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Read the Bible

Contemporary English Version

1 Corinthians 12:2

I want you to remember that before you became followers of the Lord, you were led in all the wrong ways by idols that cannot even talk.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Gentiles;   Idolatry;   Scofield Reference Index - Churches;   Thompson Chain Reference - False;   Gods, False;   Idolatry;   Images;   Worship, False;   Worship, True and False;   The Topic Concordance - Giving and Gifts;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Gentiles;   Idolatry;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Gifts;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Gentile;   Gifts of the spirit;   Holy spirit;   Tongues;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Worship;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Holy Ghost;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Corinth;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Baptism of the Holy Spirit;   Muteness;   1 Corinthians;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Corinth;   Corinthians, First Epistle to the;   Inspiration;   Spiritual Gifts;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Anathema;   Apollos;   Gentiles;   Paul (2);   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Fruit;   Wilson's Dictionary of Bible Types - Carry;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Corinth;   Dumb;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Apollos;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
You know that when you were pagans, you used to be enticed and led astray by mute idols.
King James Version (1611)
Yee know that yee were Gentiles, caryed away vnto these dumbe idoles, euen as ye were led.
King James Version
Ye know that ye were Gentiles, carried away unto these dumb idols, even as ye were led.
English Standard Version
You know that when you were pagans you were led astray to mute idols, however you were led.
New American Standard Bible
You know that when you were pagans, you were led astray to the mute idols, however you were led.
New Century Version
You know the way you lived before you were believers. You let yourselves be influenced and led away to worship idols—things that could not speak.
Amplified Bible
You know that when you were pagans, you were led off after speechless idols; however you were led off [whether by impulse or habit].
New American Standard Bible (1995)
You know that when you were pagans, you were led astray to the mute idols, however you were led.
Legacy Standard Bible
You know that when you were pagans, you were being led astray to the mute idols, however you were led.
Berean Standard Bible
You know that when you were pagans, you were influenced and led astray to mute idols.
Complete Jewish Bible
You know that when you were pagans, no matter how you felt you were being led, you were being led astray to idols, which can't speak at all.
Darby Translation
Ye know that when ye were [of the] nations [ye were] led away to dumb idols, in whatever way ye might be led.
Easy-to-Read Version
You remember the lives you lived before you were believers. You let yourselves be influenced and led away to worship idols—things that have no life.
Geneva Bible (1587)
Ye know that ye were Gentiles, and were caried away vnto the dumme Idoles, as ye were led.
George Lamsa Translation
That once you were pagans, and without exception you were carried away by dumb idols.
Good News Translation
You know that while you were still heathen, you were led astray in many ways to the worship of lifeless idols.
Lexham English Bible
You know that when you were pagans, you were led astray to the speechless idols, however you were led.
Literal Translation
You know that being led away, you nations were led to voiceless idols.
American Standard Version
Ye know that when ye were Gentiles ye were led away unto those dumb idols, howsoever ye might be led.
Bible in Basic English
You are conscious that when you were Gentiles, in whatever way you were guided, you went after images without voice or power.
Hebrew Names Version
You know that when you were heathen, you were led away to those mute idols, however you might be led.
International Standard Version
You know that when you were Gentiles, you were enticed and led away to idols that couldn't even speak.Psalm 115:5; 1 Corinthians 6:11; Ephesians 2:11-12; 1 Thessalonians 1:9; Titus 3:3; 1 Peter 4:3;">[xr]
Etheridge Translation
that you were Heathens, and unto idols which have no voice you were led without discernment .
Murdock Translation
that ye have been pagans; and have been, without distinction, led away after idols, in which there is no speech.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Ye knowe yt ye were gentiles, and caryed away vnto dumbe idols, as ye were led.
English Revised Version
Ye know that when ye were Gentiles [ye were] led away unto those dumb idols, howsoever ye might be led.
World English Bible
You know that when you were heathen, you were led away to those mute idols, however you might be led.
Wesley's New Testament (1755)
Ye know that when ye were heathens, ye were carried away after dumb idols, as ye were led.
Weymouth's New Testament
You know that when you were heathens you went astray after dumb idols, wherever you happened to be led.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
For ye witen, that whanne ye weren hethene men, hou ye weren led goynge to doumbe maumetis.
Update Bible Version
You know that when you were Gentiles [you were] led away to those mute idols, however you might be led.
Webster's Bible Translation
Ye know that ye were Gentiles, carried away to these dumb idols, even as ye were led.
New English Translation
You know that when you were pagans you were often led astray by speechless idols, however you were led.
New King James Version
You know that [fn] you were Gentiles, carried away to these dumb idols, however you were led.
New Living Translation
You know that when you were still pagans, you were led astray and swept along in worshiping speechless idols.
New Life Bible
You know that before you were Christians you were led to worship false gods. None of these gods could speak.
New Revised Standard
You know that when you were pagans, you were enticed and led astray to idols that could not speak.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Ye know that, when ye were of the nations, unto the dumb idols, howsoever ye were being led, ye were seduced.
Douay-Rheims Bible
You know that when you were heathens, you went to dumb idols, according as you were led.
Revised Standard Version
You know that when you were heathen, you were led astray to dumb idols, however you may have been moved.
Tyndale New Testament (1525)
Ye knowe that ye were gentyls and went youre wayes vnto domme ydoles even as ye were ledde.
Young's Literal Translation
ye have known that ye were nations, unto the dumb idols -- as ye were led -- being carried away;
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Ye knowe that ye were Heythe and wente youre wayes vnto dome Idols, eue as ye were led.
Mace New Testament (1729)
when you were Gentiles, you know how you were seduced by your leaders, to the worship of dumb idols.
Simplified Cowboy Version
There was a time, before you were one of God's cowboys, that you followed your own desires and worshiped rocks and sticks and other people.

