But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, a wisdom which is hidden, which God ordained before the world, unto our glory:

“These, we know, were publicly instituted in Israel; but they lay overshadowed with latent meanings, in which the wisdom of God was concealed to be brought to light by and by amongst "the perfect," when the time should come, but "pre-ordained in the counsels of God before the ages." But whose ages, if not the Creator's? For because ages consist of times, and times are made up of days, and months, and years; since also days, and months, and years are measured by suns, and moons, and stars, which He ordained for this purpose (for "they shall be," says He, "for signs of the months and the years"), it clearly follows that the ages belong to the Creator, and that nothing of what was fore-ordained before the ages can be said to be the property of any other being than Him who claims the ages also as His own.”

“But this consideration may perhaps have influenced them, that if there were any true religion, it would exert itself and assert its authority, and not permit the existence of anything opposed to it. For they were unable to see at all, on what account, or by whom, and in what manner true religion was depressed, which partakes of a divine mystery and a heavenly secret. And no man can know this by any means, unless he is taught.”

“"But we speak God's wisdom in a mystery." What mystery? For surely Christ saith, "What ye have heard in the ear, proclaim upon the housetops." How then does he call it "a mystery?" Because that neither angel nor archangel, nor any other created power knew of it before it actually took place. Wherefore he saith, "That now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the Church the manifold wisdom of God." And this hath God done in honor to us, so that they not without us should hear the mysteries. For we, too, ourselves, whomsoever we make our friends, use to speak of this as a sure proof of friendship towards them, that we tell our secrets to no one in preference to them. Let those hear who expose to shame the secrets of the Gospel, and unto all indiscriminately display the "pearls" and the doctrine, and who cast "the holy things" unto "dogs," and "swine," and useless reasonings. For the Mystery wants no argumentation; but just what it is, that only is to be declared. Since it will not be a mystery, divine and whole in all its parts, when thou addest any thing to it of thyself also. And in another sense, too, a mystery is so called; because we do not behold the things which we see, but some things we see and others we believe. For such is the nature of our Mysteries. I, for instance, feel differently upon these subjects from an unbeliever. I hear, "Christ was crucified;" and forthwith I admire His loving-kindness unto men: the other hears, and esteems it weakness. I hear, "He became a servant;" and I wonder at his care for us: the other hears, and counts it dishonor. I hear, "He died;" and am astonished at His might, that being in death He was not holden, but even broke the bands of death: the other hears, and surmises it to be helplessness. He hearing of the resurrection, saith, the thing is a legend; I, aware of the facts which demonstrate it, fall down and worship the dispensation of God. He hearing of a layer, counts it merely as water: but I behold not simply the thing which is seen, but the purification of the soul which is by the Spirit. He considers only that my body hath been washed; but I have believed that the soul also hath become both pure and holy; and I count it the sepulchre, the resurrection, the sanctification, the righteousness, the redemption, the adoption, the inheritance, the kingdom of heaven, the plenary effusion of the Spirit. For not by the sight do I judge of the things that appear, but by the eyes of the mind. I hear of the "Body of Christ:" in one sense I understand the expression, in another sense the unbeliever. And just as children, looking on their books, know not the meaning of the letters, neither know what they see; yea more, if even a grown man be unskilful in letters, the same thing will befall him; but the skilful will find much meaning stored up in the letters, even complete lives and histories: and an epistle in the hands of one that is unskilful will be accounted but paper and ink; but he that knows how to read will both hear a voice, and hold converse with the absent, and will reply whatsoever he chooses by means of writing: so it is also in regard of the Mystery. Unbelievers albeit they hear, seem not to hear: but the faithful, having the skill which is by the Spirit, behold the meaning of the things stored therein. In another point of view, the word indicates also the Gospel's being contrary to all expectation. By no other name is Scripture wont to call what happens beyond all hope and above all thought of men. And though it be everywhere preached, still is it a mystery; for as we have been commanded, "what things we have heard in the ear, to speak upon the house tops," so have we been also charged, "not to give the holy things unto dogs nor yet to cast our pearls before swine." For some are carnal and do not understand: others have a veil upon their hearts and do not see: wherefore that is above all things a mystery, which everywhere is preached, but is not known of those who have not a right mind; and is revealed not by wisdom but by the Holy Ghost, so far as is possible for us to receive it. And for this cause a man would not err, who in this respect also should entitle it a mystery, the utterance whereof is forbidden. For not even unto us, the faithful, hath been committed entire certainty and exactness. Wherefore Paul also said, "We know in part, and we prophesy in part: for now we see in a mirror darkly; but then face to face." For this cause he saith, "We speak wisdom in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God fore-ordained before the worlds unto our glory. Hidden:" that is, that no one of the powers above hath learnt it before us; neither do the many know it now. "Which he fore-ordained unto our glory" and yet, elsewhere he saith, "unto his own glory," for he considereth our salvation to be His own glory: even as also He calleth it His own riches, though He be Himself rich in good and need nothing in order that He may be rich. "Fore-ordained," he saith, pointing out the care had of us. For so those are accounted most both to honor and to love us, whosoever shall have laid themselves out to do us good from the very beginning: which indeed is what fathers do in the case of children. For although they give not their goods until afterwards, yet at first and from the beginning they had predetermined this. And this is what Paul is earnest to point out now; that God always loved us even from the beginning and when as yet we were not. For unless He had loved us, He would not have fore-ordained our riches. Consider not then the enmity which hath come between; for more ancient than that was the friendship. As to the words, "before the worlds," they mean eternal. For in another place also He saith thus, "Who is before the worlds." The Son also, if you mark it, will be found to be eternal in the same sense. For concerning Him he saith, "By Him He made the worlds;" which is equivalent to subsistence before the worlds; for it is plain that the maker is before the things which are made.”

