In 1 Corinthians 2:10 (NIV), Paul writes, "but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit."



This statement is made toward the end of Paul's contrasting of the wisdom of men versus the wisdom of God. Prior to this, Paul expressed disappointment in the fragmentation of the Corinthian church- folks claiming to be disciples of Paul, Peter, Apollos, or Christ. Following this segment on wisdom, Paul returns to the reality of a divided congregation, calling them worldly rather than spiritual and mere infants in Christ.



On the level of content, the Corinthians had exchanged the philosophies (wisdom) of the world for the gospel message, initially preached by Paul, later supplemented by men like Peter and Apollos. All is well- it would seem. However, at the level of process- a very different reality is evident.



Though the Corinthians were now working with Christian content- making use of Christian words and behavior. The overall manner of their interaction is not so different than prior to their acceptance of Christ. They are divided and very proud of their own particular nuance of the gospel message. They recognized slightly different emphases in the teachings of Paul versus Peter versus Apollos versus Christ. They aligned themselves with the particular expression that seemed most right and did not fully fellowship with the others. Paul takes great issue with this situation. The Corinthian church has reverted to the wisdom of the world despite engaging in strict use of Christian words and behaviors.



To back them out of this divisive situation, Paul reminds them of the circumstances of their conversion. He refers to the message he preached as "foolishness" to the Gentile worldview and "scandalous" to the Jewish worldview. His proclamation of the message was weak and fearful. Yet, against all odds, they believed. Paul is saying something like... I went down to the pond, made a poor cast with a boot tied to the end of my line- and caught a huge fish.



The power of God was a work in creating belief in the Corinthian hearers. This is what Paul means when he speaks of starting out in the Spirit. The message (by the Spirit) had mastered the hearers, creating belief and binding them together in fellowship. Unfortunately, over time, the Corinthians believers began to master the message, falling back into some old, familiar patterns of interaction. The end result being a fellowship no longer bound by the power of the Spirit but rather bound by the power of men.



All that is good about being a Christian, being a member of a congregation, is brought about by God's Spirit at work in us.