1When I came to you, brothers and sisters, announcing the mystery2:1 Other mss read testimony of God to you, I did not come with brilliance2:1 1Tm 2:2 of speech2:1 Col 4:6 or wisdom.

2I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.2:2 1Co 1:23–24; Gl 6:14

3I came to you in weakness,2:3 2Co 11:30 in fear,2:3 Rv 11:11 and in much trembling.2:3 Php 2:12

4My speech2:4 Mt 12:37 and my preaching were not with persuasive2:4 Php 1:25 words of wisdom2:4 Other mss read human wisdom but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power,

5so that your faith might not be based on human wisdom but on God’s power.2:5 Mk 5:30; Lk 1:35; 6:19; Ac 19:11; 2Co 13:4; 2Tm 1:7; Rv 11:17

6We do, however, speak a wisdom among the mature,2:6 Mt 5:48 but not a wisdom of this age, or of the rulers2:6 Lk 12:58 of this age, who are coming to nothing.2:6 Heb 2:14

7On the contrary, we speak God’s hidden wisdom in a mystery, a wisdom God predestined2:7 Eph 1:5 before the ages for our glory.2:7 Lk 24:26; 1Pt 5:1,4

8None of the rulers of this age knew this wisdom, because if they had known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.2:8 Ps 24:7

9But as it is written,

10Now God has revealed these things to us by the Spirit, since the Spirit searches everything,2:10 Ps 17:3; Jn 14:26 even the depths of God.2:10 Rm 8:39; 11:33; Eph 3:18

11For who knows a person’s thoughts2:11 Or things except his spirit2:11 Rm 1:9 within him? In the same way, no one knows2:11 1Jn 4:8 the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God.

12Now we have not received the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who comes from God, so that we may understand what has been freely given to us by God.

13We also speak these things, not in words2:13 Mt 12:37 taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual things to spiritual people.2:13 Or things with spiritual words

14But the person without the Spirit2:14 Lit natural person does not receive what comes from God’s Spirit, because it is foolishness to him; he is not able to understand it since it is evaluated2:14 Or judged, or discerned, also in v. 15 spiritually.

15The spiritual person, however, can evaluate2:15 Or judge, or discern everything, and yet he himself cannot be evaluated by anyone.

16For