“And in teaching that not every man is able to be a hearer and a receiver of that wisdom which he had, Paul crieth out, saying, "We speak wisdom among the perfect: not the wisdom of this world nor that of the rulers of this world, which are brought to nought: but we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, which none of the wise men of the world hath been able to hear." The wisdom of this world is not sufficient for a foundation, nor is it able to receive the building of the wisdom of God, and for this reason our Lord placed simplicity in us for a foundation.”

“Since the Apostle has shown what the fitting manner of Christian teaching is, here he shows that he himself observed that manner. And concerning this he does three things: first he shows that he did not make use among them of any secular excellence; second he shows among whom he employs spiritual excellence, at the place we speak wisdom, however, among the perfect, etc.; third he assigns the reason, at the place which also we speak, etc. Concerning the first he does three things. First he says that he did not display among them the excellence of secular wisdom; second, that he did not put forward the excellence of secular power, at the place and I in weakness; third, he did not put forward the excellence of eloquence, at the place and my speech. Concerning the first he does two things. First he sets forth what he intends; second he assigns the reason, at the place for I did not judge. He says therefore first: because it has been said that Christ sent me to evangelize not in wisdom of word, and that not many are wise, and I, brothers, although I have secular wisdom, according to that word of II Cor. 11:6: and even if unskilled in speech, yet not in knowledge, when I had come to you, to be converted to Christ, as is found in Acts 18:1, came announcing to you the testimony of Christ, according to that word of Acts 4:33: with great power the apostles rendered testimony of the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, and this not in loftiness of speech or of wisdom. Now the loftiness of wisdom is observed in the consideration of certain lofty things raised above the reason and sense of men. Ecclesiasticus 24:7: I have dwelt in the highest places. Now the loftiness of speech can be referred either to words signifying the conceptions of wisdom, according to that word of the last chapter of Ecclesiastes: the words of the wise are like goads, and like nails fixed deep, or to the manner of reasoning through certain subtle ways. For in Greek there is the word logos, which signifies both word and reason, as Jerome says. But the Apostle says this, because he did not wish to confirm the faith of Christ through loftinesses of this kind of speech or of wisdom. 1 Kings 2:3: do not multiply lofty things. Then he assigns the reason for this, saying for I did not judge myself to know anything, except Jesus Christ. For there was no need for this, that he should display wisdom, but that he should demonstrate power, according to that word of II Cor. 4:5: for we do not preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ. And therefore he used only those things which pertained to demonstrating the power of Christ, esteeming himself as if he knew nothing except Jesus Christ. Jeremiah 9:24: let him who glories, glory in this, to know and understand me. But in Christ Jesus, as is said in Col. 2:3, are all the treasures of the wisdom and knowledge of God hidden, both as to the fullness of the deity and as to the fullness of wisdom and grace, and also as to the profound reasons of the incarnation, which however the Apostle did not announce to them but only those things which were more manifest and lower in Christ Jesus. And therefore he adds and this one crucified, as if he were to say: thus I showed myself to you as if I knew nothing else than the cross of Christ. Hence in the last chapter of Galatians he says: far be it from me to glory, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because, therefore, through the wisdom of word the cross of Christ is emptied, as has been said, therefore the Apostle himself had not come in loftiness of speech or of wisdom. Then when he says and I in weakness, etc., he shows that he did not put forward power among them, but rather