1 Corinthians 2:16

1 Corinthians 2:16 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.
• New International Version (NIV)for, “Who has known the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ.
• English Standard Version (ESV)"For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?" But we have the mind of Christ.
• New King James Version (NKJV)For “who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct Him?” But we have the mind of Christ.

Context of 1 Corinthians 2:16

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. 15But we have God's Spirit with us. So we can understand the true value of all things. But other people cannot truly understand us, who belong to God. As it says in the Bible: ‘Nobody can know what the Lord God is thinking. Nobody can tell him what he should do.’ But we think about these things in the same way that Christ thinks.

1 Corinthians 2:16 word by word

τίς γὰρ ἔγνω νοῦν κυρίου, ὃς συμβιβάσει αὐτόν; ἡμεῖς δὲ νοῦν Χριστοῦ ἔχομεν.¶Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Forγάρgar · forG1063
• whoτίςtis · which?G5101
• hath knownγινώσκωginōskō · to knowG1097
• the mindνοῦςnous · mindG3563
• of the Lordκύριοςkurios · lord: GodG2962
• thatὅςhos hē ho · whichG3739
• he may instructσυμβιβάζωsumbibazō · to join withG4822
• himαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• Butδέde · thenG1161
• weἐγώegō · I/weG1473
• haveἔχωechō · to have/beG2192
• of ChristΧριστόςChristos · ChristG5547

Cross-references for 1 Corinthians 2:16

• Job 15:8You do not know God's secret plans. You are not the only wise person in the world.
• Job 22:2‘Nothing that a man can do will help God. Even a wise man cannot help God.
• Job 40:2‘Do you still want to argue with me, the Almighty God? You say that I have not been fair. Now you must explain what you mean.’
• Isaiah 40:13Nobody understands the mind of the Lord. Nobody can be his advisor, to tell him what he should do.
• Jeremiah 23:18But none of those prophets has met with the Lord. They have not seen him and they have not heard his voice. So none of them has ever listened to him to know what he is saying.
• Romans 11:34The Bible says this: ‘Nobody knows the thoughts of the Lord God. Nobody is able to tell him what he should do.’
• John 15:15A servant does not know what his master is doing. So I do not call you servants any more. No, I call you my friends. This is because I have told you everything that I have heard from my Father.
• John 16:13But the Spirit will come. He is the one who shows people true things about God. When he comes, he will be a guide to you. He will help you to understand everything that is true. He will not speak on his own authority. He will tell you only what he hears from the Father. He will tell you about things that will happen after this time.
• John 17:6‘You gave some people to me who were from this world. I have shown them who you are. They were yours and you gave them to me. They have obeyed your message.
• Genesis 1:12All kinds of plants and trees began to grow in the ground. The plants made seeds. The trees made fruits with seeds in them. Each plant made its own kind of seeds. God looked at what he had made. He saw that it was good.
• Ephesians 3:3God has clearly shown to me his true purpose. That was a secret before, but God has helped me to know it. I have written a few words about this already.

Commentaries on 1 Corinthians 2:16

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 16For who hath known the mind of the Lord - Who that is still an animal man can know the mind of God? so as to instruct him, viz. the spiritual man, the same that is spoken of, 1 Corinthians 2:15. But the words may be better understood thus: How can the animal man know the mind of the Lord? and how can any man communicate that knowledge which he has never acquired, and which is foolishness to him, because it is spiritual, and he is animal? This quotation is…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 16For who hath known … - This passage is quoted from Isaiah 40:13. The interrogative form is a strong mode of denying that anyone has ever known the mind of the Lord. The argument of Paul is this, “No one can understand God. No one can fully comprehend his plans, his feelings, his views, his designs. No one by nature, under the influence of sense and passion, is either disposed to investigate his truths, or loves them when they are revealed. But the…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. 16This quote from Isaiah 40:13 illustrates how divine wisdom goes beyond human understanding (see also Romans 11:34). But we have the mind of Christ: Connected to Christ, believers receive the Spirit of Christ, which reveals Christ’s thoughts to them.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1616. For--proof of 1Co 2:15, that the spiritual man "is judged of no man." In order to judge the spiritual man, the ordinary man must "know the mind of the Lord." But "who of ordinary men knows" that? that he may instruct him--that is, so as to be able to set Him right as His counsellor (quoted from Is 40:13, 14). So the Septuagint translates the Greek verb, which means to "prove," in Ac 9:22. Natural men who judge spiritual men, living according to the…Read the comment

Topics related to 1 Corinthians 2:16

• God Continued...
• Quotations and Allusions
• Regeneration
• Wisdom

In the dictionaries

• Christ
• Christ, Messiah
• Apostle
• Corinthians, First Epistle to the
• Judge
• Lord
• Mystery
• Spiritually
• Testimony
• Wisdom

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