Thus far, we have seen how Scripture is sufficient for salvation, clear for us to understand, and authoritative. In this study, we will see how it is necessary. God has chosen to reveal to us His mystery of salvation, and His revelation is out of His love for us.
(a) The mystery that was planned to be hidden (1 Cor 2:6-8)
Paul speaks of two types of wisdom in 1 Corinthians 2:6-7. There is a wisdom of this age or held by the rulers of this age, and which is doomed to pass away. The contemporary teachings and philosophy of Paul’s day like that of the Greek philosophers were likely what Paul had in view. In some sense, this is true, for how many of us really understood the philosophical “wisdom” they have left to our day?
There is of course, another wisdom – it is a secret and hidden wisdom of God, decreed before the ages for our glory. This “wisdom”, Paul takes as a synonym for the God-given teachings and revelation contained in the apostolic New Testament. This apostolic teaching is a revelation of wisdom from God. Do we think of the Bible as God’s wisdom to us? Do we think of it information that once was hidden, and now revealed? Is this what we think of God’s wisdom?
What then does it mean that this hidden wisdom was previously closed off in other generations, but now through the apostles, has been given for our glory? Let us hold that thought.
What is the content of this wisdom? Theological knowledge that God has revealed seems to have made significant impact on how people took action. Paul states that if that wisdom had been known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory (1 Cor 2:8). In other words, this knowledge changes the way we think about this Lord, and changes how we live.
Understand that the content of this wisdom sheds light on who this Lord of glory is, and knowing this, it changes the way people relate and respond to Him. The content of the wisdom is who this Lord is, and His significance.
In Ephesians 3:4-5, Paul speaks of a “mystery” of Christ, which was revealed to His apostles (in the New Testament) and prophets (Old Testament) by the Spirit. This was not known in previous generations and is now revealed, a point he also makes in 1 Cor 2.
In Acts 13:27, we see Paul making the same point yet again. The Old Testament, he alleged, when understood rightly, would have helped the people to understand Jesus Christ as the promised Messiah. Paul was clear that this theological knowledge about the Christ was life-changing, and it the knowledge of Scripture. It is not a knowledge that comes from general revelation such as by observing nature. Rather, this information about who Jesus is and what He is like and the response to Him can be found from Genesis to Malachi.
Jesus Himself explained to the disciples how the Old Testament Scripture was to be read, and it will do us well to also understand His argument for our good. In Matthew 5:17, we read that Jesus did not come to abolish the Law or the Prophets but to fulfil them. Jesus uses a well-known and understood shorthand for Old Testament Scripture here, the “Law and the Prophets”. The disciples were taught that they ought to understand and interpret the Old Testament truly (c.f. Lk 24:25-27). When understood, the disciples felt their hearts burn with passion and spiritual vitality as He opened the Scriptures to them so they could grasp this truth (Lk 24:32). Friends, do you think that Bible study is flat and boring and only for the intellectual? Read this encounter again. Their hearts burned in passionate worship when Scripture was explained so they understood it!
In Luke 24:44-47, Jesus explain a similar point to His disciples — that everything written about Him in the Law of Moses, Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled. The Old Testament, when rightly understood, Jesus said, is most of all about a crucified Christ.
But do we really need to understand the obscure books of the Old Testament? One point to note is that recognising Jesus’ own clarification that He did not come to abolish the books of the Old Testament and do away with them but to fulfil them. This should discourage us from having a dismissive attitude towards these Old Testament books. A love for Jesus should also cause us to desire to know and love Him the way He wants us to know Him. We should rightly ask ourselves how well do we know the Old Testament, and if we have grasped the meaning of the various books.
If we are not interested in the Old Testament at all, could it be that we simply are not interested in the Jesus revealed in the Bible? Perhaps we prefer a Jesus of our own making, one who cares about the things we care about? Let us resist having a dismissive attitude towards various books of the Old Testament.
So, what is the Old Testament about?
The way we read through the Old Testament should be informed with eyes fixed on the story of the promised Seed of the Woman who will triumph over His enemies (Gen 3:15)? Where is the mighty prophet who will work God’s wonders (Deut 18:18)? Where is the great Davidic King of a triumphant, never-ending dynasty (2 Sam 7:14)? In awaiting His coming, has the God of salvation given up on His promises?
