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1 Corinthians 2
Paul turns to his own arrival in Corinth: he came in weakness, fear, and trembling, resolved to know nothing but "Jesus Christ, and him crucified" (v.2). He deliberately skipped polished oratory so faith would rest on God's power, not human persuasion. Then the chapter opens up: there is a hidden wisdom, decreed before the ages, that the rulers of this world missed — or they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.
- 1
When I came to you, brothers, I didn’t come with excellence of speech or of wisdom, proclaiming to you the testimony of God.
- 2
For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.
- 3
I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling.
- 4
My speech and my preaching were not in persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power,
- 5
that your faith wouldn’t stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.
- 6
We speak wisdom, however, among those who are full grown, yet a wisdom not of this world nor of the rulers of this world who are coming to nothing.
- 7
But we speak God’s wisdom in a mystery, the wisdom that has been hidden, which God foreordained before the worlds for our glory,
- 8
which none of the rulers of this world has known. For had they known it, they wouldn’t have crucified the Lord of glory.
- 9
But as it is written, “Things which an eye didn’t see, and an ear didn’t hear, which didn’t enter into the heart of man, these God has prepared for those who love him.”
- 10
But to us, God revealed them through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God.
- 11
For who among men 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 God’s Spirit.
- 12
But we received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is from God, that we might know the things that were freely given to us by God.
- 13
We also speak these things, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual things.
- 14
Now the natural man doesn’t receive the things of God’s Spirit, for they are foolishness to him; and he can’t know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
- 15
But he who is spiritual discerns all things, and he himself is to be judged by no one.
- 16
“For who has known the mind of the Lord that he should instruct him?” But we have Christ’s mind.
- 1
ASÍ que, hermanos, cuando fuí á vosotros, no fuí con altivez de palabra, ó de sabiduría, á anunciaros el testimonio de Cristo.
- 2
Porque no me propuse saber algo entre vosotros, sino á Jesucristo, y á éste crucificado.
- 3
Y estuve yo con vosotros con flaqueza, y mucho temor y temblor;
- 4
Y ni mi palabra ni mi predicación fué con palabras persuasivas de humana sabiduría, mas con demostración del Espíritu y de poder;
- 5
Para que vuestra fe no esté fundada en sabiduría de hombres, mas en poder de Dios.
- 6
Empero hablamos sabiduría entre perfectos; y sabiduría, no de este siglo, ni de los príncipes de este siglo, que se deshacen:
- 7
Mas hablamos sabiduría de Dios en misterio, la sabiduría oculta, la cual Dios predestinó antes de los siglos para nuestra gloria:
- 8
La que ninguno de los príncipes de este siglo conoció; porque si la hubieran conocido, nunca hubieran crucificado al Señor de gloria:
- 9
Antes, como está escrito: Cosas que ojo no vió, ni oreja oyó, ni han subido en corazón de hombre, son las que ha Dios preparado para aquellos que le aman.
- 10
Empero Dios nos lo reveló á nosotros por el Espíritu: porque el Espíritu todo lo escudriña, aun lo profundo de Dios.
- 11
Porque ¿quién de los hombres sabe las cosas del hombre, sino el espíritu del hombre que está en él? Así tampoco nadie conoció las cosas de Dios, sino el Espíritu de Dios.
- 12
Y nosotros hemos recibido, no el espíritu del mundo, sino el Espíritu que es de Dios, para que conozcamos lo que Dios nos ha dado;
- 13
Lo cual también hablamos, no con doctas palabras de humana sabiduría, mas con doctrina del Espíritu, acomodando lo espiritual á lo espiritual.
- 14
Mas el hombre animal no percibe las cosas que son del Espíritu de Dios, porque le son locura: y no las puede entender, porque se han de examinar espiritualmente.
- 15
Empero el espiritual juzga todas las cosas; mas él no es juzgado de nadie.
- 16
Porque ¿quién conoció la mente del Señor? ¿quién le instruyó? Mas nosotros tenemos la mente de Cristo.
Two kinds of knowing
Paul contrasts the "natural" person, who treats spiritual things as foolishness, with the one taught by the Spirit who searches even "the deep things of God" (v.10). Wisdom here is received, not achieved.
This answers chapter 1's puzzle: if the cross looks foolish, it is because real discernment comes by the Spirit, climaxing in the claim "we have Christ's mind."
Context layers
Keep these closed by default and open them only when you want more context.
- FaithWhat faith means in the Bible, how it differs from vague belief, and how to read it without turning it into self-confidence.
- WisdomWhat wisdom means in the Bible, how it differs from cleverness, and where to begin reading it well.
- Fear of the LordWhat the fear of the Lord means in the Bible, how it relates to wisdom, reverence, obedience, and trust.
- Matthew 5:43Related through the topic "Love".
- Matthew 5:44Related through the topic "Love".
- Matthew 5:46Related through the topic "Love".
- Matthew 6:5Related through the topic "Love".
- Matthew 6:24Related through the topic "Love".
- Matthew 10:37Related through the topic "Love".
- Mark 10:21Related through the topic "Love".
- Mark 12:30Related through the topic "Love".
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