Passage Resources Hebrew/Greek Your Content
Previous Next
Add parallel Print Page Options Listen to 1 Corinthians 2:6-16, 2 Corinthians 4:1-4, Ephesians 2:1-3
Close CSB

1 Corinthians 2:6-16
Christian Standard Bible

Spiritual Wisdom

6 We do, however, speak a wisdom among the mature,(A) but not a wisdom of this age, or of the rulers(B) of this age, who are coming to nothing.(C) 7 On the contrary, we speak God’s hidden wisdom in a mystery, a wisdom God predestined(D) before the ages for our glory.(E) 8 None of the rulers of this age knew this wisdom, because if they had known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.(F) 9 But as it is written,

What no eye has seen, no ear has heard,
and no human heart has conceived—
God has prepared these things for those who love him.[a](G)

10 Now God has revealed these things to us by the Spirit, since the Spirit searches everything,(H) even the depths of God.(I) 11 For who knows a person’s thoughts[b] except his spirit(J) within him? In the same way, no one knows(K) the thoughts 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(L) taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual things to spiritual people.[c] 14 But the person without the Spirit[d] does not receive what comes from God’s Spirit, because it is foolishness to him; he is not able to understand it since it is evaluated[e] spiritually. 15 The spiritual person, however, can evaluate[f] everything, and yet he himself cannot be evaluated by anyone. 16 For

who has known the Lord’s mind,
that he may instruct him?[g](M)

But we have the mind of Christ.(N)

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. 2:9 Is 52:15; 64:4
  2. 2:11 Or things
  3. 2:13 Or things with spiritual words
  4. 2:14 Lit natural person
  5. 2:14 Or judged, or discerned, also in v. 15
  6. 2:15 Or judge, or discern
  7. 2:16 Is 40:13
Close NET

1 Corinthians 2:6-16
New English Translation

Wisdom from God

6 Now we do speak wisdom among the mature,[a] but not a wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are perishing. 7 Instead we speak the wisdom of God, hidden in a mystery, that God determined before the ages for our glory. 8 None of the rulers of this age understood it. If they had known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. 9 But just as it is written, “Things that no eye has seen, or ear heard, or mind imagined,[b] are the things God has prepared for those who love him.”[c] 10 God has revealed these to us by the Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. 11 For who among men knows the things of a man except the man’s spirit within him? So too, no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. 12 Now we have not received the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things that are freely given to us by God. 13 And we speak about these things, not with words taught us by human wisdom, but with those taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual things to spiritual people.[d] 14 The unbeliever[e] does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him. And he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned. 15 The one who is spiritual discerns[f] all things, yet he himself is understood[g] by no one. 16 For who has known the mind of the Lord, so as to advise him?[h] But we have the mind of Christ.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. 1 Corinthians 2:6 tn In extrabiblical literature this word was applied to an initiate of a mystery religion (BDAG 995 s.v. τέλειος 3, gives numerous examples and states this was a technical term of the mystery religions). It could here refer to those who believed Paul’s message, the mystery of God (v. 1), and so be translated as “those who believe God’s message.”
  2. 1 Corinthians 2:9 tn Grk “entered the heart,” an OT expression, in which the heart functions like the mind.
  3. 1 Corinthians 2:9 sn A quotation from Isa 64:4.
  4. 1 Corinthians 2:13 tn Or “combining spiritual things with spiritual words” (i.e., words the Spirit gives, as just described).
  5. 1 Corinthians 2:14 tn Grk “natural person.” Cf. BDAG 1100 s.v. ψυχικός a, “an unspiritual pers., one who merely functions bodily, without being touched by the Spirit of God.”
  6. 1 Corinthians 2:15 tn Or “evaluates.”
  7. 1 Corinthians 2:15 tn Or “is evaluated” (i.e., “is subject to evaluation”); Grk “he himself is discerned,” that is, the person without the Spirit does not understand the person with the Spirit, particularly in relation to the life of faith.
  8. 1 Corinthians 2:16 sn A quotation from Isa 40:13.
Next
1 Corinthians 1
1 Corinthians 3
Next
Previous Next
Close CSB

2 Corinthians 4:1-4
Christian Standard Bible

The Light of the Gospel

4 Therefore, since we have this ministry because we were shown mercy,(A) we do not give up.(B) 2 Instead, we have renounced secret and shameful things, not acting(C) deceitfully or distorting the word of God,(D) but commending ourselves before God to everyone’s conscience by an open display of the truth.(E) 3 But if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. 4 In their case, the god of this age(F) has blinded the minds of the unbelievers to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ,[a](G) who is the image of God.(H)

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. 4:4 Or the gospel of the glorious Christ, or the glorious gospel of Christ
Close NET