the contrary, both outwardly and inwardly. Hence as to that which is outward he says and I was among you in weakness, that is, suffering tribulations among you. Galatians 4:11: you know that through weakness of the flesh I evangelized to you long ago. Psalm 15:4: their infirmities are multiplied. But as to that which is inward, he says and in fear, namely concerning the evils that were imminent, and trembling, inasmuch as interior fear overflows to the body. II Cor. 7:5: without were fightings, within were fears. Then when he says and my speech, he shows that he did not put forward among them the excellence of eloquence: and concerning this he does three things. First he excludes the undue manner of preaching, saying and my speech, namely that by which I instructed certain ones privately and individually, Eph. 4:29: let no evil speech proceed from your mouth, but if any is good, for the edification of the faith; and my preaching, namely that by which I taught publicly, was not in persuasive words of human wisdom, that is, through rhetoric, which arranges things for persuading. As namely he said above that it was not his intention that his preaching should rest upon philosophical reasonings, so now he says it was not his intention to rest upon rhetorical persuasions. Isaiah 33:19: you shall not see a shameless people, a people of lofty speech, so that you cannot understand the eloquence of its tongue, in which there is no wisdom. Second he shows the fitting manner which he used in preaching, saying: my speech was in the showing of the Spirit and of power, which indeed can be understood in two ways. In one way, as to this, that to those who believed his preaching the Holy Spirit was given, according to that word of Acts 10:44: while Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all who heard the word. Likewise also he confirmed his preaching, by working powers, that is, miracles, according to that word of the last chapter of Mark: the word being confirmed by the signs that followed. Hence Galatians 3:5: he who bestows the Spirit on you, and works in you. In another way it can be understood as to this, that he himself spoke through the Spirit, which the loftiness and abundance of the teaching shows. II Kings 23:2: the Spirit of the Lord has spoken through me. And II Cor. 4:13: having the same spirit of faith, we believe, wherefore also we speak. He also confirms his preaching, by showing in his manner of life many virtuous works. I Thess. 2:10: for you are witnesses, and God, how holily and justly and without complaint we were present among you who believed. Third he assigns the reason for what has been said, saying that your faith may not be in the wisdom of men, that is, that it may not rest upon human wisdom, which very often deceives men, according to that word of Isaiah 47:10: your wisdom and your knowledge, this has deceived you. But in the power of God, namely that faith may rest upon the divine power, and so cannot fail. Romans 1:16: I am not ashamed of the Gospel, for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone who believes. Then when he says we speak wisdom, etc., he shows among whom he employs the excellence of spiritual wisdom. And first he sets forth what he intends; second he makes clear his proposal, at the place but wisdom. He says therefore: among you I preached only Christ crucified, but wisdom, that is, profound teaching, we speak among the perfect. Now some are called perfect in two ways: in one way, according to the intellect; in another way according to the will. For these among the powers of the soul are proper to man, and therefore according to them the perfection of man must be considered. Now those are called perfect in intellect whose mind is raised above all carnal and sensible things, who are able to grasp spiritual and intelligible things, of whom it is said in Hebrews 5:14: solid food belongs to the perfect, to those who through practice have their senses trained for the discernment of good and evil. Now those are perfect according to the will whose will, raised above all temporal things, cleaves to God alone and to his precepts. Hence in Matthew 5:48, the commandments of love having been set forth, it is added: be perfect, as your heavenly Father also is perfect. Because, therefore, the