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1 Corinthians 2
Expanded Bible
1 Corinthians 2
Expanded Bible
The Message of Christ’s Death
2 Dear brothers and sisters, when I came to you, I did not come preaching God’s ·secret[a] [mystery; C something God had not previously disclosed; Eph. 1:9] with ·fancy [superior; eloquent] words or a show of human wisdom. 2 [L For] I ·decided [resolved] that while I was with you I would ·forget about everything [L not know anything] except Jesus Christ and his death on the cross. 3 So when I came to you, I was weak and fearful and trembling. 4 My ·teaching [message; speech] and preaching were not with words of human wisdom that ·persuade [or entice] people but with ·proof of the power that the Spirit gives [or proof powerfully revealed by the Spirit; or demonstrations of the Spirit and of power]. 5 This was so that your faith would be in God’s power and not in human wisdom.
God’s Wisdom
6 However, we speak wisdom to those who are mature. But this wisdom is not from this ·world [age] or from the rulers of this ·world [age], who ·are losing their power [will soon disappear; are passing away]. 7 We speak God’s ·secret wisdom [or wisdom in a mystery; 2:1], which he has kept hidden. Before the ·world began [ages], God ·planned [decreed; destined] this wisdom for our glory. 8 None of the rulers of this ·world [age] understood it. If they had, they would not have crucified the ·Lord of glory [glorious Lord]. 9 But as it is written in the Scriptures:
“No ·one [L eye] has ever seen this,
and no ·one [L ear] has ever heard about it.
No ·one [L human heart] has ever imagined
what God has prepared for those who love him [Is. 64:4].”
10 But God has ·shown [revealed to] us these things through the Spirit.
[L For] The Spirit ·searches out [examines; scrutinizes] all things, even the ·deep secrets [deep things; depths] of God. 11 Who knows the thoughts that another person has? Only a person’s spirit that lives within him knows his thoughts. It is the same with God. No one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. 12 Now we did not receive the spirit of the world, but we received the Spirit that is from God so that we can know all that God has [freely] given us. 13 And we speak about these things, not with words taught us by human wisdom but with words taught us by the Spirit. And so we explain spiritual truths ·to spiritual people [or to those who have the Spirit; or with the Spirit’s words]. 14 A ·person who does not have the Spirit [or natural person] does not accept the ·truths [L things] that come from the Spirit of God. That person thinks they are foolish and cannot understand them, because they can only be ·judged to be true [discerned; assessed] by the Spirit. 15 The ·spiritual person [or person with the Spirit] is able to ·judge [discern; assess] all things, but no one can ·judge [discern; assess] him. ·The Scripture says [L For]:
16 “Who has known the mind of the Lord?
Who has been able to ·teach [advise; counsel] him [Is. 40:13]?”
But we have the mind of Christ [C the Holy Spirit reveals God and his ways to us; Rom. 11:34].
Footnotes
- 1 Corinthians 2:1 God’s secret Some Greek copies read “God’s message.”
1 Corinthians 2
New International Version
1 Corinthians 2
New International Version
2 And so it was with me, brothers and sisters. When I came to you, I did not come with eloquence or human wisdom(A) as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God.[a] 2 For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.(B) 3 I came to you(C) in weakness(D) with great fear and trembling.(E) 4 My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words,(F) but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power,(G) 5 so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God’s power.(H)
God’s Wisdom Revealed by the Spirit
6 We do, however, speak a message of wisdom among the mature,(I) but not the wisdom of this age(J) or of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing.(K) 7 No, we declare God’s wisdom, a mystery(L) that has been hidden(M) and that God destined for our glory before time began. 8 None of the rulers of this age(N) understood it, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.(O) 9 However, as it is written:
“What no eye has seen,
what no ear has heard,
and what no human mind has conceived”[b]—
the things God has prepared for those who love him—(P)
10 these are the things God has revealed(Q) to us by his Spirit.(R)
The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. 11 For who knows a person’s thoughts(S) except their own spirit(T) within them? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. 12 What we have received is not the spirit(U) of the world,(V) but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us. 13 This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom(W) but in words taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual realities with Spirit-taught words.[c] 14 The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God(X) but considers them foolishness,(Y) and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit. 15 The person with the Spirit(Z) makes judgments about all things, but such a person is not subject to merely human judgments, 16 for,
But we have the mind of Christ.(AB)
Footnotes
- 1 Corinthians 2:1 Some manuscripts proclaimed to you God’s mystery
- 1 Corinthians 2:9 Isaiah 64:4
- 1 Corinthians 2:13 Or Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual
- 1 Corinthians 2:16 Isaiah 40:13
1 Corinthians 2
King James Version
1 Corinthians 2
King James Version
2 And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God.
2 For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.
3 And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling.
4 And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power:
5 That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.
6 Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought:
7 But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory:
8 Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.
9 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.
10 But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.
11 For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.
12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.
13 Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.
14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
15 But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man.
16 For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? but we have the mind of Christ.
Expanded Bible (EXB)
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