Paul’s Reliance upon the Spirit

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. For I determined to know nothing among you except (C)Jesus Christ, and Him crucified. I also was with you in (D)weakness and (E)fear, and in great trembling, 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, so that your faith would not [f]rest on the [g]wisdom of mankind, but on (H)the power of God.

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; but we speak God’s wisdom in a (M)mystery, the hidden wisdom which God (N)predestined before the (O)ages to our glory; 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; 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. 1 Corinthians 2:1 Lit speech
  2. 1 Corinthians 2:1 Or cleverness
  3. 1 Corinthians 2:1 One early ms mystery
  4. 1 Corinthians 2:4 Lit word
  5. 1 Corinthians 2:4 Or cleverness
  6. 1 Corinthians 2:5 Lit be
  7. 1 Corinthians 2:5 Or cleverness
  8. 1 Corinthians 2:10 One early ms But
  9. 1 Corinthians 2:13 Or interpreting spiritual things for spiritual people
  10. 1 Corinthians 2:14 Or an unspiritual
  11. 1 Corinthians 2:15 Or judged

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) But as it is written:

What eye did not see and ear did not hear,
and what never entered the human mind—
God prepared this for those who love Him.(P)[c]

10 Now God has revealed these things to us by the Spirit, for the Spirit searches everything,(Q) even the depths of God.(R) 11 For who among men knows the thoughts[d] of a man except the spirit(S) of the man that is in him? In the same way, no one knows(T) the thoughts[e] of God except the Spirit of God. 12 Now we have not received the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who comes from God, so that we may understand what has been freely given to us by God. 13 We also speak these things, not in words(U) taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual things to spiritual people.[f] 14 But the unbeliever[g] does not welcome what comes from God’s Spirit, because it is foolishness to him; he is not able to understand it since it is evaluated[h] spiritually. 15 The spiritual person, however, can evaluate[i] everything, yet he himself cannot be evaluated[j] by anyone. 16 For

who has known the Lord’s mind,
that he may instruct Him?(V)[k]

But we have the mind of Christ.(W)

Footnotes

  1. 1 Corinthians 2:1 Other mss read mystery
  2. 1 Corinthians 2:4 Other mss read human wisdom
  3. 1 Corinthians 2:9 Is 52:15; 64:4
  4. 1 Corinthians 2:11 Or things
  5. 1 Corinthians 2:11 Or things
  6. 1 Corinthians 2:13 Or things with spiritual words
  7. 1 Corinthians 2:14 Or unspiritual; lit natural
  8. 1 Corinthians 2:14 Or judged, or discerned
  9. 1 Corinthians 2:15 Or judge, or discern
  10. 1 Corinthians 2:15 Or judged, or discerned
  11. 1 Corinthians 2:16 Is 40:13