teaching of faith is ordered to this, that faith may work through love, as is found in Galatians 5:6, it is necessary that he who is instructed in the teaching of faith be well disposed, not only according to the intellect, to grasp and believe, but also according to the will and affection, to be well disposed to love and to act. Then when he says but wisdom, etc., he explains what kind of wisdom it is of which he made mention. And first he sets forth the exposition; second he confirms the reason for the exposition, at the place which none of the princes, etc. Concerning the first he does two things. First he explains what this wisdom is by comparison to unbelievers; second, by comparison to believers, at the place but we speak the wisdom of God, etc. He says therefore first: it has been said that we speak wisdom among the perfect. But wisdom, I say, not of this age, that is, concerning secular matters, or which is through human reasonings; nor that of the princes of this age. And thus he separates it from worldly wisdom, both as to the manner and matter of inquiry, and as to the authors, who are the princes of this age; which can be understood of a threefold kind of princes, according to a threefold human wisdom. First, the princes of this age can be said to be kings and secular powerful men, according to that word of Psalm 2:2: the princes have gathered together as one against the Lord and against his Christ. From these princes comes the wisdom of human laws, through which the affairs of this world are administered in human life. Second, the demons can be called princes. John 14:30: the prince of this world comes, and he has nothing in me, etc. And from these princes comes the wisdom of the worship of demons, namely necromancy, and magic arts, and things of this kind. Third, the philosophers can be understood as the princes of this age, who showed themselves to men as it were princes in teaching, of whom it is said in Isaiah 19:11: the princes of Tanis are fools, the wise counselors of Pharaoh. And from these princes proceeded all human philosophy. Now of these, the men who are princes are destroyed through death and through the loss of power and authority; but the demons not through death, but through the loss of power and authority, according to that word of John 12:31: now the prince of this world shall be cast out; but of men it is said in Baruch 3:16: where are the princes of the nations? And afterward he adds: they have been destroyed and have gone down to the netherworld. As they themselves are not stable, so also their wisdom cannot be firm: and therefore one must not rely upon it. Then when he says but we speak, etc., he explains what kind of wisdom it is by comparison to believers. And first he describes it as to the matter or authority, when he says but we speak the wisdom of God, that is, which is God and from God. For although all wisdom is from God, as is said in Ecclesiasticus 1:1, yet in a certain special way this wisdom, which is about God, is also from God through revelation, according to that word of Wisdom 9:17: but who shall know your thought, unless you give wisdom and send your spirit from on high? Second he shows its quality, saying in mystery, which is hidden; for this wisdom is hidden from men, inasmuch as it exceeds the intellect of man, according to that word of Ecclesiasticus 3:25: very many things above the sense of man have been shown to you. Hence it is said in Job 28:21: it is hidden from the eyes of all the living. And because the manner of teaching and of the teaching must be fitting, therefore it is said that he speaks it in mystery, that is, in something hidden, whether by word or by sign. Below, 14:2: the spirit speaks mysteries. Third he shows the fruit of this wisdom, saying which God predestined, that is, prepared, unto our glory, that is, of the preachers of the faith, to whom from the preaching of so lofty a wisdom great glory is owed, both with God and with men. Proverbs 3:35: the wise shall possess glory. And what he says, unto our glory, must be explained of all the faithful, whose glory this is, that in full light they may know those things which are now preached in mystery, according to that word of John 17:3: this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.”

