The Mind of Christ (1 Cor 2:1-16)
Roy Soriano
1Co 2:16 “Who has known the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?
But we have the mind of Christ.
INTRODUCTION
Read 1 Cor 2:1-16
Definition : Mind (Gknous)
- the mind, comprising alike the faculties of perceiving and understanding and those of feeling, judging, determining
- the intellectual faculty, the understanding
- reason in the narrower sense, as the capacity for spiritual truth, the higher powers of the soul, the faculty of perceiving divine things, of recognizing goodness and of hating evil
- the power of considering and judging soberly, calmly and impartially
- a particular mode of thinking and judging, i.e thoughts, feelings, purposes, desires
the Greek νοῦς (nous) occurs 24 times in 22 verses in the Greek concordance of the NASB
Rom 11:34 “Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor?”
PRINCIPLES
- We must Undergo Mind change (Gk. metanoia)
Rom 12:2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
- God will make us understand
Luk 24:45 Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures.
CHALLENGES TO HAVING A SPIRITUAL MINDSET
Lack of Consistency/Retention
Rom 1:28 Furthermore, just as they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over to a depraved mind, so that they do what ought not to be done.
Slavery to sin
Rom 7:23 but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me.
Rom 7:25 Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in my sinful nature a slave to the law of sin.
Tradition/Cultural Norms
Rom 14:5 One person considers one day more sacred than another; another considers every day alike. Each of them should be fully convinced in their own mind.
1Co 1:10 I appeal to you, brothers and sisters,in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in mind and thought.
1Co 14:19 But in the church I would rather speak five intelligible words to instruct others than ten thousand words in a tongue.
Pretension, False doctrine
Col 2:18 Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you. Such a person also goes into great detail about what they have seen; they are puffed up with idle notions by their unspiritual mind.
Shallow Understanding
2Th 2:2 not to become easily unsettled or alarmed by the teaching allegedly from us—whether by a prophecy or by word of mouth or by letter—asserting that the day of the Lord has already come.
Money or Material wealth/ Bad company
1Ti 6:5 and constant friction between people of corrupt mind, who have been robbed of the truth and who think that godliness is a means to financial gain.
2Ti 3:8 Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so also these teachers oppose the truth. They are men of depraved minds, who, as far as the faith is concerned, are rejected.
Tit 1:15 To the pure, all things are pure, but to those who are corrupted and do not believe, nothing is pure. In fact, both their minds and consciences are corrupted
Others……e.g work as a means to financial gain
FOCUS GROUP DISCUSSION (15-20 minutes)
Form small groups of 6-8 people. Preferably not your own Bible Talk. Share about one or two main challenges (stumbling blocks) that prevent you from having or growing in the spiritual mindset.
PLENARY (15 minutes)
Get 5-6 people to share. Solicit other answers not mentioned until fully exhausted.
Wrap Up (Practical directions)
Pray with understanding
1Co 14:14 For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind is unfruitful.
1Co 14:15 So what shall I do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will also pray with my understanding; I will sing with my spirit, but I will also sing with my understanding.
Pray fervently
Eph 4:17 So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking.
Gkmartyromai “insist” (NIV) (Other versions: testify (KJV); affirm together with the Lord (NASB)
- to cite a witness, bring forward a witness, call to witness
- to affirm be appeal to God, to declare solemnly, protest
- to conjure, beseech as in God's name, exhort solemnly
What to pray for….
Eph 4:23 to be made new in the attitude of your minds;
Phl 4:7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Concluding Statement
On times like Christmas, Satan puts stumbling blocks on our way to prevent us from having a spiritual mindset. The Bible encourages us to renew our minds and trust that God will continue to make us have the mind of Christ.
Let us pray individually and as a church that we will discern these challenges and have the wisdom to overcome, just like Christ.
D-GROUP: Continue sharing your challenges and what you intend to do to overcome these challenges. Pray for each other.