1 Corinthians 2:4
New International Version
My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power,

New Living Translation
And my message and my preaching were very plain. Rather than using clever and persuasive speeches, I relied only on the power of the Holy Spirit.

English Standard Version
and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power,

Berean Standard Bible
My message and my preaching were not with persuasive words of wisdom, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power,

Berean Literal Bible
And my message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power,

King James Bible
And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power:

New King James Version
And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power,

New American Standard Bible
and my message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power,

NASB 1995
and my message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power,

NASB 1977
And my message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power,

Legacy Standard Bible
and my word and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power,

Amplified Bible
And my message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom [using clever rhetoric], but [they were delivered] in demonstration of the [Holy] Spirit [operating through me] and of [His] power [stirring the minds of the listeners and persuading them],

Christian Standard Bible
My speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of wisdom but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power,

Holman Christian Standard Bible
My speech and my proclamation were not with persuasive words of wisdom but with a powerful demonstration by the Spirit,

American Standard Version
And my speech and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power:

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And my message and my preaching were not in the persuasiveness of the words of philosophy, but in the demonstration of The Spirit and power,

Contemporary English Version
When I talked with you or preached, I didn't try to prove anything by sounding wise. I simply let God's Spirit show his power.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And my speech and my preaching was not in the persuasive words of human wisdom, but in shewing of the Spirit and power;

English Revised Version
And my speech and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power:

GOD'S WORD® Translation
I didn't speak my message with persuasive intellectual arguments. I spoke my message with a show of spiritual power

Good News Translation
and my teaching and message were not delivered with skillful words of human wisdom, but with convincing proof of the power of God's Spirit.

International Standard Version
My message and my preaching were not accompanied by clever, wise words, but by a display of the Spirit's power,

Literal Standard Version
and my word and my preaching was not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power—

Majority Standard Bible
My message and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power,

New American Bible
and my message and my proclamation were not with persuasive [words of] wisdom, but with a demonstration of spirit and power,

NET Bible
My conversation and my preaching were not with persuasive words of wisdom, but with a demonstration of the Spirit and of power,

New Revised Standard Version
My speech and my proclamation were not with plausible words of wisdom, but with a demonstration of the Spirit and of power,

New Heart English Bible
My speech and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power,

Webster's Bible Translation
And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit, and of power:

Weymouth New Testament
And my language and the Message that I proclaimed were not adorned with persuasive words of earthly wisdom, but depended upon truths which the Spirit taught and mightily carried home;

World English Bible
My speech and my preaching were not in persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power,

Young's Literal Translation
and my word and my preaching was not in persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power --

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Paul's Message by the Spirit's Power
3I came to you in weakness and fear, and with much trembling. 4 My message and my preaching were not with persuasive words of wisdom, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, 5so that your faith would not rest on men’s wisdom, but on God’s power.…

Cross References
Romans 15:13
Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you believe in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Romans 15:19
by the power of signs and wonders, and by the power of the Spirit of God. So from Jerusalem all the way around to Illyricum, I have fully proclaimed the gospel of Christ.

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 2:1
When I came to you, brothers, I did not come with eloquence or wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God.

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.

1 Corinthians 4:20
For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power.

2 Corinthians 6:6
in purity, knowledge, patience, and kindness; in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love;


Treasury of Scripture

And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power:

my speech.

Acts 20:27
For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God.

not.

1 Corinthians 2:1,13
And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God…

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.

Judges 14:15
And it came to pass on the seventh day, that they said unto Samson's wife, Entice thy husband, that he may declare unto us the riddle, lest we burn thee and thy father's house with fire: have ye called us to take that we have? is it not so?

enticing.

Acts 26:28
Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian.

Galatians 1:10
For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ.

but.

1 Corinthians 4:20
For the kingdom of God is not in word, but in power.

John 16:8-15
And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: …

Romans 15:19
Through mighty signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God; so that from Jerusalem, and round about unto Illyricum, I have fully preached the gospel of Christ.

