1 Corinthians 2:9

The Text: But as it is written, Things which eye saw not, and ear heard not, and which entered not into the heart of man, whatsoever things God prepared for them that love him

The Meaning Given To It: In preaching on heaven and the reward of the faithful and when attempting to give comfort to the bereaved at the passing of a loved one, this verse is used as if it described heaven: a place that God has prepared that eyes haven't seen and ears have heard nothing about; things so wonderful that they have not entered into the hearts of men. While all of these things are certainly true of heaven, the statements in this context are not dealing with the eternal reward of the faithful.

The Context: Notice how many times, beginning in 1:17, that Paul uses the words "wisdom" and "wise" to contrast the wisdom that comes from God vs. the wisdom of men. He then says, beginning in 2:6, that he speaks God's wisdom in a "mystery". (The word "mystery" in scripture does not refer to something that can't be understood because it is "mysterious". Our text, along with Eph. 3:3-6 and Rom. 16:25-26, furnish us with a good definition of a "mystery": "even the wisdom that hath been hidden", 1 Cor. 2:6; "which in other generations was not made known...as it hath now been revealed...", Eph. 3:5; and "which hath been kept in silence through times eternal, but now is manifested..." Rom. 16:25-26). Thus the context of 1 Cor. 2:9 is speaking of the revelation of God's mind or wisdom (the "mystery") to man.

The Meaning: As is true with many verses, their meaning would be clear if we would not stop reading. Whatever the "things that eye saw not...", etc. of vs. 9 are, Paul says in the very next verse, "but unto us God revealed them through the Spirit." The "them" in vs. 10 refers to the matters under consideration in vs. 9. So, if Paul is talking about heaven in vs. 9, he is saying in vs. 10 that God has revealed unto him all of the things regarding heaven. Clearly this can't be what Paul is talking about. What Paul is discussing in vs. 9 is the gospel and in vs. 10 says it has now been revealed. It was the "good news"---the gospel---that "eye saw not, and ear heard not, and which entered not into the heart of man." This is the "mystery" or, to use other terms in the context, "the word of the cross", 1:18 and "Christ crucified", 1:23.

David Smitherman