The apostle had set forth two sources of knowledge, the one, human ; the other, divine ; the one, the informing prin- ciple which is in man ; the other, the informing principle which is of God. And he asserts that the source of that wis- dom or knowledge which he communicated, was not the former, but the latter. It was not human reason, but the Spirit of God. The spirit of the world does not here mean a worldly disposition or temper; but spirit is that which knows and teaches. The spirit of the world is therefore a periphrase for reason, which is the principle of knowledge in men. When Paul says he had not received that spirit, he means that human reason was not the source of the know- ledge which he communicated. The Sjnrit which is of God^ is the Holy Spirit as proceeding from him and sent by him as the instructor of men. To receive the Spirit is to be the sub- ject of his influence. It, therefore, depends upon the context and on the nature of the influences spoken of, who are intended by those who receive the Spirit. Here the whole connection shows that the apostle is speaking of revelation and inspira- tion ; and therefore we must mean we apostles^ (or Paul him- self,) and not we Christians.
That^ i. e. in order that, we might know the things freely given to us of God, i. e. the things graciously revealed by God. This clause does not refer to inward spiritual blessings now enjoyed by believers, nor to the future blessedness of the saints, except so far as these are included in the general sub- ject of Paul's preaching. The connection is with v. 10. ' What human reason could not discover, God hath revealed to us apostles, in order that we might know what he has thus graciously communicated.' The subject is the wisdom of God, the gospel, as distinguished from the wisdom of the world. This is clear both from what precedes and from what follows.
13. Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth ; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.
Which things ; the things revealed by the Spirit. We also speak. We do not only know, we also communicate the things which God has revealed. How is this done ? What language did the apostle use in communicating what he had received by divine revelation ? He answers, according to his