Utumishi Blog

1 Corinthians 2:9 is usually applied either a) to heaven / the New Creation – i.e. it’s going to be unimaginably wonderful when we enter the pearly gates – or b) to a fresh move of the Spirit / second blessing / breakthrough / revival – i.e. tomorrow is going to be unimaginably better than today. I’ve not done extensive research on this but I suspect the first interpretation is more common in the UK and the US while the second more common in our East African context.

But what if we look back into the context (it’s the C-word again) both of Paul’s letter and Isaiah?

¹⁹ For it is written: “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.” ²⁰ Where is the wise person? Where is the teacher of the law? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? ²¹ For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe.

In Isaiah 29, quoted here, the LORD is saying that he will again do something wonderful, unimaginable, such that the wise men and their wisdom will look completely foolish. Later in Isaiah (41:21-29) the LORD mocks the idols just as he did the wise men:

²³     tell us what the future holds,
so we may know that you are gods.

²⁴ But you are less than nothing
and your works are utterly worthless;

In contrast, the LORD declares the “new things before they spring forth” (Isaiah 42:9). In Isaiah 43:19 (a famous verse) the “new thing” seems to be a new Exodus, a return from Exile. Isaiah 45:21 sums up the thought that the LORD is doing a new saving act that no-one foretold. In fact the whole section from Isaiah 41-46 emphasises again and again the uniqueness of the LORD God as the only speaking, revealing, saving God. Then you finally get to Isaiah 52-53 and we find the “astonishing”, unbelievable (“who has believed”) salvation – the one who is crushed instead of us.

Back in 1 Corinthians 1 it’s very clear that the un-foretold, unexpected salvation which has taken the world by surprise is the “word of the cross” (v18). Paul continues on this theme from 1:18-2:5, developing his argument mainly in terms of the paradoxical categories of wisdom/foolishness,  and then you get to these amazing words:

⁷ we declare God’s wisdom, a mystery that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began. ⁸ None of the rulers of this age understood it, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.

These verses are amazing:

• The “wisdom” here must be what Paul has just been talking about – Christ crucified (1:23-24, 30).
• This wisdom has been “hidden”. The rulers (like the wise men of 1:19-21) were clueless to this wisdom.
• Because they were ignorant of this hidden plan they – irony of ironies – fulfilled it – they “crucified the Lord of glory”.
• Notice when God planned this wisdom of the Cross: “before time began”. So before Creation – when there was only Father, Son and Spirit – what were they doing? Loving one another, serving one another, glorifying one another, speaking to one another – what were they speaking about? The Cross of Christ – It was decreed, within the Trinity, before time!
• FOR OUR GLORY!  Before Creation the Trinity was planning how to save you, how to shower you with love, how to glorify you.

Then we get to our verse:

⁹ 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”

Just as in 1:19 and 1:31 Paul is proving his point – not making a new point: “As it is written…”  And what’s he talking about? Surely the Cross of Christ again. This is what the wise men failed to see or hear (1:19-20). This is what was hidden from the rulers of the age (2:6-7a). This is what God prepared before time for those who love him (2:7b).

If we go back to Isaiah 64 we find Paul is not twisting Scripture:

¹ Oh, that you would rend the heavens and come down,
that the mountains would tremble before you!
² As when fire sets twigs ablaze
and causes water to boil,
come down to make your name known to yourenemies
and cause the nations to quake before you!
³ For when you did awesome things that we did not expect,
you came down, and the mountains trembled before you.
⁴ Since ancient times no one has heard,
no ear has perceived,
no eye has seen any God besides you,
who acts on behalf of those who wait for him.

The tone of the passage is Hakuna Mungu kama wewe (as it was in Isaiah 41-46). And notice particularly the unexpectedness comes in again – “we did not expect… no ear… no eye…”. And then notice what that unexpectedness consists in – a God who comes down, a God who takes the initiative to save: who acts on our behalf.

You would never dream up a God like this. That’s the big point. A God who rips open the heavens and comes down, comes down and takes flesh, who is despised and rejected, who goes like a sheep to death on a Cross to be cursed and crushed instead of us.

That is the unimaginable gospel.