Speak Holy Spirit || 1 Corinthians 2:13 || Manna for the Mind #116

Welcome to Day 116 of the “Manna for the Mind” devotional! This series is about taking scripture passages (typically 1-3 verses) and building our understanding of their teachings through their context and connecting scripture. I believe that doing this helps us understand how to be the type of human that God created us to be.

Today’s passage is 1 Corinthians 2:13. We’ll discuss how we can speak through the Spirit.

1 Corinthians 2:13

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13 We also speak of these things, not in words taught or supplied by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining and interpreting spiritual thoughts with spiritual words [for those being guided by the Holy Spirit].	13 When we tell you these things, we do not use words that come from human wisdom. Instead, we speak words given to us by the Spirit, using the Spirit’s words to explain spiritual truths.	13 We don’t have to rely on the world’s guesses and opinions. We didn’t learn this by reading books or going to school; we learned it from God, who taught us person-to-person through Jesus, and we’re passing it on to you in the same firsthand, personal way.

Paul wasn’t preaching and teaching his own opinions and impressions. The Holy Spirit was giving him the words, making him very authoritative. Under inspiration, he was speaking the very thoughts of God. Paul had significant credibility after his transformation in Acts 9 on the road to Damascus. Before he became a Christian, he was a Pharisee and an expert in biblical law. After his transformation, he was gifted with the Holy Spirit. He shared many teachings and preachings about God’s law and how the church should function healthily.

1 Corinthians 1:17

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17 For Christ did not send me [as an apostle] to baptize, but [commissioned and empowered me] to preach the good news [of salvation]—not with clever and eloquent speech [as an orator], so that the cross of Christ would not be made ineffective [deprived of its saving power].	17 For Christ didn’t send me to baptize, but to preach the Good News—and not with clever speech, for fear that the cross of Christ would lose its power.	17 God didn’t send me out to collect a following for myself, but to preach the Message of what he has done, collecting a following for him. And he didn’t send me to do it with a lot of fancy rhetoric of my own, lest the powerful action at the center—Christ on the Cross—be trivialized into mere words.

When Paul mentioned that Jesus didn’t send him to baptize, he wasn’t minimizing the importance of being baptized. Baptism was commanded by Jesus himself and practiced by the early church. Paul was talking about how no one should do everything. Paul’s gift and calling was preaching. Paul’s gift was not for baptizing. Christian ministry should be a team effort; no person is a complete link between God and people, and no person can do all that the apostles did together. While working and volunteering at a church, I have had various roles: youth director, children’s director, liturgist, sound tech, newsletter editor, secretary, treasurer, and more. I didn’t hold all these at one time, though. I might have had multiple roles at once, but somebody always did those other things. It allowed the church to flow and function fluidly to accomplish our goals in ministry.

Some speakers use impressive words, but they are weak with content. Paul stressed solid content and practical help for listeners. He wanted them to be impressed with his message, not his style. This has been a central wrestling point of mine for the last few years. I’ve felt the Spirit’s affirmation with the content I’m sharing with you and have seen growth in my writing over the years. I want to reach that equilibrium that shows my content is vital but always shown in a way that reaches everyone. Yet, as did Paul, I’ve learned that we don’t need to be a great speaker with an extensive vocabulary to share the Good News effectively. Paul was not against those who carefully prepared what they said. Still, he was against those who tried to impress others with their knowledge of speaking ability. This is truly the foundation of my “word vomit” writing style. Sometimes, it may not be adequately organized. Still, I want to share my thought process with you because it may help affirm your thoughts or allow you to see a different perspective.

1 Corinthians 2:4

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4 And my message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom [using clever rhetoric], but [they were delivered] in demonstration of the [Holy] Spirit [operating through me] and of [His] power [stirring the minds of the listeners and persuading them],	4 And my message and my preaching were very plain. Rather than using clever and persuasive speeches, I relied only on the power of the Holy Spirit.	4 and so nothing I said could have impressed you or anyone else. But the Message came through anyway. God’s Spirit and God’s power did it,

Paul’s confidence wasn’t in his keen intellect or speaking ability but in his knowledge that the Holy Spirit was helping and guiding him. Paul doesn’t undermine the importance of study and preparation for preaching – he was vastly educated in the scripture. Effective preaching must combine studious preparation with reliance on the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Don’t use this verse as an excuse not to study. I’ve poured many hours into my notes, readings, and rough drafts to help get me to where I want the study to go. Still, the Holy Spirit takes charge, speaks through my fingers and words, and speaks the message that needs to be told. There have been many preaching engagements afterward, and I don’t remember what I said. People come up to talk about parts that meant a lot to them or how one part was so good, but my memory of it is gone. Those moments are when the Holy Spirit moves.

2 Peter 1:20-21

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20 But understand this first of all, that no prophecy of scripture is a matter of or comes from one’s own [personal or special] interpretation	20 Above all, you must realize that no prophecy in scripture ever came from the prophet’s own understanding,	20-21 The main thing to keep in mind here is that no prophecy of scripture is a matter of private opinion. And why? Because it’s not something concocted in the human heart. Prophecy resultedwhen the Holy Spirit prompted men and women to speak God’s Word.
21 for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but menmoved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.	21 or from human initiative. No, those prophets were moved by theHoly Spirit, and they spoke from God.

“Those prophets were moved by the Holy Spirit and they spoke from God” means that scripture didn’t come from the creative work of the prophets’ invention or interpretation. God inspired the writers, making their message authentic and reliable. God use their talents. The writers weren’t just mindless robots. God cooperated with the writers in such a way as to ensure that the message he intended was faithfully communicated in the very words they wrote. God inspired the writers to write on a topic. The writers wrote God’s word for the audience in their context and time. It’s important to remember this because God inspired the writings. The writings weren’t for us, but they were written to us. We should dig underneath what’s said to get the lesson, message, and more. The Spirit will show us the lessons of the writings and how we can apply those teachings to our world today.

Father God, thank you for the gift of your words and those you’ve inspired and chosen to share with the world. Some of us get it wrong and misunderstand your teachings, but your Holy Spirit shows us the actual teachings. Help us lean into the gift of discernment to see how we can understand what you taught and apply it to the world. It’s in your mind, we pray. Amen.