信仰的基礎

弟兄姊妹,我當初到你們那裡傳揚上帝的奧祕,並沒有用高深的言論或哲理。 因為我已決定在你們當中不談別的,只講耶穌基督和祂被釘十字架的事。 那時我在你們當中很軟弱,害怕,戰戰兢兢。 我說話、講道不是靠充滿智慧的雄辯之詞,而是靠聖靈的能力作明證, 好使你們的信仰不是以人的智慧為基礎,而是以上帝的能力為基礎。

當然我們也跟成熟的人談論智慧,不過並非這個世代的智慧,也不是那些在世上當權、將來要衰亡之人的智慧。 我們所講的是上帝隱藏在奧祕中的智慧,是祂為了使我們得榮耀而在萬世以前定好的智慧。 只可惜世上當權的人沒有一個明白這智慧。他們要是明白,就不會把榮耀的主釘在十字架上了。 正如聖經上說:

「上帝為愛祂的人所預備的,
是眼睛未曾見過,
耳朵未曾聽聞,
人心也未曾想到的。」

10 然而,上帝藉著聖靈將這一切啟示給我們,因為聖靈洞悉萬事,連上帝深奧的事都瞭若指掌。 11 除了人裡面的靈,誰能瞭解人的事呢?照樣,除了上帝的聖靈,誰也不能瞭解上帝的事。 12 我們接受的不是這世界的靈,而是上帝的聖靈,使我們可以領會上帝開恩啟示給我們的事。 13 我們講述這些事,不是用人類智慧所教的話,而是用聖靈所教的話,用屬靈的話解釋屬靈的事[a]

14 然而,屬血氣的人不接受從上帝來的聖靈的教導,認為愚不可及,無法明白,因為只有屬靈的人才能參透。 15 屬靈的人能夠參透萬事,但沒有人能參透他。

16 「誰曾知道主的心意,
能夠指教祂呢?」

但我們明白基督的心意。

Footnotes

  1. 2·13 用屬靈的話解釋屬靈的事」或譯「向屬靈的人解釋屬靈的事」。

Chapter 2

Jesus Christ—and Him Crucified. When I came to you, brethren, I did not proclaim to you the mystery of God[a] with words of eloquence or wisdom. For I resolved that, while I was with you, I would know nothing except Jesus Christ—and him crucified. I came to you in weakness, in fear, and in great trepidation. My message and my proclamation were not made with persuasive words of wisdom, but in a demonstration of the Spirit and of power,[b] so that your faith might rest not on human wisdom but on the power of God.

The Mysterious Wisdom of God

The Plan of God, True Wisdom. However, to those who are mature, we do speak of wisdom, although not a wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age[c] whose end is not far distant. Rather, we speak of the mysterious and hidden wisdom of God, which God decreed before the ages for our glory. None of the rulers of this age comprehended it. If they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.[d] For as it is written,

“Eye has not seen, ear has not heard,
    nor has the human heart imagined
    what God has prepared for those who love him.”

10 The Spirit Enables Faith To Mature. However, God has revealed these things to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit explores everything, even the depths of God. 11 And just as no human being comprehends any person’s innermost being except the person’s own spirit within him, so also no one comprehends what pertains to God except the Spirit of God.

12 We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand the gifts bestowed upon us by God. 13 And we speak of these things in words taught to us not by human wisdom but by the Spirit, expressing spiritual things in spiritual words.[e]

14 An unspiritual person refuses to accept what pertains to the Spirit of God, for to him such things are foolish. He is unable to understand them because they can be discerned only in a spiritual way. 15 A spiritual person[f] discerns all things, and he is himself subject to no one else’s judgment:

16 “For who has ever known the mind of the Lord?
    Who has ever been his instructor?”

But we possess the mind of Christ.

Footnotes

  1. 1 Corinthians 2:1 Mystery of God: God’s plan of salvation, which involves Jesus and the cross (see 1 Cor 1:18-25; 2:2, 8-10). Some manuscripts have “testimony” in place of “mystery.”
  2. 1 Corinthians 2:4 Paul is not downgrading study and preparation for preachers. He is simply stressing that in addition to such things they also need the Holy Spirit working in their hearts in order for their words to bear fruit.
  3. 1 Corinthians 2:6 Rulers of this age: not only the Jewish and Roman leaders under whom Jesus was crucified (see Acts 4:25-28) but also the cosmic powers that were in league with them (see Eph 1:20-23; 3:10).
  4. 1 Corinthians 2:8 Here the Lord of glory is Jesus Christ. In the Old Testament, it is a title of God (see Ex 24:16; Pss 24:7; 29:9); Paul is therefore asserting here the divinity of Jesus.
  5. 1 Corinthians 2:13 Expressing spiritual things in spiritual words: another possible translation is: “expressing spiritual realities to spiritual people.”
  6. 1 Corinthians 2:15 Unspiritual person . . . spiritual person: an unspiritual person is one who follows mere natural human instincts (see Rom 8:9; Jude 19); a spiritual person is one who follows the Spirit of God. The former lives according to the “natural” order and the latter according to the “supernatural” order.

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) However, as it is written:

“What no eye has seen,
    what no ear has heard,
and what no human mind has conceived”[b]
    the things God has prepared for those who love him—(P)

10 these are the things God has revealed(Q) to us by his Spirit.(R)

The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. 11 For who knows a person’s thoughts(S) except their own spirit(T) within them? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. 12 What we have received is not the spirit(U) of the world,(V) but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us. 13 This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom(W) but in words taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual realities with Spirit-taught words.[c] 14 The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God(X) but considers them foolishness,(Y) and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit. 15 The person with the Spirit(Z) makes judgments about all things, but such a person is not subject to merely human judgments, 16 for,

“Who has known the mind of the Lord
    so as to instruct him?”[d](AA)

But we have the mind of Christ.(AB)

Footnotes

  1. 1 Corinthians 2:1 Some manuscripts proclaimed to you God’s mystery
  2. 1 Corinthians 2:9 Isaiah 64:4
  3. 1 Corinthians 2:13 Or Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual
  4. 1 Corinthians 2:16 Isaiah 40:13