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And my message and my preaching were very plain. Rather than using clever and persuasive speeches, I relied only on the power of the Holy Spirit.

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My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words,(A) but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power,(B)

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20 For the Kingdom of God is not just a lot of talk; it is living by God’s power.

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20 For the kingdom of God is not a matter of(A) talk but of power.(B)

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For when we brought you the Good News, it was not only with words but also with power, for the Holy Spirit gave you full assurance[a] that what we said was true. And you know of our concern for you from the way we lived when we were with you.

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Footnotes

  1. 1:5 Or with the power of the Holy Spirit, so you can have full assurance.

because our gospel(A) came to you not simply with words but also with power,(B) with the Holy Spirit and deep conviction. You know(C) how we lived among you for your sake.

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17 For Christ didn’t send me to baptize, but to preach the Good News—and not with clever speech, for fear that the cross of Christ would lose its power.

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17 For Christ did not send me to baptize,(A) but to preach the gospel—not with wisdom(B) and eloquence, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.

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Paul’s Message of Wisdom

When I first came to you, dear brothers and sisters,[a] I didn’t use lofty words and impressive wisdom to tell you God’s secret plan.[b]

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Footnotes

  1. 2:1a Greek brothers.
  2. 2:1b Greek God’s mystery; other manuscripts read God’s testimony.

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]

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Footnotes

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

19 They were convinced by the power of miraculous signs and wonders and by the power of God’s Spirit.[a] In this way, I have fully presented the Good News of Christ from Jerusalem all the way to Illyricum.[b]

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Footnotes

  1. 15:19a Other manuscripts read the Spirit; still others read the Holy Spirit.
  2. 15:19b Illyricum was a region northeast of Italy.

19 by the power of signs and wonders,(A) through the power of the Spirit of God.(B) So from Jerusalem(C) all the way around to Illyricum, I have fully proclaimed the gospel of Christ.(D)

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16 For we were not making up clever stories when we told you about the powerful coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. We saw his majestic splendor with our own eyes

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16 For we did not follow cleverly devised stories when we told you about the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ in power,(A) but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty.(B)

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13 When we tell you these things, we do not use words that come from human wisdom. Instead, we speak words given to us by the Spirit, using the Spirit’s words to explain spiritual truths.[a]

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Footnotes

  1. 2:13 Or explaining spiritual truths in spiritual language, or explaining spiritual truths to spiritual people.

13 This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom(A) but in words taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual realities with Spirit-taught words.[a]

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Corinthians 2:13 Or Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual

I am telling you this so no one will deceive you with well-crafted arguments.

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I tell you this so that no one may deceive you by fine-sounding arguments.(A)

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18 They brag about themselves with empty, foolish boasting. With an appeal to twisted sexual desires, they lure back into sin those who have barely escaped from a lifestyle of deception.

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18 For they mouth empty, boastful words(A) and, by appealing to the lustful desires of the flesh, they entice people who are just escaping(B) from those who live in error.

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12 They were told that their messages were not for themselves, but for you. And now this Good News has been announced to you by those who preached in the power of the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. It is all so wonderful that even the angels are eagerly watching these things happen.

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12 It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you,(A) when they spoke of the things that have now been told you by those who have preached the gospel to you(B) by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven.(C) Even angels long to look into these things.

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10 Obviously, I’m not trying to win the approval of people, but of God. If pleasing people were my goal, I would not be Christ’s servant.

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10 Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people?(A) If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.

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And when he comes, he will convict the world of its sin, and of God’s righteousness, and of the coming judgment. The world’s sin is that it refuses to believe in me. 10 Righteousness is available because I go to the Father, and you will see me no more. 11 Judgment will come because the ruler of this world has already been judged.

12 “There is so much more I want to tell you, but you can’t bear it now. 13 When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future. 14 He will bring me glory by telling you whatever he receives from me. 15 All that belongs to the Father is mine; this is why I said, ‘The Spirit will tell you whatever he receives from me.’

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When he comes, he will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment: about sin,(A) because people do not believe in me; 10 about righteousness,(B) because I am going to the Father,(C) where you can see me no longer; 11 and about judgment, because the prince of this world(D) now stands condemned.

12 “I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear.(E) 13 But when he, the Spirit of truth,(F) comes, he will guide you into all the truth.(G) He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. 14 He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you. 15 All that belongs to the Father is mine.(H) That is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what he will make known to you.”

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