1 Corinthians 2:1
New International Version
And so it was with me, brothers and sisters. When I came to you, I did not come with eloquence or human wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God.

New Living Translation
When I first came to you, dear brothers and sisters, I didn’t use lofty words and impressive wisdom to tell you God’s secret plan.

English Standard Version
And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom.

Berean Standard Bible
When I came to you, brothers, I did not come with eloquence or wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God.

Berean Literal Bible
And I having come to you, brothers, did not come according to excellency of speech or wisdom, proclaiming to you the testimony of God.

King James Bible
And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God.

New King James Version
And I, brethren, when I came to you, did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom declaring to you the testimony of God.

New American Standard Bible
And when I came to you, brothers and sisters, I did not come as someone superior in speaking ability or wisdom, as I proclaimed to you the testimony of God.

NASB 1995
And when I came to you, brethren, I did not come with superiority of speech or of wisdom, proclaiming to you the testimony of God.

NASB 1977
And when I came to you, brethren, I did not come with superiority of speech or of wisdom, proclaiming to you the testimony of God.

Legacy Standard Bible
And when I came to you, brothers, I did not come with superiority of word or of wisdom, proclaiming to you the witness of God.

Amplified Bible
And when I came to you, brothers and sisters, proclaiming to you the testimony of God [concerning salvation through Christ], I did not come with superiority of speech or of wisdom [no lofty words of eloquence or of philosophy as a Greek orator might do];

Christian Standard Bible
When I came to you, brothers and sisters, announcing the mystery of God to you, I did not come with brilliance of speech or wisdom.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
When I came to you, brothers, announcing the testimony of God to you, I did not come with brilliance of speech or wisdom.

American Standard Version
And I, brethren, when I came unto you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, proclaiming to you the testimony of God.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
But when I came to you, my brethren, I did not proclaim to you by magnificent speech, neither by scholarship, The Gospel of the mystery of God.

Contemporary English Version
Friends, when I came and told you the mystery that God had shared with us, I didn't use big words or try to sound wise.

Douay-Rheims Bible
AND I, brethren, when I came to you, came not in loftiness of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of Christ.

English Revised Version
And I, brethren, when I came unto you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, proclaiming to you the mystery of God.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Brothers and sisters, when I came to you, I didn't speak about God's mystery as if it were some kind of brilliant message or wisdom.

Good News Translation
When I came to you, my friends, to preach God's secret truth, I did not use big words and great learning.

International Standard Version
When I came to you, brothers, I didn't come and tell you about God's secret with rhetorical language or wisdom.

Literal Standard Version
And I, having come to you, brothers, came—not in superiority of discourse or wisdom—declaring to you the testimony of God,

Majority Standard Bible
When I came to you, brothers, I did not come with eloquence or wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God.

New American Bible
When I came to you, brothers, proclaiming the mystery of God, I did not come with sublimity of words or of wisdom.

NET Bible
When I came to you, brothers and sisters, I did not come with superior eloquence or wisdom as I proclaimed the testimony of God.

New Revised Standard Version
When I came to you, brothers and sisters, I did not come proclaiming the mystery of God to you in lofty words or wisdom.

New Heart English Bible
When I came to you, brothers, I did not come with superiority of speech or wisdom, proclaiming to you the mystery of God.

Webster's Bible Translation
And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellence of speech, or of wisdom, declaring to you the testimony of God.

Weymouth New Testament
And as for myself, brethren, when I came to you, it was not with surpassing power of eloquence or earthly wisdom that I came, announcing to you that which God had commanded me to bear witness to.

World English Bible
When I came to you, brothers, I didn’t come with excellence of speech or of wisdom, proclaiming to you the testimony of God.

Young's Literal Translation
And I, having come unto you, brethren, came -- not in superiority of discourse or wisdom -- declaring to you the testimony of God,

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Paul's Message by the Spirit's Power
1When I came to you, brothers, I did not come with eloquence or wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. 2For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.…

Cross References
Romans 16:25
Now to Him who is able to strengthen you by my gospel and by the proclamation of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery concealed for ages past

1 Corinthians 1:17
For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not with words of wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.

1 Corinthians 2:4
My message and my preaching were not with persuasive words of wisdom, but with a demonstration of the Spirit's power,

1 Corinthians 2:7
No, we speak of the mysterious and hidden wisdom of God, which He destined for our glory before time began.

1 Corinthians 2:13
And this is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom, but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words.


Treasury of Scripture

And I, brothers, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring to you the testimony of God.

when.

