1 Corinthians 2:5

1 Corinthians 2:5 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.
• New International Version (NIV)so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God’s power.
• English Standard Version (ESV)so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.
• New King James Version (NKJV)that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.

Context of 1 Corinthians 2:5

3I came to you in [a state of] weakness and fear and great trembling. 4And 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], so that your faith would not rest on the wisdom and rhetoric of men, but on the power of God. 6Yet we do speak wisdom among those spiritually mature [believers who have teachable hearts and a greater understanding]; but [it is a higher] wisdom not [the wisdom] of this present age nor of the rulers and leaders of this age, who are passing away; 7but we speak God’s wisdom in a mystery, the wisdom once hidden [from man, but now revealed to us by God, that wisdom] which God predestined before the ages to our glory [to lift us into the glory of His presence].

1 Corinthians 2:5 word by word

ἵνα ἡ πίστις ὑμῶν μὴ ᾖ ἐν σοφίᾳ ἀνθρώπων ἀλλ᾽ ἐν δυνάμει θεοῦ.¶Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Thatἵναhina · in order that/toG2443
• yourσύsu · youG4771
• faithὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• faithπίστιςpistis · faithG4102
• should notμήmē · notG3361
• standεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
• inἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
• the wisdomσοφίαsophia · wisdomG4678
• of menἄνθρωποςanthrōpos · a humanG444
• butἀλλάalla · butG235
• the powerδύναμιςdunamis · powerG1411
• of Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316

Cross-references for 1 Corinthians 2:5

• 1 Corinthians 1:17For Christ did not send me [as an apostle] to baptize, but [commissioned and empowered me] to preach the good news [of salvation]—not with clever and eloquent speech [as an orator], so that the cross of Christ would not be made ineffective [deprived of its saving power].
• 1 Corinthians 3:6I planted, Apollos watered, but God [all the while] was causing the growth.
• Acts 16:14A woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a dealer in purple fabrics who was [already] a worshiper of God, listened to us; and the Lord opened her heart to pay attention and to respond to the things said by Paul.
• 2 Corinthians 4:7But we have this precious treasure [the good news about salvation] in [unworthy] earthen vessels [of human frailty], so that the grandeur and surpassing greatness of the power will be [shown to be] from God [His sufficiency] and not from ourselves.
• 2 Corinthians 6:7in [speaking] the word of truth, in the power of God; by the weapons of righteousness for the right hand [like holding the sword to attack] and for the left [like holding the shield to defend],

Commentaries on 1 Corinthians 2:5

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 5That your faith should not stand - That the illumination of your souls and your conversion to God might appear to have nothing human in it: your belief, therefore, of the truths which have been proposed to you is founded, not in human wisdom, but in Divine power: human wisdom was not employed; and human power, if it had been employed, could not have produced the change.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 5That your faith - That is, that your belief of the divine origin of the Christian religion. Should not stand - Greek, “should not be;” that is, should not rest upon this; or be sustained by this. God intended to furnish you a firm and solid demonstration that the religion which you embraced was from Him; and this could not be if its preaching had been attended with the graces of eloquence, or the abstractions of refined metaphysical reasoning. It would…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-5God's control made Paul's preaching successful. Paul did not depend on his intelligence or personality for evangelism. Instead, he relied on the Holy Spirit's power (see also study note on 1 Corinthians 1:18–31).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 55. stand in ... wisdom of men--rest on it, owe its origin and continuance to it.Read the comment

Topics related to 1 Corinthians 2:5

• Faith
• Gospel
• Philosophy
• Power
• Preaching
• Reasoning
• Wisdom

In the dictionaries

• God
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Corinthians, First Epistle to the
• Judge
• Lord
• Mystery
• Spiritually
• Testimony
• Wisdom
• Corinthians, First Epistle to the

Commentaries on 1 Corinthians 2

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Illustrated New Testament
• Burkitt’s Expository Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Family Bible Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• The People’s New Testament
• Robertson’s Word Pictures
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings