Paul’s Reliance upon the Spirit

1And when I came to you, brothers and sisters, I did not come as someone superior in [a]speaking ability or [b]wisdom, as I proclaimed to you the [c]testimony of God. 2For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified. 3I also was with you in weakness and fear, and in great trembling, 4and my [d]message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of [e]wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, 5so that your faith would not [f]rest on the [g]wisdom of mankind, but on the power of God.

6Yet we do speak wisdom among those who are mature; a wisdom, however, not of this age nor of the rulers of this age, who are passing away; 7but we speak God’s wisdom in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God predestined before the ages to our glory; 8the wisdom which none of the rulers of this age has understood; for if they had understood it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory; 9but just as it is written:

“THINGS WHICH EYE HAS NOT SEEN AND EAR HAS NOT HEARD,

AND WHICH HAVE NOT ENTERED THE HUMAN HEART,

ALL THAT GOD HAS PREPARED FOR THOSE WHO LOVE HIM.” 10[h]For to us God revealed them through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God. 11For who among people knows the thoughts of a person except the spirit of the person that is in him? So also the thoughts of God no one knows, except the Spirit of God. 12Now we have not received the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things freely given to us by God. 13We also speak these things, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, [i]combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words.

14But [j]a natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned. 15But the one who is spiritual discerns all things, yet he himself is [k]discerned by no one. 16For WHO HAS KNOWN THE MIND OF THE LORD, THAT HE WILL INSTRUCT HIM? But we have the mind of Christ.