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.

When I came to you, brothers, I didn’t come with excellence of speech or of wisdom, proclaiming to 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 determined 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.

I was with you in weakness, 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.

My speech and my preaching were not in persuasive 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 wouldn’t stand 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.

We speak wisdom, however, among those who are full grown; yet a wisdom not of this world, nor of the rulers of this world, who are coming to nothing.

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 God’s wisdom in a mystery, the wisdom that has been hidden, which God foreordained before the worlds for 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 rulers of this world has known. For had they known it, they wouldn’t 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, “Things which an eye didn’t see, and an ear didn’t hear, which didn’t enter into the heart of man, these God has prepared for those who 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 to us, God revealed them through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, 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 a man, except the spirit of the man, which is in him? Even so, no one knows the things of God, except God’s Spirit.

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.

But we received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is from God, that we might know the things that were freely given to us by God.

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 words which man’s wisdom teaches, but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual things.

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.

Now the natural man doesn’t receive the things of God’s Spirit, for they are foolishness to him, and he can’t know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

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

But he who is spiritual discerns all things, and he himself is judged 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 mind of the Lord, that he should instruct him?” But we have Christ’s mind.