1 Corinthians 2:12

1 Corinthians 2:12 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.
• New International Version (NIV)What we have received is not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God.

Context of 1 Corinthians 2:12

10But God has sent his Spirit to show these secrets to us. God's Spirit looks carefully into everything. He even knows God's secret thoughts. 11Only a person's own spirit can know everything that is in his thoughts. And it is the same with God. Only God's Spirit knows everything that is in God's thoughts. We have received God's own Spirit, not a spirit that belongs to this world. As a result, we can understand all the good things that God has given to us. 13Those are the things that we speak about. We do not use clever words to speak about human ideas. Instead, we speak the message that God's Spirit has taught us. In that way, we explain a spiritual message to people who have God's Spirit. 14If someone does not believe in God, they cannot accept the message that comes from God's Spirit. They think that God's message is silly. They cannot even understand those things. Only God's Spirit can explain them to people.

1 Corinthians 2:12 word by word

ἡμεῖς δὲ οὐ τὸ πνεῦμα τοῦ κόσμου ἐλάβομεν ἀλλὰ τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἐκ τοῦ θεοῦ, ἵνα εἰδῶμεν τὰ ὑπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ χαρισθέντα ἡμῖν·Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Nowδέde · thenG1161
• weἐγώegō · I/weG1473
• have receivedλαμβάνωlambanō · to takeG2983
• notοὐou · noG3756
• the spiritὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• the spiritπνεῦμαpneuma · spirit/breath: spiritG4151
• of the worldκόσμοςkosmos · worldG2889
• butἀλλάalla · butG235
• ofἐκek ex · out fromG1537
• Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316
• thatἵναhina · in order that/toG2443
• we might knowεἴδωeidō · to perceive: understandG1492
• are freely givenχαρίζωcharizomai · to give graceG5483
• ofὑπόhupo · by/under: byG5259

Cross-references for 1 Corinthians 2:12

• 1 Corinthians 2:6But we do speak about wise thoughts to those of you who know Christ very well. But those wise thoughts do not belong to this world. They are not the ideas that the rulers of this world think are important. Those rulers will not be powerful for long.
• Romans 8:1Now we know this: God has forgiven those people who are united with Christ Jesus. God will never say that they are guilty.
• 2 Corinthians 4:4Those people do not accept God's good news. The god of this world has confused their minds. They cannot see the light that the good news brings. That message teaches about the great power of Christ, who shows us exactly what God is like.
• Ephesians 2:2You lived in a bad way, like the people who belong to this world. You were obeying Satan, who rules the powerful spirits in the air. Those spirits are working now in everyone who refuses to obey God.
• James 4:5The Bible says, ‘God has caused his Spirit to live in us. He wants very much to keep us for himself.’ Do you think that is not true?
• 1 John 4:4My little children, you belong to God. You have won against those people with a false message. You have been able to do that because God's Holy Spirit is in you. He is more powerful than the spirit that belongs to this world.
• 1 John 5:19We know that we belong to God. We know that Satan rules all the people who belong to this world.
• Revelation 12:9Michael and his angels threw the great dragon out of heaven. The dragon is called the Devil or Satan. He is the snake who has been there since long ago. He tells lies to deceive the whole world. They threw him down to the earth, together with all his angels.
• Romans 8:15The Spirit that you have received from God does not make you serve him like slaves. That would make you afraid again. No. The Spirit that God has given to you causes you to become God's children. Now he takes care of you. God's Spirit makes us call God: ‘Abba, our Father.’
• 1 Corinthians 3:22Do not be proud of Paul, Apollos or Peter. We belong to you. All of this world, and life and death belong to you. The things of today and tomorrow belong to you. Everything belongs to you,
• John 16:14He will take my message and he will tell it to you. In that way, he will give me honour.
• Romans 8:32God did not even keep his own Son safe. Instead, he gave his Son to die on behalf of all of us. So certainly, God will continue to be kind to us. As well as his Son, he will give to us all things that we need.
• 1 John 2:20But Christ, the Holy One, has given you the Holy Spirit. As a result, you all know what is true.
• 1 John 5:20We also know that the Son of God has come into the world. He has helped us to understand what is true. As a result, we know the only true God. We live together with this true God, because we belong to his Son, Jesus Christ. He is the true God. He is the one who gives us life with God for ever.
• Revelation 22:6Then the angel said to me, ‘All these words are true and everyone should believe them. The Lord God uses his prophets to speak his messages. He has sent his angel to speak to his servants. The angel will now show them what must happen soon.’

Commentaries on 1 Corinthians 2:12

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 12Now we have received, not the spirit of the world - We, who are the genuine apostles of Christ, have received this Spirit of God, by which we know the deep things of God; and, through the teaching of that Spirit, we preach Christ crucified. We have not therefore received the spirit of the world - of the Jewish teachers, who are all looking for a worldly kingdom and a worldly Messiah, and interpret all the scriptures of the Old Testament which relate to…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 12Now we have received - We who are Christians; and especially we, the apostles. The following verse shows that he had himself and the other apostles chiefly in view; though it is true of all Christians that they have received, not the spirit of this world, but the spirit which is of God. Not the spirit of this world - Not the wisdom and knowledge which this world can give - not the learning and philosophy which were so much valued in Greece. The views of…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 10-16Verses 10-16 God has revealed true wisdom to us by his Spirit. Here is a proof of the Divine authority of the Holy Scriptures, 2Pe 1:21. In proof of the Divinity of the Holy Ghost, observe, that he knows all things, and he searches all things, even the deep things of God. No one can know the things of God, but his Holy Spirit, who is one with the Father and the Son, and who makes known Divine mysteries to his church. This is most clear testimony, both to…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 10-12God has revealed it to us: Those who believe in Christ and have received his Spirit (see 1 Corinthians 6:19; 12:13; Galatians 3:2; Ephesians 1:13; Titus 3:5) are different from the rulers of this world (1 Corinthians 2:8). We cannot understand God's deep secrets through worldly wisdom or philosophy. Only God's Spirit can reveal God's thoughts to his people (see 1 John 2:20, 27; compare Matthew 11:25–27). God has kindly given his Spirit to his people so…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1212. we ... received, not ... spirit of ... world--the personal evil "spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience" (Ep 2:2). This spirit is natural in the unregenerate, and needs not to be received. Spirit which is of God--that is, which comes from God. We have received it only by the gift of God, whose Spirit it is, whereas our own spirit is the spirit that is in us men (1Co 2:11). that we might know ... things ... freely given ... of…Read the comment

Topics related to 1 Corinthians 2:12

• Holy Spirit
• Preaching
• Reasoning
• Regeneration
• Righteous
• Wisdom
• Word of God

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