1 Brothers and sisters, when I came to you I didn't try to impress you with wonderful words or great wisdom when I told you what God had to say to you. 2 I decided that while I was with you I didn't want to concentrate on anything except Jesus Christ, and that he was crucified. 3 I came to you in weakness, fearful and trembling. 4 I didn't speak to you with persuasive words of wisdom to convince you. I just explained it all to you through the evidence and power of the Spirit. 5 That way your trust in God wouldn't rely on human wisdom but on the power of God. 6 However, we do use words of wisdom when we speak to those who are spiritually mature, but this isn't wisdom that comes from this world, or from the rulers of this world who soon fade from the scene. 7 On the contrary we explain God's wisdom in terms of a revealed mystery that was previously hidden which God planned for our glory before the creation of the worlds. 8 None of the rulers of this world understood anything about this—for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. 9 But as Scripture says, “No one has ever seen, and no one has ever heard, and no one has ever imagined what God has prepared for those who love him.” 10 But God has revealed this to us through the Spirit, because the Spirit delves into the depths of God. 11 Who knows anyone's thoughts except the actual person? In the same way no one knows God's thoughts except the Spirit of God. 12 For we have received the Spirit from God, not the spirit of this world, so that we could understand what God so generously gave us. 13 That's what we speak about—not using words taught by human wisdom, but what the Spirit teaches. We explain what is spiritual using spiritual terms. 14 Of course people who are not spiritual don't accept what comes from God's Spirit. It's just foolish nonsense to them, and they can't understand it, because what is spiritual has to be properly examined. 15 People who are spiritual investigate everything, but are not placed under investigation themselves. 16 For “who understands the Lord's mind, and would think to instruct him?” But we do have Christ's mind!
1 Corinthians · Free Bible Version
1 Corinthians 2 Free Bible Version
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
Cross references (16)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 1 Corinthians 1:17; 1 Corinthians 2:13; 1 Corinthians 2:4; Exodus 4:10; Romans 16:18
- 2 Galatians 6:14; 1 Corinthians 1:22–25; Philippians 3:8–10; John 17:3; Galatians 3:1
- 3 2 Corinthians 13:4; 1 Corinthians 4:10–13; 2 Corinthians 12:5–10; 2 Corinthians 13:9; Galatians 4:13–14
- 4 1 Corinthians 4:20; 1 Thessalonians 1:5; 1 Corinthians 1:17; 1 Corinthians 2:1; Romans 15:19
- 5 2 Corinthians 4:7; 2 Corinthians 12:9; 2 Corinthians 6:7; 1 Corinthians 1:17; 1 Corinthians 3:6
- 6 Hebrews 5:14; James 3:15; 2 Corinthians 4:4; 1 Corinthians 2:8; 1 Corinthians 1:28
- 7 Colossians 1:26–27; 2 Peter 1:3; Romans 16:25–26; Matthew 11:25; Psalm 78:2
- 8 Acts 13:27; James 2:1; Acts 7:2; 1 Corinthians 2:6; Psalm 24:7–10
- 9 Isaiah 64:4; Psalm 31:19; James 1:12; Romans 8:28; Isaiah 65:17
- 10 John 14:26; Ephesians 3:5; Luke 10:21; John 16:13; Ephesians 3:3
- 11 Proverbs 20:27; 1 Corinthians 2:10; Romans 11:33–34; Jeremiah 17:9; Proverbs 14:10
- 12 1 John 2:27; Romans 8:5–6; 1 John 2:20; 1 John 5:19–20; 1 John 4:4–5
- 13 1 Corinthians 2:14; 1 Corinthians 2:4; 1 Corinthians 1:17; 1 Corinthians 2:1; 1 Corinthians 12:1–3
- 14 1 Corinthians 1:18; Romans 8:5–8; Matthew 13:11–17; 2 Corinthians 4:4–6; 1 John 2:27
- 15 1 Thessalonians 5:21; Hebrews 5:14; Proverbs 28:5; 1 John 4:1; 1 Corinthians 14:37
- 16 Isaiah 40:13–14; Romans 11:34; John 16:13–16; John 15:15; Job 15:8
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
Nothing was ever more prepared for combat than the spirit of Paul; or rather, I should say, not his spirit, (for he was not himself the inventor of these things,) but, nothing was ever equal to the grace working within him, which overcometh all things.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 12 (1889)
For [the Scripture] saith, "Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which He hath prepared for them that wait for Him." Chapter XXXV — Immense is this reward.
… forth the material, animal, and spiritual, saying in one place, "As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy;" and in another place, "But the animal man receiveth not the things of the Spirit;" and again: "He that is spiritual judgeth all things." And this, "The animal man receiveth not the things of the Spirit," they affirm to …
… things which are before," we were seeking between ourselves in the presence of the Truth, which Thou art, of what nature the eternal life of the saints would be, which eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither hath entered into the heart of man. But yet we opened wide the mouth of our heart, after those supernal streams of …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 1 (1886)
… in mentioning this, he hath mentioned also the resurrection of our bodies, and the manifestation of His miracles here, and our partaking of His kingdom, and the good things, which "eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man." For all these things He bestowed on us by that gift.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 10 (1888)