Paul’s Message by the Spirit’s Power 1 ULT And I, brothers, having come to you, did not come with superiority of speech or of wisdom, proclaiming to you the mystery of God. BSB BSB: When I came to you, brothers, I did not come with eloquence or wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God.
2 ULT For I decided not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ, and him crucified. BSB BSB: For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.
3 ULT And I was with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling. BSB BSB: I came to you in weakness and fear, and with much trembling.
4 ULT And my word and my proclamation{ were} not with persuasive words of wisdom, but with a demonstration of the Spirit and of power, BSB BSB: My message and my preaching were not with persuasive words of wisdom, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power,
5 ULT so that your faith might not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God. BSB BSB: so that your faith would not rest on men’s wisdom, but on God’s power.
Spiritual Wisdom (Ephesians 1:15–23)
6 ULT Now we speak wisdom among the mature, but not wisdom of this age nor of the rulers of this age, the ones passing away. BSB BSB: Among the mature, however, we speak a message of wisdom—but not the wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing.
7 ULT Instead, we speak the wisdom of God that has been hidden in a mystery that God predestined before the ages for our glory, BSB BSB: No, we speak of the mysterious and hidden wisdom of God, which He destined for our glory before time began.
8 ULT which none of the rulers of this age understood, for if they had understood{ it}, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. BSB BSB: None of the rulers of this age understood it. For if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.
9 ULT But just as it is written,“What eye has not seen, and ear has not heard, and has not arisen in the heart of man, these things God has prepared for the one loving him.” BSB BSB: Rather, as it is written: “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no heart has imagined, what God has prepared for those who love Him.”
10 ULT For God revealed them to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the deep things of God. BSB BSB: But God has revealed it to us by the Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God.
11 ULT For who among men knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man{ that is} within him? So also, no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. BSB BSB: For who among men knows the thoughts of man except his own spirit within him? So too, no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God.
12 ULT But we did not receive the spirit of the world, but the Spirit from God, so that we might know the things freely given to us by God. BSB BSB: We have not received the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us.
13 ULT And we speak these things not in words taught by human wisdom but in those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual things with spiritual words. BSB BSB: And this is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom, but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words.
14 ULT But the natural person does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he is not able to understand them, because they are spiritually discerned. BSB BSB: The natural man does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God. For they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.
15 ULT But the spiritual one discerns all things, but he himself is discerned by no one. BSB BSB: The spiritual man judges all things, but he himself is not subject to anyone’s judgment.
16 ULT “For who has known the mind of the Lord— who will instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ. BSB BSB: “For who has known the mind of the Lord, so as to instruct Him?” But we have the mind of Christ.
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.