1Cor.2.1
And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God.
1Cor.2.1
You'll remember, friends, that when I first came to you to let you in on God's master stroke, I didn't try to impress you with polished speeches and the latest philosophy.
1Cor.2.1
When I came to you, brothers, I did not come with eloquence or superior wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God.
1Cor.2.1
And I, brethren, when I came to you, did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom declaring to you the testimony of God.
1Cor.2.1
Dear brothers and sisters, when I first came to you I didn't use lofty words and brilliant ideas to tell you God's message.
1Cor.2.2
For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.
1Cor.2.2
I deliberately kept it plain and simple: first Jesus and who he is; then Jesus and what he did--Jesus crucified.
1Cor.2.2
For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.
1Cor.2.2
For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.
1Cor.2.2
For I decided to concentrate only on Jesus Christ and his death on the cross.
1Cor.2.3
And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling.
1Cor.2.3
I was unsure of how to go about this, and felt totally inadequate--I was scared to death, if you want the truth of it--
1Cor.2.3
I came to you in weakness and fear, and with much trembling.
1Cor.2.3
I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling.
1Cor.2.3
I came to you in weakness--timid and trembling.
1Cor.2.4
And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power:
1Cor.2.4
and so nothing I said could have impressed you or anyone else. But the Message came through anyway. God's Spirit and God's power did it,
1Cor.2.4
My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit's power,
1Cor.2.4
And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power,
1Cor.2.4
And my message and my preaching were very plain. I did not use wise and persuasive speeches, but the Holy Spirit was powerful among you.
1Cor.2.5
That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.
1Cor.2.5
which made it clear that your life of faith is a response to God's power, not to some fancy mental or emotional footwork by me or anyone else.
1Cor.2.5
so that your faith might not rest on men's wisdom, but on God's power.
1Cor.2.5
that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.
1Cor.2.5
I did this so that you might trust the power of God rather than human wisdom.
1Cor.2.6
Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought:
1Cor.2.6
We, of course, have plenty of wisdom to pass on to you once you get your feet on firm spiritual ground, but it's not popular wisdom, the fashionable wisdom of high-priced experts that will be out-of-date in a year or so.
1Cor.2.6
We do, however, speak a message of wisdom among the mature, but not the wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing.
1Cor.2.6
However, we speak wisdom among those who are mature, yet not the wisdom of this age, nor of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing.
1Cor.2.6
Yet when I am among mature Christians, I do speak with words of wisdom, but not the kind of wisdom that belongs to this world, and not the kind that appeals to the rulers of this world, who are being brought to nothing.
1Cor.2.7
But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory:
1Cor.2.7
God's wisdom is something mysterious that goes deep into the interior of his purposes. You don't find it lying around on the surface. It's not the latest message, but more like the oldest--what God determined as the way to bring out his best in us, long before we ever arrived on the scene.
1Cor.2.7
No, we speak of God's secret wisdom, a wisdom that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began.
1Cor.2.7
But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory,
1Cor.2.7
No, the wisdom we speak of is the secret wisdom of God, which was hidden in former times, though he made it for our benefit before the world began.
1Cor.2.8
Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.
1Cor.2.8
The experts of our day haven't a clue about what this eternal plan is. If they had, they wouldn't have killed the Master of the God-designed life on a cross.
1Cor.2.8
None of the rulers of this age understood it, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.
1Cor.2.8
which none of the rulers of this age knew; for had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.
1Cor.2.8
But the rulers of this world have not understood it; if they had, they would never have crucified our glorious Lord.
1Cor.2.9
But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.
1Cor.2.9
That's why we have this Scripture text: No one's ever seen or heard anything like this, Never so much as imagined anything quite like it--What God has arranged for those who love him.
1Cor.2.9
However, as it is written: "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him"--
1Cor.2.9
But as it is written: "Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him."
1Cor.2.9
That is what the Scriptures mean when they say, "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him."
1Cor.2.10
But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.
1Cor.2.10
But you've seen and heard it because God by his Spirit has brought it all out into the open before you. The Spirit, not content to flit around on the surface, dives into the depths of God, and brings out what God planned all along.
1Cor.2.10
but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit.
1Cor.2.10
But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God.
1Cor.2.10
But we know these things because God has revealed them to us by his Spirit, and his Spirit searches out everything and shows us even God's deep secrets.
1Cor.2.11
For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.
1Cor.2.11
Who ever knows what you're thinking and planning except you yourself? The same with God--except that he not only knows what he's thinking,
1Cor.2.11
The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the man's spirit within him? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God.
1Cor.2.11
For what man 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 the Spirit of God.
1Cor.2.11
No one can know what anyone else is really thinking except that person alone, and no one can know God's thoughts except God's own Spirit.
1Cor.2.12
Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.
1Cor.2.12
but he lets us in on it. God offers a full report on the gifts of life and salvation that he is giving us.
1Cor.2.12
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.
1Cor.2.12
Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God.
1Cor.2.12
And God has actually given us his Spirit (not the world's spirit) so we can know the wonderful things God has freely given us.
1Cor.2.13
Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.
1Cor.2.13
We don't have to rely on the world's guesses and opinions. We didn't learn this by reading books or going to school; we learned it from God, who taught us person-to-person through Jesus, and we're passing it on to you in the same firsthand, personal way.
1Cor.2.13
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.
1Cor.2.13
These things we also speak, not in words which man's wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual.
1Cor.2.13
When we tell you this, we do not use words of human wisdom. We speak words given to us by the Spirit, using the Spirit's words to explain spiritual truths.
1Cor.2.14
But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
1Cor.2.14
The unspiritual self, just as it is by nature, can't receive the gifts of God's Spirit. There's no capacity for them. They seem like so much silliness. Spirit can be known only by spirit--God's Spirit and our spirits in open communion.
1Cor.2.14
The man without the Spirit 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.
1Cor.2.14
But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
1Cor.2.14
But people who aren't Christians can't understand these truths from God's Spirit. It all sounds foolish to them because only those who have the Spirit can understand what the Spirit means.
1Cor.2.15
But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man.
1Cor.2.15
Spiritually alive, we have access to everything God's Spirit is doing, and can't be judged by unspiritual critics.
1Cor.2.15
The spiritual man makes judgments about all things, but he himself is not subject to any man's judgment:
1Cor.2.15
But he who is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is rightly judged by no one.
1Cor.2.15
We who have the Spirit understand these things, but others can't understand us at all.
1Cor.2.16
For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.
1Cor.2.16
Isaiah's question, "Is there anyone around who knows God's Spirit, anyone who knows what he is doing?" has been answered: Christ knows, and we have Christ's Spirit. [JC]
1Cor.2.16
"For who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct him?" But we have the mind of Christ.
1Cor.2.16
For "who has known the mind of the LORD that he may instruct Him?" But we have the mind of Christ.
1Cor.2.16
How could they? For, "Who can know what the Lord is thinking? Who can give him counsel?" But we can understand these things, for we have the mind of Christ.
