American Standard Version of 1901
Versliste
For I determined not to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.
And I, brethren, when I came unto you, came not with excellency of {Or, word}speech or of wisdom, proclaiming to you the {Many ancient authorities read mystery.}testimony of God.
For I determined not to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.
And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling.
And my {Or, word}speech and my {Greek: thing preached.}preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power:
that your faith should not {Greek: be.}stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.
We speak wisdom, however, among them that are fullgrown: yet a wisdom not of this {Or, age: and so in verse 7, 8, but not in verse 12.}world, nor of the rulers of this {Or, age: and so in verse 7, 8, but not in verse 12.}world, who are coming to nought:
but we speak God's wisdom in a mystery, even the wisdom that hath been hidden, which God foreordained before the {Or, age: and so in verse 7, 8, but not in verse 12.}worlds unto our glory:
which none of the rulers of this {Or, age: and so in verse 7, 8, but not in verse 12.}world hath known: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory:
but as it is written, {Isaiah 64:4; 65:17.}Things which eye saw not, and ear heard not,And which entered not into the heart of man,Whatsoever things God prepared for them that love him.
{Some ancient authorities read For.}But unto us God revealed {Or, it}them through the Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.
For who among men knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of the man, which is in him? even so the things of God none knoweth, save the Spirit of God.
But we received, not the spirit of the {See verse 6.}world, but the spirit which is from God; that we might know the things that were freely given to us of God.
Which things also we speak, not in words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Spirit teacheth; {Or, interpreting spiritual things to spiritual men}combining spiritual things with spiritual words.
Now the {Or, unspiritual Greek: psychical.}natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him; and he cannot know them, because they are spiritually {Or, examined}judged.
But he that is spiritual {Or, examineth}judgeth all things, and he himself is {Or, examined}judged of no man.
For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he should instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.
Wherefore leaving {Greek: the word of the beginning of Christ.}the doctrine of the first principles of Christ, let us press on unto {Or, full growth}perfection; not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God,
{Some ancient authorities read, even the teaching of.}of the teaching of {Or, washings}baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment.
And this will we do, if God permit.
For as touching those who were once enlightened {Or, having both tasted of…and being made…and having tasted &c.}and tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Spirit,
and {Or, tasted the word of God that it is good}tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the age to come,
and then fell away, it is impossible to renew them again unto repentance; {Or, the while}seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.
For the land which hath drunk the rain that cometh oft upon it, and bringeth forth herbs meet for them for whose sake it is also tilled, receiveth blessing from God:
but if it beareth thorns and thistles, it is rejected and nigh unto a curse; whose end is to be burned.
But, beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things that {Or, belong to}accompany salvation, though we thus speak:
for God is not unrighteous to forget your work and the love which ye showed toward his name, in that ye ministered unto the saints, and still do minister.
And we desire that each one of you may show the same diligence unto the {Or, full assurance}fulness of hope even to the end:
that ye be not sluggish, but imitators of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.
For when God made promise to Abraham, since he could swear by none greater, he sware by himself,
saying, {Genesis 22:16 f.}Surely blessing I will bless thee, and multiplying I will multiply thee.
And thus, having patiently endured, he obtained the promise.
For men swear by the greater: and in every dispute of theirs the oath is final for confirmation.
Wherein God, being minded to show more abundantly unto the heirs of the promise the immutability of his counsel, {Greek: mediated.}interposed with an oath;
that by two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we may have a strong encouragement, who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before us:
which we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and stedfast and entering into that which is within the veil;
whither as a forerunner Jesus entered for us, having become a high priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek.
And to these also Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied, saying, Behold, the Lord came with {Greek: his holy myriads.}ten thousands of his holy ones,
Then shall Jehovah go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle.
And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east; and the mount of Olives shall be cleft in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south.
For that nation and kingdom that will not serve thee shall perish; yea, those nations shall be utterly wasted.
And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was priest of {Hebrew: El Elyon.}God Most High.