Bible Study 6/28

Proverbs 18

There is quite a lot packed into this chapter.

v.1 - "He who isolates himself seeks his own desire; he breaks out against all sound judgment."

- Referring to a pattern of isolation; a nonwillingness to engage the world. It is a selfish and unwise way to live.

v.2 "A fool takes no pleasure in understanding; but only in expressing his opinion."

- I'm sure we've all known and/or have been this person in a conversation or meeting. All we can think about is getting our point across, regardless of listening to someone else. This person is called a fool.

v.13 "If one gives an answer before he hears, it is his folly and shame."

- Making a judgment without listening or carefully considering a matter.

v.15 - "An intelligent heart acquires knowledge, and the ear of the wise seeks knowledge."

- There is some irony in that it is the intelligent (knowledgeable?) man who seeks to acquire knowledge. He knows the value of it. Knowledge is not for the intelligent few, but any who would seek to be wise. In our day, this is a good exhortation to read.

v.24 "A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother."

- What is the difference between the friend and companions? It could only be that the many companions were mere acquaintances, or were more concerned about what they were getting out the relationship. This is an exhortation to be and to seek a true friend.

1 Corinthians 2

Paul's proclamation of the gospel to the Corinthians was based solidly in the life and death and resurrection of Christ; it was not made complicated by philosophy or dependent solely on logic. His basis of truth was a God-dependent base and not a man-dependent one. He trusted in the Spirit to confirm this seemingly foolish testimony with demonstrations of power. The reason he did this was so that their faith would not be based in "the wisdom of men" but "the power of God." If their faith was based in the "wisdom of men" it would be weak.

For the remainder of chp. 2, Paul discusses the wisdom that comes from God's spirit, and not from man's logic. We are able to understand spiritual truth because we have "the mind of Christ" - the Spirit of God opening our minds to understand. Those who do not have the Spirit of God are not able to understand spiritual truth, and consider it foolish. Specifically, they are not able to understand the gospel and its implications. They are instead dependent on a warped way of understanding the world, based in their own independence from God.