1 Corinthians 2:1-4:5

New King James Version

Christ Crucified

2 And I, brethren, when I came to you, did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom declaring to you the ^[a]testimony of God. ² For I determined not to know anything among you ^(A)except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. ^3 (B)I was with you ^(C)in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling. ⁴ And my speech and my preaching ^(D)were not with persuasive words of ^[b]human wisdom, ^(E)but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, ⁵ that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the ^(F)power of God.

Spiritual Wisdom

⁶ However, we speak wisdom among those who are mature, yet not the wisdom of this age, nor of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. ⁷ But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ^[c]ordained before the ages for our glory, ⁸ which none of the rulers of this age knew; for ^(G)had they known, they would not have ^(H)crucified the Lord of glory.

⁹ But as it is written:

¹⁰ But ^(J)God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. ¹¹ For what man knows the things of a man except the ^(K)spirit of the man which is in him? ^(L)Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. ¹² Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but ^(M)the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God.

¹³ These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the ^[d]Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. ^14 (N)But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. ¹⁵ But he who is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is rightly judged by no one. ¹⁶ For ^(O)“who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct Him?” ^(P)But we have the mind of Christ.

Sectarianism Is Carnal

3 And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal, as to ^(Q)babes in Christ. ² I fed you with ^(R)milk and not with solid food; ^(S)for until now you were not able to receive it, and even now you are still not able; ³ for you are still carnal. For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and ^[e]behaving like mere men? ⁴ For when one says, “I am of Paul,” and another, “I am of Apollos,” are you not carnal?

Watering, Working, Warning

⁵ Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ^(T)ministers through whom you believed, as the Lord gave to each one? ^6 (U)I planted, ^(V)Apollos watered, ^(W)but God gave the increase. ⁷ So then ^(X)neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase. ⁸ Now he who plants and he who waters are one, ^(Y)and each one will receive his own reward according to his own labor.

⁹ For ^(Z)we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, you are ^(AA)God’s building. ^10 (AB)According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid ^(AC)the foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it. ¹¹ For no other foundation can anyone lay than ^(AD)that which is laid, ^(AE)which is Jesus Christ. ¹² Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, ¹³ each one’s work will become clear; for the Day ^(AF)will declare it, because ^(AG)it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is. ¹⁴ If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. ¹⁵ If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.

^16 (AH)Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? ¹⁷ If anyone ^[f]defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are.

Avoid Worldly Wisdom

^18 (AI)Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you seems to be wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise. ¹⁹ For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, ^(AJ)“He catches the wise in their own craftiness”; ²⁰ and again, ^(AK)“The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile.” ²¹ Therefore let no one boast in men. For ^(AL)all things are yours: ²² whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas, or the world or life or death, or things present or things to come—all are yours. ²³ And ^(AM)you are Christ’s, and Christ is God’s.

Stewards of the Mysteries of God

4 Let a man so consider us, as ^(AN)servants of Christ ^(AO)and stewards of the mysteries of God. ² Moreover it is required in stewards that one be found faithful. ³ But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by a human ^[g]court. In fact, I do not even judge myself. ⁴ For I know of nothing against myself, yet I am not justified by this; but He who judges me is the Lord. ^5 (AP)Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord comes, who will both bring to ^(AQ)light the hidden things of darkness and ^(AR)reveal the ^[h]counsels of the hearts. ^(AS)Then each one’s praise will come from God.