you were enriched in Christ, so that you come behind in no gift." 1 Corinthians 1:5
And yet in the sanctifying grace of the Holy Spirit there was much that was lacking. He had to say,
"There are contentions among you; I beseech you that there be no divisions among you, but that you may be perfected together in the same mind." 1 Corinthians 1:10, 11
The spirit of humility, and gentleness, and unity was wanting; without these they could not be perfected, either individually or as a body. They needed the injunction,
"Above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfectness." Colossians 3:14
The Corinthians were as yet carnal. The gifts of the Spirit were among them in power, but His grace – renewing, sweetening, sanctifying every temper into the likeness of Jesus – they were lacking much. The wisdom Paul preached was a heavenly, spiritual wisdom:
“God’s wisdom in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom” 1 Corinthians 2:7
It needed a spiritual, heavenly mind to apprehend it. "We speak wisdom among them that are perfect." He could not speak to them "as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal." Spiritual things must be spiritually discerned. The wisdom among the perfect could only be received by those who were not carnal, but spiritual. The perfect of whom Paul speaks are the spiritual.
Previously The Perfect Follow Christ – Part 2
