“For who has known the mind of the Lord, so as to instruct Him?” But we have the mind of Christ.
Parallel translations
- WEB “For who has known the mind of the Lord, that he should instruct him?” But we have Christ’s mind.
- KJV For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.
- NKJV For “who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct Him?” But we have the mind of Christ.
- NASB For who has known the mind of the Lord, that he will instruct Him? But we have the mind of Christ.
- NLT For, “Who can know the Lord’s thoughts? Who knows enough to teach him?” But we understand these things, for we have the mind of Christ.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
No one can instruct the Lord's mind, yet believers, by the Spirit, have the mind of Christ. Through Christ we share in God's own perspective.
Overview
Quoting Isaiah 40:13, Paul affirms that no human can counsel God, underscoring the limits of human wisdom. Yet astonishingly, believers 'have Christ's mind' through the indwelling Spirit, enabling them to think in line with Christ. This caps the argument: true wisdom comes not from the world but from Christ given to His people.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 11
- Isa 40:13–14Who has directed the Spirit of the LORD, or informed Him as His counselor?
- Rom 11:34“Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been His counselor?”
- John 16:13–16However, when the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all truth. For He will not speak on His own, but He will speak what He hears, and He will declare to you what is to come.
- John 15:15No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not understand what his master is doing. But I have called you friends, because everything I have learned from My Father I have made known to you.
- Job 15:8Do you listen in on the council of God or limit wisdom to yourself?
- Jer 23:18But which of them has stood in the council of the LORD to see and hear His word? Who has given heed to His word and obeyed it?
- Eph 3:3–4that is, the mystery made known to me by revelation, as I have already written briefly.
- Job 40:2“Will the faultfinder contend with the Almighty? Let him who argues with God give an answer.”
- John 17:6–8I have revealed Your name to those You have given Me out of the world. They were Yours; You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your word.
- Job 22:2“Can a man be of use to God? Can even a wise man benefit Him?
- Gen 1:12The earth produced vegetation: seed-bearing plants according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good.
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Christ at the center
Christ crucified is the wisdom and power of God; he is our Passover sacrificed for us, the firstfruits of resurrection, the foundation on which everything is built.
How 1 Corinthians 2:16 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.