1 Corinthians 2:1–3:23

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 1testimony of God. 2 For I determined not to know anything among you aexcept Jesus Christ and Him crucified. 3 bI was with you cin weakness, in fear, and in much trembling. 4 And my speech and my preaching dwere not with persuasive words of 2human wisdom, ebut in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, 5 that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the fpower 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 3ordained before the ages for our glory, 8 which none of the rulers of this age knew; for ghad they known, they would not have hcrucified the Lord of glory.

9 But as it is written:

i“Eye has not seen, nor ear heard,

Nor have entered into the heart of man

The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.”

10 But jGod 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 kspirit of the man which is in him? lEven 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 mthe 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 4Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. 14 nBut 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?” pBut 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 ababes in Christ. 2 I fed you with bmilk and not with solid food; cfor 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 1behaving 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 dministers through whom you believed, as the Lord gave to each one? 6 eI planted, fApollos watered, gbut God gave the increase. 7 So then hneither 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, iand each one will receive his own reward according to his own labor.

9 For jwe are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, you are kGod’s building. 10 lAccording to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid mthe 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 nthat which is laid, owhich 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 pwill declare it, because qit 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 rDo you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? 17 If anyone 2defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are.

Avoid Worldly Wisdom

18 sLet 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, t“He catches the wise in their own craftiness”; 20 and again, u“The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile.” 21 Therefore let no one boast in men. For vall 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 wyou are Christ’s, and Christ is God’s.