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

14But people who aren’t spiritual can’t receive these truths from God’s Spirit. It all sounds foolish to them and they can’t understand it, for only those who are spiritual can understand what the Spirit means. 15Those who are spiritual can evaluate all things, but they themselves cannot be evaluated by others. For, “Who can know the Lord’s thoughts? Who knows enough to teach him?” But we understand these things, for we have the mind of Christ.

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 15:8Were you listening at God’s secret council? Do you have a monopoly on wisdom?
• Job 22:2“Can a person do anything to help God? Can even a wise person be helpful to him?
• Job 40:2“Do you still want to argue with the Almighty? You are God’s critic, but do you have the answers?”
• Isaiah 40:13Who is able to advise the Spirit of the Lord? Who knows enough to give him advice or teach him?
• Jeremiah 23:18“Have any of these prophets been in the Lord’s presence to hear what he is really saying? Has even one of them cared enough to listen?
• Romans 11:34For who can know the Lord’s thoughts? Who knows enough to give him advice?
• John 15:15I no longer call you slaves, because a master doesn’t confide in his slaves. Now you are my friends, since I have told you everything the Father told me.
• John 16:13When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future.
• John 17:6“I have revealed you to the ones you gave me from this world. They were always yours. You gave them to me, and they have kept your word.
• Genesis 1:12The land produced vegetation—all sorts of seed-bearing plants, and trees with seed-bearing fruit. Their seeds produced plants and trees of the same kind. And God saw that it was good.
• Ephesians 3:3As I briefly wrote earlier, God himself revealed his mysterious plan to me.

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