Not with human wisdom but with God's power

1So when I came to you, brothers, I did not come proclaiming God's testimony ²⁵to you with a ‘superior’ speech or wisdom.

2For I determined to ‘know’ nothing while among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.

3Also, I was with you in weakness, in fear, and with much trembling.

4Yes, my message and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but with a demonstration of the Spirit and of power,

5so that your faith not be in men's wisdom, but in God's power. ²⁶

Wisdom for the mature

6However, we do speak wisdom among the mature, ²⁷albeit not the wisdom of this age, nor of the rulers of this age, who are being set aside; ²⁸

7but we speak God's wisdom in a mystery, the hidden ²⁹wisdom that God ordained before the ages for our glory,

8that none of the rulers of this age have understood (because if they had understood, they would not have crucified the Lord of the glory).

9However, as it is written: “Things no eye has seen and no ear has heard, and no heart of man has imagined, such things has God prepared for those who love Him.” ³⁰

10But to us God has revealed them by His Spirit; ³¹because the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God.

11Now who among men knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man that is in him? So also no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God.

12We have not received the spirit of the world ³²but the Spirit who is from God, so that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God; ³³

13which things we also expound, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Holy Spirit, ³⁴interpreting spiritual things to spiritual people.

14Now a soulish ³⁵man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; indeed, he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.

15But he who is spiritual evaluates everything, while not being himself subject to anyone's judgment. ³⁶

16For “who has known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct Him?” ³⁷But we have the mind of Christ. ³⁸