Paul’s Proclamation

When I came to you, brothers, announcing the testimony[a] of God to you, I did not come with brilliance(A) of speech(B) or wisdom. For I didn’t think it was a good idea to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.(C) I came to you in weakness,(D) in fear,(E) and in much trembling.(F) My speech(G) and my proclamation were not with persuasive(H) words of wisdom[b] but with a powerful demonstration by the Spirit, so that your faith might not be based on men’s wisdom but on God’s power.(I)

Spiritual Wisdom

However, we do speak a wisdom among the mature,(J) but not a wisdom of this age, or of the rulers(K) of this age, who are coming to nothing.(L) On the contrary, we speak God’s hidden wisdom in a mystery, a wisdom God predestined(M) before the ages for our glory.(N) None of the rulers of this age knew this wisdom, for if they had known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.(O)

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Corinthians 2:1 Other mss read mystery
  2. 1 Corinthians 2:4 Other mss read human wisdom

And so it was with me, brothers and sisters. When I came to you, I did not come with eloquence or human wisdom(A) as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God.[a] For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.(B) I came to you(C) in weakness(D) with great fear and trembling.(E) My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words,(F) but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power,(G) so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God’s power.(H)

God’s Wisdom Revealed by the Spirit

We do, however, speak a message of wisdom among the mature,(I) but not the wisdom of this age(J) or of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing.(K) No, we declare God’s wisdom, a mystery(L) that has been hidden(M) and that God destined for our glory before time began. None of the rulers of this age(N) understood it, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.(O)

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Corinthians 2:1 Some manuscripts proclaimed to you God’s mystery