English · ASV

1 Corinthians 2

Listen to this chapter
0:00 0:00

Paul's Method in Corinth: Christ Crucified 1–5

1
And I, brethren, when I came unto you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, proclaiming to you the testimony of God. ​
2
For I determined not to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified. ​
3
And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling. ​
4
And my speech and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power:
5
that your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God. ​

The Hidden Wisdom of God 6–9

6
We speak wisdom, however, among them that are fullgrown: yet a wisdom not of this world, nor of the rulers of this world, who are coming to nought: ​
7
but we speak God’s wisdom in a mystery, even the wisdom that hath been hidden, which God foreordained before the worlds unto our glory: ​
8
which none of the rulers of this world hath known: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory: ​
9
but as it is written, Things which eye saw not, and ear heard not, Andwhichentered not into the heart of man, Whatsoever things God prepared for them that love him. ​

Revealed by the Holy Spirit 10–16

10
But unto us God revealed them through the Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. ​
11
For who among men knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of the man, which is in him? even so the things of God none knoweth, save the Spirit of God. ​
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 of God.
13
Which things also we speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Spirit teacheth; combining spiritual things with spiritual words. ​
14
Now the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him; and he cannot know them, because they are spiritually judged. ​
15
But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, and he himself is judged of no man. ​
16
For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he should instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ. ​

Bible text: American Standard Version (1901) · Public domain

Study Notes for 1 Corinthians 2

Verse 1

excellency of speech or of wisdom — 'Excellency' is hyperoche, a standing above others, found elsewhere only in 1 Tim 2:2, where it is 'authority'. The Greeks 'seek after wisdom' (1:22), and Paul brought 'the testimony of God' (martyrion) without it, as 1:17 says: 'not with wisdom of words'.

Verse 2

Jesus Christ, and him crucified — 'Crucified' (stauroo) is a perfect participle, 'having been crucified', naming the fact that stands for good. It is the preaching of 1:23, 'we preach Christ crucified', and of Gal 3:1, 'Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you'. 'Determined' is krino, to decide.

Verse 3

in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling — 'Trembling' is tromos, the pairing found in 'fear and trembling' (2 Cor 7:15; Phil 2:12). The Lord had spoken to Paul in Corinth, 'Be not afraid… for I am with thee' (Acts 18:9–10). Weakness runs through his ministry: 'my strength is made perfect in weakness' (2 Cor 12:9).

Verse 5

the power of God — Dynamis, the word of v.4, 'demonstration of the Spirit and of power'. Paul has named Christ crucified as 'the power of God, and the wisdom of God' (1:24), and the gospel as 'the power of God unto salvation' (Rom 1:16). The verse gives the purpose of the plain preaching of vv.1–4: that faith should rest on that power.

Verse 6

them that are perfect — Teleios, mature or full-grown, the word of Heb 5:14, 'strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age', and of 1 Cor 14:20, 'in understanding be men'. 'Come to nought' is katargeo, the verb of 1:28, 'to bring to nought things that are'. 'World' (aion) is an age, and its 'princes' (archon) are its rulers.

Verse 7

the hidden wisdom — 'Hidden' (apokrypto) is the 'hid' of Col 1:26, 'the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest'. 'Ordained' is proorizo, to mark out beforehand, the 'predestinate' of Rom 8:29–30, where 'whom he did predestinate… them he also glorified' answers 'unto our glory'.

Verse 8

the Lord of glory — The title occurs only here and in James 2:1. The 'princes' are the rulers of v.6, and Acts 13:27 says of Jerusalem's 'rulers' that 'they knew him not'; Peter likewise says 'through ignorance ye did it, as did also your rulers' (Acts 3:17). The Lord of glory was 'crucified' (stauroo), the verb of v.2.

Verse 9

Eye hath not seen — The wording draws on Isa 64:4, 'men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye seen, O God, beside thee, what he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him'. Paul gives the recipients as 'them that love him', as Rom 8:28 does. 'Prepared' is hetoimazo.

Verse 10

the deep things of God — 'Revealed' is apokalypto, to uncover. 'Deep things' is bathos, the 'depth' of Rom 11:33, 'O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God!' 'Searcheth' (eraunao) is used of the Spirit in Rom 8:27, 'he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit'.

Verse 11

the things of God knoweth no man — The comparison is with a man's own spirit, which alone knows what is in him (cf. Prov 20:27, 'The spirit of man is the candle of the LORD'). The Spirit of God stands to God as that spirit does to the man. Rom 11:34 asks the same, 'who hath known the mind of the Lord?'

Verse 13

which the Holy Ghost teacheth — 'Teacheth' is didaktos, 'taught', which occurs only here and in John 6:45, 'taught of God'. 'Comparing' (synkrino) occurs elsewhere only in 2 Cor 10:12. 'Spiritual things with spiritual' has been read as matching spiritual truths with spiritual words, as explaining them to spiritual people, and as comparing one part of revelation with another.

Verse 14

the natural man — Psychikos, belonging to the psyche, the soul as the natural life; Paul sets it against the pneumatikos, the spiritual, of v.15. The word recurs in 15:44, 'natural body'. 'Foolishness' (moria) is the word of 1:18, 'the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness', and 'discerned' (anakrino) is to examine, as in v.15.

Verse 15

he that is spiritual judgeth all things — The same verb, anakrino, serves three times in vv.14–15: 'discerned', 'judgeth', 'judged'. It is the verb of 4:3–4, where Paul says 'it is a very small thing that I should be judged of you… he that judgeth me is the Lord'. The spiritual man is 'judged of no man' because his examiner is the Lord.

Verse 16

the mind of Christ — The question is that of Isa 40:13, 'Who hath directed the Spirit of the LORD, or being his counsellor hath taught him?', which Paul also quotes in Rom 11:34, 'who hath known the mind of the Lord?' 'Mind' is nous. The answer 'we have the mind of Christ' follows from the Spirit of God given in vv.10–12.