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:
• English Standard Version (ESV)and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of 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 resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. 3I came to you in weakness with great fear and trembling. My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, 5so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God’s power. 6We 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.

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 have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will of God.
• 1 Corinthians 2:1And 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.
• 1 Corinthians 1:17For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel—not with wisdom and eloquence, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.
• Judges 14:15On the fourth day, they said to Samson’s wife, “Coax your husband into explaining the riddle for us, or we will burn you and your father’s household to death. Did you invite us here to steal our property?”
• Judges 16:5The rulers of the Philistines went to her and said, “See if you can lure him into showing you the secret of his great strength and how we can overpower him so we may tie him up and subdue him. Each one of us will give you eleven hundred shekels of silver.”
• 2 Samuel 14:17“And now your servant says, ‘May the word of my lord the king secure my inheritance, for my lord the king is like an angel of God in discerning good and evil. May the Lord your God be with you.’ ”
• 2 Samuel 15:2He would get up early and stand by the side of the road leading to the city gate. Whenever anyone came with a complaint to be placed before the king for a decision, Absalom would call out to him, “What town are you from?” He would answer, “Your servant is from one of the tribes of Israel.”
• 1 Kings 22:13The messenger who had gone to summon Micaiah said to him, “Look, the other prophets without exception are predicting success for the king. Let your word agree with theirs, and speak favorably.”
• 2 Chronicles 18:19And the Lord said, ‘Who will entice Ahab king of Israel into attacking Ramoth Gilead and going to his death there?’ “One suggested this, and another that.
• Proverbs 7:21With persuasive words she led him astray; she seduced him with her smooth talk.
• Proverbs 20:19A gossip betrays a confidence; so avoid anyone who talks too much.
• Jeremiah 20:10I hear many whispering, “Terror on every side! Denounce him! Let’s denounce him!” All my friends are waiting for me to slip, saying, “Perhaps he will be deceived; then we will prevail over him and take our revenge on him.”
• Ezekiel 13:6Their visions are false and their divinations a lie. Even though the Lord has not sent them, they say, “The Lord declares,” and expect him to fulfill their words.
• Romans 16:18For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the minds of naive people.
• Colossians 2:4I tell you this so that no one may deceive you by fine-sounding arguments.
• 2 Peter 1:16For we did not follow cleverly devised stories when we told you about the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ in power, 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