1 Corinthians 2:1–16 Christ Crucified - God's Revealed Wisdom
1 Corinthians 2:1-16
Christ Crucified – God's Revealed Wisdom
#Christ
#unity
Published October 6th, 2022
Main point summary
Arc
Notes
notes
Main point summary
By the power of the Spirit Paul proclaims Christ crucified—the wisdom of God revealed to his people by the Spirit.
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1 Corinthians 2:1-16
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And...when I came to you, brothers, 1
Κἀγὼ ἐλθὼν πρὸς ὑμᾶς, ἀδελφοί,
x I...did not come proclaiming to you y the testimony 2 of God with lofty speech or wisdom.
ἦλθον οὐ καθ’ ὑπεροχὴν λόγου ἢ σοφίας καταγγέλλων ὑμῖν τὸ ⸀ μαρτύριον τοῦ θεοῦ.
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For I decided to know nothing among you except z Jesus Christ and him crucified.
οὐ γὰρ ἔκρινά ⸂ τι εἰδέναι ⸃ ἐν ὑμῖν εἰ μὴ Ἰησοῦν Χριστὸν καὶ τοῦτον ἐσταυρωμένον·
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And a I was with you b in weakness and in fear and much trembling,
κἀγὼ ἐν ἀσθενείᾳ καὶ ἐν φόβῳ καὶ ἐν τρόμῳ πολλῷ ἐγενόμην πρὸς ὑμᾶς,
and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom,
καὶ ὁ λόγος μου καὶ τὸ κήρυγμά μου οὐκ ἐν ⸂ πειθοῖ σοφίας ⸃
but in demonstration of c the Spirit and of power,
ἀλλ ’ ἐν ἀποδείξει πνεύματος καὶ δυνάμεως,
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so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men 1
ἵνα ἡ πίστις ὑμῶν μὴ ᾖ ἐν σοφίᾳ ἀνθρώπων
but [your faith might rest] d in the power of God.
ἀλλ ’ ἐν δυνάμει θεοῦ.
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Yet among e the mature we do impart wisdom,
Σοφίαν δὲ λαλοῦμεν ἐν τοῖς τελείοις,
although it is not f a wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, g who are doomed to pass away.
σοφίαν δὲ οὐ τοῦ αἰῶνος τούτου οὐδὲ τῶν ἀρχόντων τοῦ αἰῶνος τούτου τῶν καταργουμένων·
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But we impart a secret and hidden wisdom of God, h which God decreed before the ages for our glory.
ἀλλὰ λαλοῦμεν ⸂ θεοῦ σοφίαν ⸃ ἐν μυστηρίῳ, τὴν ἀποκεκρυμμένην, ἣν προώρισεν ὁ θεὸς πρὸ τῶν αἰώνων εἰς δόξαν ἡμῶν·
progression
None of i the rulers of this age understood this,
ἣν οὐδεὶς τῶν ἀρχόντων τοῦ αἰῶνος τούτου ἔγνωκεν,
for j if they had,
εἰ γὰρ ἔγνωσαν,
they would not have crucified k the Lord of glory.
οὐκ ἂν τὸν κύριον τῆς δόξης ἐσταύρωσαν·
conditional
But , as it is written,
ἀλλὰ καθὼς γέγραπται·
l “What no eye has seen,
Ἃ ὀφθαλμὸς οὐκ εἶδεν
nor ear heard,
καὶ οὖς οὐκ ἤκουσεν
nor the heart of man imagined,
καὶ ἐπὶ καρδίαν ἀνθρώπου οὐκ ἀνέβη,
what God has m prepared n for those who love him”—
⸀ ὅσα ἡτοίμασεν ὁ θεὸς τοῖς ἀγαπῶσιν αὐτόν.
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these things o God has revealed to us through the Spirit.
ἡμῖ ν δὲ ἀπεκάλυψεν ὁ θεὸς ⸃ διὰ τοῦ ⸀ πνεύματος,
For the Spirit searches everything, even p the depths of God.
τὸ γὰρ πνεῦμα πάντα ἐραυνᾷ, καὶ τὰ βάθη τοῦ θεοῦ.
For who knows a person’s thoughts q except the spirit of that person, which is in him?
τίς γὰρ οἶδεν ἀνθρώπων τὰ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου εἰ μὴ τὸ πνεῦμα τοῦ ἀνθρώπου τὸ ἐν αὐτῷ;
So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God.
οὕτως καὶ τὰ τοῦ θεοῦ οὐδεὶς ⸀ ἔγνωκεν εἰ μὴ τὸ πνεῦμα τοῦ θεοῦ.
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Now r we have received not s the spirit of the world,
ἡμεῖς δὲ οὐ τὸ πνεῦμα τοῦ κόσμου ἐλάβομεν
but the Spirit who is from God,
ἀλλὰ τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἐκ τοῦ θεοῦ,
that we might understand the things freely given us by God.
ἵνα εἰδῶμεν τὰ ὑπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ χαρισθέντα ἡμῖν·
And we impart this
ἃ καὶ λαλοῦμεν
t in words not taught by human wisdom
οὐκ ἐν διδακτοῖς ἀνθρωπίνης σοφίας λόγοις,
but taught by the Spirit,
ἀλλ’ ἐν διδακτοῖς ⸀ πνεύματος,
u interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual. 1
πνευματικοῖς πνευματικὰ συγκρίνοντες.
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The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God,
Ψυχικὸς δὲ ἄνθρωπος οὐ δέχεται τὰ τοῦ πνεύματος τοῦ θεοῦ,
for they are v folly to him,
μωρία γὰρ αὐτῷ ἐστίν,
and w he is not able to understand them
καὶ οὐ δύναται γνῶναι,
because they are spiritually discerned.
ὅτι πνευματικῶς ἀνακρίνεται·
The x spiritual person judges all things,
ὁ δὲ πνευματικὸς ἀνακρίνει ⸀ τὰ πάντα,
but is himself to be judged by no one.
αὐτὸς δὲ ὑπ’ οὐδενὸς ἀνακρίνεται.
y “ For who has understood the mind of the Lord
τίς γὰρ ἔγνω νοῦν κυρίου,
so as to instruct him?”
ὃς συμβιβάσει αὐτόν;
But z we have the mind of Christ.
ἡμεῖς δὲ νοῦν Χριστοῦ ἔχομεν.
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Notes
Arcing N otes 2:5 Many people arc this verse as the purpose of 2:1–4. While that makes sense logically in light of the content of 2:1–4, I'm hesitant to do so because it would break up the Greek sentence that begins in verse 3. It seems better to me to see 2:3–5 as one arc, with an Ac-Pur within that arc. The purpose in verse 5 also most directly correlates to verse 4 (Note the repeat of "wisdom" and "power."). 2:11 This verse logically seems to ground 2:10b, but I'm hesitant to break up a Greek sentence in my arcing. 2:16 This a purpose clause, beginning with a relative clause ( ὅς ). “ The relative is used w. consecutive or final mng. (result or purpose).” - BDAG, s.v. “ὅς,” 727.
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