1And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God.2For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.3And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling.4And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power:5That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.6Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought:7But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory:8Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.9But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.10But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.11For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.12Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.13Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.14But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.15But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man.16For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.
6Yet among the mature we do impart wisdom, although it is not a wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are doomed to pass away. (1Co 1:28; 1Co 3:1; Php 3:15; Jas 3:15)7But we impart a secret and hidden wisdom of God, which God decreed before the ages for our glory. (Ro 16:25; Eph 3:5; Eph 3:9; Col 1:26; 2Ti 1:9)8None of the rulers of this age understood this, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. (Ps 24:7; Lu 24:20; Ac 3:17; Ac 7:2; Ac 13:27; Jas 2:1)9But, as it is written, “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him”— (Isa 64:4; Mt 25:34; Jas 1:12)10these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. (Mt 16:17; Joh 14:26; Ga 1:12; Ga 1:16; Eph 3:3; Eph 3:5; Re 2:24)11For who knows a person’s thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. (Pr 20:27)12Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God. (Ro 8:15; 1Jo 4:4)13And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual.[4] (1Co 1:17; 1Co 2:1; 1Co 2:4; 2Co 10:12)14The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. (Ro 8:7; 1Co 1:18)15The spiritual person judges all things, but is himself to be judged by no one. (Pr 28:5; 1Co 3:1; 1Co 14:37; Ga 6:1)16“For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ. (Isa 40:13; Joh 15:15; Ro 11:34)