1 Corinthians 2:4

NET Bible® (New English Translation)

My conversation and my preaching were not with persuasive words of wisdom, but with a demonstration of the Spirit and of power,

Additional Resources

Referenced Verses

  • Rom 15:19 : 19 in the power of signs and wonders, in the power of the Spirit of God. So from Jerusalem even as far as Illyricum I have fully preached the gospel of Christ.
  • 1 Cor 1:17 : 17 For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel– and not with clever speech, so that the cross of Christ would not become useless.
  • 1 Cor 2:13 : 13 And we speak about these things, not with words taught us by human wisdom, but with those taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual things to spiritual people.
  • 1 Cor 4:20 : 20 For the kingdom of God is demonstrated not in idle talk but with power.
  • 1 Cor 2:1 : 1 When I came to you, brothers and sisters, I did not come with superior eloquence or wisdom as I proclaimed the testimony of God.
  • 1 Thess 1:5 : 5 in that our gospel did not come to you merely in words, but in power and in the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction(surely you recall the character we displayed when we came among you to help you).
  • 2 Pet 1:16 : 16 For we did not follow cleverly concocted fables when we made known to you the power and return of our Lord Jesus Christ; no, we were eyewitnesses of his grandeur.
  • 2 Pet 2:18 : 18 For by speaking high-sounding but empty words they are able to entice, with fleshly desires and with debauchery, people who have just escaped from those who reside in error.
  • 1 Pet 1:12 : 12 They were shown that they were serving not themselves but you, in regard to the things now announced to you through those who proclaimed the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven– things angels long to catch a glimpse of.
  • Rom 16:18 : 18 For these are the kind who do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By their smooth talk and flattery they deceive the minds of the naive.
  • Gal 1:10 : 10 Am I now trying to gain the approval of people, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a slave of Christ!
  • Col 2:4 : 4 I say this so that no one will deceive you through arguments that sound reasonable.
  • Judg 14:15 : 15 On the fourth day they said to Samson’s bride,“Trick your husband into giving the solution to the riddle. If you refuse, we will burn up you and your father’s family. Did you invite us here to make us poor?”
  • Judg 16:5 : 5 The rulers of the Philistines went up to visit her and said to her,“Trick him! Find out what makes him so strong and how we can subdue him and humiliate him. Each one of us will give you eleven hundred silver pieces.”
  • 2 Sam 14:17-20 : 17 So your servant said,‘May the word of my lord the king be my security, for my lord the king is like the angel of God when it comes to deciding between right and wrong! May the LORD your God be with you!’” 18 Then the king replied to the woman,“Don’t hide any information from me when I question you.” The woman said,“Let my lord the king speak!” 19 The king said,“Did Joab put you up to all of this?” The woman answered,“As surely as you live, my lord the king, there is no deviation to the right or to the left from all that my lord the king has said. For your servant Joab gave me instructions. He has put all these words in your servant’s mouth. 20 Your servant Joab did this so as to change this situation. But my lord has wisdom like that of the angel of God, and knows everything that is happening in the land.”
  • 2 Sam 15:2-6 : 2 Now Absalom used to get up early and stand beside the road that led to the city gate. Whenever anyone came by who had a complaint to bring to the king for arbitration, Absalom would call out to him,“What city are you from?” The person would answer,“I, your servant, am from one of the tribes of Israel.” 3 Absalom would then say to him,“Look, your claims are legitimate and appropriate. But there is no representative of the king who will listen to you.” 4 Absalom would then say,“If only they would make me a judge in the land! Then everyone who had a judicial complaint could come to me and I would make sure he receives a just settlement.” 5 When someone approached to bow before him, Absalom would extend his hand and embrace him and kiss him. 6 Absalom acted this way toward everyone in Israel who came to the king for justice. In this way Absalom won the loyalty of the citizens of Israel.
  • 1 Kgs 22:13-14 : 13 Now the messenger who went to summon Micaiah said to him,“Look, the prophets are in complete agreement that the king will succeed. Your words must agree with theirs; you must predict success.” 14 But Micaiah said,“As certainly as the LORD lives, I will say what the LORD tells me to say.”
  • 2 Chr 18:19-21 : 19 The LORD said,‘Who will deceive King Ahab of Israel, so he will attack Ramoth Gilead and die there?’ One said this and another that. 20 Then a spirit stepped forward and stood before the LORD. He said,‘I will deceive him.’ The LORD asked him,‘How?’ 21 He replied,‘I will go out and be a lying spirit in the mouths of all his prophets.’ The LORD said,‘Deceive and overpower him. Go out and do as you have proposed.’
  • Prov 7:21 : 21 She turned him aside with her persuasions; with her smooth talk she was enticing him along.
  • Prov 20:19 : 19 The one who goes about gossiping reveals secrets; therefore do not associate with someone who is always opening his mouth.
  • Jer 20:10 : 10 I hear many whispering words of intrigue against me. Those who would cause me terror are everywhere! They are saying,“Come on, let’s publicly denounce him!” All my so-called friends are just watching for something that would lead to my downfall. They say,“Perhaps he can be enticed into slipping up, so we can prevail over him and get our revenge on him.
  • Ezek 13:6 : 6 They see delusion and their omens are a lie. They say,“the LORD declares,” though the LORD has not sent them; yet they expect their word to be confirmed.
  • Ezek 13:10-11 : 10 “‘This is because they have led my people astray saying,“All is well,” when things are not well. When anyone builds a wall without mortar, they coat it with whitewash. 11 Tell the ones who coat it with whitewash that it will fall. When there is a deluge of rain, hailstones will fall and a violent wind will break out.
  • John 16:8-9 : 8 And when he comes, he will prove the world wrong concerning sin and righteousness and judgment– 9 concerning sin, because they do not believe in me; 10 concerning righteousness, because I am going to the Father and you will see me no longer; 11 and concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world has been condemned. 12 “I have many more things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. 13 But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. For he will not speak on his own authority, but will speak whatever he hears, and will tell you what is to come. 14 He will glorify me, because he will receive from me what is mine and will tell it to you. 15 Everything that the Father has is mine; that is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what is mine and will tell it to you.
  • Acts 20:27 : 27 For I did not hold back from announcing to you the whole purpose of God.
  • Acts 26:28 : 28 Agrippa said to Paul,“In such a short time are you persuading me to become a Christian?”