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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.














(4) And my speech.--The result which necessarily followed from this weakness and trembling was that neither his "speech" (i.e., the style of his teaching), nor his "preaching" (i.e., the subject-matter of his teaching) were of such a kind as to appeal to the natural tastes of the Corinthians.

Demonstration of the Spirit.--The Apostle's demonstration of the truth of the gospel was the result of no human art or skill, but came from the Spirit and power of God, and therefore the Corinthians could glory in no human teacher, but only in the power of God, which was the true source of the success of the gospel amongst them.

Verse 4. - My speech and my preaching; the form and matter of my discourse. He would not attempt to use the keen sword of philosophical dialectics or human eloquence, but would only use the weapon of the cross. Was not with enticing words of man's wisdom; rather, with persuasive words of wisdom (the word anthropines is a gloss). This simplicity was the more remarkable because "Corinthian words" was a proverb for choice, elaborate, and glittering phrases (Wetstein). It is not improbable that the almost total and deeply discouraging want of success of St. Paul in preaching at Athens had impressed him mere strongly with the uselessness of attempting to fight Greek philosophers with their own blunt and imperfect weapons. In demonstration of the Spirit and of power. So he says to the Thessalonians," Our gospel came not to you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance." The plain facts, so repellent to the natural intellect, were driven home with matchless force by spiritual conviction. The only heathen critic who has mentioned St. Paul's method is Longinus, the author of the treatise on 'The Sublime and Beautiful,' who calls him "a master of unproved dogma," meaning apparently that his force lay in the irresistible statement of the facts which he came to preach.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
My
μου (mou)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 1st Person Singular
Strong's 1473: I, the first-person pronoun. A primary pronoun of the first person I.

message
λόγος (logos)
Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3056: From lego; something said; by implication, a topic, also reasoning or motive; by extension, a computation; specially, the Divine Expression.

and
καὶ (kai)
Conjunction
Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely.

my
μου (mou)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 1st Person Singular
Strong's 1473: I, the first-person pronoun. A primary pronoun of the first person I.

preaching
κήρυγμά (kērygma)
Noun - Nominative Neuter Singular
Strong's 2782: A proclamation, preaching. From kerusso; a proclamation.

[were] not
οὐκ (ouk)
Adverb
Strong's 3756: No, not. Also ouk, and ouch a primary word; the absolute negative adverb; no or not.

with
ἐν (en)
Preposition
Strong's 1722: In, on, among. A primary preposition denoting position, and instrumentality, i.e. A relation of rest; 'in, ' at, on, by, etc.

persuasive
πειθοῖς (peithois)
Adjective - Dative Masculine Plural
Strong's 3981: Persuasive, enticing, skilful. From peitho; persuasive.

words
λόγοις (logois)
Noun - Dative Masculine Plural
Strong's 3056: From lego; something said; by implication, a topic, also reasoning or motive; by extension, a computation; specially, the Divine Expression.

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

but
ἀλλ’ (all’)
Conjunction
Strong's 235: But, except, however. Neuter plural of allos; properly, other things, i.e. contrariwise.

with
ἐν (en)
Preposition
Strong's 1722: In, on, among. A primary preposition denoting position, and instrumentality, i.e. A relation of rest; 'in, ' at, on, by, etc.

a demonstration
ἀποδείξει (apodeixei)
Noun - Dative Feminine Singular
Strong's 585: Demonstration, proof; a showing off. From apodeiknumi; manifestation.

of [the] Spirit’s
Πνεύματος (Pneumatos)
Noun - Genitive Neuter Singular
Strong's 4151: Wind, breath, spirit.

power,
δυνάμεως (dynameōs)
Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular
Strong's 1411: From dunamai; force; specially, miraculous power.


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NT Letters: 1 Corinthians 2:4 My speech and my preaching were not (1 Cor. 1C iC 1Cor i cor icor)
1 Corinthians 2:3
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