1Corinthians 2

1 When I came to you, brothers, I didn’t come and tell you about God’s secret ^{a2:1 Other mss. read testimony} with rhetorical language or wisdom.ISV — 1Corinthians 2:1

2 For while I was with you I resolved to know nothing except Jesus the Messiah, ^{b2:2 Or Christ} and him crucified.ISV — 1Corinthians 2:2

3 It was in weakness, fear, and great trembling that I came to you.ISV — 1Corinthians 2:3

4 My message and my preaching were not accompanied by clever, wise words, but by a display of the Spirit’s power,ISV — 1Corinthians 2:4

5 so that your faith would not be based on human wisdom but on God’s power.ISV — 1Corinthians 2:5

6 However, when we are among mature people, we do speak a message of ^{c2:6 The Gk. lacks a message of} wisdom, but not the wisdom of this world or of the rulers of this world, who are passing off the scene.ISV — 1Corinthians 2:6

7 Instead, we speak about God’s wisdom in a hidden secret, which God destined before the world began ^{d2:7 The Gk. lacks began} for our glory.ISV — 1Corinthians 2:7

8 None of the rulers of this world understood it, because if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.ISV — 1Corinthians 2:8

9 But as it is written, “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined the things that God has prepared for those who love him.” ^{e2:9 Isa 64:4}ISV — 1Corinthians 2:9

10 But ^{f2:10 Other mss. read For} God has revealed those things to us by his Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the deep things of God.ISV — 1Corinthians 2:10

11 Is there anyone who can understand his own thoughts except his own inner spirit? In the same way, no one can know the thoughts of God except God’s Spirit.ISV — 1Corinthians 2:11

12 Now, we have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who comes from God, so that we can understand the things that were freely given to us by God.ISV — 1Corinthians 2:12

13 We don’t speak about these things with words taught us by human wisdom, but with words ^{g2:13 Lit. in things} taught by the Spirit, as we explain spiritual things to spiritual people. ^{h2:13 Or in spiritual words}ISV — 1Corinthians 2:13

14 A person who isn’t spiritual doesn’t accept the things of God’s Spirit, for they are nonsense to him. He can’t understand them because they are spiritually evaluated.ISV — 1Corinthians 2:14

15 The spiritual person evaluates everything but is subject to no one else’s evaluation.ISV — 1Corinthians 2:15

16 For “Who has known the mind of the Lord ^{i2:16 MT source citation reads LORD} so that he can advise him?” ^{j2:16 Isa 40:13} However, we have the mind of the Messiah. ^{k2:16 Or Christ}ISV — 1Corinthians 2:16