1 C hristian brothers, when I came to you, I did not preach the secrets of God with big sounding words or make it sound as if I were so wise.

¶ And I, brothers, when I came to you, came not with puffed up speech or wisdom to declare unto you the testimony of God.

2 I made up my mind that while I was with you I would speak of nothing except Jesus Christ and of His death on the cross.

For I judged not to know anything among you, except Jesus Christ and him crucified.

3 W hen I was with you, I was weak. I was afraid and I shook.

And I was with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling.

4 W hat I had to say when I preached was not in big sounding words of man’s wisdom. But it was given in the power of the Holy Spirit.

And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power,

5 I n this way, you do not have faith in Christ because of the wisdom of men. You have faith in Christ because of the power of God. True Wisdom Comes from God

that your faith should not be founded in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.

6 W e speak wisdom to full-grown Christians. This wisdom is not from this world or from the leaders of today. They die and their wisdom dies with them.

¶ For we speak perfect wisdom of God, and not the wisdom of this age nor of the princes of this age, that come to nought,

7 W hat we preach is God’s wisdom. It was a secret until now. God planned for us to have this honor before the world began.

but we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God predestined before the ages unto our glory,

8 N one of the world leaders understood this wisdom. If they had, they would not have put Christ up on a cross to die. He is the Lord of shining-greatness.

which none of the princes of this age knew (for had they known it, they would never have crucified the Lord of glory).

9 T he Holy Writings say, “No eye has ever seen or no ear has ever heard or no mind has ever thought of the wonderful things God has made ready for those who love Him.”

But as it is written, That which eye has not seen nor ear heard neither has entered into the heart of man is that which God has prepared for those that love him.

10 G od has shown these things to us through His Holy Spirit. It is the Holy Spirit Who looks into all things, even the secrets of God, and shows them to us.

But God has revealed this unto us by his Spirit, for the Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God.

11 W ho can know the things about a man, except a man’s own spirit that is in him? It is the same with God. Who can understand Him except the Holy Spirit?

For who among men knows the things of man, except the spirit of man which is in him? Even so no one has known the things of God, but the Spirit of God.

12 W e have not received the spirit of the world. God has given us His Holy Spirit that we may know about the things given to us by Him.

Now we have not received the spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is of God, that we might know the things that God has given us.

13 W e speak about these things also. We do not use words of man’s wisdom. We use words given to us by the Holy Spirit. We use these words to tell what the Holy Spirit wants to say to those who put their trust in Him.

Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teaches, but with doctrine of the Holy Spirit, jointly fitting spiritual things by spiritual means.

14 B ut the person who is not a Christian does not understand these words from the Holy Spirit. He thinks they are foolish. He cannot understand them because he does not have the Holy Spirit to help him understand.

But the natural man does not perceive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness unto him; neither can he understand them because they are spiritually discerned.

15 T he full-grown Christian understands all things, and yet he is not understood.

But he that is spiritual discerns all things, yet he is discerned by no one.

16 F or who has the thoughts of the Lord? Who can tell Him what to do? But we have the thoughts of Christ.

For who has known the understanding of the Lord? Who has instructed him? But we have the understanding of Christ.