As we read the Scriptures and perhaps feel that based on our circumstances, God has seemingly forgotten us and is not hearing our prayers, or His promises to bless, to be with us and redeem seem – we should feel right at home with God’s people awaiting rescue in Egypt, through the wilderness and in exile. We should cling to God’s promise, and His Word that calls us to faith and hope. God will keep His ancient promise, although it may come in forms we did not expect. 400 years later, a helpless baby was born in poverty and squalor to a humble carpenter and his young wife as the fulfilment of these promises.
(B) Love that reveals spiritual teaching (1 Cor 2:9-13)
Returning to Paul’s argument in 1 Cor 2, he quotes Isaiah 64:4 to describe a God who acts because He loves us. Moreover, Paul gives us a tutorial for how to read the Bible here. Isaiah 64:4 shows us that God acts in revelation as an expression of His love for us.
God reveals wisdom to us through His Spirit (1 Cor 2:10). We may reason that it may more optimal for God to reveal Himself through general revelation, perhaps by writing in the sky or in the clouds. 1 Corinthians 2:10 has Paul describing a God who communicates by way of spiritual revelation, and thus we should understand that in His wisdom, truth is spiritually revealed and communicated. How does this work?
The New Testament lays out both the principle of apostolic authenticity, and the practice of the same.
The principle described here is that the New Testament Scriptures comprise the books written by the true apostles for our faith by means of divine inspiration — that God has inspired human authors to give us the books that make up the Biblical canon. The canon refers to the defined set of the books of the Bible as our “rule” of faith, and the way that we know we have the right books, is that the Bible lay out its own case for apostolic authority for the New Testament. In John 14:1-3, 15-17, 26, Jesus prepares His disciples for a future when He will leave them and He promises to send the Holy Spirit. This Spirit of God is not a new entity, as He has been mentioned in the Scriptures as early as Gen 1:3 in the beginning. Jesus gives details about what this promised Spirit will come and do. Critically, He will equips the apostles to remember and record Jesus’ teachings. Thus in John 17:14,20, Jesus prays for those who will believe through the apostles’ words.
But who is an apostle? Acts 1:15-26 gives us the definition and criteria of an apostle. Peter describes those who have been with Jesus from the beginning of His ministry and are witnesses to His resurrection, and the office must be filled. But for what purpose? Paul will later write that the prophets and apostles are given as the foundation of the church of Christ (c.f. Eph 2:20). Evidently, they are the bedrock for the church, and the spiritual truth they communicate to us is foundational. God has given everything He wanted us to to know for our faith through the prophets (in the Old Testament) and the apostles (in the New).
We also see how this principle was also translated into practice. Apostolic teaching was recognised early on in the life of the early church. In 2 Peter 1:16-21, Peter explains how the church can trust Scripture with certainty. He refers to how the apostles’ writings were eyewitness accounts of what they saw themselves, of which Peter was one, describing the glorious sight on the Mount of Transfiguration (2 Pet 1:16-18). But amazingly, Peter goes further. There is something even greater and more trustworthy than eyewitness testimony. Peter tells us that what we really have is the Holy Spirit-inspired prophetic word! Words given by the Spirit through inspired men, Peter reasons, is more worthy of our full study and attention. If that were not enough, Peter then goes on to acknowledge in the very same book, that the apostle Paul’s writings are also Scripture in 2 Peter 3:15-16. Correspondingly, we see how in Paul’s letters, references like 1 Timothy 5:18 cite both Old Testament verses from Deut 25:4 and New Testament gospel references like Lk 10:7 as Scripture!
Thus, we can see that the books we have in the New Testament, which are both eyewitness accounts and inspired prophetic writings, including the writings of Paul, Moses and Luke (as a close apostolic associate) are regarded as Scripture. We can thus be confident about the books that we have!
In 1 Corinthians 2:10b-11, Paul goes on to say that the spiritual content revealed by God must be understood or taught by the Spirit as the only way for us to understand what God wants us to know. No one seeks God and no human being can reason our way to God. We are absolutely dependent on God to know things about God.
If you are a Christian here today, pause and consider this. What do you need to know God? God Himself took the initiative to reveal Himself and opened your eyes to Him. Not because we were smart or enlightened, but because God’s Spirit opened our eyes. In our flesh, we did not want to know anything about God and we were blind to Him. With eyes opened by God, we now behold the glory of His Son through the amazing writings of the prophets and apostles in the Bible. Without it, we could not know God in Christ.
The Bible is an invitation from God to know Him. We come to Him on His terms, eager to know Him and respond to Him. Thus, the Bible is necessary for us to know God.