"testimony of God" - this would refer back to 1:6 and the "testimony of Christ." Only the only references to this is here and in the Revelation. The testimony of God is what Paul declared to those in Corinth on his visit (Acts 18:1-11). The gospel taught from the OT scriptures would literally be the testimony of God when referring back to Acts 18:4 when Paul was in the synagogues of Corinth, and looking at v2.
"testimony" - some MSS have this word as "mystery." Regardless of the word, this would still be consistent seeing the mystery that Paul would be talking about would be the revealed gospel through Jesus Christ (2:7-8)
What Paul called the testimony of God in v1 is explained here in v2 as telling about Jesus Christ crucified.
"save" - except
The condition Paul finds himself in is not one of strength. Nevertheless, we know that the salvation rests in God's power and not that of man. It would be certainly an encouragement to the preacher who feels he did a poor but honest job in proclaiming the gospel and because a man who is held in such high esteem as Paul describes himself as "in weakness, in fear and in much trembling."
Paul's message was not set up in order to please the ears of the listener, not as an eloquent disortation in order to attempt to convince his listeners, rather from the way his message is described it was quite feeble from the human standpoint. The gospel message, however, is not one to display the glory of man but the glory of God. The Spirit of God will take this message in its weakest form and use it to the greatest extent.
"enticing" - persuasive
"words of man's wisdom" - this refers back to 1:17. The emphasis again is that the strength of man is of no regard when it comes to spiritual matters.
There is significant danger in the wisdom of men being incorporated into the gospel message. When there is proposal to spread the gospel apart from the ways that God has instructed, the early church demonstrated, or by the word of God itself, there should be red flags. There should be no emotional experiences created that are based upon empty things, or "altar calls," "sinner's prayers," not telling someone that they are saved. These things are a recipe for a false profession or to giving someone security who is still on the road to hell. Salvation is a work of God. Revealing of spiritual things and conviction is a work of the Spirit. Conversion to Christianity, in relation to help from another, can be done by guiding an individual in the scriptures, otherwise convictions and convincing is left up to God. Our role is to pray (1 Tim 2:4) and to spread the gospel (Mk 16:15), not to save souls (Rom 1:16).
"stand" - be OR rest
"perfect" - full grown. This would refer to those who are Christians (Phi 3:15). It is only those who have received the gospel message that understand its wisdom, to those who have the wisdom of the age or are the rulers of the age it is foolishness.
"world" - both words are "age."
"mystery" - Rom 16:25-26, Eph 3:1-11, Col 1:24-29. A NT mystery is something that was once concealed, but is not divinely revealed.
"hidden" - things that were hidden were things like the Messiah was to suffer for sin before reigning in righteousness, the Jew and Gentile on the same ground, and the position that God brings those saved into.
"ordained" - preordained
"world" - ages
"ordained before the world" - this verse is again a display of God's omniscience. God was not caught off guard by sin, nor was the plan of salvation a plan B for man, but before creation God devised the plan of salvation through the sacrifice of His Son.
"princes of this world" - same as v6. A reason why God had to hide the way of salvation being provided is that surely the wicked hearts of the rulers of this age would seek to foil the fulfillment of the prophets. Had they known, they would not have crucified Jesus Christ.
*quote* Isa 64:4 - This verse is concerning earthly things as a fulfillment of Christ crucified. This would include the privilege of the believer of enjoying the heavenlies (Eph 1:3) while upon earth. These things, like the manner in which God would bring these blessings about, was a mystery and is yet hidden to those who are unbelievers.
The hidden things of God have been revealed by the Spirit of God to believers. The Spirit of God knows all things about God and therefore is capable of teaching them to the believer.
The reason for the ability of the Spirit of God is explained in this verse. The man's own spirit knows the man, but other men do not fully understand another man. The spirit is in connection with emotions such as happy and sad (Eph 4:30), therefore the spirit knows what the man enjoys and what he doesn't. The spirit of the man knows all things concerning that man. The Spirit of God is the same, as the Holy Spirit knows what brings God pleasure and sadness, even so He can be grieved at things which cause God sadness. Man does not know these things unless he is told by the Spirit about these things.
Knowing the world in depth is of no concern to the believer. The Spirit has been given to the believer in order that he might be taught blessings that God freely bestows upon believers.
Those who are taught by the Spirit, such as the things communicated in this epistle, tell them in their own words whereby they might be understood by those who are taught by God's Spirit to discern them. The way the Holy Scriptures have been inspired is in this manner: God had chosen men to communicate the things that were once hidden to others using their own vocabulary guided by the Spirit. This words then in turn can be interpreted based on spiritual understanding as taught by the Spirit of God. This is how the believer is able to understand teaching from the scripture, or the unbeliever to understand God's way of salvation from the inspired words in the scripture.
"natural" - soulish
The unbeliever cannot understand the Bible because they are not taught by the Spirit of God.. To the unbeliever, the things of God are foolishness. This refers especially back to 1:18 where it states that, "the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness." The power of the cross must be spiritually discerned. When unbeliever cares nothing for the things of God, thus the Spirit won't reveal things of God to them. The Holy Spirit, whether we are saved or not, always submits to the spirit of man. The character of the Spirit is that He will not force Himself upon the unwilling heart.
"judgeth" - discerneth. The spiritual man is able to discern all spiritual things because he is under control of the Spirit of God. Because the spiritual man is spiritual, the natural man is unable to understand him. This is because the natural man is unable to understand spiritual things, thus the spiritual man.
"mind" - intellect. *quote* Isa 40:13. The direct OT quote from the Hebrew manuscript (Masoretic) whereby the KJV was translated substitutes the mind for the Spirit of Jehovah: " Who hath directed the Spirit of the LORD, or being his councellor hath taught him?" The LXX quote says, "Who has known the mind of the Lord? and who has been his counsellor, to instruct him." These difference in these two quotes may indicate that the work of the Spirit of the Lord is to always carry out the mind and will of God. Truly no man can know the mind or the Spirit of the Lord without spiritual teaching from the Holy Spirit. The question is rhetorical, as the very thought of such an idea to be carried out by one who is spiritual is foolish.
**We know that both the Masoretic and Septuagint (LXX) texts are inspired since the Masoretic is what was translated into English for the OT, and the Textus Receptus uses LXX quotes in its text.**
"we have the mind of Christ" - cf. Phil 2:1-5. The mind of Christ is one of humility. This is the mind that would never challenge the will of God. A clear example of this was carried out by Christ who was always submissive to the will of His God, even to the death of the cross.
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