The Holy Spirit in the Epistles
Day 35 — Spiritual Man Perceives Through the Spirit, Natural Can't
1 Corinthians 1-3
Chapter 1
1. God gave grace in Christ and you were enriched in everything
a. speech 1:5
b. knowledge 1:5
c. testimony of Christ in you confirmed 1:6
d. Not lacking any gift 1:7
e. Confirmed to the end, blameless 1:8
2. Urged to agree with no divisions 1:10
3. God is wiser, stronger than any man 1:18-29
4. By His doing we are in Christ 1:30
Chapter 2
Spiritual Perception and Understanding by the Spirit not Natural
1. Paul’s purpose and style
a. know only among them Jesus and Him crucified 2:2
b. not superiority of speech 2:1
c. proclaiming the testimony of God 2:1
d. weakness, fear and trembling 2:3
4. Not persuasive words of wisdom, but demonstration of the Spirit and power. 2:4
5. Faith and wisdom not based on human wisdom, but on God’s power. 2:5
6. Mystery hidden 2:7
a. for the mature 2:6
b. current rulers passing away with their wisdom 2:6
c. hidden, spoken before the ages to our glory 2:7
d. Eye hasn’t seen, ear hasn’t heard all that God has prepared for those 2:9
who love Him.
7. God revealed this to us through the Spirit 2:10
a. The Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God 2:10
b. No one knows the thoughts of God, except the Spirit of God 2:11
8. We received the Spirit so we may know the things freely given by God 2:12
a. This is what we speak of 2:13
b. The words are not human wisdom, but taught by the Spirit 2:13
c. Spiritual words and spiritual thoughts 2:13
9. Natural man does not understand or accept the Spirit of God 2:14
a. Its foolishness to them. 2:14
b. Its spiritually understood and they don’t have the Spirit of God 2:14
10. The spiritual man appraises all things 2:15
a. The Spirit reveals the mind of the Lord 2:16
b. We have the mind of Christ. 2:16
Chapter 3
1. Spiritual maturity is stifled by fleshliness 3:1-9
2. Your body is a temple of the God and the Holy Spirit dwells in you 3:16,17
a. The temple of God is holy, that is what you are
b. If a man destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him.
The Holy Spirit in the Epistles
Questions:
1. Chapter 1 lists several qualities that God has provided and enriched in us. What are they?
How is that accomplished? (1:30)
2. Paul said he was wanting to have the Spirit demonstrate God’s truth with power and not by conniving
wisdom of man. What were his priorities in how he spoke and what he wanted them to see?
3. What is the mystery that Paul is speaking of? Hint: (see Colossians 1:27) Expand upon the concept that
the Spirit being in the believer is a mystery.
4. Have you ever seen the light go on inside a non-believer who for the first time understands the
gospel? Or talked to a believer who started reading the Bible after years of confusion and inability
to grasp the concepts suddenly have their eyes open? How does that happen?
5. What does it mean that we have the mind of Christ? Do we actually think like Him?
6. While Chapter 2 speaks of having the mind of Christ, chapter 3 speaks of how to be blinded in the eyes.
What impairs our vision spiritually?
7. What does having your body be a temple of the Holy Spirit mean to you?
This is both exciting and sobering, is it not?
The Holy Spirit in the Epistles
Day 36 Our Body: the Temple of the Holy Spirit, Cleaned by Him 1 Corinthians 6
Reflection, Notes and Prayer