1 Corinthians 2

1 Corinthians 2
New International Contemporary English King James Version The Message (MSG) New King James
Version (NIV) Version (CEV) (KJV) Version (NKJV)
1-2
You'll remember,
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When I came to you, Telling about Christ And I, brethren, when I friends, that when I first Christ Crucified
brothers, I did not come and the Cross came to you, came not came to you to let you in
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with eloquence or with excellency of speech on God's master stroke, I And I, brethren, when I
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superior wisdom as I Friends, when I came or of wisdom, declaring didn't try to impress you came to you, did not
proclaimed to you the and told you the mystery unto you the testimony of with polished speeches come with excellence of
testimony about God.[a] [a]
that God had shared God. and the latest philosophy. speech or of wisdom
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For I resolved to know with us, I didn't use big I deliberately kept it plain declaring to you the
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nothing while I was with words or try to sound For I determined not to and simple: first Jesus testimony[a] of God. 2 For
you except Jesus Christ wise. 2In fact, while I was know any thing among and who he is; then I determined not to know
and him crucified. 3I with you, I made up my you, save Jesus Christ, Jesus and what he did— anything among you
came to you in weakness mind to speak only about and him crucified. Jesus crucified. except Jesus Christ and
and fear, and with much Jesus Christ, who had Him crucified. 3 I was with
trembling. 4My message been nailed to a cross. 3
And I was with you in 3-5
I was unsure of how to you in weakness, in fear,
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and my preaching were At first, I was weak and weakness, and in fear, go about this, and felt and in much trembling. 4
not with wise and trembling with fear. and in much trembling. totally inadequate—I was And my speech and my
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persuasive words, but When I talked with you scared to death, if you preaching were not with
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with a demonstration of or preached, I didn't try to And my speech and my want the truth of it—and persuasive words of
the Spirit's power, 5so prove anything by preaching was not with so nothing I said could human[b] wisdom, but in
that your faith might not sounding wise. I simply enticing words of man's have impressed you or demonstration of the
rest on men's wisdom, let God's Spirit show his wisdom, but in anyone else. But the Spirit and of power, 5 that
but on God's power. power. 5That way you demonstration of the Message came through your faith should not be
would have faith because Spirit and of power: anyway. God's Spirit and in the wisdom of men but
Wisdom From the Spirit of God's power and not God's power did it, which in the power of God.
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because of human That your faith should made it clear that your
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We do, however, speak wisdom. not stand in the wisdom life of faith is a response Spiritual Wisdom
a message of wisdom of men, but in the power to God's power, not to
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among the mature, but We do use wisdom of God. some fancy mental or
not the wisdom of this when speaking to people emotional footwork by me 6 However, we speak
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age or of the rulers of this who are mature in their Howbeit we speak or anyone else. wisdom among those
age, who are coming to faith. But it isn't the wisdom among them that who are mature, yet not
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nothing. No, we speak of wisdom of this world or of are perfect: yet not the We, of course, have the wisdom of this age,
God's secret wisdom, a
wisdom that has been
hidden and that God
destined for our glory
before time began. 8None
of the rulers of this age
understood it, for if they
had, they would not have
crucified the Lord of
glory. 9However, as it is
written:
"No eye has seen,
no ear has heard,
no mind has conceived
what God has prepared
for those who love
him"[b]— 10but God has
revealed it to us by his
Spirit.
The Spirit searches
all things, even the deep
things of God. 11For who
among men knows the
thoughts of a man except
the man's spirit within
him? In the same way no
one knows the thoughts
of God except the Spirit
of God. 12We have not
received the spirit of the
world but the Spirit who is
from God, that we may
understand what God
has freely given us.
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This is what we speak,
not in words taught us by
human wisdom but in
words taught by the
its rulers, who will soon wisdom of this world, nor plenty of wisdom to pass nor of the rulers of this
disappear. 7We speak of of the princes of this on to you once you get age, who are coming to
God's hidden and world, that come to your feet on firm spiritual nothing. 7 But we speak
mysterious wisdom that nought: ground, but it's not the wisdom of God in a
God decided to use for popular wisdom, the mystery, the hidden
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our glory long before the But we speak the fashionable wisdom of wisdom which God
world began. 8The rulers wisdom of God in a high-priced experts that ordained before the ages
of this world didn't know mystery, even the hidden will be out-of-date in a for our glory, 8 which
anything about this wisdom, which God year or so. God's wisdom none of the rulers of this
wisdom. If they had ordained before the world is something mysterious age knew; for had they
known about it, they unto our glory: that goes deep into the known, they would not
would not have nailed the interior of his purposes. have crucified the Lord of
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glorious Lord to a cross. Which none of the You don't find it lying glory.
