1 Corinthians 2:1-2
What is written? (ESV)
And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.
What does it say?
When I [Paul] came to you [Corinthians brethern/Christians], I plainly spoke the word of God – that Jesus Christ was crucified.
What is its immediate context?
Paul is writing to the church in Corinth dealing with several serious issues throughout the letter, but here dealing with divisions among them and reminding them of the uniting nature of the Gospel. In this chapter, and really including the first four chapters of this letter, he emphasizes the need for them to rely upon the word of God that he had shared with them as the foundation to solve these issues.
How 1 Corinthians 2:1-2 is applied across Bible answers
Does Bible interpretation require special training?
Paul simply preached the gospel of Christ and His crucifixion, using no "lofty speech or wisdom."
It's clearly man's or human wisdom he's talking about since he immediately contrasts what he didn't use with what he did - "wisdom of God" (vs 7).
Is the Bible the word of God?
Paul preached only the word of God, not the wisdom of men, which summed up was Jesus Christ crucified.
What is required to understand the Bible?
Paul stresses what is not required to understand God's word. It's not about great oratory or man's wisdom.
Paul goes on the talk about the wisdom that is from God (vs 7) and in other places rejects his own advanced learning (Philippians 3:3-11).
