I Corinthians 2:9 ("eye has not seen, nor ear heard...) is oftentimes quoted as relating to heaven. Such, however, was not the apostle's intent. Indeed, few verses of Scripture are more taken out of context. To what then does both verse and passage relate?
Drawing upon Isaiah's observation that in bringing Israel out of Egypt, God had demonstrated His power in ways never before seen, heard or known ("as it is written," see Isa. 64:4), Paul stresses that present spiritual realities are similarly unknown to the faculties of natural human perception. Indeed, "the things of God" do not "enter the heart of [unregenerate] man." Only by agency of the Spirit, who not only "knows the things of God" but makes such known to believing faith (I Cor. 2:10-16), is one enabled to grasp divine truth and its meaning - in this instance, the believer's oneness with Christ, "who of God is made to us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification and redemption" (I Cor. 1:30 in expansion upon vs. 24. The subsequent chapter division is unfortunate in its division of thought).
The apostle's words here reiterate Jesus' earlier declaration to Nicodemus that God's kingdom (in its present manifestation, the essence, character, and outworking of divine purpose and will upon earth - further defined by Paul in terms of "righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit," Rom. 14:17) is comprehended only as experientially "seen" within the context of the new birth. Herein lie the otherwise unknown realities of divine grace (again, "the things of God" as manifested in wisdom, righteousness, sanctification and redemption) "prepared for" (2:9); "revealed unto" (vs. 10); and "freely given to" (vs. 12) the believing Body as "those who love [God]."
As with John 3:3, I Corinthians 2:9 need only be read within context. In keeping with Scripture at large, it should be remembered that with limited exceptions (portions of the Law, considerable of the Book of Proverbs, I Thess. 5:16-22, for example), Scripture is not a composite of isolated affirmations, admonitions and injunctions. While its chapter and verse divisions (of Medieval era origin) greatly facilitate one's referencing of various passages, themes and/or pronouncements, their addition has oftentimes been conducive as well to the perception of God's Word as a somewhat disjointed series of faith related dicta, claims, assurances and warnings. Such tends to considerably undermine its ends and objectives as a whole.
Simply stated, apart from those instances wherein scriptural pronouncement exhibits a decidedly self-contained sense of meaning (e.g., "Thou shalt not steal"), defining intent will derive from context. Apart from such, misunderstanding frequently ensues.
Burl Ratzsch
