English Standard Version
1 Corinthians 2:1
1And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom.
1 Corinthians 2:1 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God.
- New International Version (NIV)And so it was with me, brothers and sisters. When I came to you, I did not come with eloquence or human wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God.
- New King James Version (NKJV)And I, brethren, when I came to you, did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom declaring to you the testimony of God.
- New Living Translation (NLT)When I first came to you, dear brothers and sisters, I didn’t use lofty words and impressive wisdom to tell you God’s secret plan.
Context of 1 Corinthians 2:1
And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. 2For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. 3And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling,
Read all of 1 Corinthians 21 Corinthians 2:1 word by word
Κἀγὼ ἐλθὼν πρὸς ὑμᾶς, ἀδελφοί, ἦλθον οὐ καθ᾽ ὑπεροχὴν λόγου ἢ σοφίας καταγγέλλων ὑμῖν τὸ μυστήριον τοῦ θεοῦ.Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And Iκἀγώkagō kamoi kame · and IG2504
- brethrenἀδελφόςadelphos · brotherG80
- when I cameἔρχομαιerchomai · to come/goG2064
- toπρόςpros · to/withG4314
- youσύsu · youG4771
- notοὐou · noG3756
- withκατάkata · according toG2596
- excellencyὑπεροχήhuperochē · authorityG5247
- of speechλόγοςlogos · wordG3056
- orἤē · orG2228
- of wisdomσοφίαsophia · wisdomG4678
- declaringκαταγγέλλωkataggellō · to proclaimG2605
- the testimonyὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- the testimonyμαρτύριονmarturion · testimonyG3142
- of Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316
Cross-references for 1 Corinthians 2:1
- Acts 18:1After this Paul left Athens and went to Corinth.
- 1 Corinthians 2:4and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power,
- 1 Corinthians 1:17For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, and not with words of eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.
- Exodus 4:10But Moses said to the Lord, "Oh, my Lord, I am not eloquent, either in the past or since you have spoken to your servant, but I am slow of speech and of tongue."
- Jeremiah 1:6Then I said, "Ah, Lord God! Behold, I do not know how to speak, for I am only a youth."
- Romans 16:18For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites, and by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive.
- 2 Corinthians 10:10For they say, "His letters are weighty and strong, but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech of no account."
- 2 Corinthians 11:6Even if I am unskilled in speaking, I am not so in knowledge; indeed, in every way we have made this plain to you in all things.
- 1 Corinthians 1:6even as the testimony about Christ was confirmed among you—
- Isaiah 8:20To the teaching and to the testimony! If they will not speak according to this word, it is because they have no dawn.
- Acts 20:21testifying both to Jews and to Greeks of repentance toward God and of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.
- Acts 22:18and saw him saying to me, 'Make haste and get out of Jerusalem quickly, because they will not accept your testimony about me.'
- 2 Thessalonians 1:10when he comes on that day to be glorified in his saints, and to be marveled at among all who have believed, because our testimony to you was believed.
- 1 Timothy 1:11in accordance with the gospel of the glory of the blessed God with which I have been entrusted.
- 2 Timothy 1:8Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God,
- 1 John 4:14And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world.
Commentaries on 1 Corinthians 2:1
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 1When I came to you - Acting suitably to my mission, which was to preach the Gospel, but not with human eloquence, 1 Corinthians 1:17. I declared to you the testimony, the Gospel, of God, not with excellency of speech, not with arts of rhetoric, used by your own philosophers, where the excellence of the speech recommends the matter, and compensates for the want of solidity and truth: on the contrary, the testimony concerning Christ and his salvation is so…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 1And I, brethren - Keeping up the tender and affectionate style of address. When I came unto you - When I came at first to preach the gospel at Corinth. Acts 18:1 ff. Came not with excellency of speech - Came not with graceful and attractive eloquence. The apostle here evidently alludes to that nice ant studied choice of language; to those gracefully formed sentences, and to that skill of arrangement in discourse and argument which was so much an object of…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 1The plain manner in which the apostle preached Christ crucified. (1-5) The wisdom contained in this doctrine. (6-9) It cannot be duly known but by the Holy Spirit. (10-16) Verses 1-5 Christ, in his person, and offices, and sufferings, is the sum and substance of the gospel, and ought to be the great subject of a gospel minister's preaching, but not so as to leave out other parts of God's revealed truth and will. Paul preached the whole counsel of God. Few…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1When I came to you: see Acts 18:1–17. with eloquence or wisdom: Human wisdom and philosophy do not bring people to Christ (see 1 Corinthians 1:17, 21; 2:2). The message of the cross has its own power to change the human heart (see 1:17; Romans 1:16; Galatians 6:14). the testimony about God: See study note on 1 Corinthians 2:7.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-161Co 2:1-16. Paul's Subject of Preaching, Christ Crucified, Not in Worldly, but in Heavenly, Wisdom among the Perfect. 1. And I--"So I" [Conybeare] as one of the "foolish, weak, and despised" instruments employed by God (1Co 1:27, 28); "glorying in the Lord," not in man's wisdom (1Co 1:31). Compare 1Co 1:23, "We." when I came--(Ac 18:1, &c.). Paul might, had he pleased, have used an ornate style, having studied secular learning at Tarsus of Cilicia, which…Read the comment
Topics related to 1 Corinthians 2:1
In the dictionaries
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
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