1 Corinthians 2

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

When I came to you, brothers, I did not come with eloquence or wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God.

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

For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.

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

I came to you in weakness and fear, and with much trembling.

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

My message and my preaching were not with persuasive words of wisdom, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power,

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

so that your faith would not rest on men’s wisdom, but on God’s power.

6 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. (aiōn g165)

Among the mature, however, we speak a message of wisdom—but not the wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. (aiōn g165)

7 But we speak God’s wisdom in a mystery, the wisdom that has been hidden, which God foreordained before the worlds for our glory, (aiōn g165)

No, we speak of the mysterious and hidden wisdom of God, which He destined for our glory before time began. (aiōn g165)

8 which none of the rulers of this world has known. For had they known it, they wouldn’t have crucified the Lord of glory. (aiōn g165)

None of the rulers of this age understood it. For if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. (aiōn g165)

9 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.”

Rather, as it is written: “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no heart has imagined, what God has prepared for those who love Him.”

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

But God has revealed it to us by the Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God.

11 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.

For who among men knows the thoughts of man except his own spirit within him? So too, no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God.

12 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 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.

13 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.

And this is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom, but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words.

14 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.

The natural man 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.

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

The spiritual man judges all things, but he himself is not subject to anyone’s judgment.

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

“For who has known the mind of the Lord, so as to instruct Him?” But we have the mind of Christ.