It is interesting that the apostle Paul should mention this.
The whole passage helps to make it clearer I think....Paul wrote....
"Now we speak wisdom among those who are mature, but not the wisdom of this system of things nor that of the rulers of this system of things, who are to come to nothing. 7 But we speak God’s wisdom in a sacred secret, the hidden wisdom, which God foreordained before the systems of things for our glory. 8 It is this wisdom that none of the rulers of this system of things came to know, for if they had known it, they would not have executed the glorious Lord. 9 But just as it is written: “Eye has not seen and ear has not heard, nor have there been conceived in the heart of man the things that God has prepared for those who love him.” 10 For it is to us God has revealed them through his spirit, for the spirit searches into all things, even the deep things of God.
11 For who among men knows the things of a man except the man’s spirit within him? So, too, no one has come to know the things of God except the spirit of God. 12 Now we received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit that is from God, so that we might know the things that have been kindly given us by God. 13 These things we also speak, not with words taught by human wisdom, but with those taught by the spirit, as we explain spiritual matters with spiritual words.
14 But a physical man does not accept the things of the spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot get to know them, because they are examined spiritually. 15 However, the spiritual man examines all things, but he himself is not examined by any man. 16 For “who has come to know the mind of Jehovah, so that he may instruct him?” But we do have the mind of Christ."
As a Jew, Paul was not used to dealing with "unbelievers", but he was certainly acquainted with the attitudes of the ones whom Jesus condemned because he used to be one of them. After his conversion, he was sent as an "apostle to the nations" and encountered many 'unbelievers'...yet when he spoke of the spiritual things in the scriptures, many responded.....others did not.
This is what Jesus said would happen with the preaching of the Kingdom message....
“Everyone, then, who acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father who is in the heavens. 33 But whoever disowns me before men, I will also disown him before my Father who is in the heavens. 34 Do not think I came to bring peace to the earth; I came to bring, not peace, but a sword. 35 For I came to cause division, with a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. 36 Indeed, a man’s enemies will be those of his own household. 37 Whoever has greater affection for father or mother than for me is not worthy of me; and whoever has greater affection for son or daughter than for me is not worthy of me. 38 And whoever does not accept his torture stake and follow after me is not worthy of me. 39 Whoever finds his soul will lose it, and whoever loses his soul for my sake will find it." (Matthew 10:32-39)
We have to take all of Jesus' teachings, not just the convenient things. We have to walk the path that Jesus trod....and its not an easy trek. (Matthew 7:13-14)
The final separation will see those who obey God, survive the coming "end" of this present system of things, and the ones who don't, consigned to eternal destruction. We choose our own destiny and have no one to blame for how we exercise our free will, but ourselves.
That is why I believe that God's spirit only awakens those in whom he sees an obedient heart. He has no time for those who want him to do things 'their' way. After all, obedience is the only thing God required of the first humans.....if they had just obeyed his simple command, none of us would be in this predicament. Our will has to be the same as God's will....he will never conform to ours.
