Read the New Testament in 24 Weeks

And I Came To You Proclaiming Christ Crucified Without Human Eloquence Or Wisdom

2 And I, having come^[a] to you, brothers, did not come in accordance with superiority^[b] of speech or of wisdom while proclaiming to you the mystery of God. ² For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ— and this One having been crucified. ³ And I was^[c] with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling. ⁴ And my speech and my proclamation was not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration^[d] of ^[e] the Spirit and power, ⁵ in order that your faith might not be in the wisdom of humans but in the power of God.

Yet We Are Speaking God’s Wisdom To The Mature

⁶ Yet we are speaking wisdom among the mature, but a wisdom not of this age, nor of the rulers of this age— the ones being brought-to-nothing. ⁷ Rather we are speaking God’s wisdom in a mystery; the wisdom having been hidden which God predestined before the ages for our glory, ⁸ which none of the rulers of this age has understood. For if they had understood, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. ⁹ But it ^[f] is just as it has been written: “Things which an eye did not see and an ear did not hear, and which did not come-up^[g] on the heart of a human— which God prepared for the ones loving Him”.

God Revealed This Wisdom To Us Through His Spirit

¹⁰ And God revealed it ^[h] to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. ¹¹ For who among people knows the things of the person except the spirit of the person within him? In this manner also, no one has known the things of God except the Spirit of God. ¹² And we did not receive the spirit of the world, but the Spirit from God, in order that we might know the things having been freely-given to us by God— ¹³ things which we also are speaking not in words taught by human wisdom, but in words taught by the Spirit, combining^[i] spiritual things with spiritual words. ¹⁴ But a natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God. For they are foolishness to him and he is not able to understand, because they are spiritually examined^[j]. ¹⁵ But the spiritual person examines all things, yet he himself is examined by no one^[k]. ¹⁶ For “who knew the mind of the Lord? Who will instruct Him?” [Isa 40:13], and we have the mind of Christ!

But You Are Still Acting Like Infants By Dividing Over Paul And Apollos

3 And I, brothers, was not able to speak to you as to spiritual ones, but as to ones made-of-flesh^[l], as to infants in Christ. ² I gave you milk to drink, not food, for you were not yet able. But not-even still now are you able, ³ for you are still fleshly^[m]. For where there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not fleshly and walking in accordance with human thinking^[n]? ⁴ For whenever one says “I am of Paul”, and another “I am of Apollos”, are you not [mere] humans?

So What Are Apollos And Paul? Servants Planting And Watering Seed For God

⁵ Therefore, what is Apollos? And what is Paul?— servants through whom you believed, even as the Lord gave to each one. ⁶ I planted, Apollos watered, but God was causing-growth. ⁷ So then neither is the one planting anything, nor the one watering, but God causing the growth. ⁸ And the one planting and the one watering are one^[o], but each will receive his own reward according to his own labor.

We Are Workers In God’s Building. Be Careful How You Build On The Foundation

⁹ For we are God’s fellow-workers^[p]; you are God’s farm, God’s building. ¹⁰ I laid a foundation according-to^[q] the grace of God having been given to me as a wise master-builder, and another is building-upon it. But let each one be watching-out how he builds-upon it. ¹¹ For no one can lay another foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. ¹² And if one builds gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw upon the foundation, ¹³ each one’s work will become evident. For the day will make it clear^[r], because it is revealed by fire. And the fire itself will test what-sort each one’s work is. ¹⁴ If one’s work which he built-upon it shall remain, he will receive a reward. ¹⁵ If one’s work shall be burned-up, he will suffer-loss^[s]. But he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire. ¹⁶ Do you not know that you are God’s temple and the Spirit of God is dwelling in you? ¹⁷ If anyone ruins^[t] the temple of God, God will ruin this one. For the temple of God is holy— which you are!

Don’t Be Deceived. The World’s Wisdom Is Foolishness To God

¹⁸ Let no one be deceiving himself. If anyone among you thinks that he is wise in this age, let him become foolish in order that he may become wise. ¹⁹ For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it has been written [in Job 5:13], “He is the One catching the wise in their craftiness^[u]”; ²⁰ and again [in Ps 94:11], “The Lord knows the thoughts^[v] of the wise, that they are futile”.

So Don’t Boast In People. All God’s Servants Belong To You

²¹ So then, let no one be boasting in people. For all things are yours— ²² whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or things present or things coming— all things are yours. ²³ And you are Christ’s, and Christ is God’s.