1 Corinthians 2-3

New American Standard Bible

Paul’s Reliance upon the Spirit

2 And when I came to you, brothers and sisters, I ^(A)did not come as someone superior in ^[a]speaking ability or ^[b]wisdom, as I proclaimed to you ^(B)the ^[c]testimony of God. ² For I determined to know nothing among you except ^(C)Jesus Christ, and Him crucified. ³ I also was with you in ^(D)weakness and ^(E)fear, and in great trembling, ⁴ and my ^[d]message and my preaching were ^(F)not in persuasive words of ^[e]wisdom, but in demonstration of ^(G)the Spirit and of power, ⁵ so that your faith would not ^[f]rest on the ^[g]wisdom of mankind, but on ^(H)the power of God.

⁶ Yet we do speak wisdom among those who are ^(I)mature; a wisdom, however, not of ^(J)this age nor of the rulers of ^(K)this age, who are ^(L)passing away; ⁷ but we speak God’s wisdom in a ^(M)mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ^(N)predestined before the ^(O)ages to our glory; ⁸ the wisdom ^(P)which none of the rulers of ^(Q)this age has understood; for if they had understood it, they would not have crucified ^(R)the Lord of glory; ⁹ but just as it is written:

^10 [h](T)For to us God revealed them ^(U)through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the ^(V)depths of God. ¹¹ For who among people knows the thoughts of a person except the ^(W)spirit of the person that is in him? So also the thoughts of God no one knows, except the Spirit of God. ¹² Now we ^(X)have not received the spirit of ^(Y)the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things freely given to us by God. ¹³ We also speak these things, ^(Z)not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, ^[i]combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words.

¹⁴ But ^[j]a ^(AA)natural person ^(AB)does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are ^(AC)foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned. ¹⁵ But the one who is ^(AD)spiritual discerns all things, yet he himself is ^[k]discerned by no one. ¹⁶ For ^(AE)who has known the mind of the Lord, that he will instruct Him? But ^(AF)we have the mind of Christ.

Foundations for Living

3 And I, brothers and sisters, could not speak to you as ^(AG)spiritual people, but only as ^(AH)fleshly, as to ^(AI)infants in Christ. ² I gave you ^(AJ)milk to drink, not solid food; for you ^(AK)were not yet able to consume it. But even now you are not yet able, ³ for you are still fleshly. For since there is ^(AL)jealousy and strife among you, are you not fleshly, and are you not walking ^(AM)like ordinary people? ⁴ For when ^(AN)one person says, “I am ^[l]with Paul,” and another, “I am ^[m]with Apollos,” are you not ordinary ^(AO)people?

⁵ What then is Apollos? And what is Paul? ^(AP)Servants through whom you believed, even ^(AQ)as the Lord gave opportunity to each one. ^6 (AR)I planted, ^(AS)Apollos watered, but ^(AT)God was causing the growth. ⁷ So then neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but God who causes the growth. ⁸ Now the one who plants and the one who waters are one; but each will ^(AU)receive his own ^[n]reward according to his own labor. ⁹ For we are God’s ^(AV)fellow workers; you are God’s ^[o](AW)field, God’s ^(AX)building.

¹⁰ According to ^(AY)the grace of God which was given to me, like a wise master builder ^(AZ)I laid a foundation, and ^(BA)another is building on it. But each person must be careful how he builds on it. ¹¹ For no one can lay a ^(BB)foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. ¹² Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, or straw, ^13 (BC)each one’s work will become evident; for ^(BD)the day will show it because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test ^[p]the quality of each one’s work. ¹⁴ If anyone’s work which he has built on it remains, he will ^(BE)receive a reward. ¹⁵ If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet only ^(BF)so as through fire.

^16 (BG)Do you not know that ^(BH)you are a ^[q]temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? ¹⁷ If anyone destroys the ^[r]temple of God, God will destroy ^[s]that person; for the ^[t]temple of God is holy, ^[u]and that is what you are.

^18 (BI)Take care that no one deceives himself. ^(BJ)If anyone among you thinks that he is wise in ^(BK)this age, he must become foolish, so that he may become wise. ¹⁹ For ^(BL)the wisdom of this world is foolishness in the sight of God. For it is written: “He is ^(BM)the one who catches the wise by their craftiness”; ²⁰ and again, “^(BN)The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are useless.” ²¹ So then, ^(BO)no one is to be boasting in people. For ^(BP)all things belong to you, ^22 (BQ)whether Paul or Apollos or ^[v]Cephas, or the world or ^(BR)life or death, or things present or things to come; all things belong to you, ²³ and ^(BS)you belong to Christ, and ^(BT)Christ belongs to God.