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AUGUST 21
DAY 20: How do we receive spiritual truth?
From 1 Corinthians 2:10–16, it is clear that the wisdom that saves, which man’s wisdom can’t
know, is revealed to us by God. He makes it known by revelation, inspiration, and illumination.
Revelation (vv. 10,11) and inspiration (vv. 12,13) were given to those who wrote the Bible.
Illumination (vv. 14–16) is given to all believers who seek to know and understand that divinely
written truth. In each case, the Holy Spirit is the divine agent doing the work (2 Pet. 1:21).
“God has revealed them”(v. 10). By the Holy Spirit, God disclosed His saving truth (Matt. 11:25;
13:10–13).The Spirit alone was qualified because He knows all that God knows,Himself being God.
“To us.” As with the “we’s” in vv. 6,7 and vv. 12,13, Paul is, first of all, speaking of himself, and, in a
sense, of believers who have been given the Word as recorded by the apostles and their associates
who wrote the New Testament.
“We have received”(v.12).The “we”and “us”refer to the apostles and other writers of the Word
of God.The means was inspiration (2 Tim. 3:16; 2 Pet. 1:20,21), by which God freely gave the gift of
His Word.It was this process of inspiration that turned the spiritual thoughts into spiritual words (v.
13) to give life (Matt. 4:4).
“But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God”(v. 14).This refers to the
unconverted, who lack supernatural life and wisdom. “Because they are spiritually discerned.”
Through illumination of the Word, the Holy Spirit provides His saints the capacity to discern divine
truth,which the spiritually dead are unable to comprehend (John 5:37–39; 1 John 2:20,27).The doc-
trine of illumination does not mean we know everything (Deut.29:29),that we do not need teachers
(Eph.4:11,12), or that understanding does not require hard work (2 Tim. 2:15).

I will answer you,
AUGUST 21 13 For God is greater than man.
Why do you contend with Him?
For He does not give an accounting of
any of His words.
Job 33:1–34:37 14 For God may speak in one way, or in
“But please, Job, hear myspeech, another,
33 And listen to all my words. Yet man does not perceive it.
Now, I open my mouth; In a dream, in a vision of the night,
2 15
My tongue speaks in my mouth. When deep sleep falls upon men,
My words come from my upright heart; While slumbering on their beds,
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My lips utter pure knowledge. 16 Then He opens the ears of men,
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The Spirit of God has made me, And seals their instruction.
And the breath of the Almighty gives 17 In order to turn man from his deed,
me life. And conceal pride from man,
If you can answer me, He keeps back his soul from the Pit,
5 18
Set your words in order before me; And his life from perishing by the
Take your stand. sword.
Truly I am as your spokesman before 19 “Man is also chastened with pain on
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God;
I also have been formed out of clay. his bed,
7 And with strong pain in many of his
Surely no fear of me will terrify you, bones,
Nor will my hand be heavy on you. 20 So that his life abhors bread,
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“Surely you have spoken in my hearing, And his soul succulent food.
And I have heard the sound of your 21 His flesh wastes away from sight,
words, saying, And his bones stick out which once
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‘I am pure, without transgression; were not seen.
I am innocent, and there is no iniquity 22 Yes, his soul draws near the Pit,
in me. And his life to the executioners.
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Yet He finds occasions against me, 23 “If there is a messenger for him,
He counts me as His enemy;
11 A mediator, one among a thousand,
He puts my feet in the stocks, To show man His uprightness,
He watches all my paths.’ 24 Then He is gracious to him, and says,
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“Look, in this you are not righteous. ‘Deliver him from going down to the Pit;
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