No, we speak of the mysterious and hidden wisdom of God, which He destined for our glory before time began.
Parallel translations
- WEB But we speak God’s wisdom in a mystery, the wisdom that has been hidden, which God foreordained before the worlds for our glory,
- KJV But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory:
- NKJV But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory,
- NASB but we speak God’s wisdom in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God predestined before the ages to our glory;
- NLT No, the wisdom we speak of is the mystery of God—his plan that was previously hidden, even though he made it for our ultimate glory before the world began.
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
Paul speaks God's hidden wisdom, a mystery ordained before time for the believers' glory. God's saving plan was His eternal purpose, now revealed in the gospel.
Overview
The 'mystery' is God's plan of salvation in Christ, once hidden but now disclosed to believers. God 'foreordained' it 'before the worlds,' showing redemption was His eternal intention, not an afterthought. This wisdom aims at 'our glory,' the believers' final exaltation with Christ, a destiny the world's wisdom could never conceive.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 14
- Col 1:26–27the mystery that was hidden for ages and generations but is now revealed to His saints.
- 2 Pet 1:3His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through the knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence.
- Rom 16:25–26Now to Him who is able to strengthen you by my gospel and by the proclamation of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery concealed for ages past
- Ps 78:2I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things hidden from the beginning,
- Matt 11:25At that time Jesus declared, “I praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because You have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children.
- Matt 13:35So was fulfilled what was spoken through the prophet: “I will open My mouth in parables; I will utter things hidden since the foundation of the world.”
- 1 Pet 5:10And after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself restore you, secure you, strengthen you, and establish you.
- Eph 3:4–9In reading this, then, you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ,
- Eph 1:4For He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless in His presence. In love
- 2 Tim 1:9He has saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works, but by His own purpose and by the grace He granted us in Christ Jesus before time began.
- Rev 13:8And all who dwell on the earth will worship the beast—all whose names have not been written from the foundation of the world in the Book of Life belonging to the Lamb who was slain.
- Isa 48:6–7You have heard these things; look at them all. Will you not acknowledge them? From now on I will tell you of new things, hidden things unknown to you.
- 1 Pet 1:11trying to determine the time and setting to which the Spirit of Christ in them was pointing when He predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories to follow.
- 1 Pet 5:1As a fellow elder, a witness of Christ’s sufferings, and a partaker of the glory to be revealed, I appeal to the elders among you:
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 2:7 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.