1 Corinthians 2
New Living Translation
Paul’s Message of Wisdom
2 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] 2 For I decided that while I was with you I would forget everything except Jesus Christ, the one who was crucified. 3 I came to you in weakness—timid and trembling. 4 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. 5 I did this so you would trust not in human wisdom but in the power of God.
6 Yet when I am among mature believers, I do speak with words of wisdom, but not the kind of wisdom that belongs to this world or to the rulers of this world, who are soon forgotten. 7 No, the wisdom we speak of is the mystery of God[c]—his plan that was previously hidden, even though he made it for our ultimate glory before the world began. 8 But the rulers of this world have not understood it; if they had, they would not have crucified our glorious Lord. 9 That is what the Scriptures mean when they say,
“No eye has seen, no ear has heard,
and no mind has imagined
what God has prepared
for those who love him.”[d]
10 But[e] it was to us that God revealed these things by his Spirit. For his Spirit searches out everything and shows us God’s deep secrets. 11 No one can know a person’s thoughts except that person’s own spirit, and no one can know God’s thoughts except God’s own Spirit. 12 And we have received God’s Spirit (not the world’s spirit), so we can know the wonderful things God has freely given us.
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.[f] 14 But people who aren’t spiritual[g] can’t receive these truths from God’s Spirit. It all sounds foolish to them and they can’t understand it, for only those who are spiritual can understand what the Spirit means. 15 Those who are spiritual can evaluate all things, but they themselves cannot be evaluated by others. 16 For,
“Who can know the Lord’s thoughts?
Who knows enough to teach him?”[h]
But we understand these things, for we have the mind of Christ.
Footnotes
- 2:1a Greek brothers.
- 2:1b Greek God’s mystery; other manuscripts read God’s testimony.
- 2:7 Greek But we speak God’s wisdom in a mystery.
- 2:9 Isa 64:4.
- 2:10 Some manuscripts read For.
- 2:13 Or explaining spiritual truths in spiritual language, or explaining spiritual truths to spiritual people.
- 2:14 Or who don’t have the Spirit; or who have only physical life.
- 2:16 Isa 40:13 (Greek version).
1 Corinthians 2
Mounce Reverse Interlinear New Testament
2 When I kagō came erchomai to pros you hymeis, brothers adelphos, I did not ou come erchomai with kata excellence hyperochē of speech logos or ē of wisdom sophia as I told katangellō you hymeis about the ho secret martyrion purpose of ho God theos. 2 For gar I had decided krinō to know oida nothing tis among en you hymeis except ei mē Jesus Iēsous Christ Christos and kai him houtos crucified stauroō. 3 So I kagō came ginomai to pros you hymeis in en weakness astheneia and kai fear phobos, and kai with en much polys trembling tromos. 4 · kai · ho My egō word logos and kai · ho my egō message kērygma were not ou delivered with en persuasive peithos words logos of wisdom sophia, but alla with en a demonstration apodeixis of the Spirit pneuma and kai of power dynamis, 5 so hina that · ho your hymeis faith pistis would not mē be eimi based on en the wisdom sophia of men anthrōpos but alla on en the power dynamis of God theos.
6 However de, we do speak laleō wisdom sophia among en those ho who are mature teleios, although de it is not ou the wisdom sophia of ho this houtos age aiōn or oude of the ho rulers archōn of ho this houtos age aiōn, who ho are doomed to perish katargeō. 7 Rather alla, we speak laleō the wisdom sophia of God theos; a wisdom that ho was hidden apokryptō in en mystery mystērion and that hos God theos had determined proorizō · ho before pro the ho ages aiōn for eis our hēmeis glory doxa. 8 None oudeis of the ho rulers archōn of ho this houtos age aiōn understood ginōskō it hos, for gar if ei they had ginōskō, they stauroō would an not ou have crucified stauroō the ho Lord kyrios of ho glory doxa. 9 But alla, as kathōs it is written graphō, “ No ou eye ophthalmos has seen, · kai no ou ear ous has heard akouō, · kai nor ou has the mind kardia of man anthrōpos imagined anabainō, the things that hos God theos has prepared hetoimazō · ho for those ho who love agapaō him autos.” 10 But de God theos has revealed apokalyptō them to us hēmeis · ho through dia his ho Spirit pneuma; for gar the ho Spirit pneuma searches eraunaō everything pas, even kai the ho deep bathos things of ho God theos. 11 For gar who tis among men anthrōpos can know oida the ho thoughts of ho a man anthrōpos except ei mē the ho man’ s own anthrōpos spirit pneuma · ho that ho is in en him autos? In the same houtōs way , · kai no one oudeis can understand ginōskō the ho thoughts of ho God theos except ei mē the ho Spirit pneuma of ho God theos. 12 · de It was not ou the ho spirit pneuma of the ho world kosmos that we hēmeis received lambanō, but alla the ho Spirit pneuma · ho sent from ek · ho God theos, that hina we might understand oida the ho gifts freely given charizomai to us hēmeis by hypo · ho God theos. 13 And kai we speak about laleō these hos things in en words logos not ou taught didaktos by human anthrōpinos wisdom sophia but alla taught didaktos by the Spirit pneuma, expressing synkrinō spiritual truths pneumatikos in spiritual pneumatikos words . 14 The natural psychikos · de man anthrōpos does not ou receive dechomai the ho things of the ho Spirit pneuma of ho God theos, for gar they are eimi foolishness mōria to him autos; · kai he cannot ou understand ginōskō them because hoti they are spiritually pneumatikōs discerned anakrinō. 15 But de the ho spiritual pneumatikos person discerns anakrinō · ho all pas things , and de is not himself autos subject to hypo anyone’ s oudeis scrutiny anakrinō. 16 For gar, “ Who tis has known ginōskō the mind nous of the Lord kyrios, so as to advise symbibazō him autos?” But de we hēmeis have echō the mind nous of Christ Christos.
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