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1 Corinthians 2:5

ESV so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.
NIV so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God’s power.
NASB so that your faith would not rest on the wisdom of mankind, but on the power of God.
CSB so that your faith might not be based on human wisdom but on God’s power.
NLT I did this so you would trust not in human wisdom but in the power of God.
KJV That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.
NKJV that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.

What does 1 Corinthians 2:5 mean?

Paul concludes the thought from the previous two verses. He has emphasized that when he first came to Corinth, he himself was not very impressive. Not only were his presentations marked by weakness, fear, and trembling, Paul also made a choice not to try to impress the people with his own vast knowledge or skill with words. Instead, he presented the truth about Jesus as clearly and simply as he could. This would have been a major contrast to entertainers of his era, who were known as skilled speakers.

In addition, God somehow accompanied Paul's teaching with a demonstration of His power and His Spirit. The advantage of this, Paul now writes, is that their faith in Christ rests on God's power and not on Paul's persuasiveness with words of human wisdom. Recognizing the truth of the gospel, without the distraction of showmanship, further proved the message was true.

It is not known what form this demonstration of God's power took in Corinth, but God often used signs and wonders during the time of the apostles to confirm that they spoke for Him.
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What is the Gospel?
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