Chapter 2
Themes, discussion questions, Christ connections, and denomination lenses.
Just read this chapter →Scripture
KJV1And 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.
“For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.”
Overview
Paul recounts that he came to Corinth not with excellency of speech or worldly wisdom, but determined to know nothing among them except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. He explains that the things of God are revealed by the Spirit, not by human intellect, and that the natural man cannot receive the things of the Spirit of God because they are spiritually discerned.
Key Themes
Preaching in Weakness and Power
Paul deliberately set aside rhetorical skill so that the Corinthians' faith would rest on the power of God rather than the wisdom of men.
Revelation by the Spirit
The deep things of God are revealed not through human reasoning but through the Holy Spirit, who searches all things, even the deep things of God.
The Natural Man vs. The Spiritual Man
The natural man cannot receive spiritual truths because they are spiritually discerned; only those who have the Spirit of God can understand the mind of God.
Study Questions
Why did Paul resolve to know nothing among the Corinthians 'save Jesus Christ, and him crucified' (v. 2)?
How does Paul's distinction between human wisdom and the Spirit's revelation affect how we study Scripture?
What does it mean to have 'the mind of Christ' (v. 16), and how does this transform daily decision-making?
Why is it impossible for the 'natural man' to understand spiritual things (v. 14)?
How should Paul's example of coming 'in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling' (v. 3) encourage believers in ministry?
Connection to Christ
Paul's entire message centers on Jesus Christ and Him crucified. The hidden wisdom of God, ordained before the world for our glory, is ultimately the plan of redemption accomplished through Christ — the wisdom that the rulers of this world failed to recognize when they crucified the Lord of glory.
Personal Reflection
Take time to journal or meditate on what God is teaching you through 1 Corinthians 2. How can these truths transform your thinking and actions today?