SEV Biblia, Chapter 2:16
Porque ¿quin conoci el entendimiento del Seor? ¿Quin le instruy? Mas nosotros tenemos el entendimiento del Cristo.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - 1 Corinthians 2:16
Verse 16. For who hath known the mind of the Lord] Who that is still an animal man can know the mind of God? so as to instruct him, viz. the spiritual man, the same that is spoken of, 1 Cor. ii. 15. But the words may be better understood thus: How can the animal man know the mind of the Lord? and how can any man communicate that knowledge which he has never acquired, and which is foolishness to him, because it is spiritual, and he is animal? This quotation is made from Isa. xl. 13. But we have the mind of Christ.] He has endowed us with the same disposition, being born again by his Spirit; therefore we are capable of knowing his mind and receiving the teachings of his Spirit. These teachings we do receive, and therefore are well qualified to convey them to others.
The words, that he may instruct him, ov sumbibasei auton, should be translated that he may teach IT: that is, the mind of God; not instruct God, but teach his mind to others. And this interpretation the Hebrew will also bear.
Bishop Pearce observes: "The principal questions here are,, what sumbibasei signifies, and what auton is relative to. The Hebrew word which the Septuagint translate by these two is wn[ydwy yodiennu: now, since [ydy yodia signifies as well to make known as to know, (and indeed this is the most frequent sense of it in the Old Testament,) the suffix (postfix) wn nu, may relate to a thing, as well as to a person; and therefore it may be rendered not by him, but by it, i.e. the mind of the Lord. And in this sense the apostle seems to have used the words of the Seventy; for, if we understand auton here to be the relative to kuriou, Lord, this verse contains no reason for what went before; whereas, if it be a relative to noun, mind, it affords a reason for what had been said before, chap. ii. 14." The true translation of the passage, as used by the apostle, appears to be this: For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he should TEACH IT? And this translation agrees with every part of the context, and particularly with what follows.
1. THIS chapter might be considered a good model for a Christian minister to regulate his conduct by, or his public ministry; because it points out the mode of preaching used by St. Paul and the apostles in general. This great apostle came not to the people with excellency of speech and of wisdom, when he declared unto them the counsel of God. They know little, either of the spirit of St. Paul or the design of the Gospel, who make the chief excellence of their preaching to consist in the eloquence of language, or depth of human reasoning. That may be their testimony, but it is not God's. The enticing words of man's wisdom are seldom accompanied by the demonstration and power of the Holy Spirit.
2. One justly remarks, that "the foolishness of preaching has its wisdom, loftiness, and eloquence; but this consists in the sublimity of its truths, the depth of its mysteries, and the ardour of the Spirit of God." In this respect Paul may be said to have preached wisdom among those which were perfect. The wisest and most learned men in the world, who have seriously read the Bible, have acknowledged that there is a depth and height of wisdom and knowledge in that book of God which are sought in vain any where else: and indeed it would not be a revelation from God were it not so. The men who can despise and ridicule this sacred book are those who are too blind to discover the objects presented to them by this brilliant light, and are too sensual to feel and relish spiritual things. They, above all others, are incapable of judging, and should be no more regarded when employed in talking against the sacred writings than an ignorant peasant should be, who, not knowing his alphabet, pretends to decry mathematical learning.
3. A new mode of preaching has been diligently recommended,] "Scriptural phraseology should be generally avoided where it is antiquated, or conveys ideas inconsistent with modern delicacy." St. Paul did not preach in the words which man's wisdom teacheth] such words are too mean and too low for a religion so Divine. That which the Holy Spirit alone can discover, he alone can explain. Let no man dare to speak of God in any other way than he speaks of himself in his word. Let us take care not to profane his truths and mysteries, either by such low and abject ideas as are merely human, or by new and worldly expressions altogether unworthy of the Spirit of God.
4. It is the glory of God, and ought to be ours, not to be acceptable to carnal men. The natural man always finds some pretense to excuse himself from believing, by looking on the mysteries of religion as being either too much above man or too much below God; the spiritual man judges them to be so much the more credible, the less credible they are to the natural man.
