¹²Now ^cwe have received, not the spirit of the world, but ^cthe spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. ¹³Which things also we speak, ^dnot in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; ^ecomparing spiritual things with spiritual. ¹⁴^fBut the ^gnatural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: ^hfor they are foolishness unto him: ⁱneither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. ¹⁵But ^khe that is spiritual ^||^ljudgeth all things, yet he himself is ^||^ljudged of no man. ¹⁶^mFor who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he ^†may instruct him? But ⁿwe have the mind of Christ.

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1 Corinthians 2:12: Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God.

Footnotes

cSo Rom. 8:15.
cSo Rom. 8:15.
dSee ch. 1:17.
fSo John 14:17.
gch. 15:44, 46. James 3:15 marg. Jude 19 (Gk.).
hch. 1:18, 21, 23.
iSo Rom. 8:5–7.
kSo Prov. 27:19? & 28:5. 1 John 4:1.
||Or, discerneth.
l Acts 4:9 (Gk.). ch. 4:3, 4. & 9:3 (Gk.). & 10:25, 27 (Gk.). & 14:24.
||Or, discerned. ver. 14.
l Acts 4:9 (Gk.). ch. 4:3, 4. & 9:3 (Gk.). & 10:25, 27 (Gk.). & 14:24.
mCited from Isai. 40:13. See Rom. 11:34.
†Gr. shall.
nSo John 15:15. & 16:13.

Cross references

e 2 Cor. 10:12.

Public Domain

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God. And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual.

The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. The spiritual person judges all things, but is himself to be judged by no one. “For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ.

NIVNew International Version (2011)

What we have received is not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us. This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual realities with Spirit-taught words. The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit. The person with the Spirit makes judgments about all things, but such a person is not subject to merely human judgments, for,

“Who has known the mind of the Lord

so as to instruct him?”

But we have the mind of Christ.

CSBChristian Standard Bible

Now we have not received the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who comes from God, so that we may understand what has been freely given to us by God. We also speak these things, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual things to spiritual people. But the person without the Spirit does not receive what comes from God’s Spirit, because it is foolishness to him; he is not able to understand it since it is evaluated spiritually. The spiritual person, however, can evaluate everything, and yet he himself cannot be evaluated by anyone. For

who has known the Lord’s mind,

that he may instruct him?

But we have the mind of Christ.

NLTNew Living Translation

And we have received God’s Spirit (not the world’s spirit), so we can know the wonderful things God has freely given us.

When we tell you these things, we do not use words that come from human wisdom. Instead, we speak words given to us by the Spirit, using the Spirit’s words to explain spiritual truths. But people who aren’t spiritual can’t receive these truths from God’s Spirit. It all sounds foolish to them and they can’t understand it, for only those who are spiritual can understand what the Spirit means. Those who are spiritual can evaluate all things, but they themselves cannot be evaluated by others. For,

“Who can know the Lord’s thoughts?

Who knows enough to teach him?”

But we understand these things, for we have the mind of Christ.

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, in order that we may know the things freely given to us by God, things which we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in words taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual things to spiritual people. But the natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he is not able to understand them, because they are spiritually discerned. Now the spiritual person discerns all things, but he himself is judged by no one. “For who has known the mind of the Lord; who has advised him?” But we have the mind of Christ.