₁When I came to you, my brothers and sisters, to preach God's secret truth, I did not use big words and great learning. ₂For while I was with you, I made up my mind to forget everything except Jesus Christ and especially his death on the cross. ₃So when I came to you, I was weak and trembled all over with fear, ₄and my teaching and message were not delivered with skilful words of human wisdom, but with convincing proof of the power of God's Spirit. ₅Your faith, then, does not rest on human wisdom but on God's power.

₆Yet I do proclaim a message of wisdom to those who are spiritually mature. But it is not the wisdom that belongs to this world or to the powers that rule this world — powers that are losing their power. ₇The wisdom I proclaim is God's hidden wisdom, which he had already chosen for our glory even before the world was made. ₈None of the rulers of this world knew this wisdom. If they had known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. ₉However, as the scripture says:

₁₃So then, we do not speak in words taught by human wisdom, but in words taught by the Spirit, as we explain spiritual truths to those who have the Spirit. ₁₄Whoever does not have the Spirit cannot receive the gifts that come from God's Spirit. Such people really do not understand them; they are nonsense to them, because their value can be judged only on a spiritual basis. ₁₅Whoever has the Spirit, however, is able to judge the value of everything, but no one is able to judge him. ₁₆As the scripture says: