1 Corinthians 2

¹⁷For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not with words of wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.

¹³And 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.

⁴My message and my preaching were not with persuasive words of wisdom, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power,

¹⁰“Please, Lord,” Moses replied, “I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since You have spoken to Your servant, for I am slow of speech and tongue.”

¹⁸For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive.

⁸So do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, or of me, His prisoner. Instead, join me in suffering for the gospel by the power of God.

¹⁴But as for me, may I never boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.

²²Jews demand signs and Greeks search for wisdom,

²³but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles,

⁸More than that, I count all things as loss compared to the surpassing excellence of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ

⁹and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God on the basis of faith.

³Now this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom You have sent.

¹O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified.

⁴For He was indeed crucified in weakness, yet He lives by God’s power. For we are also weak in Him, yet by God’s power we will live with Him concerning you.

¹⁰We are fools for Christ, but you are wise in Christ. We are weak, but you are strong. You are honored, but we are dishonored.

¹¹To this very hour we are hungry and thirsty, we are poorly clothed, we are brutally treated, we are homeless.

⁵I will boast about such a man, but I will not boast about myself, except in my weaknesses.

⁶Even if I wanted to boast, I would not be a fool, because I would be speaking the truth. But I refrain, so no one will credit me with more than he sees in me or hears from me,

⁹In fact, we rejoice when we are weak but you are strong, and our prayer is for your perfection.

¹³You know that it was because of an illness that I first preached the gospel to you.

¹⁴And although my illness was a trial to you, you did not despise or reject me. Instead, you welcomed me as if I were an angel of God, as if I were Christ Jesus Himself.

¹Therefore, since God in His mercy has given us this ministry, we do not lose heart.

²⁰For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power.

⁵because our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power, in the Holy Spirit, and with great conviction—just as you know we lived among you for your sake.

¹⁷For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not with words of wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.

¹When I came to you, brothers, I did not come with eloquence or wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God.

¹⁹by the power of signs and wonders, and by the power of the Spirit of God. So from Jerusalem all the way around to Illyricum, I have fully proclaimed the gospel of Christ.

¹⁶For we did not follow cleverly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of His majesty.

⁷Now we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this surpassingly great power is from God and not from us.

⁹But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is perfected in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly in my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest on me.

⁷in truthful speech and in the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left;

¹⁷For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not with words of wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.

⁶I planted the seed and Apollos watered it, but God made it grow.

¹⁴Among those listening was a woman named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth from the city of Thyatira, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul’s message.

¹⁴But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained their senses to distinguish good from evil.

¹⁵Such wisdom does not come from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic.

⁴The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

⁸None of the rulers of this age understood it. For if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.

²⁸He chose the lowly and despised things of the world, and the things that are not, to nullify the things that are,

¹²Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.

¹³Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead,

²⁶the mystery that was hidden for ages and generations but is now revealed to His saints.

²⁷To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

³His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through the knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence.

²⁵Now to Him who is able to strengthen you by my gospel and by the proclamation of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery concealed for ages past

²⁶but now revealed and made known through the writings of the prophets by the command of the eternal God, in order to lead all nations to the obedience that comes from faith—

²⁵At that time Jesus declared, “I praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because You have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children.

²I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things hidden from the beginning,

³⁵So was fulfilled what was spoken through the prophet: “I will open My mouth in parables; I will utter things hidden since the foundation of the world.”

²⁷The people of Jerusalem and their rulers did not recognize Jesus, yet in condemning Him they fulfilled the words of the prophets that are read every Sabbath.

¹My brothers, as you hold out your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, do not show favoritism.

²And Stephen declared: “Brothers and fathers, listen to me! The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham while he was still in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Haran,

⁶Among 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.

⁷Lift up your heads, O gates! Be lifted up, O ancient doors, that the King of Glory may enter!

⁸Who is this King of Glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle.

²⁶Brothers, consider the time of your calling: Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were powerful; not many were of noble birth.

²⁷But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.

⁴From ancient times no one has heard, no ear has perceived, no eye has seen any God besides You, who acts on behalf of those who wait for Him.

¹⁹How great is Your goodness which You have laid up for those who fear You, which You have bestowed before the sons of men on those who take refuge in You!

¹²Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love Him.

²⁸And we know that God works all things together for the good of those who love Him, who are called according to His purpose.

¹⁷For behold, I will create new heavens and a new earth. The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind.

⁵Listen, my beloved brothers: Has not God chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom He promised those who love Him?

²⁶But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have told you.

⁵which was not made known to men in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God’s holy apostles and prophets.

²¹At that time Jesus rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and declared, “I praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because You have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this was well-pleasing in Your sight.

¹³However, when the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all truth. For He will not speak on His own, but He will speak what He hears, and He will declare to you what is to come.

³that is, the mystery made known to me by revelation, as I have already written briefly.

¹²I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it; rather, I received it by revelation from Jesus Christ.

²⁷The spirit of a man is the lamp of the Lord, searching out his inmost being.

¹⁰But God has revealed it to us by the Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God.

³³O, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments, and untraceable His ways!

³⁴“Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been His counselor?”

⁹The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?

¹⁰The heart knows its own bitterness, and no stranger shares in its joy.

⁵The intentions of a man’s heart are deep waters, but a man of understanding draws them out.

²⁷And as for you, the anointing you received from Him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But just as His true and genuine anointing teaches you about all things, so remain in Him as you have been taught.

⁵Those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh; but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit.

⁶The mind of the flesh is death, but the mind of the Spirit is life and peace,

²⁰You, however, have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth.

¹⁹We know that we are of God, and that the whole world is under the power of the evil one.

²⁰And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true—in His Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.

⁴You, little children, are from God and have overcome them, because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world.

⁵They are of the world. That is why they speak from the world’s perspective, and the world listens to them.

¹⁴He will glorify Me by taking from what is Mine and disclosing it to you.

¹⁵Everything that belongs to the Father is Mine. That is why I said that the Spirit will take from what is Mine and disclose it to you.

¹⁴The 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.

⁴My message and my preaching were not with persuasive words of wisdom, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power,

¹⁷For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not with words of wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.

¹When I came to you, brothers, I did not come with eloquence or wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God.

¹Now about spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be uninformed.

²You know that when you were pagans, you were influenced and led astray to mute idols.

¹⁶Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.

¹⁸For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

⁵Those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh; but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit.

⁶The mind of the flesh is death, but the mind of the Spirit is life and peace,

¹¹He replied, “The knowledge of the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them.

¹²Whoever has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.

⁴The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

⁵For we do not proclaim ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake.

²⁷And as for you, the anointing you received from Him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But just as His true and genuine anointing teaches you about all things, so remain in Him as you have been taught.

⁴⁶The spiritual, however, was not first, but the natural, and then the spiritual.

²¹but test all things. Hold fast to what is good.

¹⁴But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained their senses to distinguish good from evil.

⁵Evil men do not understand justice, but those who seek the Lord comprehend fully.

¹Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God. For many false prophets have gone out into the world.

³⁷If anyone considers himself a prophet or spiritual person, let him acknowledge that what I am writing you is the Lord’s command.

¹Brothers, if someone is caught in a trespass, you who are spiritual should restore him with a spirit of gentleness. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted.

¹³Who has directed the Spirit of the Lord, or informed Him as His counselor?

¹⁴Whom did He consult to enlighten Him, and who taught Him the paths of justice? Who imparted knowledge to Him and showed Him the way of understanding?

³⁴“Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been His counselor?”

¹³However, when the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all truth. For He will not speak on His own, but He will speak what He hears, and He will declare to you what is to come.

¹⁴He will glorify Me by taking from what is Mine and disclosing it to you.

¹⁵No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not understand what his master is doing. But I have called you friends, because everything I have learned from My Father I have made known to you.

⁸Do you listen in on the council of God or limit wisdom to yourself?

¹⁸But which of them has stood in the council of the Lord to see and hear His word? Who has given heed to His word and obeyed it?