Similar Verses (AI)

These verses are found using AI-powered semantic similarity based on meaning and context. Results may occasionally include unexpected connections.

  • 1 Cor 2:5-7
    3 verses
    86%

    5so that your faith would not be based on human wisdom but on the power of God.

    6Wisdom from God Now we do speak wisdom among the mature, but not a wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are perishing.

    7Instead we speak the wisdom of God, hidden in a mystery, that God determined before the ages for our glory.

  • 1 Cor 2:1-3
    3 verses
    81%

    1When I came to you, brothers and sisters, I did not come with superior eloquence or wisdom as I proclaimed the testimony of God.

    2For I decided to be concerned about nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and him crucified.

    3And I was with you in weakness and in fear and with much trembling.

  • 1 Cor 4:19-21
    3 verses
    79%

    19But I will come to you soon, if the Lord is willing, and I will find out not only the talk of these arrogant people, but also their power.

    20For the kingdom of God is demonstrated not in idle talk but with power.

    21What do you want? Shall I come to you with a rod of discipline or with love and a spirit of gentleness?

  • 1 Thess 1:5
    78%

    5in that our gospel did not come to you merely in words, but in power and in the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction(surely you recall the character we displayed when we came among you to help you).

  • 1 Cor 1:17-19
    3 verses
    76%

    17For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel– and not with clever speech, so that the cross of Christ would not become useless.

    18The Message of the Cross For the message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

    19For it is written,“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and I will thwart the cleverness of the intelligent.”

  • Col 2:4
    75%

    4I say this so that no one will deceive you through arguments that sound reasonable.

  • 1 Cor 2:13
    75%

    13And we speak about these things, not with words taught us by human wisdom, but with those taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual things to spiritual people.

  • 2 Cor 13:3-4
    2 verses
    75%

    3since you are demanding proof that Christ is speaking through me. He is not weak toward you but is powerful among you.

    4For indeed he was crucified by reason of weakness, but he lives because of God’s power. For we also are weak in him, but we will live together with him, because of God’s power toward you.

  • 1 Cor 1:21
    73%

    21For since in the wisdom of God the world by its wisdom did not know God, God was pleased to save those who believe by the foolishness of preaching.