Acts 18:1-4
After these things Paul departed from Athens, and came to Corinth; …

with.

1 Corinthians 2:4,13
And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: …

1 Corinthians 1:17
For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect.

Exodus 4:10
And Moses said unto the LORD, O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither heretofore, nor since thou hast spoken unto thy servant: but I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue.

the testimony.

1 Corinthians 1:6
Even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you:

Isaiah 8:20
To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.

Acts 20:21
Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.

Jump to Previous
Announcing Commanded Declaring Discourse Earthly Eloquence Excellence Excellency Lofty Power Proclaimed Proclaiming Putting Secret Speech Superior Superiority Surpassing Testimony Wisdom Wise Witness
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Announcing Commanded Declaring Discourse Earthly Eloquence Excellence Excellency Lofty Power Proclaimed Proclaiming Putting Secret Speech Superior Superiority Surpassing Testimony Wisdom Wise Witness
1 Corinthians 2
1. Paul declares that his preaching,
4. though it bring not excellence of speech, or of human wisdom,
5. yet consists in the power of God;
6. and so far excels the wisdom of this world, that the natural man cannot understand it.














II.

(1) And I.--The Apostle now proceeds to show how he personally, in both the matter and manner of his teaching at Corinth, had acted in accordance with those great principles which he has already explained as God's method. "The testimony of God" is St. Paul's testimony concerning God in Christ (1Corinthians 1:6; 2Timothy 1:8).

Verses 1-5. - St. Paul's own method. Verse 1. - And I; "I too;" I in accordance with God's method. When I came to you. The date of his first visit was in A.D. , and he had stayed a year and a half (Acts 18:11). He had since been (roughly speaking) "three years" (τριετίαν, Acts 20:31) at Ephesus. Of speech or of wisdom. I spoke to you neither oratorically nor philosophically. Hence the Apollos party, fond of the brilliant rhetoric of the young Alexandrian, spoke of Paul's speech as "contemptible" (2 Corinthians 10:10). The testimony of God; that is, the witness borne to Christ by the Father (1 John 5:10, 11).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
[When] I
Κἀγὼ (Kagō)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Nominative 1st Person Singular
Strong's 2504: To also, I too, but I. From kai and ego; so also the dative case kamoi, and accusative case kame and I, me.

came
ἐλθὼν (elthōn)
Verb - Aorist Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 2064: To come, go.

to
πρὸς (pros)
Preposition
Strong's 4314: To, towards, with. A strengthened form of pro; a preposition of direction; forward to, i.e. Toward.

you,
ὑμᾶς (hymas)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Accusative 2nd Person Plural
Strong's 4771: You. The person pronoun of the second person singular; thou.

brothers,
ἀδελφοί (adelphoi)
Noun - Vocative Masculine Plural
Strong's 80: A brother, member of the same religious community, especially a fellow-Christian. A brother near or remote.

I did not come
ἦλθον (ēlthon)
Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 1st Person Singular
Strong's 2064: To come, go.

with
καθ’ (kath’)
Preposition
Strong's 2596: A primary particle; down, in varied relations (genitive, dative or accusative) with which it is joined).

eloquence
ὑπεροχὴν (hyperochēn)
Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular
Strong's 5247: Superiority, excellence, preeminence, authority. From huperecho; prominence, i.e. superiority.

or
(ē)
Conjunction
Strong's 2228: Or, than. A primary particle of distinction between two connected terms; disjunctive, or; comparative, than.

wisdom
σοφίας (sophias)
Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular
Strong's 4678: Wisdom, insight, skill (human or divine), intelligence. From sophos; wisdom.

[as] I proclaimed
καταγγέλλων (katangellōn)
Verb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 2605: To declare openly, proclaim, preach, laud, celebrate. From kata and the base of aggelos; to proclaim, promulgate.

to you
ὑμῖν (hymin)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative 2nd Person Plural
Strong's 4771: You. The person pronoun of the second person singular; thou.

the
τὸ (to)
Article - Accusative Neuter Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

testimony
μαρτύριον (martyrion)
Noun - Accusative Neuter Singular
Strong's 3142: Neuter of a presumed derivative of martus; something evidential, i.e. evidence given or, the Decalogue.

about God.
Θεοῦ (Theou)
Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular
Strong's 2316: A deity, especially the supreme Divinity; figuratively, a magistrate; by Hebraism, very.


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NT Letters: 1 Corinthians 2:1 When I came to you brothers (1 Cor. 1C iC 1Cor i cor icor)
1 Corinthians 1:31
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