6Yet when I am among mature believers, I do speak with words of wisdom, but not the kind of wisdom that belongs to this world or to the rulers of this world, who are soon forgotten.

7No, the wisdom we speak of is the mystery of God2:7 Greek But we speak God’s wisdom in a mystery.—his plan that was previously hidden, even though he made it for our ultimate glory before the world began.

8But the rulers of this world have not understood it; if they had, they would not have crucified our glorious Lord.

9That is what the Scriptures mean when they say,

10But2:10 Some manuscripts read For. it was to us that God revealed these things by his Spirit. For his Spirit searches out everything and shows us God’s deep secrets.

11No one can know a person’s thoughts except that person’s own spirit, and no one can know God’s thoughts except God’s own Spirit.

12And we have received God’s Spirit (not the world’s spirit), so we can know the wonderful things God has freely given us.

13When we tell you these things, we do not use words that come from human wisdom. Instead, we speak words given to us by the Spirit, using the Spirit’s words to explain spiritual truths.2:13 Or explaining spiritual truths in spiritual language, or explaining spiritual truths to spiritual people.

14But people who aren’t spiritual2:14 Or who don’t have the Spirit; or who have only physical life. can’t receive these truths from God’s Spirit. It all sounds foolish to them and they can’t understand it, for only those who are spiritual can understand what the Spirit means.

15Those who are spiritual can evaluate all things, but they themselves cannot be evaluated by others.

16For,