1 Corinthians 2
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:
“(S)Things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard,
And which have not entered the human heart,
All that God has prepared for those who love Him.”
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.
Footnotes
- 1 Corinthians 2:1 Lit speech
- 1 Corinthians 2:1 Or cleverness
- 1 Corinthians 2:1 One early ms mystery
- 1 Corinthians 2:4 Lit word
- 1 Corinthians 2:4 Or cleverness
- 1 Corinthians 2:5 Lit be
- 1 Corinthians 2:5 Or cleverness
- 1 Corinthians 2:10 One early ms But
- 1 Corinthians 2:13 Or interpreting spiritual things for spiritual people
- 1 Corinthians 2:14 Or an unspiritual
- 1 Corinthians 2:15 Or judged
1 Corinthians 2
American Standard Version
2 And I, brethren, when I came unto you, came not with excellency of [a]speech or of wisdom, proclaiming to you the [b]testimony of God. 2 For I determined not to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified. 3 And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling. 4 And my [c]speech and my [d]preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: 5 that your faith should not [e]stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.
6 We speak wisdom, however, among them that are fullgrown: yet a wisdom not of this [f]world, nor of the rulers of this [g]world, who are coming to nought: 7 but we speak God’s wisdom in a mystery, even the wisdom that hath been hidden, which God foreordained before the [h]worlds unto our glory: 8 which none of the rulers of this [i]world hath known: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory: 9 but as it is written,
[j]Things which eye saw not, and ear heard not,
And which entered not into the heart of man,
Whatsoever things God prepared for them that love him.
10 [k]But unto us God revealed [l]them through the Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. 11 For who among men knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of the man, which is in him? even so the things of God none knoweth, save the Spirit of God. 12 But we received, not the spirit of the [m]world, but the spirit which is from God; that we might know the things that were freely given to us of God. 13 Which things also we speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Spirit teacheth; [n]combining spiritual things with spiritual words. 14 Now the [o]natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him; and he cannot know them, because they are spiritually [p]judged. 15 But he that is spiritual [q]judgeth all things, and he himself is [r]judged of no man. 16 For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he should instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.
Footnotes
- 1 Corinthians 2:1 Or, word
- 1 Corinthians 2:1 Many ancient authorities read mystery.
- 1 Corinthians 2:4 Or, word
- 1 Corinthians 2:4 Greek thing preached.
- 1 Corinthians 2:5 Greek be.
- 1 Corinthians 2:6 Or, age: and so in verses 7, 8; but not in verse 12.
- 1 Corinthians 2:6 Or, age: and so in verses 7, 8; but not in verse 12.
- 1 Corinthians 2:7 Or, age
- 1 Corinthians 2:8 Or, age
- 1 Corinthians 2:9 Isa. 64:4; 65:17.
- 1 Corinthians 2:10 Some ancient authorities read For.
- 1 Corinthians 2:10 Or, it
- 1 Corinthians 2:12 See verse 6.
- 1 Corinthians 2:13 Or, interpreting spiritual things to spiritual men
- 1 Corinthians 2:14 Or, unspiritual. Greek psychical.
- 1 Corinthians 2:14 Or, examined
- 1 Corinthians 2:15 Or, examineth
- 1 Corinthians 2:15 Or, examined
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