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Yet we do speak wisdom among those who are (A)mature, a wisdom, however, not of (B)this age nor of the rulers of (C)this age, who are (D)being abolished. But we speak God’s wisdom in a (E)mystery, the wisdom which has been hidden, which God (F)predestined before the (G)ages to our glory, (H)which none of the rulers of (I)this age has understood; for if they had understood it, they would not have crucified (J)the Lord of glory. But just as it is written,

(K)Things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard,
And which have not entered the heart of man,
All that God has prepared for those who love Him.”

10 [a](L)But to us God revealed them (M)through the Spirit, for the Spirit searches all things, even the (N)depths of God. 11 For who among men knows the depths of a man except the (O)spirit of the man which is in him? Even so the depths of God no one knows except the Spirit of God. 12 Now we (P)have received, not the spirit of (Q)the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the depths graciously given to us by God, 13 of which depths we also speak, (R)not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, [b]combining spiritual depths with spiritual words.

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Corinthians 2:10 Some early mss For
  2. 1 Corinthians 2:13 Or interpreting spiritual things for spiritual men

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. No, the wisdom we speak of is the mystery of God[a]—his plan that was previously hidden, even though he made it for our ultimate glory before the world began. But the rulers of this world have not understood it; if they had, they would not have crucified our glorious Lord. 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.”[b]

10 But[c] 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.[d]

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Footnotes

  1. 2:7 Greek But we speak God’s wisdom in a mystery.
  2. 2:9 Isa 64:4.
  3. 2:10 Some manuscripts read For.
  4. 2:13 Or explaining spiritual truths in spiritual language, or explaining spiritual truths to spiritual people.

God’s Wisdom Revealed by the Spirit

We do, however, speak a message of wisdom among the mature,(A) but not the wisdom of this age(B) or of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing.(C) No, we declare God’s wisdom, a mystery(D) that has been hidden(E) and that God destined for our glory before time began. None of the rulers of this age(F) understood it, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.(G) However, as it is written:

“What no eye has seen,
    what no ear has heard,
and what no human mind has conceived”[a]
    the things God has prepared for those who love him—(H)

10 these are the things God has revealed(I) to us by his Spirit.(J)

The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. 11 For who knows a person’s thoughts(K) except their own spirit(L) 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(M) of the world,(N) 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(O) but in words taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual realities with Spirit-taught words.[b]

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Corinthians 2:9 Isaiah 64:4
  2. 1 Corinthians 2:13 Or Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual