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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 Spirit Reveals Everything

However, when we are among mature people, we do speak a message of[a] wisdom, but not the wisdom of this world or of the rulers of this world, who are passing off the scene. Instead, we speak about God’s wisdom in a hidden secret, which God destined before the world began[b] for our glory. None of the rulers of this world understood it, because if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. But as it is written,

“No eye has seen, no ear has heard,
    and no mind has imagined
the things that God has prepared
    for those who love him.”[c]

10 But[d] God has revealed those things to us by his Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the deep things of God.

11 Is there anyone who can understand his own thoughts except his own inner spirit? In the same way, no one can know the thoughts of God except God’s Spirit. 12 Now, we have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who comes from God, so that we can understand the things that were freely given to us by God. 13 We don’t speak about these things with words taught us by human wisdom, but with words[e] taught by the Spirit, as we explain spiritual things to spiritual people.[f]

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Corinthians 2:6 The Gk. lacks a message of
  2. 1 Corinthians 2:7 The Gk. lacks began
  3. 1 Corinthians 2:9 Isa 64:4
  4. 1 Corinthians 2:10 Other mss. read For
  5. 1 Corinthians 2:13 Lit. in things
  6. 1 Corinthians 2:13 Or in spiritual words