1 Corinthians 2:4

1 Corinthians 2:4 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power:
• New International Version (NIV)My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power,
• New King James Version (NKJV)And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power,
• New Living Translation (NLT)And my message and my preaching were very plain. Rather than using clever and persuasive speeches, I relied only on the power of the Holy Spirit.

Context of 1 Corinthians 2:4

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, and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, 5so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God. 6Yet among the mature we do impart wisdom, although it is not a wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are doomed to pass away.

1 Corinthians 2:4 word by word

καὶ ὁ λόγος μου καὶ τὸ κήρυγμά μου οὐκ ἐν πειθοῖς σοφίας λόγοις ἀλλ᾽ ἐν ἀποδείξει πνεύματος καὶ δυνάμεως,Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Andκαίkai · andG2532
• myἐγώegō · I/weG1473
• speechὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• speechλόγοςlogos · wordG3056
• preachingκήρυγμαkērugma · preachingG2782
• notοὐou · noG3756
• withἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
• enticingπειθόςpeithos · persuasiveG3981
• of man’sἀνθρώπινοςanthrōpinos · humanG442
• wisdomσοφίαsophia · wisdomG4678
• butἀλλάalla · butG235
• demonstrationἀπόδειξιςapodeixis · demonstrationG585
• of the Spiritπνεῦμαpneuma · spirit/breath: spiritG4151
• of powerδύναμιςdunamis · powerG1411

Cross-references for 1 Corinthians 2:4

• Acts 20:27for I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God.
• 1 Corinthians 2:1And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom.
• 1 Corinthians 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.
• Judges 14:15On the fourth day they said to Samson's wife, "Entice your husband to tell us what the riddle is, lest we burn you and your father's house with fire. Have you invited us here to impoverish us?"
• Judges 16:5And the lords of the Philistines came up to her and said to her, "Seduce him, and see where his great strength lies, and by what means we may overpower him, that we may bind him to humble him. And we will each give you 1,100 pieces of silver."
• 2 Samuel 14:17And your servant thought, 'The word of my lord the king will set me at rest,' for my lord the king is like the angel of God to discern good and evil. The Lord your God be with you!"
• 2 Samuel 15:2And Absalom used to rise early and stand beside the way of the gate. And when any man had a dispute to come before the king for judgment, Absalom would call to him and say, "From what city are you?" And when he said, "Your servant is of such and such a tribe in Israel,"
• 1 Kings 22:13And the messenger who went to summon Micaiah said to him, "Behold, the words of the prophets with one accord are favorable to the king. Let your word be like the word of one of them, and speak favorably."
• 2 Chronicles 18:19And the Lord said, 'Who will entice Ahab the king of Israel, that he may go up and fall at Ramoth-gilead?' And one said one thing, and another said another.
• Proverbs 7:21With much seductive speech she persuades him; with her smooth talk she compels him.
• Proverbs 20:19Whoever goes about slandering reveals secrets; therefore do not associate with a simple babbler.
• Jeremiah 20:10For I hear many whispering. Terror is on every side! "Denounce him! Let us denounce him!" say all my close friends, watching for my fall. "Perhaps he will be deceived; then we can overcome him and take our revenge on him."
• Ezekiel 13:6They have seen false visions and lying divinations. They say, 'Declares the Lord,' when the Lord has not sent them, and yet they expect him to fulfill their word.
• 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.
• Colossians 2:4I say this in order that no one may delude you with plausible arguments.
• 2 Peter 1:16For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty.

Commentaries on 1 Corinthians 2:4

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 4And my speech - ̔ , My doctrine; the matter of my preaching. And my preaching - , My proclamation, my manner of recommending the grand but simple truths of the Gospel. Was not with enticing words of man's wisdom - , With persuasive doctrines of human wisdom: in every case I left man out, that God might become the more evident. I used none of the means of which great orators avail themselves in order to become popular, and thereby to gain fame. But in…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 4And my speech - The word “speech” here - if it is to be distinguished from “preaching” - refers, perhaps, to his more private reasonings; his preaching to his public discourses. Not with enticing words - Not with the persuasive reasonings ( ͂ ́ peithois logois) of the wisdom of men. Not with that kind of oratory that was adapted to captivate and charm; and which the Greeks so much esteemed. But in demonstration - In the showing ̓́ apodeixeior in the…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 3-4Human weakness does not stop God's work (2 Corinthians 12:7–10). The true power is not in charismatic preaching, presentation skills, or logical arguments (compare 2 Corinthians 10:10). It is in the message itself, focused on Christ and his death for our sins. It is also in the power of the Holy Spirit, who touches the human heart.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 44. my speech--in private. preaching--in public [Bengel]. Alford explains it, My discourse on doctrines, and my preaching or announcement of facts. enticing--rather, "persuasive." man's wisdom--man's is omitted in the oldest authorities. Still "wisdom" does refer to "man's" wisdom. in demonstration of ... Spirit, &c.--Persuasion is man's means of moving his fellow man. God's means is demonstration, leaving no doubt, and inspiring implicit faith, by the…Read the comment

Topics related to 1 Corinthians 2:4

• Gospel
• Holy Spirit
• Minister, Christian
• Philosophy
• Power
• Preaching
• Reasoning
• Wisdom
• Zeal, Religious

In the dictionaries

• Corinthians, First Epistle to the
• Judge
• Lord
• Luke, Gospel according to
• Mystery
• Spiritually
• Testimony
• Wisdom
• Corinthians, First Epistle to the
• Holy Spirit

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