1 Corinthians 2:5
in 1 Corinthians 2so that your faith would not rest on men’s wisdom, but on God’s power.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
that your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.
KJV
That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.
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This verse in 1 Corinthians 2
Commentary
13 notes on this verseLet no man therefore glory on account of pre-eminence in human thought. For it is written well in Jeremiah, "Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, and let not the mighty man glory in his might, and let not the rich man glory in his riches: but let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth that I am the Lord, that executeth mercy and judgment and righteousness upon the earth: for in these things is my delight, saith the Lord."
This site's exposition
I came to you in weakness and fear
on 1 Corinthians 2:3-5
Paul came to Corinth in weakness and fear, and with much trembling, probably after a hard reception at Athens. His preaching came with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that faith would rest on God’s power.
This site's exposition
rest on men’s wisdom
Here Paul gives the purpose behind his plain preaching. Chrysostom counts the gain of this seeming ignorance: the wisdom of the world empties the cross, while plain preaching displays the power of God. Clement of Alexandria adds that God's power saves by faith without human proofs.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
"That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God." Seest thou how clearly in every way he hath set forth the vast gain of this "ignorance," and the great loss of this "wisdom?" For the latter made void the Cross, but the former proclaimed the power of God: the latter, besides their failing to discover any of those things which they most needed, set them also upon boasting of themselves; the former, besides their receiving the truth, led them also to pride themselves in God. Again, wisdom would have persuaded many to suspect that the doctrine was of man: this clearly demonstrated it to be divine, and to have come down from heaven. Now when demonstration is made by wisdom of words, even the worse oftentimes overcome the better, having more skill in words; and falsehood outstrips the truth. But in this case it is not so: for neither doth the Spirit enter into an unclean soul, nor, having entered in, can it ever be subdued; even though all possible cleverness of speech assail it. For the demonstration by works and signs is far more evident than that by words.
Wherefore also the apostle exhorts, "that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men," who profess to persuade, "but in the power of God," which alone without proofs, by mere faith, is able to save.
The Medieval Church2 voices
By human wisdom he means persuasiveness and eloquence, while by the power of God, as shown above, he means the strengthening of the weak and the persecuted, as well as the manifestation of signs. It was by these means, O Corinthians, that your faith was …
Thirdly, he assigns the reason for this when he says: that your faith might not rest on the wisdom of men, i.e., not rest on human wisdom which frequently deceives men: "Your wisdom and your knowledge led you astray" (Is 47:10), but on the power …
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
That your faith should not stand,.... "Or be in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God".
5 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
But, when nothing but Christ crucified was plainly preached, the success must be founded, not on human wisdom, but divine evidence and operation. The gospel was so preached that God might appear and be glorified in all. Discoveries of the Gospel;
Shows them that he had communicated to them a treasure of the truest and highest wisdom, such as exceeded all the attainments of learned men, such as could never have entered into the heart of man if it had not been revealed, nor can be received and improved to salvation but by the light and influence of that Spirit who revealed it,
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
That your faith - That is, that your belief of the divine origin of the Christian religion. Should not stand - Greek, “should not be;” that is, should not rest upon this; or be sustained by this. God intended to furnish you a firm and solid demonstration that the religion which you embraced was from Him; and this could not be if its preaching had been attended with the graces of eloquence, or the abstractions of refined metaphysical reasoning. It would then appear to rest upon human wisdom.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
For "wisdom" here denotes not the whole of Christian doctrine, but its sublimer and deeper principles. perfect--Those matured in Christian experience and knowledge alone can understand the true superiority of the Christian wisdom which Paul preached.
That your faith should not stand - That the illumination of your souls and your conversion to God might appear to have nothing human in it: your belief, therefore, of the truths which have been proposed to you is founded, not in human wisdom, but in Divine power: human wisdom was not employed; and human power, if it had been employed, could not have produced the change.
The words behind it
13 Greek wordsEvery Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Greek | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ἵνα | ina | so that | G2443 → | 668 times |
| ἡ | he | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| πίστις | pistis | faith | G4102 → | 242 times |
| ὑμῶν | humon | of you | G4771 → | 2973 times |
| μὴ | me | not | G3361 → | 1066 times |
| ᾖ | e | may be | G1510 → | 2333 times |
| ἐν | en | in | G1722 → | 2738 times |
| σοφίᾳ | sophia | wisdom | G4678 → | 51 times |
| ἀνθρώπων | anthropon | of men | G444 → | 549 times |
| ἀλλ᾽ | all᾽ | but | G235 → | 635 times |
| ἐν | en | in | G1722 → | 2738 times |
| δυνάμει | dunamei | power | G1411 → | 119 times |
| θεοῦ.¶ | theou | of God. | G2316 → | 1312 times |
ἵναso that
inaG2443 →668 times
ἡthe
heG3588 →19766 times
πίστιςfaith
pistisG4102 →242 times
ὑμῶνof you
humonG4771 →2973 times
μὴnot
meG3361 →1066 times
ᾖmay be
eG1510 →2333 times
ἐνin
enG1722 →2738 times
σοφίᾳwisdom
sophiaG4678 →51 times
ἀνθρώπωνof men
anthroponG444 →549 times
ἀλλ᾽but
all᾽G235 →635 times
ἐνin
enG1722 →2738 times
δυνάμειpower
dunameiG1411 →119 times
θεοῦ.¶of God.
theouG2316 →1312 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
2 Corinthians 12:9But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is perfected in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly in my weaknesses, so that the power of…
it leads to
- Philippians 4:13
I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.
- 2 Corinthians 12:10
That is why, for the sake of Christ, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
- Isaiah 40:29–31
He gives power to the faint and increases the strength of the weak.
- Ephesians 3:16
I ask that out of the riches of His glory He may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being,
- Joshua 1:9
Have I not commanded you to be strong and courageous? Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”
- Philippians 4:13
Through
2 Corinthians 4:7Now we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this surpassingly great power is from God and not from us.
it leads to
- 2 Corinthians 3:5–6
Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim that anything comes from us, but our competence comes from God.
- 2 Corinthians 5:1
Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is dismantled, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands.
- Ephesians 2:8–9
For it is by grace you have been saved through faith, and this not from yourselves; it is the gift of God,
- 2 Corinthians 3:5–6
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About 1 Corinthians
This page draws on 12 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the First Epistle to the Corinthians; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Clement of Alexandria, The Stromata Book 1; Clement of Alexandria, The Stromata Book 5; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Chrysostom, Homilies on First Corinthians; John Chrysostom, Homily on 1 Corinthians 6; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on 1 Corinthians and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on 1 Corinthians.