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But it is just as the princes of this world around on the surface. But as it is written:
Scriptures say, knew: for had they known It's not the latest
it, they would not have message, but more like
"What God has crucified the Lord of the oldest—what God “ Eye has not seen,
planned glory. determined as the way to nor ear heard,
bring out his best in us, Nor have entered into
for people who love him 9But as it is written, Eye long before we ever the heart of man
hath not seen, nor ear arrived on the scene. The The things which God
is more than eyes have heard, neither have experts of our day has prepared for those
seen entered into the heart of haven't a clue about what who love Him.”[c]
man, the things which this eternal plan is. If they
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or ears have heard. God hath prepared for had, they wouldn't have But God has revealed
them that love him. killed the Master of the them to us through His
It has never even God-designed life on a Spirit. For the Spirit
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But God hath revealed cross. That's why we searches all things, yes,
entered our minds!" them unto us by his have this Scripture text: the deep things of God.
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Spirit: for the Spirit For what man knows
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God's Spirit has searcheth all things, yea, No one's ever seen or the things of a man
shown you everything. the deep things of God. heard anything like this, except the spirit of the
His Spirit finds out Never so much as man which is in him?
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everything, even what is For what man knoweth imagined anything quite Even so no one knows
deep in the mind of God. the things of a man, save like it— the things of God except
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You are the only one the spirit of man which is What God has the Spirit of God. 12 Now
who knows what is in in him? even so the arranged for those who we have received, not the
your own mind, and things of God knoweth no love him. spirit of the world, but the
Spirit, expressing spiritual
truths in spiritual words.[c]
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The man without the
Spirit does not accept the
things that come from the
Spirit of God, for they are
foolishness to him, and
he cannot understand
them, because they are
spiritually discerned.
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The spiritual man
makes judgments about
all things, but he himself
is not subject to any
man's judgment:
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"For who has known
the mind of the Lord
that he may instruct
him?"[d] But we have the
mind of Christ.
New International
Version (NIV)
Copyright © 1973, 1978,
1984 by Biblica
God's Spirit is the only man, but the Spirit of But you've seen and Spirit who is from God,
one who knows what is in God. heard it because God by that we might know the
God's mind. 12But God his Spirit has brought it things that have been
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has given us his Spirit. Now we have received, all out into the open freely given to us by God.
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That's why we don't think not the spirit of the world, before you. These things we also
the same way that the but the spirit which is of speak, not in words
people of this world think. God; that we might know 10-13The Spirit, not which man’s wisdom
That's also why we can the things that are freely content to flit around on teaches but which the
recognize the blessings given to us of God. the surface, dives into the Holy[d] Spirit teaches,
that God has given us. depths of God, and comparing spiritual things
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Which things also we brings out what God with spiritual. 14 But the
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Every word we speak speak, not in the words planned all along. Who natural man does not
was taught to us by which man's wisdom ever knows what you're receive the things of the
God's Spirit, not by teacheth, but which the thinking and planning Spirit of God, for they are
human wisdom. And this Holy Ghost teacheth; except you yourself? The foolishness to him; nor
same Spirit helps us comparing spiritual things same with God—except can he know them,
teach spiritual things to with spiritual. that he not only knows because they are
spiritual people. [b] what he's thinking, but he spiritually discerned. 15
14
That's why only 14
But the natural man lets us in on it. God offers But he who is spiritual
someone who has God's receiveth not the things a full report on the gifts of judges all things, yet he
Spirit can understand of the Spirit of God: for life and salvation that he himself is rightly judged
spiritual blessings. they are foolishness unto is giving us. We don't by no one. 16 For “who
Anyone who doesn't him: neither can he know have to rely on the has known the mind of
have God's Spirit thinks them, because they are world's guesses and the LORD that he may
these blessings are spiritually discerned. opinions. We didn't learn instruct Him?”[e] But we
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foolish. People who are this by reading books or have the mind of Christ.
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guided by the Spirit can But he that is spiritual going to school; we
make all kinds of judgeth all things, yet he learned it from God, who New King James
judgments, but they himself is judged of no taught us person-to- Version (NKJV)
cannot be judged by man. person through Jesus,
others. 16The Scriptures and we're passing it on to Copyright © 1982 by
16
ask, "Has anyone ever For who hath known you in the same Thomas Nelson, Inc.
known the mind of the Lord, that firsthand, personal way.
he may instruct him? but
14-16
the thoughts of the Lord we have the mind of The unspiritual self,
Christ. just as it is by nature,
or given him advice?" can't receive the gifts of
King James Version God's Spirit. There's no
 But we understand
what Christ is thinking. [c]
Public Domain
(KJV) capacity for them. They
seem like so much
silliness. Spirit can be
known only by spirit—
God's Spirit and our
spirits in open
communion. Spiritually
alive, we have access to
everything God's Spirit is
doing, and can't be
judged by unspiritual
critics. Isaiah's question,
"Is there anyone around
who knows God's Spirit,
anyone who knows what
he is doing?" has been
answered: Christ knows,
and we have Christ's
Spirit.