For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may 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.
- BSB “For who has known the mind of the Lord, so as to 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 hath directed the Spirit of the LORD, or being his counsellor hath taught him?
- Rom 11:34For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor?
- John 16:13–16Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.
- John 15:15Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.
- Job 15:8Hast thou heard the secret of God? and dost thou restrain wisdom to thyself?
- Jer 23:18For who hath stood in the counsel of the LORD, and hath perceived and heard his word? who hath marked his word, and heard it?
- Eph 3:3–4How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words,
- Job 40:2Shall he that contendeth with the Almighty instruct him? he that reproveth God, let him answer it.
- John 17:6–8I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world: thine they were, and thou gavest them me; and they have kept thy word.
- Job 22:2Can a man be profitable unto God, as he that is wise may be profitable unto himself?
- Gen 1:12And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind: and God saw that it was good.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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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.