God’s Word Translation
1 Corinthians 2:6
6However, we do use wisdom to speak to those who are mature. It is a wisdom that doesn’t belong to this world or to the rulers of this world who are in power today and gone tomorrow.
1 Corinthians 2:6 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought:
- New International Version (NIV)We do, however, speak a message of wisdom among the mature, but not the wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing.
- English Standard Version (ESV)Yet 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.
- New King James Version (NKJV)However, we speak wisdom among those who are mature, yet not the wisdom of this age, nor of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing.
Context of 1 Corinthians 2:6
4I didn’t speak my message with persuasive intellectual arguments. I spoke my message with a show of spiritual power 5so that your faith would not be based on human wisdom but on God’s power. However, we do use wisdom to speak to those who are mature. It is a wisdom that doesn’t belong to this world or to the rulers of this world who are in power today and gone tomorrow. 7We speak about the mystery of God’s wisdom. It is a wisdom that has been hidden, which God had planned for our glory before the world began. 8Not one of the rulers of this world has known it. If they had, they wouldn’t have crucified the Lord of glory.
Read all of 1 Corinthians 21 Corinthians 2:6 word by word
Σοφίαν δὲ λαλοῦμεν ἐν τοῖς τελείοις, σοφίαν δὲ οὐ τοῦ αἰῶνος τούτου οὐδὲ τῶν ἀρχόντων τοῦ αἰῶνος τούτου τῶν καταργουμένων·Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Howbeitδέde · thenG1161
- we speakλαλέωlaleō · to speakG2980
- wisdomσοφίαsophia · wisdomG4678
- amongἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
- themὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- that are perfectτέλειοςteleios · perfectG5046
- notοὐou · noG3756
- of thisοὗτοςhoutos houtoi hautē hautai · this/he/she/itG3778
- worldαἰώνaiōn · an age: ageG165
- norοὐδέoude · norG3761
- of the princesἄρχωνarchōn · rulerG758
- come to noughtκαταργέωkatargeō · to abateG2673
Cross-references for 1 Corinthians 2:6
- 1 Corinthians 14:20Brothers and sisters, don’t think like children. When it comes to evil, be like babies, but think like mature people.
- Job 1:1A man named Job lived in Uz. He was a man of integrity: He was decent, he feared God, and he stayed away from evil.
- Psalms 37:37Notice the innocent person, and look at the decent person, because the peacemaker has a future.
- Matthew 5:48That is why you must be perfect as your Father in heaven is perfect.
- Matthew 19:21Jesus said to him, “If you want to be perfect, sell what you own. Give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then follow me!”
- 2 Corinthians 13:11With that, brothers and sisters, I must say goodbye. Make sure that you improve. Accept my encouragement. Share the same attitude and live in peace. The God of love and peace will be with you.
- Ephesians 4:11He also gave apostles, prophets, missionaries, as well as pastors and teachers as gifts ⌞to his church⌟.
- Philippians 3:12It’s not that I’ve already reached the goal or have already completed the course. But I run to win that which Jesus Christ has already won for me.
- Colossians 4:12Epaphras, a servant of Christ Jesus from your city, greets you. He always prays intensely for you. He prays that you will continue to be mature and completely convinced of everything that God wants.
- Hebrews 5:14However, solid food is for mature people, whose minds are trained by practice to know the difference between good and evil.
- James 3:2All of us make a lot of mistakes. If someone doesn’t make any mistakes when he speaks, he would be perfect. He would be able to control everything he does.
- 1 Peter 5:10God, who shows you his kindness and who has called you through Christ Jesus to his eternal glory, will restore you, strengthen you, make you strong, and support you as you suffer for a little while.
- 1 Corinthians 2:1Brothers and sisters, when I came to you, I didn’t speak about God’s mystery as if it were some kind of brilliant message or wisdom.
- 1 Corinthians 1:18The message about the cross is nonsense to those who are being destroyed, but it is God’s power to us who are being saved.
- Luke 16:8“The master praised the dishonest manager for being so clever. Worldly people are more clever than spiritually-minded people when it comes to dealing with others.”
- 2 Corinthians 1:12We are proud that our conscience is clear. We are proud of the way that we have lived in this world. We have lived with a God-given holiness and sincerity, especially toward you. It was not by human wisdom that we have lived but by God’s kindness.
Commentaries on 1 Corinthians 2:6
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 6We speak wisdom among them that are perfect - By the , among those that are perfect, we are to understand Christians of the highest knowledge and attainments- those who were fully instructed in the knowledge of God through Christ Jesus. Nothing, in the judgment of St. Paul, deserved the name of wisdom but this. And though he apologizes for his not coming to them with excellency of speech or wisdom, yet he means what was reputed wisdom among the Greeks…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 6How be it - But deThis commences the “second” head or argument in this chapter, in which Paul shows that if human wisdom is missing in his preaching, it is not devoid of true, and solid, and even divine wisdom - Bloomfield. We speak wisdom - We do not admit that we utter foolishness. We have spoken of the foolishness of preaching 1 Corinthians 1:21; and of the estimate in which it was held by the world 1 Corinthians 1:22-28; and of our own manner among…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 6-9Verses 6-9 Those who receive the doctrine of Christ as Divine, and, having been enlightened by the Holy Spirit, have looked well into it, see not only the plain history of Christ, and him crucified, but the deep and admirable designs of Divine wisdom therein. It is the mystery made manifest to the saints, Col 1:26, though formerly hid from the heathen world; it was only shown in dark types and distant prophecies, but now is revealed and made known by the…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 6Among the mature: Only those who are spiritually mature will recognize God's wisdom. Many Corinthians could not recognize it (see 1 Corinthians 3:1–3). the rulers of this age: The rulers of this world (see also 2:8) are soon forgotten because Christ now rules. His enemies were defeated by his death on the cross (see 15:24–25; Colossians 2:15).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 6-76-7. Yet the Gospel preaching, so far from being at variance with true "wisdom," is a wisdom infinitely higher than that of the wise of the world. we speak--resuming "we" (preachers, I, Apollos, &c.) from "we preach" (1Co 1:28), only that here, "we speak" refers to something less public (compare 1Co 2:7, 13, "mystery ... hidden") than "we preach," which is public. For "wisdom" here denotes not the whole of Christian doctrine, but its sublimer and deeper…Read the comment
Topics related to 1 Corinthians 2:6
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
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
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