Tree of Life Version
1 Corinthians 2:1
1When I came to you, brothers and sisters, I did not come with excellence of speech or wisdom, proclaiming to you the mystery of God.
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.
- English Standard Version (ESV)And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom.
- 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.
Context of 1 Corinthians 2:1
When I came to you, brothers and sisters, I did not come with excellence of speech or wisdom, proclaiming to you the mystery of God. 2For I decided not to know about anything among you except Yeshua the Messiah—and Him crucified. 3I was with you in weakness and in fear and in 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 these things, Paul left Athens and went to Corinth.
- 1 Corinthians 2:4My speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power—
- 1 Corinthians 1:17For Messiah sent me not to immerse, but to proclaim the Good News—not with cleverness of speech, so that the cross of Messiah would not be made of no effect.
- Exodus 4:10But Moses said to Adonai, “Adonai, I am not a man of words—not yesterday, nor the day before, nor since You have spoken to Your servant—because I have a slow mouth and a heavy tongue.”
- Jeremiah 1:6Then I said, “Alas, Adonai Elohim! Look, I don’t know how to speak! For I’m still a boy!”
- Romans 16:18For such people do not serve our Lord the Messiah, but only their own belly. By their smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the unsuspecting.
- 2 Corinthians 10:10for they say, “His letters are weighty and strong, but his presence in person is weak and his speech of no account.”
- 2 Corinthians 11:6Even if I am unskilled in speech, yet I am not so in knowledge. No, in every way we have made this clear to you in all things.
- 1 Corinthians 1:6just as the evidence of Messiah was confirmed among you.
- Isaiah 8:20To Torah and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because they have no light.
- Acts 20:21testifying to both Jewish and Greek people repentance to God and trust in our Lord Yeshua.
- Acts 22:18and I saw Him saying to me, ‘Hurry! Get out of Jerusalem quickly, because they will not accept your witness about Me.’
- 2 Thessalonians 1:10on that Day when He comes to be glorified among His kedoshim and marveled at by all who have believed, because our testimony to you was believed.)
- 1 Timothy 1:11in keeping with what was entrusted to me, the glorious Good News of the blessed God.
- 2 Timothy 1:8Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord or of me His prisoner, but share in suffering for the Good News according to the power of God.
- 1 John 4:14We have seen and testify that the Father has sent His Son as 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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