Contextual Overview

1 My friends, you asked me about spiritual gifts. 2 I want you to remember that before you became followers of the Lord, you were led in all the wrong ways by idols that cannot even talk. 3 Now I want you to know that if you are led by God's Spirit, you will say that Jesus is Lord, and you will never curse Jesus. 4 There are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but they all come from the same Spirit. 5 There are different ways to serve the same Lord, 6 and we can each do different things. Yet the same God works in all of us and helps us in everything we do. 7 The Spirit has given each of us a special way of serving others. 8 Some of us can speak with wisdom, while others can speak with knowledge, but these gifts come from the same Spirit. 9 To others the Spirit has given great faith or the power to heal the sick 10 or the power to work mighty miracles. Some of us are prophets, and some of us recognize when God's Spirit is present. Others can speak different kinds of languages, and still others can tell what these languages mean.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

that: 1 Corinthians 6:11, Galatians 4:8, Ephesians 2:11, Ephesians 2:12, Ephesians 4:17, Ephesians 4:18, 1 Thessalonians 1:9, Titus 3:3, 1 Peter 4:3

dumb: Psalms 115:5, Psalms 115:7, Psalms 135:16, Habakkuk 2:18, Habakkuk 2:19

even: Matthew 15:14, 1 Peter 1:18

Reciprocal: 1 Kings 18:26 - no voice Psalms 68:13 - ye have Jeremiah 10:5 - speak Acts 19:26 - that they Romans 1:23 - an image Romans 10:19 - foolish Galatians 2:13 - carried Ephesians 4:14 - carried 2 Timothy 3:6 - led 1 John 2:22 - he that

Cross-References

Genesis 12:3
I will bless anyone who blesses you, but I will put a curse on anyone who puts a curse on you. Everyone on earth will be blessed because of you.
Genesis 12:4
Abram was seventy-five years old when the Lord told him to leave the city of Haran. He obeyed and left with his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, and all the possessions and slaves they had gotten while in Haran. When they came to the land of Canaan,
Genesis 12:6
Abram went as far as the sacred tree of Moreh in a place called Shechem. The Canaanites were still living in the land at that time,
Genesis 12:8
Abram traveled to the hill country east of Bethel and camped between Bethel and Ai, where he built another altar and worshiped the Lord .
Genesis 12:9
Later, Abram started out toward the Southern Desert.
Genesis 12:10
The crops failed, and there was no food anywhere in the land. So Abram and his wife Sarai went to live in Egypt for a while. But just before they got there, he said, "Sarai, you are really beautiful!
Genesis 12:14
As soon as Abram and Sarai arrived in Egypt, the Egyptians noticed how beautiful she was.
Genesis 12:16
The king was good to Abram because of Sarai, and Abram was given sheep, cattle, donkeys, slaves, and camels.
Genesis 12:17
Because of Sarai, the Lord struck the king and everyone in his palace with terrible diseases.
Genesis 12:18
Finally, the king sent for Abram and said to him, "What have you done to me? Why didn't you tell me Sarai was your wife?

