α 3739 R-APN και 2532 CONJ λαλουμεν 2980 5719 V-PAI-1P ουκ 3756 PRT-N εν 1722 PREP διδακτοις 1318 A-DPM ανθρωπινης 442 A-GSF σοφιας 4678 N-GSF λογοις 3056 N-DPM αλλ 235 CONJ εν 1722 PREP διδακτοις 1318 A-DPM πνευματος 4151 N-GSN αγιου 40 A-GSN πνευματικοις 4152 A-DPN πνευματικα 4152 A-APN συγκρινοντες 4793 5723 V-PAP-NPM
Vincent's NT Word Studies
13. Not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth. Lit., not in the taught words of human wisdom. Compare Plato: "Through love all the intercourse and speech of God with man, whether awake or asleep, is carried on. The wisdom which understands this is spiritual; all other wisdom, such as that of arts and handicrafts, is mean and vulgar" ("Symposium," 203).Which the Spirit teacheth (en didaktoiv pneumatov). Lit., in the taught (words) of the Spirit. Taught; not mechanically uttered, but communicated by a living Spirit.
Comparing spiritual things with spiritual (pneumatikoiv pneumatika sugkrinontev). Notice the paronomasia. See on Romans i. 29, 31. The dispute on this verse arises over the meanings of sugkrinontev, A.V., comparing, and pneumatikoiv spiritual. As to the latter, whether the reference is to spiritual men, things, or words; as to the former, whether the meaning is adapting, interpreting, proving, or comparing. The principal interpretations are: adapting spiritual words to spiritual things; adapting spiritual things to spiritual men; interpreting spiritual things to spiritual men; interpreting spiritual things by spiritual words. Sugkrinontev occurs only here and 2 Cor. x. 12, where the meaning is clearly compare. In classical Greek the original meaning is to compound, and later, to compare, as in Aristotle and Plutarch, and to interpret, used of dreams, and mainly in Septuagint. See Gen. xl. 8. The most satisfactory interpretation is combining spiritual things with spiritual words. After speaking of spiritual things (vers. 11, 12, 13), Paul now speaks of the forms in which they are conveyed - spiritual forms or words answering to spiritual matters, and says, we combine spiritual things with spiritual forms of expression. This would not be the case if we uttered the revelations of the Spirit in the speech of human wisdom. 81
Robertson's NT Word Studies
2:13 {Which things also we speak} (ha kai laloumen). this onomatopoetic verb lalew (from la-la), to utter sounds. In the papyri the word calls more attention to the form of utterance while legw refers more to the substance. But lalew in the N.T. as here is used of the highest and holiest speech. Undoubtedly Paul employs the word purposely for the utterance of the revelation which he has understood. That is to say, there is revelation (verse #10), illumination (verse #12), and inspiration (verse #13). Paul claims therefore the help of the Holy Spirit for the reception of the revelation, for the understanding of it, for the expression of it. Paul claimed this authority for his preaching (#1Th 4:2) and for his epistles (#2Th 3:14). {Not in words which man's wisdom teacheth} (ouk en didaktois anqrwpines sofias logois). Literally, "not in words taught by human wisdom." The verbal adjective didaktois (from didaskw, to teach) is here passive in idea and is followed by the ablative case of origin or source as in #Joh 6:45, esontai pantes didaktoi qeou (from #Isa 54:13), "They shall all be taught by God." The ablative in Greek, as is well known, has the same form as the genitive, though quite different in idea (Robertson, _Grammar_, p. 516). So qen Paul claims the help of the Holy Spirit in the utterance (laloumen) of the words, "which the Spirit teacheth (en didaktois pneumatos), "in words taught by the Spirit" (ablative pneumatos as above). Clearly Paul means that the help of the Holy Spirit in the utterance of the revelation extends to the words. No theory of inspiration is here stated, but it is not _mere_ human wisdom. Paul's own Epistles bear eloquent witness to the lofty claim here made. They remain today after nearly nineteen centuries throbbing with the power of the Spirit of God, dynamic with life for the problems of today as when Paul wrote them for the needs of the believers in his time, the greatest epistles of all time, surcharged with the energy of God. {Comparing spiritual things with spiritual} (pneumatikois pneumatika sunkrinontes). Each of these words is in dispute. The verb sunkrinw, originally meant to combine, to join together fitly. In the LXX it means to interpret dreams (#Ge 40:8,22; 41:12) possibly by comparison. In the later Greek it may mean to compare as in #2Co 10:12. In the papyri Moulton and Milligan (_Vocabulary_) give it only for "decide," probably after comparing. But "comparing," in spite of the translations, does not suit well here. So it is best to follow the original meaning to combine as do Lightfoot and Ellicott. But what gender is pneumatikois? Is it masculine or neuter like pneumatika? If masculine, the idea would be "interpreting (like LXX) spiritual truths to spiritual persons" or "matching spiritual truths with spiritual persons." this is a possible rendering and makes good sense in harmony with verse #14. If pneumatikois be taken as neuter plural (associative instrumental case after sun in sunkrinontes), the idea most naturally would be, "combining spiritual ideas (pneumatika) with spiritual words" (pneumatikois). this again makes good sense in harmony with the first part of verse #13. On the whole this is the most natural way to take it, though various other possibilities exist.