The opposition, contempt, and blindness of the world, with regard to the things of God, render all its judgments concerning them liable to exception: this blindness in spiritual things is the just punishment of a carnal life. The principal part of the above is extracted from the reflections of the pious Quesnel.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 16. For who hath known the mind of the Lord , etc.] The deep counsels of his heart, the scheme of salvation by Jesus Christ, as drawn in his eternal mind, the sense of the Spirit of God in the writings of the Old Testament, the things of the Spirit of God, or the doctrines of grace more clearly revealed under the Gospel dispensation; not any natural man, by the light of truth and strength of reason, has known any of these things. The apostle either cites or alludes to ( Isaiah 40:13) that he may instruct him ? not the Lord, who needs no instruction from any, nor can any teach and instruct him, nor would any be so bold and insolent as to attempt it nor does the knowledge of the mind of the Lord qualify any for such a work; since if he knows ever so much of it, he cannot know more than the Lord himself: but the spiritual man, whom a natural man, being ignorant of the mind of the Lord, cannot instruct; and so the words give a very proper and sufficient reason why the spiritual man is not discerned, judged, convinced, and instructed by the natural man: but we have the mind of Christ ; the same with the mind of the Lord which proves that Christ is the Lord, or Jehovah, and so truly and properly God; and which is to be understood, not only of the apostles and ministers of the Gospel, but of all true believers; and therefore want no instruction, as they can have none from the natural man; though chiefly of the former, whereby they were abundantly qualified for the further instruction even of spiritual men.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 10-16 - God has revealed true wisdom to us by his Spirit. Here is a proof of the Divine authority of the Holy Scriptures, 2Pe 1:21. In proof of the Divinity of the Holy Ghost, observe, that he knows all things, and he searches all things, even the deep things of God. No one can know the things of God, but his Holy Spirit, who is one with the Father and the Son, and who makes known Divine mysteries to his church. This is mos clear testimony, both to the real Godhead and the distinct person of the Holy Spirit. The apostles were not guided by worldly principles They had the revelation of these things from the Spirit of God, and the saving impression of them from the same Spirit. These things the declared in plain, simple language, taught by the Holy Spirit, totall different from the affected oratory or enticing words of man's wisdom The natural man, the wise man of the world, receives not the things of the Spirit of God. The pride of carnal reasoning is really as muc opposed to spirituality, as the basest sensuality. The sanctified min discerns the real beauties of holiness, but the power of discerning an judging about common and natural things is not lost. But the carnal ma is a stranger to the principles, and pleasures, and actings of the Divine life. The spiritual man only, is the person to whom God give the knowledge of his will. How little have any known of the mind of God by natural power! And the apostles were enabled by his Spirit to make known his mind. In the Holy Scriptures, the mind of Christ, and the mind of God in Christ, are fully made known to us. It is the grea privilege of Christians, that they have the mind of Christ revealed to them by his Spirit. They experience his sanctifying power in their hearts, and bring forth good fruits in their lives __________________________________________________________________
Greek Textus Receptus
τις 5101 I-NSM γαρ 1063 CONJ εγνω 1097 5627 V-2AAI-3S νουν 3563 N-ASM κυριου 2962 N-GSM ος 3739 R-NSM συμβιβασει 4822 5692 V-FAI-3S αυτον 846 P-ASM ημεις 2249 P-1NP δε 1161 CONJ νουν 3563 N-ASM χριστου 5547 N-GSM εχομεν 2192 5719 V-PAI-1P
Vincent's NT Word Studies
16. Mind (noun). See on Rom. vii. 23. The understanding of the Lord. The divine counsels or purposes which are the results of the divine thought. See on Rom. xi. 34.Instruct (sumbibasei). See on proving, Acts ix. 22.
Robertson's NT Word Studies
2:16 {For who hath known the mind of the Lord} (tis gar egnw noun kuriou;). Quotation from #Isa 40:13. {That he should instruct him} (hos sunbibasei auton). this use of hos (relative {who}) is almost consecutive (result). The pneumatikos man is superior to others who attempt even to instruct God himself. See on Ac 9:22; 16:10 for sunbibazw, to make go together. {But we have the mind of Christ} (hemeis de noun cristou ecomen). As he has already shown (verses #6-13). Thus with the mind (nous. Cf. #Php 2:5; Ro 8:9,27). Hence Paul and all pneumatikoi men are superior to those who try to shake their faith in Christ, the mystery of God. Paul can say, "I know him whom I have believed."I believe; therefore I have spoken."
