1 Corinthians 2:6

6, 7. Yet the Gospel preaching, so far from being at variance with true "wisdom," is a wisdom infinitely higher than that of the wise of the world.

we speak—resuming "we" (preachers, I, Apollos, c.) from "we preach" ( :-), only that here, "we speak" refers to something less public (compare 1 Corinthians 2:7 1 Corinthians 2:13, "mystery . . . hidden") than "we preach," which is public. For "wisdom" here denotes not the whole of Christian doctrine, but its sublimer and deeper principles.

perfect—Those matured in Christian experience and knowledge alone can understand the true superiority of the Christian wisdom which Paul preached. Distinguished not only from worldly and natural men, but also from babes, who though "in Christ" retain much that is "carnal" (1 Corinthians 3:1; 1 Corinthians 3:2), and cannot therefore understand the deeper truths of Christianity (1 Corinthians 14:20; Philippians 3:15; Hebrews 5:14). Paul does not mean by the "mystery" or "hidden wisdom" (1 Corinthians 2:7) some hidden tradition distinct from the Gospel (like the Church of Rome's disciplina arcani and doctrine of reserve), but the unfolding of the treasures of knowledge, once hidden in God's counsels, but now announced to all, which would be intelligently comprehended in proportion as the hearer's inner life became perfectly transformed into the image of Christ. Compare instances of such "mysteries," that is, deeper Christian truths, not preached at Paul's first coming to Corinth, when he confined himself to the fundamental elements (1 Corinthians 2:7- :), but now spoken to the "perfect" (1 Corinthians 15:51; Romans 11:25; Ephesians 3:5; Ephesians 3:6). "Perfect" is used not of absolute perfection, but relatively to "babes," or those less ripe in Christian growth (compare Philippians 3:12; Philippians 3:15; 1 John 2:12-14). "God" (1 Corinthians 2:7) is opposed to the world, the apostles to "the princes [great and learned men] of this world" (1 Corinthians 2:7- :; compare 1 Corinthians 1:20) [BENGEL].

come to naught—nothingness (1 Corinthians 1:28). They are transient, not immortal. Therefore, their wisdom is not real [BENGEL]. Rather, translate with ALFORD, "Which are being brought to naught," namely, by God's choosing the "things which are not (the weak and despised things of the Gospel), to bring to naught (the same verb as here) things that are" (1 Corinthians 1:28- :).