Spiritual Wisdom

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) On the contrary, we speak God’s hidden wisdom in a mystery, a wisdom God predestined(D) before the ages for our glory.(E) 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) 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]

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Footnotes

  1. 2:9 Is 52:15; 64:4
  2. 2:11 Or things
  3. 2:13 Or things with spiritual words

The Wisdom Revealed by the Spirit

Now we do speak wisdom among the mature, but wisdom not of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are perishing, but we speak the hidden wisdom of God in a mystery, which God predestined before the ages for our glory, which none of the rulers of this age knew. For if they had known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. But just as it is written,

Things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard,
    and have not entered into the heart of man,
all that[a] God has prepared for those who love him.”[b]

10 For[c] to us God has revealed them through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God. 11 For who among men knows the things of a man, except the spirit of the man that is in him? Thus also no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. 12 Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, in order that we may know the things freely given to us by God, 13 things which we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in words taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual things to spiritual people.[d]

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Corinthians 2:9 Some manuscripts have “which”
  2. 1 Corinthians 2:9 A quotation from Isa 64:4
  3. 1 Corinthians 2:10 Some manuscripts have “But to us God has revealed them
  4. 1 Corinthians 2:13 Or “in spiritual words