1Cor 2 | BSB | STEP | [When] I came to you, brothers, I did not come with eloquence or wisdom [as] I proclaimed to you the testimony about God.

1 Corinthians 2

Paul's Message by the Spirit's Power

1 [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 resolved to know nothing [while I was] with you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. 3 I came to you in weakness and fear, and with much trembling. 4 My message and my preaching [were] not with persuasive words of wisdom, but with a demonstration of [the] Spirit’s power, 5 so that your faith would not rest on men’s wisdom, but on God’s power.

Spiritual Wisdom

6 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. 7 No, we speak of [the] mysterious [and] hidden wisdom of God, which [He] destined for our glory before time [began] . 8 None of the rulers of this age understood [it] . For if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. 9 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.” ^{▼▼Isaiah 64:4} 10 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 [thoughts] of man except [his own] spirit within him? So too, no one knows the [thoughts] of God except the Spirit of God. 12 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 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 [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 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, [so as] to instruct Him?” ^{▼▼Isaiah 40:13} But we have [the] mind of Christ.