1 Corinthians 2

1 And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellencie of woordes, or of wisedome, shewing vnto you the testimonie of God.

For my own part, friends, when I came to you, it was with no display of eloquence or philosophy that I came to tell the hidden purpose of God;

2 For I esteemed not to knowe any thing among you, saue Iesus Christ, and him crucified.

for I had determined that, while with you, I would forget everything except Jesus Christ – and him crucified!

3 And I was among you in weakenesse, and in feare, and in much trembling.

Indeed, when I came among you, I was weak, and full of fears, and in great anxiety.

4 Neither stoode my woorde, and my preaching in the entising speach of mans wisdom, but in plaine euidence of the Spirite and of power,

My message and my proclamation were not delivered in the persuasive language of philosophy, but were accompanied by the manifestation of spiritual power,

5 That your faith should not be in the wisdome of men, but in the power of God.

so that your faith should be based, not on the human wisdom, but on the power of God.

6 And we speake wisedome among them that are perfect: not the wisedome of this world, neither of the princes of this world, which come to nought. (aiōn g165)

Yet there is a philosophy that we teach to those whose faith is matured, but it is not the philosophy of today, or of the leaders of today – whose downfall is at hand. (aiōn g165)

7 But we speake the wisedome of God in a mysterie, euen the hid wisedom, which God had determined before the world, vnto our glory. (aiōn g165)

No, it is a divine philosophy that we teach, one concerned with the hidden purpose of God – that long hidden philosophy which God, before time began, destined for our glory. (aiōn g165)

8 Which none of the princes of this world hath knowen: for had they knowen it, they would not haue crucified the Lord of glory. (aiōn g165)

This philosophy is clearly not known to any of the leaders of today, since, had they known it, they would never have crucified our glorious Lord! (aiōn g165)

9 But as it is written, The thinges which eye hath not seene, neither eare hath heard, neither came into mans heart, are, which God hath prepared for them that loue him.

It is what scripture speaks of as – “What eye never saw, nor ear ever heard, what never entered people’s minds – all these things God has prepared for those who love him.”

10 But God hath reueiled them vnto vs by his Spirit: for the spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deepe things of God.

Yet to us God revealed it through his Spirit; for the Spirit fathoms all things, even the inmost depths of God’s being.

11 For what man knoweth the things of a man, saue the spirite of a man, which is in him? euen so the things of God knoweth no man, but the spirit of God.

For what person is there who knows what a person is, except the person’s own spirit within them? So, also, no one comprehends what God is, except the Spirit of God.

12 Nowe we haue receiued not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit, which is of God, that we might knowe the thinges that are giuen to vs of God.

And as for us, it is not the spirit of the world that we have received, but the Spirit that comes from God, so that we may realize the blessings given to us by him.

13 Which things also we speake, not in the woordes which mans wisedome teacheth, but which the holy Ghost teacheth, comparing spirituall things with spirituall things.

And we speak of these gifts, not in language taught by human philosophy, but in language taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual things in spiritual words.

14 But the naturall man perceiueth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishnesse vnto him: neither can hee knowe them, because they are spiritually discerned.

The merely intellectual person rejects the teaching of the Spirit of God; for to them it is mere folly; they cannot grasp it, because it is to be understood only by spiritual insight.

15 But hee that is spirituall, discerneth all things: yet he himselfe is iudged of no man.

But the person with spiritual insight is able to understand everything, although they themselves are understood by no one.

16 For who hath knowen the minde of the Lord, that hee might instruct him? But we haue the minde of Christ.

For who has so comprehended the mind of the Lord as to be able to instruct him? We, however, have the mind of Christ.