1 Corinthians 2

Pauls Proclamation

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1} When I came to you, brothers, announcing the testimony^(a) of God to you, I did not come with brilliance^(A) of speech^(B) or wisdom. ^{Tools
2} For I didn’t think it was a good idea to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.^(C) ^{Tools
3} I came to you in weakness,^(D) in fear,^(E) and in much trembling.^(F) ^{Tools
4} My speech^(G) and my proclamation were not with persuasive^(H) words of wisdom^(b) but with a powerful demonstration by the Spirit, ^{Tools
5} so that your faith might not be based on men’s wisdom but on God’s power.^(I)

Spiritual Wisdom

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6} However, we do speak a wisdom among the mature,^(J) but not a wisdom of this age, or of the rulers^(K) of this age, who are coming to nothing.^(L) ^{Tools
7} On the contrary, we speak God’s hidden wisdom in a mystery, a wisdom God predestined^(M) before the ages for our glory.^(N) ^{Tools
8} None of the rulers of this age knew this wisdom, for if they had known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.^(O) ^{Tools
9} But as it is written:

What eye did not see and ear did not hear,
and what never entered the human mind—
God prepared this for those who love Him.^(P)^(c)

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10} Now God has revealed these things to us by the Spirit, for the Spirit searches everything,^(Q) even the depths of God.^(R) ^{Tools
11} For who among men knows the thoughts^(d) of a man except the spirit^(S) of the man that is in him? In the same way, no one knows^(T) the thoughts^(e) of God except the Spirit of God. ^{Tools
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. ^{Tools
13} We also speak these things, not in words^(U) taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual things to spiritual people.^(f) ^{Tools
14} But the unbeliever^(g) does not welcome what comes from God’s Spirit, because it is foolishness to him; he is not able to understand it since it is evaluated^(h) spiritually. ^{Tools
15} The spiritual person, however, can evaluate⁽ⁱ⁾ everything, yet he himself cannot be evaluated^(j) by anyone. ^{Tools
16} For

who has known the Lord’s mind,
that he may instruct Him?^(V)^(k)

But we have the mind of Christ.^(W)

Footnotes:

a. 1 Corinthians 2:1: Other mss read mystery

b. 1 Corinthians 2:4: Other mss read human wisdom

c. 1 Corinthians 2:9: Is 52:15; 64:4

d. 1 Corinthians 2:11: Or things

e. 1 Corinthians 2:11: Or things

f. 1 Corinthians 2:13: Or things with spiritual words

g. 1 Corinthians 2:14: Or unspiritual; lit natural

h. 1 Corinthians 2:14: Or judged, or discerned

i. 1 Corinthians 2:15: Or judge, or discern

j. 1 Corinthians 2:15: Or judged, or discerned

k. 1 Corinthians 2:16: Is 40:13

Cross references:

A. 1 Corinthians 2:1: 1 Timothy 2:2

B. 1 Corinthians 2:1: Colossians 4:6

C. 1 Corinthians 2:2: 1 Corinthians 1:23-24; Galatians 6:14

D. 1 Corinthians 2:3: 2 Corinthians 11:30

E. 1 Corinthians 2:3: Revelation 11:11

F. 1 Corinthians 2:3: Philippians 2:12

G. 1 Corinthians 2:4: Matthew 12:37

H. 1 Corinthians 2:4: Philippians 1:25

I. 1 Corinthians 2:5: Mark 5:30; Luke 1:35; Luke 6:19; Acts 19:11; 2 Corinthians 13:4; 2 Timothy 1:7; Revelation 11:17

J. 1 Corinthians 2:6: Matthew 5:48

K. 1 Corinthians 2:6: Luke 12:58

L. 1 Corinthians 2:6: Hebrews 2:14

M. 1 Corinthians 2:7: Ephesians 1:5

N. 1 Corinthians 2:7: Luke 24:26; 1 Peter 5:1; 1 Peter 5:4

O. 1 Corinthians 2:8: Psalm 24:7

P. 1 Corinthians 2:9: Isaiah 52:15; Isaiah 64:4; Luke 10:27; 1 John 4:20

Q. 1 Corinthians 2:10: Psalm 17:3; John 14:26

R. 1 Corinthians 2:10: Romans 8:39; Romans 11:33; Ephesians 3:18

S. 1 Corinthians 2:11: Romans 1:9

T. 1 Corinthians 2:11: 1 John 4:8

U. 1 Corinthians 2:13: Matthew 12:37

V. 1 Corinthians 2:16: Isaiah 40:13

W. 1 Corinthians 2:16: Colossians 2:2