The Bible can sometimes seem full of riddles or sayings that aren’t easy to understand. One verse in the New Testament refers to “Things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard, and which have not entered the human heart.” To what could Paul be describing? Is he writing about seeing what’s invisible?
Although many Bible verses can appear to be confusing at first glance, prayer, careful reading, and context often reveal that they are simply metaphors or word pictures God uses to help us understand spiritual issues (heavenly things), even though our minds are accustomed to worldly things.
The phrase “eyes have not seen” appears in Paul’s first letter to the believers in Corinth. In 1 Corinthians 2, Paul distinguishes between this world’s wisdom and Holy Spirit-provided wisdom.
Before following Jesus, Paul was known for his extensive knowledge, education, status, reasoning abilities, and wisdom based on Greco-Roman philosophies and his Old Testament studies. Paul prided himself on this knowledge and wisdom until he came to Christ. After coming to Jesus, Paul acquired a new humility, which is reflected in Galatians 6:14: “But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world” (ESV).
He tells the Corinthians that when he came to minister to them, he didn’t come as someone superior to them in words or intellect. He says he was determined to come to them only in the power of Christ crucified. In verses 4-5, he explains why this was important: “. . . my message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith would not rest on the wisdom of mankind, but on the power of God” (NASB).
At this time, Corinth was a multicultural city of merchants, philosophers, businesspeople, nobles, and athletes. These were sophisticated, savvy citizens. Like the sophisticated citizens of Athens, they probably spent much time discussing the latest ideas and the greatest wisdom travelers had learned in other parts of the globe. Paul set the ministry of the gospel apart from this. He did not want to become simply another intellectual exercise. He wanted listeners to be transformed by the Holy Spirit’s power.
Paul explains that this wisdom from Christ is not of this age and will never pass away:
“. . . but we speak God’s wisdom in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God predestined before the ages to our glory the wisdom which none of the rulers of this age has understood; for if they had understood it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory; but just as it is written: ‘Things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard, and which have not entered the human heart, all that God has prepared for those who love Him.’” (1 Corinthians 2:7-9 NASB)
When Paul speaks of this mystery, it’s a mystery to be explored (the mystery of God), but that can only be revealed through salvation in Christ. Jesus is the key to unlocking this mystery and gospel wisdom; the only way to access it is through a saving relationship with Him. Paul invites the Corinthians into a wisdom that can only be revealed by the Holy Spirit, accessed only by receiving the gospel of Jesus Christ.
From 1 Corinthians 2:10-16, Paul goes on to say that the great wisdom he has to share of “things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard” can only be understood by those who have the mind of Christ. In other words, he will reason with them and share what he knows but only knows what he knows because Christ was crucified. In turn, it will all sound like foolishness to them, as it did the Pharisees and religious leaders, unless they turn to Jesus.
Christians have reasonable faith that can be defended intellectually, but salvation is achieved through faith in Christ alone. He is the door to seeing all God has prepared for those of us who love him. God's mysteries are open to the believer to explore but hidden away from those who reject the gospel's truth.
It’s clear from the grammatical structure of 1 Corinthians 2 that Paul is quoting an earlier passage of Scripture. That would most likely be Isaiah 64:4:
“From of old no one has heard or perceived by the ear, no eye has seen a God besides you, who acts for those who wait for him.” (NASB)
Let’s look at the context of that verse. In Isaiah 63, the prophet writes about the day of the Lord’s vengeance, but he follows it up by remembering God’s mercy and then praying for it. He continues the prayer in Isaiah 64, a chapter that contains familiar concepts and phrases like none of us is righteous, God is the potter, and we are the clay, and we sinners are seeking salvation that comes from God.
Paul references in 1 Corinthians 2:9 that what has come in Jesus Christ is something new that has not been heard or seen until the arrival of the new covenant. We longed for it. We looked forward to it, but we couldn’t even have imagined the glory of it. Not only would God send His Messiah to save His people, but that salvation would extend even to the Gentiles. This is why our Scriptures are divided between the Old Testament (or covenant) and the New Testament (or covenant) (1 Corinthians 11:25).
Throughout Jesus’s ministry, He repeats wording to the effect that those who have ears, let them hear (Matthew 11:15). And throughout Scripture, it is a common sentiment to pray that God would open our spiritual eyes to see Him and to see His work (2 Kings 6:17, Psalm 119:18, Isaiah 32:3, Matthew 6:22, Acts 26:18, Ephesians 1:17-18, Revelation 3:18). Our hymns and contemporary songs often request God to open our spiritual eyes. He has done this in Christ.
Of course, the Jewish people had been waiting and watching for the coming Messiah for centuries. They searched the Scriptures and taught their children the signs, yet many religious leaders were still blind to the truth of Christ. There was a time early in ministry when Jesus cautioned many not to tell what they had seen of His healing and miracles, but, of course, word spread, and then He spoke in parables. When asked why He used parables, Jesus replied:
“This is why I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand.” (Matthew 13:13 NASB)
Many of the religious leaders were blind to who Jesus was and what He was doing, even though it happened right before their eyes. When Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, many came to report to the Pharisees, but rather than follow Jesus, they plotted even more to kill Him.
This has always been true. Some who see and hear the gospel of Jesus accept it by faith. Their eyes and ears are opened, and by the power of the Holy Spirit, they understand God’s deeper things no matter their education level. But there are always some who, though well-educated, wise in the world, and diligent in searching the Scriptures, still reject the gospel of Jesus and remain spiritually blind.
Throughout Scripture, we are instructed not to lean on our own understanding but instead to rely solely on God and to follow His ways in faith. Those who would see what eyes have not seen must first acknowledge that they cannot save themselves.
We must admit that we are sinners and cannot educate that sin away, nor can we earn salvation through our behaviors or worldly wisdom. We must first come to Him as children and accept that Jesus died in our place and was resurrected to eternal life. He is the only path to the Father, and we must give our lives to Him.
When we accept the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ and surrender our lives to Him, we receive the seal or guarantee of the Holy Spirit, and then our spiritual eyes are opened. Many new believers talk about reading the Bible before they were saved, only to find it dry or impossible to comprehend. But the moment they gave their lives to Jesus, they couldn’t get enough of God’s Word, and it felt as if the words sometimes jumped right off the page and into their hearts.
People whose lives have been transformed by a relationship with Jesus will tell you that they now see in ways they never have, hear in ways they never did before, and, with new hearts, experience life as they never imagined they could. This is what Paul was trying to impress on the Corinthians and all believers: what to hold onto until Jesus returns.
Lori Stanley Roeleveld is a blogger, speaker, coach, and disturber of hobbits. She’s authored six encouraging, unsettling books, including Running from a Crazy Man, The Art of Hard Conversations, and Graceful Influence: Making a Lasting Impact through Lesson from Women of the Bible. She speaks her mind at www.loriroeleveld.com.
This article is part of our larger resource library of popular Bible verse phrases and quotes. We want to provide easy-to-read articles that answer your questions about the meaning, origin, and history of specific verses within Scripture's context. We hope that these will help you better understand the meaning and purpose of God's Word in your life today.
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