1 Corinthians 2
2
Paul’s Approach to Ministry in Corinth
1 And I, when I#*Here “when” is supplied as a component of the participle (“came”) which is understood as temporal came to you, brothers, did not come with superiority of speech or of wisdom, proclaiming to you the testimony#Some manuscripts have “mystery” of God. 2For I decided not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. 3And I came to you in weakness and in fear and with much trembling, 4and my speech and my preaching were not with the persuasiveness#Some manuscripts have “with persuasive words” of wisdom, but with a demonstration of the Spirit and power, 5in order that your faith would not be in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.
The Wisdom Revealed by the Spirit
6Now we do speak wisdom among the mature, but wisdom not of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are perishing, 7but we speak the hidden wisdom of God in a mystery, which God predestined before the ages for our glory, 8which none of the rulers of this age knew. For if they had known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. 9But 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#Some manuscripts have “which” God has prepared for those who love him.”#A quotation from Isa 64:4
10For#Some manuscripts have “But to us God has revealed them” to us God has revealed them through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God. 11For 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. 12Now 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, 13things which we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in words taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual things to spiritual people.#Or “in spiritual words” 14But the natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he is not able to understand them, because they are spiritually discerned. 15Now the spiritual person discerns all things, but he himself is judged by no one. 16“For who has known the mind of the Lord; who has advised him?”#A quotation from Isa 40:13 But we have the mind of Christ.
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1 Corinthians 2
2
1 AS FOR myself, brethren, when I came to you, I did not come proclaiming to you the testimony and evidence or mystery and secret of God [concerning what He has done through Christ for the salvation of men] in lofty words of eloquence or human philosophy and wisdom;
2 For I resolved to know nothing (to be acquainted with nothing, to make a display of the knowledge of nothing, and to be conscious of nothing) among you except Jesus Christ (the Messiah) and Him crucified.
3 And I was in (passed into a state of) weakness and fear (dread) and great trembling [after I had come] among you.
4 And my language and my message were not set forth in persuasive (enticing and plausible) words of wisdom, but they were in demonstration of the [Holy] Spirit and power [a proof by the Spirit and power of God, operating on me and stirring in the minds of my hearers the most holy emotions and thus persuading them],
5 So that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men (human philosophy), but in the power of God.
6 Yet when we are among the full-grown (spiritually mature Christians who are ripe in understanding), we do impart a [higher] wisdom (the knowledge of the divine plan previously hidden); but it is indeed not a wisdom of this present age or of this world nor of the leaders and rulers of this age, who are being brought to nothing and are doomed to pass away.
7 But rather what we are setting forth is a wisdom of God once hidden [from the human understanding] and now revealed to us by God–[that wisdom] which God devised and decreed before the ages for our glorification [to lift us into the glory of His presence].
8 None of the rulers of this age or world perceived and recognized and understood this, for if they had, they would never have crucified the Lord of glory.
9 But, on the contrary, as the Scripture says, What eye has not seen and ear has not heard and has not entered into the heart of man, [all that] God has prepared (made and keeps ready) for those who love Him [who hold Him in affectionate reverence, promptly obeying Him and gratefully recognizing the benefits He has bestowed]. [Isa. 64:4; 65:17.]
10 Yet to us God has unveiled and revealed them by and through His Spirit, for the [Holy] Spirit searches diligently, exploring and examining everything, even sounding the profound and bottomless things of God [the divine counsels and things hidden and beyond man's scrutiny].
11 For what person perceives (knows and understands) what passes through a man's thoughts except the man's own spirit within him? Just so no one discerns (comes to know and comprehend) the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God.
12 Now we have not received the spirit [that belongs to] the world, but the [Holy] Spirit Who is from God, [given to us] that we might realize and comprehend and appreciate the gifts [of divine favor and blessing so freely and lavishly] bestowed on us by God.
13 And we are setting these truths forth in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the [Holy] Spirit, combining and interpreting spiritual truths with spiritual language [to those who possess the Holy Spirit].
14 But the natural, nonspiritual man does not accept or welcome or admit into his heart the gifts and teachings and revelations of the Spirit of God, for they are folly (meaningless nonsense) to him; and he is incapable of knowing them [of progressively recognizing, understanding, and becoming better acquainted with them] because they are spiritually discerned and estimated and appreciated.
15 But the spiritual man tries all things [he examines, investigates, inquires into, questions, and discerns all things], yet is himself to be put on trial and judged by no one [he can read the meaning of everything, but no one can properly discern or appraise or get an insight into him].
16 For who has known or understood the mind (the counsels and purposes) of the Lord so as to guide and instruct Him and give Him knowledge? But we have the mind of Christ (the Messiah) and do hold the thoughts (feelings and purposes) of His heart. [Isa. 40:13.]
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