  • Rom 15:18-20
    3 verses
    72%

    18For I will not dare to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me in order to bring about the obedience of the Gentiles, by word and deed,

    19in the power of signs and wonders, in the power of the Spirit of God. So from Jerusalem even as far as Illyricum I have fully preached the gospel of Christ.

    20And in this way I desire to preach where Christ has not been named, so as not to build on another person’s foundation,

  • Gal 1:11
    71%

    11Paul’s Vindication of His Apostleship Now I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that the gospel I preached is not of human origin.

  • 1 Thess 2:1-6
    6 verses
    71%

    1Paul’s Ministry in Thessalonica For you yourselves know, brothers and sisters, about our coming to you– it has not proven to be purposeless.

    2But although we suffered earlier and were mistreated in Philippi, as you know, we had the courage in our God to declare to you the gospel of God in spite of much opposition.

    3For the appeal we make does not come from error or impurity or with deceit,

    4but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we declare it, not to please people but God, who examines our hearts.

    5For we never appeared with flattering speech, as you know, nor with a pretext for greed– God is our witness–

    6nor to seek glory from people, either from you or from others,

  • 2 Cor 4:2
    71%

    2But we have rejected shameful hidden deeds, not behaving with deceptiveness or distorting the word of God, but by open proclamation of the truth we commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience before God.

  • 2 Cor 10:9-10
    2 verses
    71%

    9I do not want to seem as though I am trying to terrify you with my letters,

    10because some say,“His letters are weighty and forceful, but his physical presence is weak and his speech is of no account.”

  • 1 Cor 1:24-25
    2 verses
    71%

    24But to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God.

    25For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.

  • 2 Thess 3:9
    71%

    9It was not because we do not have that right, but to give ourselves as an example for you to imitate.

  • Gal 4:13
    70%

    13Personal Appeal of Paul But you know it was because of a physical illness that I first proclaimed the gospel to you,

  • 2 Pet 1:16
    70%

    16For we did not follow cleverly concocted fables when we made known to you the power and return of our Lord Jesus Christ; no, we were eyewitnesses of his grandeur.

  • 1 Thess 1:8
    70%

    8For from you the message of the Lord has echoed forth not just in Macedonia and Achaia, but in every place reports of your faith in God have spread, so that we do not need to say anything.

  • 2 Cor 4:7
    69%

    7An Eternal Weight of Glory But we have this treasure in clay jars, so that the extraordinary power belongs to God and does not come from us.

  • Col 4:4
    69%

    4Pray that I may make it known as I should.

  • 2 Cor 2:17
    69%

    17For we are not like so many others, hucksters who peddle the word of God for profit, but we are speaking in Christ before God as persons of sincerity, as persons sent from God.

  • 2 Cor 1:12
    69%

    12Paul Defends His Changed Plans For our reason for confidence is this: the testimony of our conscience, that with pure motives and sincerity which are from God– not by human wisdom but by the grace of God– we conducted ourselves in the world, and all the more toward you.

  • 2 Tim 1:7
    69%

    7For God did not give us a Spirit of fear but of power and love and self-control.

  • Phil 1:14
    69%

    14and most of the brothers and sisters, having confidence in the Lord because of my imprisonment, now more than ever dare to speak the word fearlessly.

  • 2 Cor 4:5
    69%

    5For we do not proclaim ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your slaves for Jesus’ sake.

  • Col 1:29
    69%

    29Toward this goal I also labor, struggling according to his power that powerfully works in me.

  • 2 Cor 11:17
    69%

    17What I am saying with this boastful confidence I do not say the way the Lord would. Instead it is, as it were, foolishness.

  • Heb 2:4
    69%

    4while God confirmed their witness with signs and wonders and various miracles and gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will.

  • 2 Cor 11:6
    68%

    6And even if I am unskilled in speaking, yet I am certainly not so in knowledge. Indeed, we have made this plain to you in everything in every way.

  • 2 Cor 10:4
    68%

    4for the weapons of our warfare are not human weapons, but are made powerful by God for tearing down strongholds. We tear down arguments

  • 2 Cor 13:10
    68%

    10Because of this I am writing these things while absent, so that when I arrive I may not have to deal harshly with you by using my authority– the Lord gave it to me for building up, not for tearing down!