11 For who knows a person's thoughts (A)except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. 12 Now (B)we have received not (C)the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God. 13 And we impart this (D)in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, (E)interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual.[a]

14 The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are (F)folly to him, and (G)he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. 15 The (H)spiritual person judges all things, but is himself to be judged by no one. 16 (I)“For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” But (J)we have the mind of Christ.

Divisions in the Church

But I, brothers,[b] could not address you as (K)spiritual people, but as (L)people of the flesh, as (M)infants in Christ. (N)I fed you with milk, not solid food, for (O)you were not ready for it. And even now you are not yet ready, for you are still of the flesh. For while there is (P)jealousy and strife among you, are you not of the flesh and behaving only in a human way?

Footnotes

  1. 1 Corinthians 2:13 Or interpreting spiritual truths in spiritual language, or comparing spiritual things with spiritual
  2. 1 Corinthians 3:1 Or brothers and sisters

11 For who among people knows the thoughts of a person except the (A)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 (B)have not received the spirit of (C)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, (D)not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, [a]combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words.

14 But [b]a (E)natural person (F)does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are (G)foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned. 15 But the one who is (H)spiritual discerns all things, yet he himself is [c]discerned by no one. 16 For (I)who has known the mind of the Lord, that he will instruct Him? But (J)we have the mind of Christ.

Foundations for Living

And I, brothers and sisters, could not speak to you as (K)spiritual people, but only as (L)fleshly, as to (M)infants in Christ. I gave you (N)milk to drink, not solid food; for you (O)were not yet able to consume it. But even now you are not yet able, for you are still fleshly. For since there is (P)jealousy and strife among you, are you not fleshly, and are you not walking (Q)like ordinary people?

Footnotes

  1. 1 Corinthians 2:13 Or interpreting spiritual things for spiritual people
  2. 1 Corinthians 2:14 Or an unspiritual
  3. 1 Corinthians 2:15 Or judged

11 For who knows a person’s thoughts(A) except their own spirit(B) 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(C) of the world,(D) 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(E) but in words taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual realities with Spirit-taught words.[a] 14 The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God(F) but considers them foolishness,(G) and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit. 15 The person with the Spirit(H) 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?”[b](I)

But we have the mind of Christ.(J)

The Church and Its Leaders

Brothers and sisters, I could not address you as people who live by the Spirit(K) but as people who are still worldly(L)—mere infants(M) in Christ. I gave you milk, not solid food,(N) for you were not yet ready for it.(O) Indeed, you are still not ready. You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling(P) among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere humans?

Footnotes

  1. 1 Corinthians 2:13 Or Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual
  2. 1 Corinthians 2:16 Isaiah 40:13

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.[a] 14 But people who aren’t spiritual[b] 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?”[c]

But we understand these things, for we have the mind of Christ.

Paul and Apollos, Servants of Christ

Dear brothers and sisters,[d] when I was with you I couldn’t talk to you as I would to spiritual people.[e] I had to talk as though you belonged to this world or as though you were infants in Christ. I had to feed you with milk, not with solid food, because you weren’t ready for anything stronger. And you still aren’t ready, for you are still controlled by your sinful nature. You are jealous of one another and quarrel with each other. Doesn’t that prove you are controlled by your sinful nature? Aren’t you living like people of the world?

Footnotes

  1. 2:13 Or explaining spiritual truths in spiritual language, or explaining spiritual truths to spiritual people.
  2. 2:14 Or who don’t have the Spirit; or who have only physical life.
  3. 2:16 Isa 40:13 (Greek version).
  4. 3:1a Greek Brothers.
  5. 3:1b Or to people who have the Spirit.