1 Corinthians 2
Complete Jewish Bible
2 As for me, brothers, when I arrived among you, it was not with surpassing eloquence or wisdom that I came announcing to you the previously concealed truth about God; 2 for I had decided that while I was with you I would forget everything except Yeshua the Messiah, and even him only as someone who had been executed on a stake as a criminal. 3 Also I myself was with you as somebody weak, nervous and shaking all over from fear; 4 and neither the delivery nor the content of my message relied on compelling words of “wisdom” but on a demonstration of the power of the Spirit, 5 so that your trust might not rest on human wisdom but on God’s power.
6 Yet there is a wisdom that we are speaking to those who are mature enough for it. But it is not the wisdom of this world or of this world’s leaders, who are in the process of passing away. 7 On the contrary, we are communicating a secret wisdom from God which has been hidden until now but which, before history began, God had decreed would bring us glory. 8 Not one of this world’s leaders has understood it; because if they had, they would not have executed the Lord from whom this glory flows. 9 But, as the Tanakh says,
“No eye has seen, no ear has heard
and no one’s heart has imagined
all the things that God has prepared
for those who love him.”[a]
10 It is to us, however, that God has revealed these things. How? Through the Spirit. For the Spirit probes all things, even the profoundest depths of God. 11 For who knows the inner workings of a person except the person’s own spirit inside him? So too no one knows the inner workings of God except God’s Spirit. 12 Now we have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit of God, so that we might understand the things God has so freely given us. 13 These are the things we are talking about when we avoid the manner of speaking that human wisdom would dictate and instead use a manner of speaking taught by the Spirit, by which we explain things of the Spirit to people who have the Spirit. 14 Now the natural man does not receive the things from the Spirit of God — to him they are nonsense! Moreover, he is unable to grasp them, because they are evaluated through the Spirit. 15 But the person who has the Spirit can evaluate everything, while no one is in a position to evaluate him.
16 For who has known the mind of Adonai?
Who will counsel him?[b]
But we have the mind of the Messiah!
Footnotes
- 1 Corinthians 2:9 Isaiah 64:3(4), 52:15
- 1 Corinthians 2:16 Isaiah 40:13
1 Corinthians 2
Holman Christian Standard Bible
Paul’s Proclamation
2 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. 2 For I didn’t think it was a good idea to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.(C) 3 I came to you in weakness,(D) in fear,(E) and in much trembling.(F) 4 My speech(G) and my proclamation were not with persuasive(H) words of wisdom[b] but with a powerful demonstration by the Spirit, 5 so that your faith might not be based on men’s wisdom but on God’s power.(I)
Spiritual Wisdom
6 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) 7 On the contrary, we speak God’s hidden wisdom in a mystery, a wisdom God predestined(M) before the ages for our glory.(N) 8 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) 9 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
But we have the mind of Christ.(W)
Footnotes
- 1 Corinthians 2:1 Other mss read mystery
- 1 Corinthians 2:4 Other mss read human wisdom
- 1 Corinthians 2:9 Is 52:15; 64:4
- 1 Corinthians 2:11 Or things
- 1 Corinthians 2:11 Or things
- 1 Corinthians 2:13 Or things with spiritual words
- 1 Corinthians 2:14 Or unspiritual; lit natural
- 1 Corinthians 2:14 Or judged, or discerned
- 1 Corinthians 2:15 Or judge, or discern
- 1 Corinthians 2:15 Or judged, or discerned
- 1 Corinthians 2:16 Is 40:13
1 Corinthians 2
King James Version
2 And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God.
2 For I determined not to know any thing 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 speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power:
5 That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.
6 Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought:
7 But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory:
8 Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.
9 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.
10 But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.
11 For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.
12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.
13 Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.
14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
15 But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man.
16 For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? but we have the mind of Christ.
Copyright © 1998 by David H. Stern. All rights reserved.
Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers, Nashville Tennessee. All rights reserved.