1 Corinthians 2

1 My fellow believers, when I came to you, I proclaimed to you the message that God had revealed to me. But I did not proclaim it using eloquent words that would make people think highly of me, nor did I argue in a way that unbelievers would think was very wise.

And I myself And I myself having come to you, brothers, came not according to excellency of speech or wisdom proclaiming to you the (mystery *N(k)O*) of God.

2 I did that because I decided that I would speak only about Jesus Christ. Specifically, I told you [what he accomplished for us when] he was killed by being nailed {[when they] killed him by nailing him} to a cross.

Nothing for I decided (of the *k*) anything to know among you only except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.

3 Furthermore, when I was with you, I felt that I was not adequate [to do what Christ wanted me to do]. I was afraid [that I would not be able to do it], and because of that I was trembling very much.

And I myself And I myself in weakness and in fear and in trembling much was with you;

4 When I taught you and preached to you, I did not speak words that [unbelievers would consider] [IRO] wise in order to convince them that my message was true. Instead, [God’s] Spirit showed that it was true by [enabling me to] powerfully [perform miracles].

And the message of mine and the preaching of mine [were] not in persuasive (of human *K*) of wisdom words but in demonstration of [the] Spirit and of power,

5 [I taught and preached that way] in order that you might believe [my message], not because you heard words that people [considered to be] [IRO] wise, but [because you recognized] God’s power.

so that the faith of you not may be in wisdom of men but in power of God.

6 I do teach a message that people who are [spiritually] mature [consider to] be wise. But I do not teach a message that unbelievers [consider to be] wise. I also do not teach a message that unbelieving rulers in the world consider to be wise. [What they think about it does not matter], because [some day] (they will lose their power/not be ruling any more). (aiōn g165)

Wisdom however we speak among the mature, wisdom however not age of this nor of the rulers age of this who are coming to naught; (aiōn g165)

7 Instead, I teach about what God planned wisely [long ago]. It is something that people did not know about previously because [God] did not reveal it previously. But God determined before he created the world that he would greatly benefit us by his wise plan. (aiōn g165)

But we speak of God wisdom in a mystery which hidden, which foreordained God before the ages for glory of us, (aiōn g165)

8 None of those who rule this world knew that wise plan. If they had known it, they would not have nailed our wonderful Lord to the cross. (aiōn g165)

which none of the rulers age of this has understood; if for they had understood [it], not then would the Lord of glory they crucified, (aiōn g165)

9 But [we believers need to remember these words that a prophet] wrote [in the Scriptures]: Things that no one has ever seen, things that no one ever heard, things that no one ever thought could happen, those are the things that God has prepared for those who love him.

but even as it has been written: What eye not has seen and ear not has heard and into heart of man not has entered, (what *NK(O)*) has prepared God for those loving Him.

10 God has caused his Spirit to reveal those things to us [(inc)] believers. His Spirit can do that because he knows thoroughly the meaning of all things. He even knows the things about God that are very difficult to understand.

To us (and *NK(o)*) revealed [it] God through the Spirit (of him; *k*) The for Spirit all things searches, even the depths of God.

11 Only a person himself (OR, a person’s spirit) knows what he is thinking. Similarly, only God’s Spirit knows what God is thinking.

Who for knows among men the [things] of the man only except the spirit of the man that [is] within him? So also the [things] of God no [one] (has known *N(k)O*) only except the Spirit of God.

12 It was not the ideas that unbelievers teach that we accepted. Instead, it was the Spirit who came from God that we received, in order that we might know the things that God has freely done for us.

We ourselves now not the spirit of the world have received but the Spirit who [is] from God, that we may know the [things] by God having been granted to us;

13 Those are the things that I tell you about. As I do that, I do not tell you things that someone [whom others thought] was [IRO] wise taught me. Instead, I tell you truths that [God’s] Spirit taught [me], and I explain those spiritual truths to people whose thinking is guided by God’s Spirit (OR, I teach spiritual [truths to] spiritual [people]).

which also we speak not in taught of human wisdom words but in [those] taught of [the] Spirit (Holy *K*) by spiritual [means] spiritual things communicating.

14 Those who are unbelievers reject the truths that [God’s] Spirit teaches us [(inc)], because they [consider those truths to be] foolish. They cannot understand them, because it is God’s Spirit who enables us to evaluate those truths correctly, [and those people do not have God’s Spirit].

[The] natural however man not accepts the [things] of the Spirit of God, foolishness for to him they are, and not he is able to understand [them], because spiritually they are discerned.

15 We who have God’s Spirit can judge correctly the [value of] all truths [that the Spirit reveals], but [unbelievers] cannot evaluate us correctly.

He who [is] however spiritual judges (*N(k)O*) all things he himself however by no [one] is judged.

16 As [one of our prophets wrote: ] No human [RHQ] has known what the Lord is thinking. No human [RHQ] is able to instruct him. But we believers are able to think about things [MTY] in the way that Christ thinks about them.

Who for has known [the] mind of [the] Lord? Who will instruct Him? We ourselves however [the] mind of Christ have.