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Ye know that ye were Gentiles,.... That is, by religion; hence the Syriac version renders it חנפא, "profane" persons, given up to wickedness, bigotry, and superstition; for by nation they were Gentiles still; and which must be understood of one part of this church only; for some of them were Jews, as is clear from many passages in the epistle to this church, and practices referred to. This the apostle observes to humble them, by putting them in mind of what they had been formerly; they were born and brought up in the Heathen religion, when they knew not the true God, much less had any knowledge of Christ, and still less of the Spirit of God; and therefore if they were favoured with any of his gifts, these must be owing to his grace, and not to their deserts, and therefore they ought not to glory: he adds, with the same view,

carried away unto these dumb idols; to idols that were nothing in the world, had no divinity in them, as he had before asserted; to dumb ones, that had mouths, but could not speak, the oracles that were delivered from them, being spoken not by them, but were either satanical delusions, or the jugglings of a priest; to these they were carried by the power of Satan, the influence of their priests, and the orders of their magistrates, to consult them as oracles, to pay their devotions to them, and do them service:

even as ye were led; that is, to these dumb idols; the Syriac adds,

דלא פורשן, "without any difference", not being able to distinguish between these and the true God; and to whom they were led as brute beasts were, that were sacrificed unto them, or as blind men are led by the blind, as they were by their blind and ignorant priests; and therefore, if they had now received the Spirit, and his gifts, they ought to ascribe the whole to the free grace of God, and be humble under a sense of their unworthiness.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Ye know ... - This verse is regarded by many as a parenthesis. But it is not necessary to suppose that it is so, or that it does not cohere with that which follows. The design seems to be to remind them of their former miserable condition as idolaters, in order to make them more sensible of their advantages as Christians, and that they might be led more highly to appreciate their present condition. Paul often refers Christians to their former condition, to excite in them gratitude for the mercies that God has conferred on them in the gospel; see the note at 1 Corinthians 6:11, compare Romans 6:17; Ephesians 2:11-12; Titus 3:3.

That ye were Gentiles - Heathen; worshippers of idols. The idea is, that they were pagans; that they had no knowledge of the true God, but were sunk in miserable superstition and idolatry.

Carried away - Led along; that is, deluded by your passions, deluded by your priests, deluded by your vain and splendid rites of worship. The whole system made an appeal to the senses, and “bore along” its votaries as if by a foreign and irresistible impulse. The word which is used ἀπαγόμενοι apagomenoi conveys properly the idea of being carried into bondage, or being led to punishment, and refers here doubtless to the strong means which had been used by crafty politicians and priests in their former state to delude and deceive them.

Unto these dumb idols - These idols which could not speak - an attribute which is often given to them, to show the folly of worshipping them; Psalms 115:5; Psalms 135:15; Habakkuk 2:18-19. The ancient priests and politicians deluded the people with the notion that oracles were uttered by the idols whom they worshipped, and thus they maintained the belief in their divinity. The idea of Patti here seems to be:

(1) That their idols never could have uttered the oracles which were ascribed to them, and consequently that they had been deluded.

(2) That these idols could never have endowed them with such spiritual privileges as they now had, and consequently that their present state was far preferable to their former condition.

Even as ye were led - Were led by the priests in the temples of the idols. They were under strong delusions and the arts of cunning and unprincipled people. The idea is, that they had been under a strong infatuation, and were entirely at the control of their spiritual leaders - a description remarkably applicable now to all forms of imposture in the world, No system of paganism consults the freedom and independence of the mind of man; but it is everywhere characterized as a system of “power,” and not of “thought;” and all its arrangements are made to secure that power without an intelligent assent of the understanding and the heart.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 1 Corinthians 12:2. Ye were Gentiles — Previously to your conversion to the Christian faith; ye were heathens, carried away, not guided by reason or truth, but hurried by your passions into a senseless worship, the chief part of which was calculated only to excite and gratify animal propensities.

Dumb idols — Though often supplicated, could never return an answer; so that not only the image could not speak, but the god or demon pretended to be represented by it could not speak: a full proof that an idol was nothing in the world.


 
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