The First Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Corinthians

⭑ Literal Standard Version :: World English Bible Catholic ⭑

- Chapter 2 -

And I, having come to you, brothers, came—not in superiority of discourse or wisdom—declaring to you the testimony of God,

for I decided not to know anything among you, except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified;

and I, in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling, was with you;

and my word and my preaching was not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power—

that your faith may not be in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.

Spiritual Wisdom

(Ephesians 1:15–23)

And wisdom we speak among the perfect, and wisdom not of this age, nor of the rulers of this age—of those becoming useless,

but we speak the hidden wisdom of God in a secret, that God foreordained before the ages to our glory,

which no one of the rulers of this age knew, for if they had known, they would not have crucified the Lord of Glory;

but according as it has been written: “What eye did not see, and ear did not hear, and on the heart of man did not come up, what God prepared for those loving Him”;

but God revealed [them] to us through His Spirit, for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God,

for who of men has known the things of the man, except the spirit of the man that [is] in him? So also the things of God no one has known, except the Spirit of God.

And we did not receive the spirit of the world, but the Spirit that [is] of God, that we may know the things conferred by God on us,

which things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Holy Spirit, comparing spiritual things with spiritual things,

and the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he is not able to know [them], because they are discerned spiritually;

and he who is spiritual, indeed discerns all things, and he himself is discerned by no one;

for who knew the mind of the LORD that he will instruct Him? And we have the mind of Christ.

When I came to you, brothers, I didn’t come with excellence of speech or of wisdom, proclaiming to you the testimony of God.

For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.

I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling.

My speech and my preaching were not in persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power,

that your faith wouldn’t stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.

Spiritual Wisdom

(Ephesians 1:15–23)

We speak wisdom, however, among those who are full grown, yet a wisdom not of this world nor of the rulers of this world who are coming to nothing.

But we speak God’s wisdom in a mystery, the wisdom that has been hidden, which God foreordained before the worlds for our glory,

which none of the rulers of this world has known. For had they known it, they wouldn’t have crucified the Lord of glory.

But as it is written, “Things which an eye didn’t see, and an ear didn’t hear, which didn’t enter into the heart of man, these God has prepared for those who love him.”(a)

But to us, God revealed them through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God.

For who among men knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so, no one knows the things of God except God’s Spirit.

But we received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is from God, that we might know the things that were freely given to us by God.

We also speak these things, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual things.

Now the natural man doesn’t receive the things of God’s Spirit, for they are foolishness to him; and he can’t know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

But he who is spiritual discerns all things, and he himself is to be judged by no one.

“For who has known the mind of the Lord that he should instruct him?” (b) But we have Christ’s mind.

Footnotes

(a)2:9 ℘ Isaiah 64:4

(b)2:16 ℘ Isaiah 40:13