“But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery. ( 1 . ) This is a Hebraism for “the wisdom of the mystery,” that great secret of the Divine counsel, about the Incarnation of the Word, and the redemption of man by Christ, which cannot be attained to by man by any effort of reason — no, nor yet by the angels, as is clear from Eph. v. 4, 5. Hence, in 1 Tim. iii. 16, this wisdom of the mystery is called the great mystery of godliness. So Theophylact, Ambrose, (Ecumenius, commenting on this verse, and Jerome and Leo Castrius on Isa. Ixiv; also S. Leo. (2.) We may understand this wisdom to be conVOL. L C 34 * FIRST EPISTLE TO THE cerned with the greatness of the glory of the Blessed, for this was the end of the Incarnation and suffering of the Word. Secondly, it is simpler to connect the words “ in a mystery ” with “we speak” rather than with “wisdom.” Then the meaning is, we speak secretly and to a few, viz., those who are perfect, the spiritual, of this deeper and more hidden wisdom. Hence Ephrem and Tertullian render the passage : “ We speak of the wisdom of God in secret.” Hence also S. Dionysius and others have written books on mystic theology”

“Which none of the princes of this world knew,.... Meaning not the devils, as some have thought, who had they known what God designed to do by the death of Christ, would never have been concerned in bringing it about; nor so much the political governors of the Roman empire, particularly in Judea, as Herod and Pontius Pilate, who also were entirely ignorant of it; but rather the ecclesiastical rulers of the Jewish church state, called , "this world", in distinction from , "the world to come", or times of the Messiah; see Heb 2:5 such as the priests, Scribes, and Pharisees, the Rabbins and learned doctors. These knew nothing of the wisdom of the Gospel, or the wise counsels of God concerning salvation by Christ; they knew not the Messiah when he came, nor the prophecies concerning him; the Jews and their rulers did what they did through ignorance, and fulfilled those things they knew nothing of; see Act 3:17. for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. They would have received him, believed in him, and not put him to death: a very great character is here given of Christ, "the Lord of glory", or the glorious Jehovah; reference seems to be had to Psa 24:7 where he is called, "the King of glory", and is an argument of his true and proper deity: he is so called because possessed of all glorious perfections, and is the brightness of his Father's glory; the same honour and glory are due to him as to the Father; and the same ascriptions of glory are made to him by angels and men. This is an instance of what the ancients call a communication of idioms or properties, whereby that which belongs to one nature in Christ, is predicated of his person, as denominated from the other: thus here the crucifixion of him, which properly belongs to his human nature, and that to his body only, is spoken of his person, and that as denominated from his divine nature, "the Lord of glory"; and he being so, this rendered his crucifixion, sufferings, and death, in human nature, efficacious to answer all the purposes for which they were endured.”

“The wisdom of God in a mystery - The Gospel of Jesus Christ, which had been comparatively hidden from the foundation of the world, (the settling of the Jewish economy, as this phrase often means), though appointed from the beginning to be revealed in the fullness of time. For, though this Gospel was, in a certain sense, announced by the prophets, and prefigured by the law, yet it is certain that even the most intelligent of the Jewish rulers, their doctors, scribes, and Pharisees, had no adequate knowledge of it; therefore it was still a mystery to them and others, till it was so gloriously revealed by the preaching of the apostles.”

“wisdom of God--emphatically contrasted with the wisdom of men and of this world (Co1 2:5-6). in a mystery--connected in construction with "we speak": We speak as dealing with a mystery; that is not something to be kept hidden, but what heretofore was so, but is now revealed. Whereas the pagan mysteries were revealed only to a chosen few, the Gospel mysteries were made known to all who would obey the truth. "If our Gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost" (Co2 4:3), "whom the God of this world hath blinded." Ordinarily we use "mystery" in reference to those from whom the knowledge is withheld; the apostles, in reference to those to whom it is revealed [WHATELY]. It is hidden before it is brought forward, and when it is brought forward it still remains hidden to those that are imperfect [BENGEL]. ordained--literally, "foreordained" (compare Co1 2:9), "prepared for them that love Him." before the world--rather, "before the ages" (of time), that is, from eternity. This infinitely antedates worldly wisdom in antiquity. It was before not only the wisdom of the world, but eternally before the world itself and its ages. to our glory--ours both now and hereafter, from "the Lord of glory" (Co1 2:8), who brings to naught "the princes of this world."”