How to Have Extraordinary Living (Part 1 of 2)
The Secret Wisdom of God
Following the theme from last week, the Apostle Paul continues to describe the reality and ability to live gloriously, with glorious wisdom. He presents an important idea: how to have an advantage in life. Wouldn't you want to go through life not just surviving, but with an advantage others don't have?
Think about any area of your life where you could have such an advantage. Not like insider trading or winning the lottery, but an advantage in living meaningfully. The Greek term for "wisdom" here means having an edge or understanding to function properly in life—especially from knowing the depths of God, things freely given by Him that the rulers of this age couldn't grasp.
Yet among the mature we do impart wisdom, although it is not a wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age who are doomed to pass away. But we impart a secret and hidden wisdom of God which God decreed before the ages for our glory. None of the rulers of this age understood this for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. But as it is written, “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him” (1 Corinthians 2:6–9).
This wisdom leads to functioning meaningfully, with a higher quality of life for the glory of God and your good. Notice verse 7: it's a secret, hidden wisdom decreed before the ages for our glory—not just His, but yours too.
Jesus as Our Wisdom
People crave wisdom on how to live fully—with enjoyment, comfort, satisfaction, and ease. You'll pick it up from somewhere. Why not receive the depths of God for your glory?
This wisdom relates to what Paul said earlier: Jesus is our wisdom (1 Corinthians 1:30), specifically Jesus Christ and Him crucified. It's everything we learn from the gospel—Jesus dying to save us from sins, enabling us to live for Him and the life He lived.
Receiving this wisdom for your glory means living as God intended, displaying a reputation of extraordinary life that draws others to investigate: "Why are they living and experiencing life that way? They have an edge."
Glory here means an extraordinary kind of life, out of the ordinary. As Christians, we can live so differently that people question why we seem to have an advantage.
Examples of Extraordinary Living
Consider 1 Thessalonians 4: when a Christian dies, believers grieve with hope of reunion—higher quality than the world's hopeless grief.
Or marriage: your experience can be fundamentally extraordinary compared to those outside the faith.
Even mundane routines—waking up, brushing teeth, daily life—can have transcendent meaning through relationship with God, bringing joy and contentment that elevates the ordinary to glorious.
The Corinthians, divided into camps (Paul, Apollos, Cephas), missed this godless, gospel-less experience. Paul reminds them of the depths of God they're missing, where Jesus is more famous than they are, bringing harmony with Scripture and a higher quality of life.
Maturity to Receive This Wisdom
This wisdom is for the mature (v. 6) and spiritual (v. 13). Hebrews 5 critiques immature second-generation Christians who, after 30 years, should be teachers but are lazy in hearing, unable to grasp depths like Melchizedek's relation to Christ.
Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God. And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual (1 Corinthians 2:12–13).
Growth requires constant gospel intake (know nothing but Christ crucified), plus trials that produce maturity (James 1:2–4, using teleios, the same word for "mature" here). Marry suffering with more gospel, studying Scripture to find Jesus.
This wisdom predates the ages, not gained by time or rulers who are passing away. It's God's predestined mysteries (mystērion), hidden from those who crucified the Lord of glory.
Loving God: The Centerpiece
What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him—these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit (1 Corinthians 2:9–10; cf. Isaiah 64:4).
At the center: love for God. Does hearing about God move you? If you claim to love Him but avoid time with Him or His people, it's incongruent—like saying you love your spouse but shun them.
God loved us first, stirring our love. Crave gospel preaching; treat God's people well, as it demonstrates love for Him (Hebrews 6). Divisions in Corinth stemmed from pride, but all come from depravity—none better, all saved by grace.
The Spirit Reveals Gospel Depths
For who knows a person's thoughts except the spirit of that person which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God (1 Corinthians 2:11).
Only the Spirit knows God's depths—no Google search finds them. We've received the Spirit from God to understand His free gifts, taught not by human wisdom but the Spirit to the spiritual.
The Spirit reveals within the gospel (Christ crucified). For problems—rumors, broken friendships, family issues—the gospel pipeline from God's depths shows sin as the problem, Jesus as solution. Without sin, like Jesus, you'd endure even crucifixion with joy (Hebrews 12).
Focus on gospel: emerge better, stronger, more in love with Christ. The Spirit searches all, fully available in the gospel—not outside it.