2 Corinthians 4:1-4
New English Translation

Paul’s Perseverance in Ministry

4 Therefore, since we have this ministry, just as God has shown us mercy,[a] we do not become discouraged.[b] 2 But we have rejected[c] shameful hidden deeds,[d] not behaving[e] with deceptiveness[f] or distorting the word of God, but by open proclamation of the truth we commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience before God. 3 But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled only to those who are perishing, 4 among whom the god of this age has blinded the minds of those who do not believe[g] so they would not see the light of the glorious gospel[h] of Christ,[i] who is the image of God.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. 2 Corinthians 4:1 tn Grk “just as we have been shown mercy”; ἠλεήθημεν (ēleēthēmen) has been translated as a “divine passive” which is a circumlocution for God as the active agent. For clarity this was converted to an active construction with God as subject in the translation.
  2. 2 Corinthians 4:1 tn Or “we do not lose heart.”
  3. 2 Corinthians 4:2 tn L&N 13.156; the word can also mean “to assert opposition to,” thus here “we have denounced” (L&N 33.220).
  4. 2 Corinthians 4:2 tn Grk “the hidden things [deeds] of shame”; here αἰσχύνης (aischunēs) has been translated as an attributive genitive.
  5. 2 Corinthians 4:2 tn Or “not conducting ourselves”; Grk “not walking” (a common NT idiom for conduct, way of life, or behavior).
  6. 2 Corinthians 4:2 tn Or “craftiness.”
  7. 2 Corinthians 4:4 tn Or “of unbelievers.”
  8. 2 Corinthians 4:4 tn Grk “the gospel of the glory”; δόξης (doxēs) has been translated as an attributive genitive.
  9. 2 Corinthians 4:4 tn Or “so that the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ would not be evident to them” (L&N 28.37).
Next
2 Corinthians 3
2 Corinthians 5
Next
Previous Next
Close CSB

Ephesians 2:1-3
Christian Standard Bible

From Death to Life

2 And you were dead(A) in your trespasses and sins 2 in which you previously walked according to the ways of this world,(B) according to the ruler of the power of the air,(C) the spirit(D) now working in the disobedient.[a] 3 We too all previously lived among them in our fleshly(E) desires, carrying out the inclinations(F) of our flesh and thoughts, and we were by nature children under wrath(G) as the others were also.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. 2:2 Lit sons of disobedience
Close NET

Ephesians 2:1-3
New English Translation

New Life Individually

2 And although you were[a] dead[b] in your offenses and sins, 2 in which[c] you formerly lived[d] according to this world’s present path,[e] according to the ruler of the domain[f] of the air, the ruler of[g] the spirit[h] that is now energizing[i] the sons of disobedience,[j] 3 among whom[k] all of us[l] also[m] formerly lived out our lives in the cravings of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath[n] even as the rest…[o]

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Ephesians 2:1 tn The adverbial participle “being” (ὄντας, ontas) is taken concessively.
  2. Ephesians 2:1 sn Chapter 2 starts off with a participle, although you were dead, that is left dangling. The syntax in Greek for vv. 1-3 constitutes one incomplete sentence, though it seems to have been done intentionally. The dangling participle leaves the readers in suspense while they wait for the solution (in v. 4) to their spiritual dilemma.
  3. Ephesians 2:2 sn The relative pronoun which is feminine as is sins, indicating that sins is the antecedent.
  4. Ephesians 2:2 tn Grk “walked.” sn The Greek verb translated lived (περιπατέω, peripateō) in the NT letters refers to the conduct of one’s life, not to physical walking.
  5. Ephesians 2:2 tn Or possibly “Aeon.”sn The word translated present path is the same as that which has been translated [this] age in 1:21 (αἰών, aiōn).
  6. Ephesians 2:2 tn That is, “[place of] authority”; see BDAG 353 s.v. ἐξουσία 6.
  7. Ephesians 2:2 tn Grk “of” (but see the note on the word “spirit” later in this verse).
  8. Ephesians 2:2 sn The ruler of the kingdom of the air is also the ruler of the spirit that is now energizing the sons of disobedience. Although several translations regard the ruler to be the same as the spirit, this is unlikely since the cases in Greek are different (ruler is accusative and spirit is genitive). To get around this, some have suggested that the genitive for spirit is a genitive of apposition. However, the semantics of the genitive of apposition are against such an interpretation (cf. ExSyn 100).
  9. Ephesians 2:2 tn Grk “working in.”
  10. Ephesians 2:2 sn Sons of disobedience is a Semitic idiom that means “people characterized by disobedience.” However, it also contains a subtle allusion to vv. 4-10: Some of those sons of disobedience have become sons of God.
  11. Ephesians 2:3 sn Among whom. The relative pronoun phrase that begins v. 3 is identical, except for gender, to the one that begins v. 2 (ἐν αἵς [en hais], ἐν οἵς [en hois]). By the structure, the author is building an argument for our hopeless condition: We lived in sin and we lived among sinful people. Our doom looked to be sealed as well in v. 2: Both the external environment (kingdom of the air) and our internal motivation and attitude (the spirit that is now energizing) were under the devil’s thumb (cf. 2 Cor 4:4).
  12. Ephesians 2:3 tn Grk “we all.”
  13. Ephesians 2:3 tn Or “even.”
  14. Ephesians 2:3 sn Children of wrath is a Semitic idiom which may mean either “people characterized by wrath” or “people destined for wrath.”
  15. Ephesians 2:3 sn Eph 2:1-3. The translation of vv. 1-3 is very literal, even to the point of retaining the awkward syntax of the original. See note on the word dead in 2:1.
Next
Ephesians 1
Ephesians 3
Next
dropdown
Christian Standard Bible (CSB)

The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible®, and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers, all rights reserved.

New English Translation (NET)

NET Bible® copyright ©1996-2017 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. http://netbible.com All rights reserved.