speaking by the spirit

1 Corinthians 2:13–16 (NIV) — 13 This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual realities with Spirit-taught words. 14 The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit. 15 The person with the Spirit makes judgments about all things, but such a person is not subject to merely human judgments, 16 for, “Who has known the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ.

What we have received, This is what we speak. To sum up and over-simplify, this is God’s plan: He reveals to prophets and apostles, and now to us through the Spirit. We then share what he has revealed to others who come to know him, and they in turn share what has been revealed to them, and so on.

Just as the revealing what by the Spirit, so is the sharing: not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual realities with Spirit-taught words.

Have you experienced the Spirit working in you as you share what Jesus has done for you? Maybe it was in words you hadn’t thought of before? Maybe it was in a flash of insight?

The presence of the Spirit makes all the difference.

According to verse 14 how does the person without the Spirit think about these things? What does he/she do about them? Why?

Have you experienced this, either in yourself or seen it in other people?

According to verse 15 what does the Spirit have to do about judgment? “Judgment” is not limited to legal situations but about all things. How has the Spirit helped you look differently about things?

Verse 16 concludes we have the mind of Christ. What does that mean to you? What difference should that make in your life?