1 Corinthians 2:9 Doesn't Mean What You Think

In the spirit of Ephesians 3:9 as we continue to help our listeners to discover the fellowship of the mystery, I want to start with 1 Corinthians chapter 2 verse 9. 1 Corinthians chapter 2 verse 9: "But as it is written, eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him." Now, this verse is most often misunderstood because it's taken out of its context. This verse has been taught as if Paul were describing heaven. Here where Paul says, quote, "...things which God hath prepared for them that love him..." end quote, is commonly taught to be referring to things that are waiting for us in heaven, but it's not.

While it is true that when we get to heaven, we will see things that eye hath not seen, and will hear things that's never been heard, but that's not what this verse is speaking of. And this is why that, as Bible students, we must keep things in their proper context. It's imperative that we stay within the parameter and the framework that has been set by God when studying his word. You see, some will lift out a verse. Will pull a verse out of its original context, and then try to make it fit where it doesn't belong. 1 Corinthians 2:9 is a good example of this. If you just read the next verse, the meaning becomes clear. Verse 10. "But God has revealed them unto us by his spirit, for the spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God."

Now in light of verse 10, we can be certain that Paul here is not speaking of things we well, we'll finally understand in the good ol' sweet by and by. No, the things that eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, the things that have never ever before entered into the heart of man, God has revealed. Hence the Romans 16:25 revelation of the mystery. God revealed this mystery information that had previously been hid. Ephesians 3:9. But now is made manifest. Colossians 1:26. So in this message of grace that the Lord Jesus from Heaven revealed, we can study and find things that have never ever been revealed before. The things that God prepared for us that love him. Those things that were once hid from ages and generations, have now been revealed through the epistles of Paul.

1 Corinthians chapter 2 verse 7. Paul says, "We speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory." So even before Genesis chapter 1 verse 1, God made a plan called the mystery. A plan that was purposely hid and kept secret. Why so secret? Well, the answer lies within the next verse, verse 8. "Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory." So you see, God made a secret mystery program that eye hath not seen, nor ear ever heard, and then he hid it. It was hid throughout all ages prior to him giving it to the Apostle Paul, but it's now revealed. It started with Paul and will continue to be revealed through faithful men and women who will commit to making all humanity see what is the fellowship of the mystery.

Paul explains in 1 Corinthians 2:8, that if the secret concerning the dispensation of grace would have been known, Satan would have not had Christ crucified. He would have never entered into Judas in the first place. If he had known that God was going to hold back his day of vengeance and wrath, save Saul of Tarsus, give him mystery information concerning the free gift of salvation, and send him far hence unto the Gentiles, Satan would have not killed the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Can't you just see him rejoicing while Christ was hanging there on the cross? Well, little did he know that when Israel rejected their Messiah, Jesus would then look up into heaven and say, "Father, forgive them for they know not what they do." So this allowed God to give Israel another chance. Israel as a nation rejected Christ. However, God and His long suffering and mercy gives them yet another chance.

This time he does it through the Holy Spirit. He pours out His Holy Spirit to the little flock on the day of Pentecost, the small remnant of believers there in Acts chapter 2. And during these early chapters of the book of Acts, all the way up to chapter 7, the Holy Spirit through the apostles was testifying to Israel. But what happened? Well, only a few thousand believed and received. As a nation, Israel rejected the Holy Spirit just like they had done Jesus. The final straw that broke the camel's back is recorded in Acts chapter 7.

Let's think through this. Israel in the Old Testament had rejected God and murdered his prophets, who testified of him. In the book of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, Israel again rejected God and murdered his son, who testified of him. And now in Acts chapter 7, which keep in mind is prior to Paul, they again rejected God and murdered Stephen, who also testified of him. This truth should jump off the page at you with just a cursory reading of the book of Acts chapter 7. Here, Stephen, a man who, well he had a face of an angel, Acts chapter 6 verse 15, and was a man full of the Holy Ghost. Acts chapter 7 verse 55, was murdered mob style by a vicious gang of unbelievers who rejected the Holy Ghost.

So what do we have? Think about it. The rejection of God through the Old Testament prophets, strike one. The rejection of God through his New Testament son, strike two. The rejection of God through the early Acts offer of the Holy Ghost, strike three, and Israel's out. Now give special attention to Acts chapter 7 in verse 51. Listen here to Stephen as he gives his indictment to Israel. Listen to what he said. "Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye." Remember, during God's program with Israel, Jesus told them in Luke chapter 12 verse 10 that you can blaspheme the Son and still be forgiven. But there's no forgiveness for those who blaspheme the Holy Ghost.