The problem, as we have mentioned already, is that our minds cannot conceive spiritual truth without the help and blessing of the Holy Spirit. And when you begin to talk about God’s process of revelation, what you come to next in the steps of God’s dealings with fallen human beings is regeneration, by which God takes one who is spiritually dead, and by means of the Holy Spirit makes him spiritually alive through the preaching and teaching of the Word. As a result, he now hears and understands that God has revealed Himself in Jesus Christ in the Gospel and the need for that one to be born again.
When Nicodemus came to Jesus by night, he wanted to discuss things, beginning with an analysis of who he perceived Christ was based on the miracles He was doing. Nicodemus concluded that these miracles authenticated Jesus as a teacher come from God. Jesus did not begin by commending Nicodemus for how close he came to the truth. Jesus did not say, “Well, Nicodemus, that’s pretty good. You’ve come a long way. You certainly have a keen mind. That’s a good point at which we can begin. Let’s start there and go on.” Rather, Jesus said, “Look, you do not really understand anything. You must be born again.” All of the knowledge that Nicodemus had, even in the Scriptures, was to no avail unless he was born again. And when we are born again, the Spirit who has inspired the Word originally now speaks to us as we study the Word personally and gives us what in theology is called illumination. We begin to see the great things that God has prepared for those who love Him.
Notice that throughout this passage Paul stresses that the basis on which regeneration and illumination by the Spirit take place is the Word of God. This is the way you have to understand that plural pronoun “we” as it occurs throughout the passage. When Paul says in verse 6, “We do, however, speak a message of wisdom among the mature,” he is speaking as an apostle of Jesus Christ. Paul is one of the apostles, who along with the prophets have received the revelation. This is emphasized again and again. For example, in verse 7 Paul writes: “No, we speak of God’s secret wisdom, a wisdom that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began.” And verse 10 says that “God has revealed it to us by his Spirit.” You find that the whole way through. It also becomes very clear when we get to chapter 4, where Paul maintains, “So then, men ought to regard us as servants of Christ and as those entrusted with the secret things of God” (v. 1). He is speaking about the apostles at that point. When you understand that, you understand that this is a great claim to inspiration.
In verse 13 Paul continues, “This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words.” What does that expression mean, “spiritual truths in spiritual words”? That is a reference to the Holy Spirit, truths that the Holy Spirit teaches expressed in words given by the Holy Spirit. That, too, is a great claim to inspiration.
