1 Corinthians 2:6

Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought:

King James Version · Read in your translation · Open the Explore console

Word by word — the Greek

Word	Greek	Strong’s	Meaning
Howbeit	δὲ de	G1161	but · conjunction
speak	λαλοῦμεν laloumen	G2980	to talk · verb — present active indicative, 1st person plural
wisdom	Σοφίαν Sophian	G4678	wisdom (higher or lower · noun — accusative singular feminine
among	ἐν en	G1722	"in · preposition
them	τοῖς tois	G3588	the (sometimes to be supplied · article — dative plural masculine
perfect	τελείοις, teleiois	G5046	complete (in various applications of labor · adjective — dative plural masculine
yet	δὲ de	G1161	but · conjunction
not	οὐ ou	G3756	the absolute negative (compare G3361 (μή)) adverb · particle — negative
wisdom	σοφίαν sophian	G4678	wisdom (higher or lower · noun — accusative singular feminine
this	τούτου toútou	G5127	of (from or concerning) this (person or thing)
world	αἰῶνος aiōnos	G165	properly · noun — genitive singular masculine
nor	οὐδὲ oude	G3761	not however · conjunction — negative
princes	ἀρχόντων archontōn	G758	a first (in rank or power) · noun — genitive plural masculine
this	τούτου toútou	G5127	of (from or concerning) this (person or thing)
world	αἰῶνος aiōnos	G165	properly · noun — genitive singular masculine
that	τοῦ tou	G3588	the (sometimes to be supplied · article — genitive singular masculine
nought	καταργουμένων· katargoumenōn	G2673	to be (render) entirely idle (useless) · verb — present passive participle, genitive plural masculine

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (James Strong, 1890/1894), public domain; digitized by Open Scriptures (CC BY-SA). KJV word tagging: eBible.org (public domain). Original-language text, parsing and brief lexicon: STEPBible.org data from Tyndale House, Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).

Cross-references

Hebrews 5:14 But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and…
James 3:15 This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish.
1 Corinthians 2:8 Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.
2 Corinthians 4:4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the…
Matthew 5:48 Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.
1 Corinthians 1:18-20 For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.
1 Corinthians 1:28 And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that…
Ephesians 4:11-13 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;

Cross-references from OpenBible.info (CC BY), in the lineage of the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain).

Commentary

Matthew Henry on 1 Corinthians 2:6–end

In this part of the chapter the apostle shows them that though he had not come to them with the excellency of human wisdom, with any of the boasted knowledge and literature of the Jews or Greeks, yet he had communicated to them a treasure of the truest and the highest wisdom: We speak wisdom among those who are perfect (Co1 2:6), among those who are well instructed in Christianity, and come to some maturity in the things of God. Those that receive the doctrine as divine, and, having been illuminated by the Holy Spirit, have looked well into it, discover true wisdom in it. They not only understand the plain history of Christ, and him crucified, but discern the deep and admirable designs of th…

Read the whole note in the console

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on 1 Corinthians 2:6

Yet the Gospel preaching, so far from being at variance with true "wisdom," is a wisdom infinitely higher than that of the wise of the world. we speak--resuming "we" (preachers, I, Apollos, &c.) from "we preach" (Co1 1:28), only that here, "we speak" refers to something less public (compare Co1 2:7, Co1 2:13, "mystery . . . hidden") than "we preach," which is public. 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. Distinguished not only from worldly and natural men, but also from babes, w…

Read the whole note in the console

Adam Clarke on 1 Corinthians 2:6

We speak wisdom among them that are perfect - By the εν τοις τελειοις, among those that are perfect, we are to understand Christians of the highest knowledge and attainments- those who were fully instructed in the knowledge of God through Christ Jesus. Nothing, in the judgment of St. Paul, deserved the name of wisdom but this. And though he apologizes for his not coming to them with excellency of speech or wisdom, yet he means what was reputed wisdom among the Greeks, and which, in the sight of God, was mere folly when compared with that wisdom that came from above. Dr. Lightfoot thinks that the apostle mentions a fourfold wisdom. 1. Heathen wisdom, or that of the Gentile philosophers, Co1 1…

The Church Fathers

When Paul talks about the wisdom of the rulers of this world he seems to be talking not about one wisdom common to them all but about different kinds of wisdom which are peculiar to each.
— Origen of Alexandria, ON FIRST PRINCIPLES 3.3.1

The mature are those who preach the cross as wisdom because of the witness of Christ's power at work. They know that actions speak louder than words. Their wisdom is not of this age but of the age to come, when the truth of God will be manifested to those who now deny it.
— Ambrosiaster, COMMENTARY ON PAUL'S EPISTLES

And accordingly the Jew at the present day, no less than the younger son, having squandered God's substance, is a beggar in alien territory, serving even until now its princes, that is, the princes of this world. Seek, therefore, the Christians some other as their brother; for the Jew the parable does not admit.
— Tertullian, On Modesty

The Church Fathers: public-domain translations (Ante-Nicene and Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers), verse-indexed by SermonIndex (CC BY 4.0).

Dictionary and topics

Wise, wisdom — A moral rather than an intellectual quality. To be “foolish” is to be godless (Ps. 14:1; comp. Judg. 19:23; 2 Sam. 13:13). True wisdom is a gift from God to those who ask it (Job 28:12-28; Prov.…
Discipline Of The Church · Exercise, in a spirit of charity — Exercise, in a spirit of charity
Perfection · UNCLASSIFIED SCRIPTURES RELATING TO — UNCLASSIFIED SCRIPTURES RELATING TO
Philosophy · Is not enough for salvation through the atonement of Jesus Christ — Is not enough for salvation through the atonement of Jesus Christ
Preaching · UNCLASSIFIED SCRIPTURES RELATING TO — UNCLASSIFIED SCRIPTURES RELATING TO
Reasoning · The gospel — The gospel

Dictionary: Easton's (1897) and Smith's (1863), public domain. Topics: Nave's Topical Bible (1896) and Torrey's Topical Textbook (1897), public domain. Both as parsed by NEUU (CC BY 4.0).

1 Corinthians 2:6

Word by word — the Greek

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on 1 Corinthians 2:6–end

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on 1 Corinthians 2:6

Adam Clarke on 1 Corinthians 2:6

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

1 Corinthians 2:6

Word by word — the Greek

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on 1 Corinthians 2:6–end

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on 1 Corinthians 2:6

Adam Clarke on 1 Corinthians 2:6

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

John Gill on 1 Corinthians 2:6

John Calvin on 1 Corinthians 2:6-9

Tyndale Open Study Notes on 1 Corinthians 2:6-16