Paul’s Reliance upon the Spirit
1 And when I came to you, brothers and sisters, proclaiming to you thetestimony of God [concerning salvation through Christ], I did not come with superiority of speech or of wisdom [no lofty words of eloquence or of philosophy as a Greek orator might do];
2 for I made the decision toknow nothing [that is, to forego philosophical or theological discussions regarding inconsequential things and opinions while] among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified [and the meaning of His redemptive, substitutionary death and His resurrection].
3 I came to you in [a state of] weakness and fear and great trembling.
4 And my message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom [using clever rhetoric], but [they were delivered] in demonstration of the [Holy] Spirit [operating through me] and of [His] power [stirring the minds of the listeners and persuading them],
5 so that your faith would not rest on the wisdomandrhetoric of men, but on the power of God.
6 Yet we do speak wisdom among thosespirituallymature [believers who have teachable hearts and a greater understanding]; but [it is a higher] wisdom not [the wisdom] of thispresentage nor of the rulersandleaders of this age, who are passing away;
7 but we speak God’s wisdom in a mystery, thewisdomonce hidden [from man, but now revealed to us by God, that wisdom] which God predestined before the ages to our glory [to lift us into the glory of His presence].
8 None of the rulers of this age recognizedandunderstood thiswisdom;for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory;
9 but just as it is written [in Scripture],
“Things which the eye has not seen and the ear has not heard,
And which have not entered the heart of man,
All thatGod has prepared for those who loveHim[who hold Him in affectionate reverence, who obey Him, and who gratefully recognize the benefits that He has bestowed].”
10 For God has unveiled themandrevealedthemto us through the [Holy] Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things [diligently], even [sounding and measuring] the [profound] depths of God [the divine counsels and things far beyond human understanding].
11 For what person knows the thoughts and motives of a man except the man’s spirit within him? So also no one knows thethoughtsof God except the Spirit of God.
12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the [Holy] Spirit who is from God, so that we may knowandunderstand the [wonderful] things freely given to us by God.
13 We also speak of these things, not in words taughtorsupplied by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combiningandinterpreting spiritualthoughtswith spiritualwords[for those being guided by the Holy Spirit].
14 But the natural [unbelieving] man does not accept the things [the teachings and revelations] of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness [absurd and illogical] to him; and he is incapable of understanding them, because they are spiritually discernedandappreciated, [and he is unqualified to judge spiritual matters].
15 But the spiritual man [the spiritually mature Christian] judges all things [questions, examines and applies what the Holy Spirit reveals], yet is himself judged by no one [the unbeliever cannot judge and understand the believer’s spiritual nature].
16 Forwho has known the mindandpurposes of theLord,so as to instructHim? But we have the mind of Christ [to be guided by His thoughts and purposes].